text:
because God set's the lonely in families
Our family's journey to adoption started long before we were a family. I actually cannot remember when I knew my family wouldn't be pieced together in the traditional way. Jonathan's story is similar. We both feel drawn to the redemptive beauty of adoption.
Over the years our picture of what adoption would look like for our family has shifted and changed. If you asked me at any point in the past 15 years to describe what I would see in my future family, I would have at different points described children from many nations, ethnicity and backgrounds. The only constant was the presence of a child or children not born from my body. We have watched other families form through different avenues and soaked in their experiences. Without clarity we prayed and continued to walk forward.
Probably about 5 years ago I remember our Pastor talking about orphan care and he said something that was profound for me at the time. He said, "I don't want to take away from adoption, it is a good thing. But at the point in which a child needs to be adopted, the church has failed that family and that child." And my brain started spinning. Honestly, it took me the next couple of years to process that statement and be able to answer the question, "then what?" I started reading and asking different questions. I learned something that should have been right in front of my face the whole time- adoption is surrounded by incredible loss. Up until this time, I was pretty focused on the beauty and redemptive part of an adopted story, and pretty ignorant to the reality. Because friends, the truth is, we were created to live within families. And not just that, we were created to live within the family God placed us in. Anything short of that is covered in heartache. For a long time I felt immobilized by this reality. Overwhelmed. Over time, God prodded Jonathan and I to begin to seek our part. I love the quote, "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." Arthur Ashe. So we took a step forward.
Foster care. At this point, we had been feeling pretty sure we were headed in the direction of a domestic adoption. We knew there were kids in our community falling through the cracks. We believe with our whole hearts that the BEST for any child is to grow up in their biological family if at all possible. We wanted to stand in the gap where we could and fight for families. We also knew, that in this world, sometimes things are just too broken and family cannot be preserved. We spent a year praying and waiting for our son to grow and when we felt ready at the beginning of this year, I made a phone call. We had decided to adopt through foster care and seek how we could serve within the system. We began a lengthy training process during which we decided to provide respite care, which is short-term care for kiddos whose foster parents need a break or are traveling, ect. We dove into the licensing process and are thrilled to be on the other side.
So there it is. A beginning. More to come.
August 27, 2014 Comments Off
some bits about my daughter
Oh my. Often. . . that is my response to my daughter's antics. She is a little girl who knows her own mind. And I love it.
Watching her grow up is a joy. Really. Big victories for her. She has been growing in courage, going to Super Church on Sunday mornings without tears. She is as quick to encourage others as I have ever seen. She is tender hearted and loves big. I am so very proud of her. There are other signs of growing up that I wish weren't happening. Like helping herself to 'snacks' and 'trying to make dinner'. These instances have resulted in 4 sticks of butter being fed to our dogs, a bag of soup I had defrosting on the counter landing open on the floor, and finding a random slice of cold pizza on the sofa after returning from putting her to bed. :)
Another non favorite. . . giving up naps. She is perhaps ready (I say that against my will- and ready or not I will be maintaining 'quiet time' at our house in the afternoon) but this week after 5 days of not napping. . . she did this late Saturday afternoon.
The other night about an hour after her bedtime I was in our basement doing laundry and came upstairs to find her out of bed. While I was tucking her back in we had this gem of a conversation.
Me: Evie, why are you not sleeping?
Evie: Moooom (said with the tone of a teenager), Sleeping makes you grow big and strong, and I want to be little like Connor.
Me: I see.
She teaches me so much. A few weeks ago at bedtime we were reading the story of Jesus' crucifixion. She asked a lot of detailed questions and therefore received more detailed answers which gave her a clearer picture than she has previously understood in regards to the cost of our sin. What it cost to restore our broken relationship with God. She was showing me how Jesus' hands were nailed. . . and looked up at me and said, "Momma, I don't want that to happen to me" (and for the sake of clarity, she was not scared. This was still a very age appropriate conversation). I have known this story for my entire living memory. I have heard sermons, read books, watched movies and generally encountered this moment in history more times that I could possibly count. But my sweet girl. . . she made it new again for me. This tiny shift in perspective, that His body beaten and bruised, torn apart, carried the cross they would nail Him to, and then as he took on the weight of my sin His own Father had to turn away from Him . . . should have been me. He paid my debt. She made me see with fresh eyes. And I am so thankful.
And because I never want to forget the days when, if given a choice in her foot ware for the day, she always chose boots.
February 3, 2014 Comments Off
I grew up in a bird feeding home. We had feeders in the trees off our deck which we would sit and watch from the kitchen table. I have many memories of Sunday morning breakfasts with us naming birds. We had a poster on the side of the fridge that had pictures of different finches and a small bird guide book. My brother and I rarely got along as children, but we did enjoy figuring out the identity of our bird friends together. I hope my children enjoy our feeders as we did.
If you feed birds, you feed squirrels as they steal from your birds. Squirrels scare birds. Birds fly away. You learn to despise squirrels. At least we did.
So we got a new feeder for Christmas. I had actually gotten the same one for my Mom for Mother's Day last year and Evie loved it when we would visit so she got us the same one. Jonathan and Evie put it up last weekend.
Then yesterday Evie yelled, "Mom, SQUIRREL!" Her yelling scared it away. . . but we sat and watched armed with my phone to document the stinker when it came back. And it did.
After documenting we pounded on the window and the squirrel left. He hasn't been seen again. Maybe he got the message. . . but more likely we need to move the feeder higher.
I sent this video to my family over the holidays and we laughed . . . squirrel launcher
Judge us if you want. . .but being part of this family includes loving birds and hating squirrels.
January 21, 2014 Comments Off
on my birthday
Today I am 30. So some random thoughts on my birthday. . .
But it isn't my birthday (and a landmark one at that) freaking me out. It's my kids. They grow up SO FAST. Connor will be 1 in less than a month (whaaaat?). My baby no longer a baby. I was folding laundry last night and held up a set of Evie's pajamas and they are so big. She is so big. Who told them they were allowed to grow up? Seriously people, I want names.
I am not a big birthday kind of gal. My birthday's right after Christmas and for some other reasons growing up and now. . . my birthday just never has seemed like a big deal. Everyone is still detoxing from the holidays and a little celebrated out. Including me. A few friends wanted me to have a party this year (because it is my 30th after all) but I'm just not the party type so I said no. I did go out with them for a girls night on Saturday. . . which was way better than a party. I am pretty sure I have done nothing like that since I have been a mom. No out with girl friends without kids or some sort of agenda. We ate good food and drank a glass of wine and laughed and shared things from our hearts. It was good for my soul. I am thankful for them. . . these women God has put into my life who are more family then friends.
Jonathan asked me the other night if I was happy. And I am. I am blessed to know deep and real joy. I am thankful.
January 13, 2014 Comments Off
hello again. . .
I haven't blogged in a long time. Umm. . .duh. But seriously I haven't blogged in a long time. This spring I began feeling a lot of stress related to blogging. Silly, I know. I had placed goals oriented to consistency in blogging on myself that just lead to stress and feelings of failure when I didn't live up to them. But I wasn't living up to them for good reasons so I quit blogging for a while. For those who noticed I stopped blogging and quit Facebook at the same time and were concerned, thanks for reaching out :) All is well! The Facebook thing was a totally unrelated decision, I didn't all together quit the internet!
All that to say. . .I am going to start blogging again. . . but with no expectations. I might blog 4 times in a week and then not again for another month and I am giving myself permission for that to be okay. I really have missed this outlet and Jonathan misses the way it records our life's happenings (since I don't scrap book or anything, this is it!)
If you read this, thanks for caring and sticking around!
November 2, 2012 2 Comments
star spangled
I hope you had a good holiday yesterday. We enjoyed the day with good friends swimming, eating, and fireworking (I am aware fireworking's not a word). It was a really good day.
I was surprised how well Genevieve did with the poppers and sparklers. She LOVED fireworks.
Today I am thankful for true freedom.
July 5, 2012 Comments Off
random pictures
It's summer :) I like summer until it gets to triple didget temps day after day. Then not so much. We did enjoy a nice May and the first half of June before the sweltering heat began. . . so I'm going to call that summer and the rest of this something like 'the season of sweltering heat from Hades'. Anywhoo. . . just sharing a few really random pics of us this summer. Maybe I should say pics of Jonathan and Genevieve. . . because I am not in any pictures. That needs to change.
Spunky Miss Genevieve loves to swim. She is her mother's child. She wants to be let go of in the deep end and is pretty adamant about it. When we swim at the Y -which has a fantastic toddler swim area- she beelines for the deep end. So tonight at almost 20 months old she starts swimming lessons. If the girl insists on swimming on her own. . . she should learn how :)
We rode bikes to the park for a picnic.
This picture documents a few firsts for Genevieve. This is her first pair of sunglasses. Her Gigi sent them to her and she would not take them off. No joke. I wrestled them from her for nap time that day. She is also sporting her first skinned knee. That happened at the pool. She fell, stood up and said "ouch", and the proceeded to run for the deep end. She is also showing off her cute painted toe nails. It's my new trick to get her to cooperate with getting her nails clipped. The alternative includes a lot of kicking and screaming so toe painting it is.
She feels pretty glam in her sunglasses. She now has a few more pairs (dollar bin at Target people) and reeeally likes wearing them.
Today I am thankful for my family. I think they're pretty great.
July 2, 2012 1 Comment
catching up and flying kites
I haven't been blogging (says captain obvious). I have been busy and something had to give and blogging was it.
I am almost done watching my friends daughter. I am looking forward to Genevieve & I's days freeing up, but we will also miss her. We have had a lot of special time with a little one we love very much. I will say, all mothers who have their children one year apart (or less!!!) deserve a medal of honor. A newborn and a one year old at the same time is no laughing matter folks.
We have had 24 TONS of dirt delivered to our house and dispersed around our property in the last few weeks. Sounds like a lot of dirt eh? It is. If you call and we don't answer, it's safe to assume we are outside. Working. (if that sounds like complaining, it's really not- it's actually been a fun family project. Jonathan may disagree)
Genevieve is 18 months old. One and a half. Crazy.
I have done 8 loads of laundry in the past 2 days. That's whatcha get when you're lazy for 2 weeks.
There is so much dirt tracking in our house I have given up on cleaning the floors until this project is done. I sweep, but the floors are dirty people. I mean, we have dogs and a toddler. Dirty. Don't judge me.
Jonathan got a kite. It's been good times.
Today I am thankful for my family.
May 8, 2012 1 Comment
i painted a chair
A while back Sherry on Young House Love tried to paint a chair. . . it didn't work for her BUT she lead me to this tutorial and I couldn't get it off my mind. I have since done a lot of reading and then I took the plunge (like in October) and bought a $10 chair off Craigslist. My hero hubby went to pic it up for me and it has sat in our living room. . . stained and dejected ever since. I did clean it when I had rented a carpet cleaner for a rug that the dogs had . . . .well you don't need details. . . .my point is I cleaned it. And then it sat. In January I bought my supplies. And it sat. And two weekends ago I decided to paint it.
Here is my chair before:
Now. . .how I did it. Like I said. . .I read a lot. I also went into this with a very open mind. I gave myself permission to ruin this chair. If it ended up in the trash I wasn't going to feel bad about it. I let myself off the perfection hook. I highly recommend this step. Without it there would have been crying on my part during this process.
Disclaimer—- this is not a real tutorial—- I want to share with you what I learned as I went BUT I highly recommend reading the tutorial at the above link.
Supplies I used:
Latex paint (I should have bought a quart. . instead I started with one test pot. . .ended up buying another test pot. . .could have still used another)
Fabric Medium (you can get this at a craft store near the puff paints and other fabric paint)
A spray bottle
Foam sanding block
Paint brush
I mixed the paint and fabric medium 50/50 in a clean plastic container I dug out of the recycling bin.The fabric medium keeps the paint from being crunchy at the end of this. It is very important so don't skip it! I would also recommend watering this mixture down. It shouldn't be thick. Like thin pancake batter would be the right consistency.
I started on the back because it won't be seen. That was a good decision. Start by spraying the fabric with water. Lots of water. My experience was the wetter the better. Then I started brushing. I didn't water down the paint when I started and it made it very hard to blend. It looked like this:
Blotchy. . . made me want to cry. I honestly kind of felt like giving up at this point. So I took a break and regrouped. Here is what I learned- more water is better (this is where I started watering down the paint mixture). I also would re-spray areas that I was struggling to blend and that helped a lot. You can see in the picture I was applying the paint in an up and down motion with the brush. . . and then it occurred to me you would never do that on a wall (you should always roll paint on a wall in a W motion so you won't have lines) so I started using the W technique while applying the paint. Those things combined made a HUGE difference on the rest of the chair.
So I painted a coat on the rest of the chair, let it dry and then I sanded. This is the key to pleasant feeling fabric when you finish. It might feel weird to sand fabric (but lets face it- we are already painting fabric- it doesn't get weirder) but it matters so much. After each coat of paint it felt terrible. After sanding my chair feels like canvas (it was velvet to start). Sand (and paint for that matter) in the direction of the grain of the fabric.
I also painted the legs of the chairs with white paint we keep on hand for the trim in our house.
I ended up applying 3 coats (sanding in between and a lot of sanding after). I did not achieve perfect coverage. Honestly I am not sure with my fabric it is possible, nor do I think I want to. A friend who was over the other day remarked that it made it look more like fabric- the imperfection- which made me feel better about the whole thing.
Here she is finished:
The verdict? I like it. I'm not in love with it. Like I mentioned. . . it feels like canvas. I am actually impressed with how good it feels. I think I would like it better if I did it again knowing what I do now from learning on this one. You can see the places where the coverage is a lot less than perfect and I think using more water than I did in the beginning (I ended up adding more water during every coat) would make a big difference in the even coverage department. All that said- this is GREAT for a $10 chair off Craigslist. A chair from your Grandma's house with sentimental value though- no way would I paint it. Too much room for error. And I think it's likely I won't like this any more in a few years.
I'm happy I tried this. It was fun actually. . . and it's fun to talk about. People can't believe I painted upholstery. What do you think?
Today I am thankful for spring break!
March 16, 2012 2 Comments
pinterest challenge- diy craspedia
Okay folks. . . I have a lot on my plate so while I wanted to under take some sewing projects this past week (like these or these) I did something super easy instead. I found this tutorial for DIY Craspedia flowers (or billy buttons) from Sincerely, Kinsley a while back. I forgot to pin it then (or it never took) because I had to hunt it down this morning. Whoops. I had read the tutorial (which again, is super easy) when I originally found it so I never needed to reference it when I made these.
I like Craspedia's. They are super trendy right now and perhaps a tad over used. . . but I still think they are happy fun flowers and in an effort to bring spring to my house they do just the trick :) If you want to make these. . . it's like a 15 minute project. I made these in the time it took Genevieve to eat lunch.
Happy right? Did you make anything you saw on Pinterest this week?
Check out what other's made during the Pinterest Challenge here , here, here and here! Thanks to Sherry and Katie for hosting and motivating!
All tutorials were found via Pinterest.
March 14, 2012 2 Comments


