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Tonight my teabag said:
When I did some searching using the words, I found this:
I loved The Land Before Time film when I was wee, although I remember it as a sad story - but this is a perfect sentiment, to me these both really mean to listen to your body - your heart, soul, gut.... whatever you want to call it, it means don't let your head and your thoughts dominate if your body is telling you otherwise.
Over the last few months, my shoulder has been treated by a different physio - my physio at home in Scotland, who treated me for just about every injury I ever had when I did gymnastics, and who my Dad claims is the best physio he ever had, as a professional sportsman. He's an excellent physiotherapist, another person I feel lucky to have treating me (I'm not sure he feels the same...!). I'm not going into all the details today, but we've been doing things a bit differently.
(He did spend the first few weeks telling me I had "blown his brains"; that he "couldn't even visualise a fully detached trapezius" - he can usually visualise EVERYTHING - it's like he peels back your skin with his eyes and can see how all the muscles and tissue fit together and work together under the skin - an amazing talent; he also told me that "any therapist who sees you coming should run fast in the opposite direction"..... and some more, I think those were the highlights!)
It was interesting for me to re-live all the discovery through someone else's eyes again. My physio in Glasgow is probably very close in age with my surgeon Dr Kibler; as a sports physio he treats unusual injuries, but Dr K says this injury is "not in the medical encyclopedia" - and taps his head as he says it. Basically it's still so 'new' that most medical professionals - even the very best shoulder doctors and therapists - haven't treated it yet, or even learned it is a possible diagnosis - they get the muscle injury, can observe the shoulder not working, the scapula not moving, but they can't fix it.
Now that we've reached a stage where I think his brain no longer feels blown (as much anyway....) and he has carefully and thoroughly assessed me, we have a pattern - but it is much less passive movement and manipulation than I had been getting before; my exercises have been cut down - AGAIN!! - although this is actually in a good way. He thinks that even making my shoulder work (or be worked) for fives minutes can be too long for it some days. I am supposed to do my exercises frequently, but for only two minutes at a time - two minutes every hour, ideally. Two minutes isn't very long.... but I'm pretty good with the principle.
But back to the quote... this physio is someone who has known me all my life; knows my determination, my desire to get my shoulder function back to as 'normal' as can be possible and what he frequently says to me is that I know what to do - I have the knowledge, the years of experience of training my body and I have to let that tell me what to do. Dr F (with the nerve scans) said the same thing - that I have the tools to work on this myself, I just have to figure out what works best for me. They're basically all saying listen to your body.
And it does whisper. It's hard to know what is taking it too easy (not much to be honest, but the whole 'no pain, no gain' thing is so ingrained - why can I not learn it doesn't apply here!?) versus what is doing a sensible amount - that 'line' everyone's been talking about for nearly 2 years now still remains elusive. However, trying hard to listen to my heart, or my gut, or my body - whatever interpretation - and not to my head - has always produced the best results.
Is it working? Is my progress good? Well, when I saw Angelo when I arrived back here for Xmas, he said "with any other patient, I'd be really worried about what we are missing when this is four months of progress, but with you it's great that you've taken another baby step - at least you're not going backwards"
I'm taking that as a positive! And listening to your body always seems to make the most sense and produces the best results. So that is my plan for 2014.... and beyond. I'm running a marathon here, not a sprint; my expectations shift frequently, just like my pain and perception of how well/ badly I am healing - but if I have learned anything, it really is to have faith in your own body. Listen to it whisper.


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Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Gunman kills 12 and injures 15 at Washinton Navy Yard rampage
By Gist gistbybit at 12:37 News, tragedy No comments
enforcement, including two shootings. Monday's onslaught at a single building at the highly secure Navy Yard unfolded about 8:20 a.m. in the heart of the nation's capital, less than four miles from the White House and two miles from the Capitol. It put all of Washington on edge. Mayor Vincent Gray said there was no indication it was a terrorist attack, but he added that the possibility had not been ruled out. "This is a horrific tragedy," he said. Alexis carried three weapons: an AR-15 assault rifle, a shotgun, and a handgun that he took from a police officer at the scene, according to two federal law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation. The AR-15 is the same type of rifle used in last year's mass shooting at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school that killed 20 students and six women. The weapon was also used in the shooting at a Colorado movie theater that killed 12 and wounded 70. For much of the day, authorities said they were looking for a possible second attacker who may have been disguised in an olive-drab military-style uniform. But by late Monday night, they said they were convinced the shooting was the work of a lone gunman, and the lockdown around the area was eased. President Barack Obama lamented yet another mass shooting in the U.S. that he said took the lives of American "patriots." He promised to make sure "whoever carried out this cowardly act is held responsible." In addition to those killed at the Navy Yard, eight people were hurt, including three who were shot and wounded, according to the mayor. Those three were a police officer and two female civilians, authorities said. They were all expected to survive. The dead ranged in age from 46 to 73, according to the mayor. A number of the victims were civilian employees and contractors, rather than active-duty military personnel, the police chief said. At the time of the rampage, Alexis was an employee with The Experts, a company that was a Defense Department subcontractor on a Navy-Marine Corps computer project, authorities said. The FBI has now taken charge of the investigation.