text:
Vote of the week: How do you like your Butterbeer?
Written by Robert Niles
In honor of today's opening of the seventh Harry Potter film, I thought I'd ask a question about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando.Tweet
At first glance, it might seem that there's no question about the Wizarding World. Universal's new Harry Potter land has won, well, universal acclaim. It won our Theme Park Insider Award for Best New Attraction of 2010. It's been sitting atop of Best Themed Ride rankings since it opened. And this week, the themed amusement industry's designers and managers honored it with four Thea Awards at the 2010 IAAPA Attractions Expo.
No question, huh?
Not so fast. There is one question roiling the Wizarding World - one question that divides fans into bitter enemy camps, like Gryffindors battling Slytherins.
How do you like your Butterbeer, regular or frozen?
If you've visited the park, go ahead and respond with your favorite version of Universal's highly addictive drink. If you've not yet visited, take a look at the pros and cons listed below and in the comments, then respond with the version you'll pick first when you do visit.
(And you must visit. If you're a theme park fans - even if you don't care for Harry Potter - you really should see this, to see the ultimate in immersive area theming.)
Why Frozen Butterbeer?
Why Regular Butterbeer?
So which will it be?
Readers' Opinions
From Mike Gallagher on November 19, 2010 at 9:17 AM
Have not been there, haven't had Butterbeer. I am a huge fan of the books and have read them all. Saw some of the movies, but prefer the written word of Ms. Rowling.
From what I've read about Butterbeer as served in Florida, it's similar in taste and texture to cream soda. I like cream soda, but the idea of having it (or soda in general) frozen doesn't really appeal to me. So I voted for regular non-frozen Butterbeer.
From Terry O'Neal on November 19, 2010 at 10:08 AM
I'd take a Beverly over a Butterbeer anyday! It's free and comes in small doses, but the taste is a lot better.
From David Brown on November 19, 2010 at 10:36 AM
I too have never tasted it and actually not sure I want to taste it. I don't have a sweet tooth and to be honest the description of it sounds horribly sweet... And as any good UK beer-drinker knows beer is meant to be BITTER! However, tie me down and threaten me with having to ride Its a Small World over and over again unless I choose one or the other and I guess I'd have to go for regular.
But I just know I'm not going to want more than a few sips.....
From TROY DAVIDSON on November 19, 2010 at 11:02 AM
Having a annual pass has allowed me to visit Harry Potter Land about 15 times. I have to tell you the Frozen Butterbeer is a lot better then the regular. The regular is a little too heavy and you get tired of it before it's half way gone. I think the regular reminds me of drinking maple syrup. The frozen is refreshing and unique and at 200 calories not a bad treat!
From Mike Gallagher on November 19, 2010 at 11:15 AM
Time to show off my ignorance, Terry:
Beverly? Whazzat?
From James Rao on November 19, 2010 at 11:52 AM
Mike, it is nasty tasting swill from Italy you can get at Epcot's Club Cool for free. Has somewhat of a cult following because it is "cool" to say you like yucky soda.
As for the question at hand...my first sip of Butterbeer will be the frozen variety!
From Stacy Healy on November 19, 2010 at 12:56 PM
Having tasted only the non-frozen butterbeer and having not cared for it, I voted frozen
From Crystal A on November 19, 2010 at 1:32 PM
I like the Regular Butterbeer. Especially with the Fish& Chips from 3 Broomsticks... Yum!
From Terry O'Neal on November 19, 2010 at 1:33 PM
James is right, Mike, it's at Club Cool at epcot. I almost moved my honeymoon to Italy to bring some home with me. Anyone going to Italy sometime soon? I'll pay to have it sent back.
From Eric G on November 19, 2010 at 2:55 PM
Butterbeer is nasty! Unless you're a fan of butterscotch, then you'll probably agree with me. Also, I happen to like "Beverly". Some of you may actually say you like it to be cool, but I'd actually pay money to consume it.
From Melissa Donahue on November 19, 2010 at 4:28 PM
FROZEN -- there's no other way. Period. I had both versions this summer, and frozen is the way to go! It is definitely sweeter. About halfway through the drink, the texture (not taste) resembles the consistency of a root beer float.
For those that don't like sweet drinks... try the pear cider!
From Mike Gallagher on November 19, 2010 at 7:26 PM
Terry vs. James!!!
Doesn't sound like y'all are on the same page. Sounds like Terry's a BIG fan of what James refers to as "yucky soda!"
I smell a Hell In A Cell match to settle this!
And somebody above referenced butterscotch in describing Butterbeer. I like butterscotch, so this is sounding more appealing by the minute. Maybe I'll win the contest I'm entering EVERY day in the NY Daily News through the 26th of this month. Trip for four to Universal, stay at Hard Rock Hotel. Right now, I have nobody to go with. Any takers???
From Tony Duda on November 19, 2010 at 9:29 PM
I've only had the regular and only once but it got too warm too fast so the next one will be frozen. And Beverly IS "nasty" and "yucky" and someone will only say they like it so that they can start an argument. Anyway, free soda at any Disney location (Club Cool at Epcot) is unique and everyone should go and fill up as much as they can, just not on Beverly.
From Alfonso Giordano on November 19, 2010 at 10:14 PM
I've been there and had both a few times and I just love the regular butterbeer. The frozen give me brain freeze and tastes plain to me. I do really like butterbeer, and it's only 3 hours away from me... Has anyone else ever seen any other beverage dispenser thing that puts the cream/head on top? Or is that whole setup custom for Universal? I never asked yet but will they put extra cream/head if you want more?
From James Rao on November 20, 2010 at 5:24 AM
Not gonna fight about Beverly, as everyone is entitled to their opinion. Each to his or her own, as they say.
Besides, the debate about that nasty, yucky Italian soda is a "tale as old as time" anyway. However, I do have one ace in my pocket, since Disney Insiders themselves are not too fond of the bitter beverage either.
On another note, I am sure Warner Bros and Universal are raising their Butterbeers high after Harry Potter 7a grossed $24M post-midnight Thursday night - third best of all time.
Did someone say HP was just a fad?
From Daniel Smith on November 20, 2010 at 5:50 AM
hehe I live in Italy for 6-8 months each year and have never heard of Beverly over here :P
From April C on November 20, 2010 at 7:51 AM
I've only had a sip of it when it was mostly frozen mixed with a bit of regular. So I went with the assumption that it was frozen. I thought it tasted good.
From James Rao on November 20, 2010 at 7:59 AM
Makes sense, Daniel. I doubt too many Italians are knocking down doors for another taste of the foul, toxic substance known as Beverly.
UPDATE on HP7a: There are now 65 million more reasons for Universal & WB execs to celebrate with tankards of Butterbeer: the penultimate Potter installment took in an estimated $65 million on Friday, which could lead to upwards of $140 - $150 million for its opening weekend. Talk about magical....
From Mark Hollamon on November 20, 2010 at 8:45 AM
My lovely wife had me try Beverly saying it was great as a joke. We didn't talk much for an hour or two! However, the watermelon soda from China is the BOMB!!! I would buy that anytime if we didnt live so close to Epcot!
From Mike Gallagher on November 20, 2010 at 8:47 AM
Imagine what the figures for the last movie will be next summer? I'm not sure we can count that high...
From Nick Markham on November 20, 2010 at 10:34 AM
I can't believe regular is winning. I went nd had a full glass of each. The frozen was a delicious treet and very good, the regular was way to sugary and terribly disgusting as most people who have actually visited found it to be. There is a big difference between the two, leaning heavily toward the frozen butterbeer.
From Anthony O'Neal on November 20, 2010 at 1:15 PM
I'm literally chuckling at the attention given to Terry's taste buds, because I've eaten meals with 1000s of times, and would like to give my "two cents" on the subject, since I'm the only one present that can provide information that isn't assumptive. Hopefully, any doubt he's legitimately odd is removed (What's an older brother for, right? Ha ha!). This should end any debate on this specific example and allow the discussion of butterbeer to continue unabated.
You can pretty much ignore his opinions on food and drink because he has a freakishly "picky" palate (the only person I know of that is worse is our dad), and the family catered to it (my mom is a Saint, or should be). I have so many examples of this happening with him. Never in my life, have I seen him eat something he doesn't like without coercion, Never. I was with him in that shop, and every single time I glanced over, or was looking for him for some reason, he was getting a little cup of that drink. I couldn't believe he even tried it, much less kept drinking it, and we kept popping into that store whenever we'd walk by, so he could get more. There's no way that happens, not with him, unless he legitimately likes it. None. If he says he likes or doesn't like a food or drink, just disregard it, because his taste buds seem to be misproportioned, skewed towards sour and bitter. He'll probably like Moxie, too, a drink found primarily in New England, and which I was only able to tolerate a sip, because of it's bitterness. Ok? Done? Good. Back to butterbeer. . .
From Andy Guinigundo on November 20, 2010 at 1:11 PM
I tried both last week. I do prefer the frozen. Next time, I'm requesting extra fluff on top.
Why? Not sure. I think the frozen allows you to savor the sweetness of the drink as it melts. Personal preference I guess. I also like something else frozen a few hundred yards away in City Walk - Margarita from Jimmy Buffett's.
From Alfonso Giordano on November 20, 2010 at 1:48 PM
As far as Beverly... My father is Italian and I've been there numerous times and I haven't seen it, but then again they don't really have fountain drinks or ice, everything is bottled. For soda they have coca-cola and coca-cola light and in restaurants you get a liter glass bottle. The only place I saw where you could get a fountain drink with ice was Mcdonalds. Beverly is probably a bar drink and I know my father used to get this awfully bitter drink so it must be a mixer there for alcoholic drinks. I'd rather have a butterbeer.
From Manny Barron on November 20, 2010 at 6:53 PM
Being to the Wizarding World on opening day the line to get butter beer was long and we were tired of waiting 9 hours in line so i didnt get a chance to try it. I didnt vote here either but next time i go it will be frozen for me.
From 188.8.131.52 on November 20, 2010 at 10:13 PM
i in that instead of them having the butterbeer in a harry potter plastic cup theyy should have them in the old style beer cups like they have in harry potter so u can truly experience the harry potter feeling
From Mike Gallagher on November 21, 2010 at 11:47 AM
English, please.
From 18.104.22.168 on November 24, 2010 at 10:33 AM
I tried the frozen version and even though I have a horrible sweet tooth, this was way too sweet for me and I tossed the cup after drinking about half of it. It tasted like very sweet butterscotch mixed with a tad of something else like cinnamon to me and if the frozen was that yucky, I didn't want to waste my money on the regular version.
From polling my friends, they either really love butterbeer or hate it, no inbetweens at all.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Version 1.9.4 crashes immediately upon starting
It's the weekend and I really wanted to work on a book a friend and I are creating together. I downloaded 1.9.4 to replace the very old 1.7.7 version I had. The installation on my Macbook Pro works fine but when I try to open the software it immediately gives me an error message and needs to close. This is the message I'm getting:
"Uh oh.
After this I immediately get:
Then Booksmart closes.
Can anybody help?
BTW – My friend has given me the .book file created in 1.9.2
Posted by
Apr 12, 2008 4:19pm PDTPermalink
Hi bettinahein,
Ack, that's obviously not good.
The problems sounds like it's in the file itself, and I urge you to contact customer support so we can try to fix your files.
Regarding the new software itself, you should be able to start a new book in the new software without this kind of trouble.
In the meantime, after you write customer support, they'll try to recover your previous work.
Best regards and thank you for your patience,
I downloaded the new software and am getting the same message. I have a 42 page book that is ready to go and I'M WORRIED I HAVE LOST IT! i emailed but have had no reply for almost a week now.
Norm Clasen
Posted by
Apr 15, 2008 12:50pm PDTPermalink
Hi normclasen,
Sorry for the confusion. It looks like you submitted a crash report, which isn't the same as contacting Customer Support for 1-on-1 assistance. I thank you for filling out the crash report, as that's important feedback that goes straight to our developers. But please note we ask folks in need of help to contact Customer Support by clicking here on this link and filling out the form.
If you already did so, perhaps you wrote from an address that's different from the one associated with your blurb.com account ? I don't see any tickets from the email address you used to register with Blurb.
Please wite in one more time, as we respond to all new messages we receive within 1 business day.
Best regards and thank you for your patience,
Having the same problem, the book I'm working on won't open, but I can open a new book?
My problem is that after successful installation, there is a dialog box that says the "BS appears to be missing a few files. Please download and reinstall".
I am running Vista Ultimate SP1, Java 6 SP6.
Is there a way to figure out what files are missing?
I filed a support request, filled out the form…
I'm glad you write into Customer Support. They've got a quick answer for this. If anyone else is receiving the "Missing Files" error, the solution is almost always this simple workaround.
Best regards and thanks for hanging in there,
Making those two folders solves my problem. Thanks.
It is quite disappointing that the program cannot tell me what files it is missing. Then I could have found the solution myself.
It also seems pretty poor that certain folders are assumed to be there that clearly can be somewhere else. Especially since they are not needed for anything.
I'm haveing the same problem but with 1.9.2 my book was about 95% done. I down loaded the new version and it win't even open. I don't know what to do. Should i even start another book? I'm scared to even start another one. This book was to be sent out on friday.
HI steve0227,
Don't be scared—your work will be just fine. Please simply contact customer support and they will get you back on track asap.
If you're considering upgrading, DON'T!!!! I upgraded to 1.9.5 today (thinking it would resolve problems I encountered with 1.9.4), and now I can't open my book (which I had hoped to complete and order today in time for Mother's Day… I'm at wit's end to say the least). I can open a really old project, but it crashes the minute I try to open my current project. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling. I cannot even import a backed up version of the book.. when I try, I get the error msg: This file does not appear to be exported from BookSmart. I thought this upgrade couldn't possibly be worse than the problems I experienced with the 1.9.4 upgrade, but boy was I wrong.
Posted by
Apr 29, 2008 3:36pm PDTPermalink
I have all the same problems with 1.9.5 – and sent an email to the customer support (waiting for an answer). Now I realized, that if I am installing in "E:\BookSmart" instead of for instance "E:\BookSmart – Fotobuch [2008.5]" there is no more crash – after building the first book.
Mmmhhh, it's really slow, but this is another problem I have to care about.
Posted by
May 22, 2008 4:49am PDTPermalink
I have attempted to fix the issue with 1.9.5 by making those two missing folders, but it didn't work and I am unable to even run the program after a clean install.
aronjs, have you contacted Blurb Technical Support?
If you go to the Search FAQs page you will see EMAIL SUPPORT on the right hand sise, under that you will find Technical Support.
Posted by
May 29, 2008 8:14am PDTPermalink


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Everton will find out their next FA Cup opponents on Sunday evening.
The Fourth Round draw will be take place at approximately 6.10pm.
The Toffees booked their place in the hat by defeating Carlisle United 3-1 at Goodison Park on Saturday.
The draw will be made by former Chelsea defender Paul Elliott and comedian and West Brom fan Frank Skinner.
Everton will be ball number 17 in the draw.
The FA Cup 4th Round fixtures will be played over the weekend of Saturday 23 January 2010.
evertonfc.com will bring you the draw as it happens.
- Previous Article Boss Confirms Hibbert Knock
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Kevin Jameswe'll have that 5th round here we comeSunday 3rd January 18:23 Report Comment
Mark LynchNice kind draw for us please, at least we know it wont be Man Untd lol We're on the march with Moysey's Armmmy where all going to Wemmmbleey..... COYBSunday 3rd January 15:54 Report Comment


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Women's UA Perfect Rave Legging
Black (004)
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Only X available
what's it do?
We took your favorite wear-everywhere leggings and made them even more amazing with a bold color-pop back panel. Same amazing fabric. Same fit that stays put no matter what. So whether you're running laps or running through your sun salutations, these leggings are perfect. Literally.
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- Fitted: Sits close to the skin for a streamlined fit without the squeeze of compression.
- Super-soft, brushed UA Perfect fabric delivers incredible comfort in and out of the studio
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- Hidden waist pocket to stash your keys, cards, or cash
- Color blocked leg panel
- 28.5" inseam
- Polyester/Elastane
- Imported


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Opening celebration on Friday, September 21 at 8 pm. Exhibition co-organized by Contemporary Arts Center and Rose Art Museum. The exhibition is devoted to Warhol's use of photography as source material. It examines the central role of photography in Warhol's art: its relationship to his portrait painting and documentation of his social life. More info: contemporaryartscenter.org or 513-345-8400.
Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved.
In partnership with Marketron Interactive


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2010-05-26 / Events & Calendar
Military bridge night June 17
The Ladies Auxiliary of the Constantino Brumidi Lodge #2211 located at 2075 Deer Park Ave., Deer Park, is sponsoring a military bridge, Thurs., June 17. The doors open 6:30 p.m. and games begin promptly at 7:30 p.m. the donation is $10 per person which includes raffles, snacks, cake and coffee and prizes for everyone. For tickets contact Rose at 631-254-3015 or Pam at 631-242-2148.
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Contact Us
MVCAA is a Family Development Organization
Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency, Inc. is a Member of the New York State Community Action Association & Member of the National Association of Community Action Agencies
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or requests for additional information on our services.
When requesting information or assistance, please indicate where you live --so we may direct your inquiry to the correct office! Thank you!
For general information requests about our services, and programs
Mailing Address:
MVCAA employees, check your e-mail here


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Next, you'll be asked to connect with Twitter. Rest assured, we will never send a tweet from your account
without your permission.
We will send you an email with an invite soon.
Five marketing changes for the smartphone addicted America - Good tips from @jaybaer
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STX Women's Crux Lacrosse ShaftItem Number: 25044916
Price: $99.99
Free Shipping Eligible on Qualifying Purchases Over $49! Up to $15 Shipping Credit. (See Promotion Details)
Product Information
Customer Reviews
Fine tune your shooting with the STX® Women's Crux Lacrosse Shaft. The Flex™ technology allows you to maximize your velocity and snap giving you more accurate, precise shots. The handle has a natural teardrop shape so it sits comfortably and perfectly in your hands while a soft rubberized finish ensures you maintain control in all weather conditions. It's all about domination with the STX® Crux Lacrosse Shaft.
- Teardrop shape shaft
- Made with lightweight composite technology
- Flex™ technology maximizes your velocity and snap on shots
- Soft, rubberized finish allows you to maintain control in all weather conditions
- 1" diameter
- Model: OWT-C2
Country of Origin: China


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Home ⋅ Unique Baby Shower Invitations ⋅ Boy Baby Shower Invitations ⋅ Babies & Accessories ⋅ Gender Reveal ⋅ Orange
"This was my first experience with Tiny Prints. The Customer Service was exceptional. Someone reviewed my order and the layout to ensure it was perfect! The quality of the paper is very high and the invitation is sturdy. The only issue that I had is that the paper size was smaller than I expected and therefore the print came out small. But I will definitely use Tiny Prints again and would highly recommend the final product and outstanding customer service to my friends and family. Also the turn around time was so quick and the ordering process was so simple and efficient!"
"I ordered these on a Saturday night. Got them on Wednesday afternoon. LOVE THE FAST SHIPPING! The cards are ADORABLE! Thickness is perfect, the design is ADORABLE, the colors are vibrant and bright. I LOVE these invitations. I'm going to order the thank you cards to match, and I can't wait to send them out!!"
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By Art Patnaude
BRUSSELS--The European Commission on Wednesday fined five car-part suppliers 141 million euros ($181 million) for operating cartels that covered the whole European Economic Area.
Sumitomo, Yazaki, Furukawa, S-Y Systems Technologies and Leoni were fined for a cartel supplying wire harnesses, the electricity-conducting system in cars.
"The cartelised car parts were sold to Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Renault, including for cars produced in Europe. Today's decision shows the first results in the commission's wider investigative effort to detect and sanction any illegal cartels in markets for car parts. Such cartels may harm the competitiveness of the automotive industry and artificially inflate prices for final buyers of cars," EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said in a statement.
Sumitomo was not fined as it benefited from immunity for revealing the existence of the cartels. All other companies received reductions of their fines for their cooperation in the investigation.
Write to Art Patnaude at email@example.com
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RT @FirebirdTweets Lakota West Volleyball SENIOR NIGHT is tomorrow evening!!! Be there to celebrate our 4 seniors and cheer the Firebirds to a victory!!!!
RT @ASunVolleyball #ASunVB Defensive Player of the Week award goes to @NKUNorseVball Mel Stewart. Story: atlanticsun.org/sports/wvball… pic.twitter.com/ycn624kzK6
RT @NKUNorseVball Congrats to Mel Stewart on @ASunVolleyball Defensive Player of the Week bit.ly/1qngDPB #NorseUp #buildtheship pic.twitter.com/Z8ekLA9Q09
RT @GregHuster Passion, drive, focus. Co-Offensive player of the week. John Peters, Lakota West. Cincinnati, Ohio. @LWHSFootball pic.twitter.com/XZwBABWGNC
VOTE Kole Gentry for Tri-State Football Player of the Week!! tristatefootball.com/player.a… #westpride
Girls Soccer
Cross Country
Cross Country
Lakota West Softball: Marisa Brown Commits to University of Indianapolis
By jcronk on September 22, 2014
On Friday September 18th, Senior Marisa Brown (Class of 2015) made her decision to continue her education and play softball at the University of Indianapolis in Indiana. "For me, UIndy had everything I was looking for: it's close to home, the coaches are great, a powerful offense, and during one of my campus visits […]
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Bw's BLAZIN' Athletes of the Week 9/15/14 – 9/21/14
By dwalters on September 22, 2014
2014-2015 Lakota West Bw's Blazin' Athletes of the Week PAST Athletes of The Week 9/15/14 – 9/21/14 Kole Gentry Senior, Football Kole ran for three touchdowns in Lakota West's 27-24 win at Middletown on Friday in the GMC season opener. He rushed for two of these TDs in the fourth quarter to bring the Firebirds from […]
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Lakota West Cross Country: Girls Finish 2nd at Cedarville Friendship Invitational
The girls cross country team claimed a second place finish at the Cedarville Friendship Invitational today where 22 teams competed this weekend. Top Teams: 1. Olentangy Liberty 2. Lakota West 3. Troy 4. McAuley 5. Wyoming Top finishers for Lakota West: Kelly McManus- 5/457 19:42.01 Gloria Corona-Luna- 8/457 20:04.13 Meredith Elstun- 11/457 20:22.30 Emma Cunningham- […]
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Lakota West Cross Country: Boys Finish 3rd at Cedarville Friendship Invitational; Oeters finishes 4th
The boys cross country team claimed a third place finish at the Cedarville Friendship Invitational today where 24 teams competed this weekend. Top Teams: 1. Hilliard Darby 2. LaSalle 3. Lakota West 4. Fairfield 5. Wyoming Top finishers for Lakota West: Josh Oeters 4/558- 16:43.06 Garrett Shelby 18/558- 17:20.05 Luke Johnston 21/558- 17:25.48 Conner Cunningham […]
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Lakota West Football: Fourth Quarter Comeback Pushes Firebirds Over Middletown
Photo provided by Lou Spinazzola Game Summary provided by Bob Ashby: West pulled out an important win in their conference opener at Middletown. The Firebirds trailed 0-10 early in the second quarter, forced a lead change midway through the second quarter after scoring on a Kole Gentry 3 yard rush, and a Mykel Chambers 85 […]
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GMC Golf: Emily Worpenberg finishes 7th; Boys finish 4th; Girls finish 7th
The Greater Miami Conference Golf Tournament finished on Friday at Weatherwax Golf Course in Middletown. The boys team finished in 4th place and the girls finished 7th. In addition, Sophomore Emily Worpenberg finished in 7th place overall landing her a spot on the All-GMC first team. Worpenberg was All-GMC second team as a freshman. Junior […]
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"Battle of the Burgers": Patty Burger Featured Student Athletes
By jcronk on September 19, 2014
Congrats to our Week One Patty Burger Featured Student-Athletes; Emily Haar, Girls' Soccer and Katie Nobling, Cheerleading. As featured students-athletes, both visited Patty Burger this week and built their own custom burgers. Haar created the "Party Haar, Haar" Burger with Provolone Cheese & Applewood Bacon while Nobling created the "All American Cheerleader" Burger with American […]
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Lakota West vs. Middletown Varsity Football Game Info and Preview
By jcronk on September 19, 2014
The Lakota West Varsity Football Team (1-2) travels to Middletown tonight to play the 1-2 Middies in the newly renovated Barnitz Stadium (link to article) at 7:30pm. Presale tickets are available in the athletic office and during lunches until 3pm on Friday. Adults: $7.00 Students 7-12 $4.00 (Presale) $7.00 at the gate *K-6 at Gate: […]
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Journal-News.com: Start of GMC play Represents New Beginning
By dwalters on September 19, 2014
Photo by Jenny Walters Photography Article found at journal-news.com
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Attention ALL Boys and Girls Interested in Bowling for the Firebirds!
By dwalters on September 17, 2014
Do you want to be a part of a GMC sport? If you want to be part of a team, have fun, make new friends and improve your bowling skills think about joining the Bowling team. If this sounds interesting to you please come to an informational meeting on Tuesday October 21st at 3:00 in […]
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custom picture framing ♦ large selection ♦ friendly service ♦ expert design
Located in Solon - Ohio, serving the Cleveland / Akron area, Maureen Innocenzi provides you with expert custom picture framing, using quality materials to enhance your environment and put the finishing touches on your decorating.
With custom elements such as hand-painted mats, v-grooves, fabric mats and liners, a huge selection of picture frames - and great design - you'll love your art and framing. learn more
Graduating? Custom Diploma frames can be made to hold multiple diplomas or awards, use custom colors for your school, add photos, tassels or special awards to commemorate some of the best days - and hardest work - of your or your loved one's life.
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Many services available including:
Custom Picture Framing, Art & Mirror installation, Corporate and Commericial, On-site consulting, Photo Editing and Restoration, Printing, Pick-up & Delivery. learn more