subset: commoncrawl


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Inside it there was this;
I put my phone in it and did this;
And made my crocs look very old, tired and rather dirty by doing this;
A huge big thank you to Terri who sent me these lovely, lovely goodies just for leaving a comment on her blog about sewing my finger into my machine when I was a new and inexperienced machinist! How we laughed!!
Now, I didn't do any knitting last night as I was browsing through the magazine that Jenny sent me earlier in the week and thought 'I can never make that' and then I got to thinking why on earth not!? So I got out lots of lovely coloured tapestry threads and started a new project (Heather's baby will have to hope that cardigans do grow on trees or that we have a very mild winter)! I have taught myself some new stitches with help from the blurb at the back of the mag and a quick look at youtube (really good, learned lots of knitting things there too). Watch this space, as they say.............
Simon and I have taken car loads of stuff to the tip and I have sold plenty of things on eBay this week making space to rearrange the house while we renovate our bedroom. I will no doubt bore you silly with talk and pics of our DIY. The plan is to make the bedroom slightly smaller and much neater by building a walk-in wardrobe (or a big cupboard) and I am very excited indeed. We have these mad ideas (well, I do) and my poor husband spends his summer holiday up to his eye balls in plaster dust and nails! We had planned to do the house up quickly but we have lived here since 1997 and haven't finished yet. Must stop having babies, it really slows down this kind of job, ha! I do have a beautiful kitchen, fabulous bathroom and the two back bedrooms are wonderful. By the end of the summer upstairs will be complete and the girls can have their own bedrooms, ooh!
Off to sew..........


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Tabula Rasa approaches its final lap, the community retrospectives continue to arise, showcasing the best and worst that the game had to offer. Over at Ten Ton Hammer, they've compiled a short run-down which chronicles the rise and fall of NCsoft's failed sci-fi shooter.
Beginning in August of 2007, open beta rolled out, in what easily became tens of thousands of beta testers. Reviews for the game were mixed as the NDA lifted, and the polarizing opinions that later defined the game's community came out in full force. From there, the game suffered a few personnel changes and brought out its biggest guns when Richard Garriott announced a promotional tie-in with a space flight. This wasn't enough to keep the game afloat, as Garriott himself left the flock and the game's closure was announced 10 days later.
This article at TTH gives a brief timeline for the features and highlights of the game from early beta to now. It's worth a read if you're curious about the game's life, or want to simply look back fondly at its progression.


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On April 1, 2009, I posted a request for tiles to complete a fun little backsplash idea I had and named "Project Backsplash".
Here is the original post.
This little idea of mine took off very well and got coverage on several blogs including RandomLustings (who was a bit forthcoming in her thought that it might be a tee-total disaster :)), RhinestonesandTelephones, StumbleUpon, and TheKitchn (HOORAY!!!!) Thanks to all of you for including my project on your blogs!!
I got a good many tiles from all over the place: Many from the US, Canada, Italy, Russia, France and Australia. So excited and I really have an amazing array.
But, Project Backsplash still isn't installed and it is, as you know, August 2011. Embarrassing, no? Well, yes, it is.
(The kitchen, pictured above, is a lot better than it was in the first Project Backsplash post but I'm still oh-so-eager to get the backsplash installed and brighted it up! This picture was taken right before a Christmas party, hence the decorations and it being so clean.)
I do have at least a moderately good excuse though: I had pretty big surgery right after I posted that (literally, two months to the day after) and had a pretty long recovery. And, since that time, well, I've been doing other stuff around the house (refinishing floors, building bookcases, tearing out the bathroom and putting it back in). So, sadly, the backsplash has kind of been put on the back burner.
But, I'm determined to get it done soon but need a few more tiles! I have some "filler" tiles that I've bought here and there but I'd love some more tiles from you all, if you will!
So, please please send a tile (or more if you like!) of any size, color, pattern, patina, origin, whatever! Just tile! (It does need to be square but otherwise, no restrictions!) I would appreciate them so much!
(The original post says that they need to be 4×4 inches but I've since revised that. They can be fit together no matter their size as long as they are square.)
My hope is STILL to have a lovely eclectic, mish-mash backsplash from all over the world! So… Please send tiles!
Send tiles to:
Zazazu – Project Backsplash
P.O. Box 373
Corinth, MS 38834
And please PLEASE share the word about Project Backsplash with your friends!