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The Peter and Jeri Dejana Family Foundation recently donated $10,000 to , and will be a Partner in Performing Arts for Landmark's 2012-2013 Season.
That's good news for the Landmark, whose performances include a mix of Grammy and Tony Award-winning performers, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, children's shows, world-renowned dancers and more. The theater offers as many as 35 to 40 shows a year.
Another draw for the Landmark is its affordable ticket prices – some tickets cost as low as $25. The theater is also known for its accessibility. Located withing walking distance from the Long Island Rail Road train station, there is also free parking.
The Dejana Foundation, in seeking to support organizations that offer quality services to a broad range of residents in the community, said the Landmark's venue and performances meet these criteria.
"Our partners provide significant support that allows Landmark to offer a full season of high quality programming to our community at relatively low ticket prices," Landmark's Executive Director Sharon Maier-Kennelly said, in a statement. "We are so grateful to the Dejana Foundation for their very generous gift."
Visit the Landmark's website for more about its 2012-2013 season. For information about the Peter and Jeri Dejana Family Foundation, call 516-637-4065.


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Beer and Steak Fists
This great custom product in black from our department Kids & Babies and T-Shirt category can be printed just for you in the size and style you like. The design Beer and Steak Fists was created by Tattoooo and uploaded to Spreadshirt for you to have printed on a T-Shirt. Next to a host of other great customized designs, you can find this Beer and Steak Fists design in Spreadshirt's Jokes category. If you are interested in topics like Barbecue or Grill, then you'll love Beer and Steak Fists designs by Tattoooo. Spreadshirt also offers a huge selection of custom t-shirts, hoodies and accessories for the category Jokes as well as top Grillin' 'n' Chillin clothing. Tattoooo's designs have already impressed many of our customers, so we are sure that we've got right stuff for you! Spreadshirt is your destination for great designs of all kinds – whether it's Barbecue, Grill or Grillin' 'n' Chillin. We are sure that you will find something nice in our shop, there are many amazing custom Jokes t-shirts, hoodies, or accessories for you to find!Tags: Design ID: 11894497
If you like my style and want to work on a project with my help, send me a mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
sunglasses_mustache3 Other Designed by surreal197
love to train Designed by skill11
Wicked strong Designed by 3087565
The Official Save the Ta-tas® Logo Other Designed by SAVETHETATAS
A mustache with a gift ribbon Other Designed by namo
Two owls Other Designed by SumuLee
Sloth Love Hug iPhone 4/4S Case Designed by carlhuber
segelschiff_o_3c Bags Designed by Judith-M83
This durable kids' t-shirt has double stitched sleeves and hems and it is sure to hold up against the toughest play. The fabric is made from 100% pre-shrunk cotton and has a fabric weight of 6.1 oz
still to fill


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LZ Granderson of ESPN states that Chris Bosh is only a maximum salary player if he is paired up with LeBron James or Dwayne Wade, and that he is not good enough to be a centerpiece of a team looking to contend. Granderson claims that Bosh, Stoudemire and Johnson are firmly settled in the NBA's …Continue Reading
There is a fair bit of commentary about Davis' poor second season. So, how does Davis compare to the rest of the draft class and other two bigs we mentioned? His numbers stack up quite well against the two: Mr. Davis gets to the line more often, rebounds well and has the best block-to-PF ratio (1.54) of the three. We'll take it.


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Freaking News
Funny Boss Pictures
Cookie Boss. Doesn't anybody screen these people.
Member reactions:
Cool chop, and great choice of the news article
The cookie is still cooking good work on the fire engulfing the cookie and the expressive face of the bad lady good job
Funny Yes boss, I convinced him
Member reactions:
Great job... nicely done the injured scene here... like the wounds and bandages to the source pic
Funny This Will Show Them Who's The Boss
I'll close this down too, Surely this will make everyone hate those evil republicans.
Funny Capt. Boss Springsteen
Member reactions:
Very well done Nice to see the dog inside the box
Looks great... well makeover and lovely pirate dog
Funny My boss is going part-time job
Member reactions:
Very well draw... Like the facial expression and the cat the most
Now you can get a raise. You got his image published hahahahaah Nice job
Bronze congrats, DAL. Great comic book look.
Congrats on the bronze, DAL. Great show of drawing skills here.
Funny There is a new boss in town
Member reactions:
Very cute and little toilet and the Crown well fitted... Keep it warm The baby is seeing the album very funny....
HA HA Cute Little Baby Boy good to see the crown on his head
Twister congrats......
Pretty cool, but his face brightness needs to be lowered to match the rest of the body. Congrats on the bronze, twister.
Funny Boss!
I love Alyssa Milano, and she loves me, or that's what she tells me when she transmits secret messages from the TV, directly into my brain. (she only does that for me.)
Funny Buffalo Boss Bruce Springstein
Member reactions:
Very nice . . . is that the E-street band on horseback.
Funny Smell Of Boss Perfume by Barack Obama
Member reactions:
Actually, I was thinking about the other type of "S.O.B.", . Great chop.
Funny Matt Damon Poker Boss
Member reactions:
Love the composition, but I wish the size were bigger. Also Matt lost some resemblance in the caricature process
Funny Happy Boss Day
It's National Boss Day today, which means you should probably be doing something nice for your boss (which might include not browsing the web while you're at work, but that's not our call). Let's face it - whether or not we like our jobs depends a great deal on our bosses, who can be great or great pain in the a$$. There are many big bosses and leaders around the world who can make their employees' life (or nation's life) either happy or miserable. Here's your chance to wish happy (or not so happy) Boss Day to any famous bosses (Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, etc.) in the form of either motivational or demotivational posters. Your message may say why they make a great or horrible boss. Your posters should follow the format of classic "motivational / demotivational posters" - black background, image in the middle, followed by the title word(s), and the text message below. The image in the middle has to be photoshopped, so you can not just take unaltered photo and add text to it. Take a look at the good examples from our demotivational poster contest.
For more funny photoshop pix visit
Freaking News front page


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If you're considering opening your own frozen yogurt shop, websites such as http://frozenyogurtsolutions.com/supplies/equipment are a great source of information on equipment such as different types of soft serve machines. When figuring out your budget, it may be tempting to try to reduce costs by buying those machines used. After all, the difference in price between new and used machines can equal thousands of dollars, depending on machine brand and type. However, buying new soft serve machines is definitely worth the splurge. Here's why:
New machines come with warranties.
The industry standard for new soft serve machine warranties is one year for parts and labor, two years for electrical components, five years for compressors and 25 years for the shell. Some companies also offer setup and training with the purchase of the machine. Compare that to the paltry warranties on used machines that generally run 90 days for parts, a year on the compressors and ten years on the shell. That's not much when you realize…
…Old machines are unreliable.
Imagine buying used machines only to find them DOA. Malfunctioning machines can cause considerable delays and loss of revenue. Under the best of circumstances you can have the machines repaired and only lose a few days. However, if you're unfortunate enough to be unable to find someone to repair your particular machines – which can and does happen – your limited warranty won't do you a bit of good. In addition to having broken machines, you will have to try to get your money back and buy entirely new machines from another vendor.
While buying used machines will save you money upfront and will offset costs if your business should go under, the risk that having those machines involves is simply not worth it. With new machines you will have peace of mind and with a successful shop, you're sure to make an excellent return on your investment.


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AR. looks interesting
Never been a fan of smashing long boring miles myself, so as im still on the fence as to do a spring Marathon i may just try something similar and see where i am fitness wise come end of Jan.
Good luck with it and ill keep tabs on your progress
Good luck to all racers today, im jelous..........oh wait, i had my turn last Sunday
Minni- Looks alot more sensible than my splits
Done a bit of research and heres is what i found, 5k splits did i blow up or go too quick?????.Still learning this long game.
Heart rate was 92% of max average and was higher than the 1.25 Half i ran in March?
5k-7.04 m/mi
10k-6.55 m/mi
Hi folks had a few days to reflect on my first London marathon after completely draining myself mentaly,emotionaly and physicaly.
Amazing experience,totaly blown away by it which i would love to of ran about 2 hours slower just so i could soak up more of the atmoshere lol. Saw my partner at mile 12 and sprinter over to her to give her a big kiss much to the delight of her and the crowd who all clapped and cheered, what a lift and buzz that was.
Target was sub 3.10, actual time 3.13.49 = No GFA for me as im still 29 years old.
Having run a 1.25 dead H/M last month i thought a sub 3.10 may of been on the cards, although it was untill about 21-22 miles where i ended up doin 8.30 min miles.So it looks like im lacking in the Endurance end of the spectrum?.
Looking forward and putting all things into perspective i was still quite happy with a 17 min pb over Last years Manchester Marathon.This campaign was the first time i had run more than 30 miles per week in the 4 marathons that i have ever run!!!.
I have only been running just over 2 years although i do have a military background and have always been relativly fit through mtb/cycling etc.I think i need to do long runs when im not in mara training as i havent been doing this, maybe why im not converting my half times?.
Chester is the target next and im aiming sub 3, if anyone has any advice please feel free to leave me some advice.
Thought id check in quickly a just say AMAZING, totaly blown away by the support and just everything.
Ended up with 3hr13m49s a 17 min PB over Manchester last year, went through Halfway in 1hr32m49s so yes i did blow up.Once i realised the sub 3.10 had gone i knocked my self into autopilot to sace the legs.
Its only my 4th Marathon in in 2 years, so i reckon sub 3.10 is Possible in Chester with another decent Training campaign.
Oh and just to finish off i bumped into Fingers and Lorenzo at the finish, Fingers looking a little shot lol.
Well done to all who took part and look forward to some reports.
Good luck fellow VLM ers , im 12801 pen 2 blue start with black Oakley shades and blue Ron Hill vest if anybody spots me.
Gaz you will be alright, trust the training and dont be sh1t lol
Enjoy the 20 miler......
OGL-Thanks yeah i know what you mean im a extremely nervous person anyway lol. I will use a combination of the 2 although i really meant i was going to do my last run on H/R.
I think my H/R on the start line to a H/M i did last month was nearly 100bpm lol, it did settle down pretty quick though.
Getting excited now.... 32 mile blast on the road bike today and last run tomorrow prob about 6 mile with a few around MP although i might just go off H/R.
Not looking forward to farting about with the expo on Saturday, just want my number then have a few beers or 6? lol
Feeling fit as a fiddle....lets get ready to rumble
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The Tennessee Titans were able to prevail against former head coach Jeff Fisher in yesterday's victory over the St. Louis Rams, with the big storyline being the incredible performances put forth by both starting running backs. Rookie Zac Stacy had another monster game with 127 yards and two touchdowns, and the Rams would be wise to ride the Vanderbilt product's legs for the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Chris Johnson will look to build on this week's huge game, as he put up 150 yards and two rushing touchdowns of his own in a vintage CJ2K display. Both players also made some plays in the passing game, as Johnson had three receptions and Stacy had a nifty six receptions for 51 yards.
Below are five Titans performances from Sunday in a brief review style.
1. WR Kendall Wright
Both Kendall Wright and Nate Washington have given Jake Locker two very good targets to throw it to this season, and it's a joy watching just how versatile Wright is. While Washington had an awful game with goose eggs on four targets, Wright was easily the Titans most productive pass-catcher. In fact, he was the team's only productive receiver with three receptions for 69 yards on five targets. Wright's ability to move the chains in the slot and stretch the field on the outside (or stretch the field on the inside and move the chains while being split out wide) is impressive, because the ability to go inside and outside on the defense as a wide receiver is becoming a more valued asset in this league.
Almost all of Wright's yardage came from one play (a 45-yard pass), but it was an excellent play in a game that had very few big plays in the passing game. Wright continues to be a weapon in the Titans offense, and his numbers will increase once Locker gets back on track following the injury. He was only targeted five times yesterday, as Locker spread the ball around by attempting passes to ten different receivers. In all honesty, I would like to see the Titans do a better job of focusing on getting the ball to their best players in the passing game, than rather have Locker throw the ball to less savory options.
2. QB Jake Locker
Locker had a nice scramble for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but he had a poor game overall. It seems like he still isn't fully healthy after returning incredibly quickly from a significant hip injury, and he threw two interceptions without a passing touchdown against the Rams yesterday. Even though he averaged 8.4 yards per attempt and connected for a few big plays, Locker's ESPN TQBR was at 32.5 and he was clearly off the pace. Locker consistently made poor decisions by making absolutely awful reads; he wouldn't give the ball to the receivers who were the most open or had the best chance to make the play. He's a talented quarterback who will bounce back, but hopefully he sheds the slump sooner rather than later.
3. DT Jurrell Casey
One of my favorite players since he came into this league, Jurrell Casey has done nothing but impress. The man is simply one of the best pass rushing defensive tackles in the NFL, and it's about time he finally receive his due for pushing the pocket. The ever-underrated USC product recorded two sacks in the win, and he had six total tackles. He consistently put pressure on Kellen Clemens and made life rather difficult for the Rams interior of the offensive line.
4. Right side of the Titans offensive line
We knew the right side of the offensive line was going to suffer with dependable veteran right tackle David Stewart ruled out, but the guard and tackle duo on the right side performed even worse than expected. Mike Otto was pressed into the starting gig and received his first playing time of the season, and he was simply horrible. Otto was thoroughly manhandled by Chris Long all day. The stat sheet might not show it (Long had just one tackle and one QB hit), but Long was beating Otto with way too much ease over there on the right side of the Titans offensive line. Long is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL and consistently puts pressure on the QB in most weeks, but you never want to see your right tackle get beat as often as Otto did; it just goes to show you just how important Stewart is. Meanwhile, veteran left tackle Michael Roos had a solid day, as he was able to contain beastly Rams DE Robert Quinn, who still caused trouble for the Titans overall.
Chance Warmack is going to be great one day, but that greatness probably won't happen this season. He's been getting better as the season goes on, but he's still a liability in pass protection and was beat badly by Rams defensive tackle Kendall Langford yesterday. Langford can be dominant at the point of attack at times, and he was dominant throughout yesterday's game. He finished with a pair of sacks and a whopping total of four tackles for loss.
5. RB Chris Johnson
Although he benefited from some awful run defense and tackling by the St. Louis Rams defense (looking at you Rodney McLeod), Chris Johnson was simply sensational against the Rams. He caused many of those missed tackles with his always-captivating mix of speed and agility, and he's as good as any back in this league when he's at his best. Hopefully we get to see his best more often, because consistency is always a major criticism when it comes to Johnson. He finished with 170 total yards from scrimmage, two touchdowns, and lots of happy fans and fantasy owners after his thorough beating of the Rams defense. Game ball performance right there.
You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter for more NFL updates and analysis @SorianoJoe. Be sure to like us on Facebook here and follow our site on Twitter as well.
Tags: Chance Warmack Chris Johnson Five In Review Jake Locker Jurrell Casey Kendall Wright Mike Otto Tennessee Titans