text: What's a good website that sells empty jewel cases? I need a whole bunch, in various configurations (black, clear, 2x, 3x), for when I move out to LA because I'll be damned if I'm gonna ship boxes full of CDs in jewel cases out to California. I'm planning on going with Effectuality, but does anyone know of a place with better rates?


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The Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Applied Behaviour Analysis - Autism is the first of its kind in Western Canada providing students with existing baccalaureate degrees from an accredited university in behaviour analysis or other natural sciences, education, human services, engineering, medicine or a field related to behaviour analysis and approved by the BACB™, the opportunity to obtain an additional credential that would enable them to work with children, youth and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The coursework and experiental component of the Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Applied Behaviour Analysis-Autism would qualify students to write the professional certification exam of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board™ (BACB™) and then become a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst™ (BCaBA™).
Please note that the Post-Baccalaureate Diploma program is not eligible for funding through Student Aid BC.
Capilano University | 2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver, British Columbia Canada V7J 3H5 Tel: 604.986.1911
Sunshine Coast | 5627 Inlet Avenue, Sechelt, British Columbia Canada V0N 3A0 Tel: 604.885.9310
Capilano University is named after Chief Joe Capilano, an important leader of the Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh) Nation of the Coast Salish people. We respectfully acknowledge that our campuses are located on the territories of the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Sechelt (shíshálh), Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.


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At the start of Holly Black's White Cat, 17-year-old Cassel is anxious to let us know that he is not a good guy. He comes from a family of curse workers and has grown up learning how to con everyone he encounters. And, most chillingly, he killed the one girl he ever loved.
He can't remember much about it. His brothers won't talk to him about it, and his mother, who is in prison for working a wealthy man, tells him to do what his brothers say. For some time that has meant attending a boarding school and trying to stay out of trouble, which, since Cassel is the only member of his family without worker abilities, isn't difficult. But when Cassel wakes up at the top of a school building's tower with no idea how he got there, his safe life begins to crumble. As he tries to solve the mystery of his sleepwalking, dreams of a white cat intersect with his memories of Lila, the girl he killed, the mobsters that his brothers work for, and a knot of family secrets and lies.


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Image via Shutterstock
Remember that awkward moment in middle school when some stranger came into the classroom and started talking about sex? When the room was split into two groups and the girls went somewhere to learn about periods and all that stuff, and guys were told about erections and masturbation? Welcome to sex ed, kids.
While its been awhile since we had to sit through those classes, it's never too late to learn something new, which is why we visited SexEtc.org to see what we might need help with. Naturally, for the sake of education, we visited the sex terms page—and here are the funniest terms that we could dig up.
Slang term for a brief, fast act of intercourse.
Beating The Bishop
A slang term for male masturbation.
Chicken Head
A derogatory term for a girl that "frequently" performs oral sex on a male.
Dental Dam
A thin square of latex used to cover the vulva during oral sex or the anus during analingus to reduce the risk of spread of sexually transmitted diseases. It is called a "dental dam" because it was created for use in dental procedures.
A slang term for sex. As in, "I wanna hit that."
Also known as pre-ejaculate, a small amount of fluid that is made in the Cowper's gland and that comes out of the tip of the penis shortly after a boy or man gets an erection. It is designed to clean the urethra of urine and coat the walls to increase the chances of sperm surviving once they are ejaculated. Some males always have sperm in their pre-cum and others never do. Any sperm that is found in pre-cum is not likely to cause pregnancy. Pre-cum can transmit a sexually transmitted disease.
Rim Job
Contact between one person's mouth and another person's anus.
Shooting Blanks
A slang term for when there is no sperm in semen.
A slang term for to ejaculate.
A sexual practice where two girls or women rub their genitals together for pleasure.
Remember, kids, sex is a natural act that is shared between two people who love each other, so use protection and stay safe.
All information provided by SexEtc.org