text:
Access "Automated configuration management tools clean out redundant rules"
This article is part of the October 2007 issue of Tips from the 2007 Security 7 Awards
The problem is almost as old as the firewall: Keep your business safe without impeding operations; keep dangerous traffic out while making sure legitimate traffic moves freely and quickly. That's not always easy, especially in large, distributed enterprises. Over time, hundreds of firewalls, often from multiple vendors, spawn thousands of rules, many redundant or obsolete. Performance degrades and the network may be at risk without your knowledge. Change management becomes a formidable challenge in this environment--testing the impact of new rules, making sure an apparently redundant rule is really redundant and an obsolete rule is never actually used. "The process was manual, intensive and prone to error," says Dave Witherspoon, director of technical security and forensic services at Canadian-based Scotia Bank. "We lacked confidence cleaning up old rules, in case someone was still using them." It doesn't have to be that way. Automated firewall configuration management tools from companies including AlgoSec, Secure Passage and Tufin Technologies allow ... Access >>>
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The most popular movies among NYTimes.com readers.
162 of 197 Readers' Reviews
December 3rd, 20099:28 pm
I absolutely loved this film - and it is a pure pleasure to see a young man of Jason Reitman's age creating a film that is intelligent and witty - We are deeply deprived of intelligent films since most of the decision makers in film (and television) have forgotten that there is a wide population who are not 18- 35 , I am referring to that segment of the population who are well educated and would love to attend films with greater regularity - FYI, it's this population that do flock to Indie films and foreign films since mainstream studios believe we do not exist. Bravo Jason Reitman.
— Karen, NYC
December 4th, 20099:22 pm
It's not until the end of the fourth paragraph that there's a sentence that gives you an impression of whether the film is any good, and the title of the review is misleading. This is wordy self-gratification instead of criticism. The stack of precious, worthless reviews is mounting.
(The four stars is for the movie.)
— DK in DC, DC
December 13th, 200911:30 am
I was a little hesitant in my approach to this movie after reading some of the readers feedback. Namely no. 69, 67 and 65. But how wrong they were. Please go see the film and make your own mind up. I admit I'm a snobbish cinefile, but a packed Friday night viewing in Union Square swept me away and for a moment I was George Clooney on his journey of isolation and desperation. Its been a long time since I heard a packed house collectively laugh and sigh as the director Reitman held a mirror up to ourselves and our own equally tragic experience of corporate culture and its folly. A wry, touching film with hilarious details, about a man obsessed with the cache of achievement. But, of course, its at the price of his soul. And girls/women when you watch this film and se yourself as the cute Anna Kendrick character and her blinkered desire for a corporate dream man – take a moment to notice all the New York men around you whose hearts are breaking as they watch Clooney portray their own upwardly mobile entrapment.
— Steve Hutch, New York
December 6th, 200912:04 pm
Many "commercial" movies are enjoyable enough while you're watching them but just melt away the minute you leave the theater; "Up in the Air" is an entertainment, but not a forgettable, formulaic one. Since it's a movie about someone who skims along the surface of life, it's appropriate that the director chose Clooney, an actor who's as good as anyone in the world at projecting a smooth superficiality. (Playing a character who starts out as superficial, then acquires just a bit of depth is really not the same thing as being a poor actor who gets by on his looks.) What sets this film apart is its intelligent script and the director's respect for it. I really liked the way even the most sentimental part of the movie, the sister's wedding and the main character's role in it, is morally complicated--Clooney has to "sell" something to the groom that he didn't "buy" himself, and who's to say the "happy ending" of that episode is really all for the best? Lastly, having seen the film, I was distressed by the repeated put-downs of the director in Dargis' review: he's young; he's "only" made two other films; his father is one of the producers. I suppose those facts would be relevant if it were a bad film--but Dargis thinks it's a good one(so do I), so why not give Reitman the praise he deserves?
— nw, nyc
December 13th, 200911:34 am
You had to be there -- in the TSA lines behind the old lady, upgraded to First Class, lounging in fluffy Hilton robes, packing your roll-aboard -- to understand how carefully this movie captures life as a road warrior.
Sure the product placements were irritating; so are the ads on this page.
However, two women I had never noticed before popped off the screen and into awards and stardom if there is any justice.
As for story, anyone expecting Harry Met Sally/Sleepless romance is in for a dramatically satisfying surprise that deftly dodges the easy ending.
This movie does for life on the road/in the air what Platoon did for Vietnam.
— Frequent Flyer, Washington DC
December 13th, 200911:26 am
Although this film is sharply written on a moment-by-moment basis and capably (although not wonderfully) directed, it suffers from a dreariness of subject and a confused tone.
What begins as a downer satire of executive manners, ends up trying to reinvent its central character (ably played by Clooney) as a more sensitive fellow with whom we can identify. But is this film supposed to be a satire of society or is it a world seen as a projection of Clooney's character? I don't think you can have it both ways.
Another problem I had--I have been an executive at several companies and I've never seen anyone impersonally fired by a third party company. I mean, it may happen and there may be such a third-party company, but it runs against the dramatic dynamic that goes on within a company that is running downhill. This not-quite-believable aspect is topped by another unrealistic character surprise in the final portion of the film, which is based on something that no one would ever do. Surely, everyone knows what attending a wedding with someone else would indicate.
Perhaps most importantly, this film doesn't feel as though the filmmaker ever worked in a company where people were being laid off. Look for middling box office despite the high praise from "critics," the awards season PR push, and the uniquely talented Clooney.
— garydrucker, Los Angeles
December 4th, 200911:25 am
It's not Ms. Dargis, whose syntax has become rather tortured of late. As reviews go, this one reeks of self consciousness and effort. It was barely readable.
— Andy, nyc
December 4th, 200911:25 am
Manola seems more interested in providing an analysis of Reitman's motives than in judging the film. This was an essay on the film, rather than a review. I'd really like to know whether she thinks this is a film worth seeing, or whether it's badly made, or written, or acted, so I should skip it. From this review, I don't have any answers.
— Quien, Chicago, IL
December 6th, 200911:04 pm
I just don't get the hype over this movie. I'm dumbfounded by the supposed Oscar buzz. It's like Hollywood (and critics) are part of some collective delusion, and they're trying to convince the rest of us! To be fair, the film *is* entertaining, but mostly because it's easy to watch George Clooney (and not necessarily because his acting is stellar, but because he's charming and smooth). Honestly, I think if Reitman's connections hadn't gotten him a decent cast, this movie's clumsy writing would be glaringly obvious. Contrived one-liners, embarrassing and predictable cliches left and right, uneven development (Do I understand/care why his sisters feel estranged from him??), the pat-ourselves-on-the-back pretension that the realities of the crappiness of this economy are being sincerely portrayed, etc. I'd gladly recommend this movie - but not as an Oscar contender. It certainly doesn't rise to the level of a critics' pick, especially in this season. Oy vey, Manola. I miss Elvis Mitchell...
— S.C., Los Angeles, CA
December 4th, 20099:11 pm
Why does Manohla Dargis need to assure us, after just two sentences (!), that she wouldn't know what it's like to fly in business class? She is just one of us little people, not a privileged NYT reviewer. Right. It's not about you, Manohla, or your egalitarian credentials...it's a movie review. What ever happened to professionalism...or responsible Arts Section editors?
And the movie, like the review, is insufferably correct.
— Chuzzlewit, New York
January 3rd, 20109:46 pm
I don't know that I've seen a better movie this year. Clooney is excellent as a "road warrior" who makes his living firing people for corporations whose executives lack the guts to do it themselves. He has a supplemental gig as a motivational lecturer who argues that our commitments and earthly possessions weigh us down unnecessarily. I found Clooney's transformation by movie's end to someone longing for his own place to belong completely convincing. His vulnerability invests a level of tragedy to his realization, and ours, that the classic American dream - a family and home - is not achievable for him.
— Barry Rosen, Plymouth Meeting, PA
January 3rd, 201011:30 am
I'm shocked by the critical acclaim this movie has received. Forget about the illusions to a life in the air, unattached except to the travel and its accoutrements. He is, in reality, a dissociated man, immune to the misery his job creates. And yet, once he is reached emotionally by his assistant who isn't detached and his girl friend, he (guess what) falls in love, That love affair is also unreal; their time at the wedding is too intense for the committment his partner later claims. Go see a foreign film instead.
— mollyny8, pleasantville, ny
December 4th, 20099:20 pm
I had to force myself to take this article seriously after the suggestion that J Lo was a better match for Clooney in performance than other female co-stars since 1998 -- Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Cate Blanchett, Catherine Zeta-Jones, I'm sure I am missing a few, but maybe Manohla Dargis doesnt get to the movies much...
— lespygirl, usa
January 2nd, 201011:12 am
For once I can agree almost wholeheartedly with the media film critics! "Up in the Air" is a profound examination not just of today's modern economy, but of contemporary American society. We live in an era in which we no longer live in tribes, in which we no longer live in the same place all our lives, and in which families are small and spread over long geographical distances. We no longer live in "built in" communities, and this creates a dilemma for many of us, i.e., whom can we trust and whom can we feel close to? "Up in the Air" is an allegory about modern society in America and to a certain extent in the West, and George Clooney is cast as an everyman who realizes that close personal relationships are not easy in the modern world. Vera Farmiga is not a conventionally beautiful leading lady, and as such, is perfectly cast. If Julia Roberts had played the role of Alex, the audience would dismiss the character as a spoiled, attractive woman who is used to getting her own way. Farmiga as Alex takes on symbolic meaning. Alex is not just an individual, but a product of our atomized society. "Up in the Air" is cynical, and I think an older generation in particular may find this cynicism to be off putting. But with a little thought, I think most viewers will find the film to have a strong ring of authenticity and realism.
— unpaidpundit, Rochester, NY
December 27th, 20099:34 pm
What a pleasure to watch such skilled actors create characters that are entirely believable and absorbing. There were so many subtle points quickly made and so much to think about while you're laughing that I can well understand why it's been nominated for and won so many awards.
Nobody smashed anyone's face and there were no moldering bodies in a locker, as has been the case with way too many award winners (e.g., the gruesome, disgusting "Silence of the Lambs," "Fargo," etc., to mention a few offenders). Instead, the situations and characters relied on DIALOGUE, ACTING, FILMING, WIT, and STYLE instead. (Okay, the tunes were pretty terrible.) The only reason I can think of that someone would have been bored is that they were waiting for the blood to flow and it didn't. This one was clever, sexy, touching, funny and dark, all at the same time. Fearless movie-making.
— Shirley, Berkeley
December 27th, 200911:49 am
I usually don't laugh in the movies. To my surprise I laughed many times during this one, maybe ten times. The Social commentary is perceptive. The dialogue is clever, and the actors play well off each other. The subject matter is grim.
George Clooney works for a firm that fires people for corporations. He travels 47 weeks of the year and has no personal life. He likes it that way. He prides himself on delivering the news in a manner that softens the blow and gives the employee hope as a "career transition counselor." You want to hate him, but can't. The employee-victims are non-actors who were previously terminated. Director Jason Reitman told them to reprise what they said or wished they could have said at the time.
Vera Farmiga is a good partner for George Clooney. They are both business road warriors who meet in a hotel bar and find that they collect the same perks for customer loyalty. Anna Kendricks is the top-of-her-class recent business graduate who is hired to shake up the firm by cutting all travel and dropping the axe by video conference, which would destroy Clooney's way of life. There is an outstanding scene in which the elders Clooney and Fermiga are mentoring Kendricks, who drops her all-business demeanor and reveals a crisis in her personal life. Clooney gets a chance to reevaluate his commitment to no commitment. This is Michael Moore's film on capitalism mixed with a romantic comedy.
— LMiklowitz, Tallahassee
December 7th, 20099:58 pm
Do you ever have the feeling that you completely missed the point of a movie? That's how I felt after seeing "Up in the Air." I couldn't tell what the filmmakers were trying to say with this film, if anything. The plot meandered, the characters were underdeveloped (the subplot with Ryan's family was just plain awful), and honestly, I didn't know if the film was about Ryan Bingham or all the people in the U.S. who have lost their jobs. Murky and unfocused. I like George Clooney, but he couldn't save this movie for me. I'm shocked that it's getting critical raves. Two stars from me, only because I got to watch Clooney on screen for 2 hours. Otherwise, 1 star.
— Mary, NYC
December 4th, 20091:36 pm
I am not a big George Clooney fan. I guess I just had hoped his acting might be different in this one. He's just a one type of character actor and in my opinion. He and Brad Pitt are right up there together in my book. One dimensional. I was just hoping he might have changed his style for the better. His last few movies have all been acted the same way.Same type of character basically. There's more than just having charisma to being a great actor. He truly needs to start changing it up and change the personality of his characters. So, I guess I'm not interested until his acting gets better or at least not so one sided. I so admire actors like Johnny Depp and Robert Downey Jr who can go from any medium and change into whatever character they play. I truly believe that type of actor will make it longer in Hollywood-because their appeal will never die. It's always changing. I would love to see George be more of a character actor like that. He could be so fantastic at it! Actors like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. I don't think can change from Dramatic. Their careers will eventually die off.
— Leina, France
December 4th, 20091:35 pm
I appreciate the movie d not treat women like props, but they are still a lot younger than the male role.
— Mimi, Madrid
December 31st, 200910:07 am
A grown up movie. The best I've seen in ages. Refreshing to do without the pat feel-good ending that insists that romantic love leading to commitment is all there is. Still, I liked the fact that Clooney's new found vulnerability softened him, even though ambivalently.
— IDT, California
December 29th, 20092:24 pm
I just loved this movie for its portrayal of the universal human need to escape, occasionally, or permanently. Some folks (generally an overburdened, hardworking husband and father) used to go out for a carton of milk, and be heard from no more. I think Alex's character is an excellent example of those who recognize the need to get away, but try to have it all. The resulting discord when adulteries are discovered, millstone about the neck families broken up, isn't addressed here, but the suggestion is clear and powerful. There are no easy answers to this human conundrum, which brings me to the observation I made in the first half hour of the movie.
This is "The Graduate" for the "soup-for-one" times in which we live; these times offer a great deal of opportunity for being and living alone, enabled by layer upon layer of technology and abundant food supplies, no communal hunting and gathering required; I think its view of the soul's searching is updated to examine, and use, the anonymity modern life affords us, but which we can't sustain and still hope to have meaningful (and usually limiting) personal connections as we plod on toward the grave. I wonder if the Graduate's 50 year old Benjamin whose life seemed destined to be perfect thanks to kidnapping his love object, ever felt life's noose tightening and fell short of admirable behavior with a new Mrs. Robinson? The man who escaped going into "plastics, Benjamin, plastics", might enjoy the irony with which so many iconic little plastic cards and devices conferring status, appear in this movie.
No matter how many amateurish connections I make between the two movies in my review, what they really have in common is depth in examining the human condition and that's good enough for me.
— Blank, NYC
December 4th, 20099:15 pm
I haven't seen this movie yet but I found this review to be pretentious and not very informative. I'm not sure if the movie was liked or not by the reviewer, if the comments about the direction used for the packing montage were endorsing or decrying it, and whether the critic enjoys watching Clooney or not.
All I really gather is that the women are written as strong characters and hold their own while on screen with Clooney and that, somewhere, there's a plot involving a man who fires other people but that this is slightly subsidiary (or not...? The final paragraph makes it hard to tell) to some overarching social commentary probably superimposed on the film by the critic herself.
I love my NYT movie updates but I really wish some of the critics would get over themselves and tell us what is or is not enjoyable about the film. The majority of readers, though fans of cinema, did not go to film school and throwing around large words and esoteric comparisons (does anyone but devout film buffs like myself even know who Carey Grant is anymore?) does not serve what should ultimately be the purpose of a review. What's good about the movie? What's bad? Did the director use a revolutionary technique and if so, what was it how did it impact the film? These are not difficult questions to answer.
— Shutzie27, Las Vegas
December 28th, 20093:59 pm
Clooney is a master and a pleasure to watch; so is Kendrick . . . intelligent and fun and, most important of all, no pat sentimental ending . . . go see it.
— ps, Vancouver, Canada
December 15th, 20099:01 pm
Vera Farmiga: where has SHE been? Wow.
— stan sinberg, california
March 10th, 20108:30 pm
I think this film captures the contrast between American myth-making (armed with all the tricks of myth-making Hollywood) and the hype that hide the shabby reality of American life: it ugly cities, plastic airports and hotels, the greed and low level of personal ethics, the shabbiness of "down-sized" and further down-sizing American work place.
How do Phil Collins bitter lyrics put it: "Think twice, 'cause its another day for you and me in paradixe."
In 1945 Americans owned over 90% of the world's assets. All that is gone, and American lives off the labour and credit extended to them by the Chinese--that and the dreams fed to they by TV. The waste of all that wealth, the decline of everything--infrastructure, standards of living, education (grade level and university), ethical and moral standards. This film highlights the bitter reality of present day America. It is one of two of the only social-realism films that Hollywood put out this year.
It is particulary appropriate that George Cloony would play the lead. Somehow he is able to keep foot in the Hollywood dream machine and the other in the real world, making one film after another that struggle to get "WAKE UP!" the American people.
— cphilips, New York


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Credit Card Guard | ReadyMade
I don't have a credit card, and for good reason - I would basically be in debt within a week! My dad has always taught me to only spend the money I have. But if you haven't been given this good advice and need a bit of help with curbing your credit card spending, this is a great idea. No need to freeze it in a block of ice! You sew a little pocket around your card, and then write something motivational/dissuade you from spending on the front. That way, when you do actually have an emergency you still have it on you… but you'll have to cut it out to get to it!


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This is my go-to side dish for Christmas dinner. Last year, all of my guests asked for seconds so I will double the recipe this year.
Autumn Vegetable Medley with Rosemary and Nutmeg
Any leftover vegetables from this recipe can easily become the base for a soup or stew. Just brown beef stew meat, and add a little beef broth.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup vegetable mixture)
More From Cooking Light
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
- Calories: 106
- Calories from fat: 22%
- Fat: 2.6g
- Saturated fat: 0.4g
- Monounsaturated fat: 1.8g
- Polyunsaturated fat: 0.2g
- Protein: 2g
- Carbohydrate: 20.9g
- Fiber: 4.2g
- Cholesterol: 0.0mg
- Iron: 1.1mg
- Sodium: 237mg
- Calcium: 78mg
- 1 (9-ounce) fennel bulb with stalks
- 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
- 1 1/2 cups (1-inch-thick) slices parsnip
- 1 1/2 cups (1-inch-thick) slices carrot
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Dash freshly grated nutmeg
- Cooking spray
- 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Trim tough outer leaves from fennel. Cut fennel bulb in half lengthwise; discard core. Cut each half into three wedges. Combine fennel, squash, and next 7 ingredients (through nutmeg) in a large shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with cheese, if desired.
My Notes
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Autumn Vegetable Medley with Rosemary and Nutmeg Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Side Dishes/Vegetables
- CONVENIENCE: Entertaining
- CUISINE: American
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Vegetables
- DIETARY CONSIDERATION: Low Cholesterol, Low Fat, Meatless, Low Saturated Fat, Gluten-Free
- COOKING METHOD: Bake
- OCCASION: Autumn
- PUBLICATION: Cooking Light
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Dark brown wooden five piece photo frame
Item No.3040297302
This dark brown wooden photo frame from Sass & Belle has five differently sized wooden frames and two rear wall mounting attachments.
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- Two landscape rear wall mounting attachments
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A teacher accused of sodomy will be in court October 17 for his preliminary hearing.
Huntsville Police arrested Brett Naff on Monday. Naff is on leave from his job at The Country Day School in Huntsville.
Naff's attorney, Bruce Gardner, filed a motion for that preliminary hearing Wednesday morning.
Police will lay out their evidence, and a judge will determine if there's enough evidence to put the case before a grand jury.
Gardner said the allegation stems from one of Naff's former students. The accuser is a female, and Gardner believes the allegation dates back seven or eight years.
Gardner represented Naff on a harassment charge a different student came forward with several years ago. A jury found the teacher not guilty then.
That wasn't Naff's only legal trouble. About a decade ago, a male student and his parents sued The Country Day School and Naff after the student broke his wrist. The suit claimed Naff was responsible because he was the soccer coach at the time. According to court records, the school paid the family around $7,000.
A few years later, a female student accused Naff of humiliating her during class. Court documents claimed he poked her with a pen and ridiculed her in front of the class about an assignment. The student underwent counseling and therapy. According to court records, the school paid $20,000 to the student.
Naff is currently out on a $50,000 bond.
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