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Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Happy Holidays From Our Boys!
I had way too much fun with this shoot of our 3 boys. They are at such fun ages right now, although not easy to photograph, but as long as I have them doing something fun, they don't mind that I have my camera out. I had them decorate a Christmas tree, giving them no direction other than put the ornaments and beads on the three. It's was pretty adorable watching them place so many on the same branch. And boy were they excited! The older boys played with some "snow" and Cael ate rocks at that time, haha. Then I gave them candy canes and Bode (2 1/2 year old) just danced around being silly. Happy Holidays to everyone - it's a magical time of year ;)
Posted by Kari at 4:21 PM No comments:
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Riley {11 Days Old}, Kendall {2}, Avery {4} and Family
I met this family when little Kendall was only 3 months old and now they have another beautiful baby girl who has joined their family. Riley's big sisters are very active and I did my best to get some family shots and sibling shots, but sometimes young children have other plans (especially 2-year-olds!). I so wish I was a magician and could force little ones to lay down to be in a photo but I cannot. The good news is though that I got a great shot of big sister, Avery, with Riley as well as lots of awesome photos of Riley alone as she was an awesome sleeper. She was even so relaxed when her sisters were around her, which often isn't the case with newborns. I had a great time with your family and so happy for you guys to have another sweet baby girl!
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Snowfalls in Surrey
5 comments:
..would just love to experience a white Xmas Jeanne - never have!ReplyDelete
(I know it all turns to mush afterwards, but I have this fairy-tale image in my mind that I will enjoy until I can actually celebrate Xmas in the snow one day)
Have a lovely day!
So festive Jeanne... enjoy your happy preparations. xReplyDelete
Oh, Jeanne, I am loving your snowy wonderland! So far removed from sunshiney Hobart. Oh, and I love the work you've done on old Henry! J xReplyDelete
Found your lovely blog via Planet Baby. I, too, live in Surrey - so great to connect :)ReplyDelete
Oh my gosh, so pretty. I was in Cambridge for Christmas and it was very similar there. The trouble was, after 4 days the pavements were just ice, and then life wasn't much fun!ReplyDelete
I've so enjoyed reading your explorations of England: Happy 2011!


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Heather has been a member of the Stanford Athletic department for six years. In her new role, she will lead Stanford Athletics' development, stewardship, and event efforts. Read more...
February 8, 2014
Heather promoted to Associate AD
1 comment:
- André said...
Congrats Heather!!!
- February 13, 2014 at 1:22 AM
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text:
|Reviews for Confrontations and Confessions
| Mycroftmalfoy chapter 2 . 1/15/2011
Great story!
| Librasmile chapter 2 . 1/26/2009
Hi just found this story.
This was lovely! It was such a treat to see Severus be pampered for once. And the idea of using veritaserum to make him vulnerable was clever and well executed. I liked the little tidbit from his school days. It added depth.
I have to admit I DIDN'T like the overtones of slashy-ness between him and Dumbledore. Not that you didn't write it well. You did. I just have a different take on Snape and Dumbledore's relationship. I think there's still Dumbledore's manipulation to be accounted for. If you'd done a little slashy-ness with Lupin I'd ahve been on board (Lupin is young and cute; Dumbledore makes me think of grandpa, lol). On the other hand the hint of intimacy between Snape and Dumbledore was quite unexpected for me so kudos on being original.
Overall, well done. I really enjoyed this and I'm putting it in my excellence file.
| snarky Beth chapter 2 . 2/16/2008
This story was so sad and heartbreaking! Moody was sick and cruel. The ending though was rather sweet, a father and son type relationship. Great work on the emotions as always!
| milola chapter 2 . 5/5/2006
hey thats a good story.
| cocoa-snape chapter 2 . 4/19/2006
oh I like this one a lot too...
my favorite line here is "you're enjoying yourself." I love the fact that SS knows this and it's true.
Once again you are riding the friendship-slash line...although I think this one is closer to the latter given the bathing scene. Your introduction of lupin is, I suppose, designed to steer us back towards friendship...
I like your matter of fact telling - you don't over detail anything, but then you'll go into details like effects of veritaserum in the context of your story which are interesting.
That bathing scene of yours makes me wish I could include something like that in my adss fic - too bad it doesn't work - otherwise i'd steal it...i love it that much
please keep writing adss...
| Sindie chapter 2 . 7/12/2005
A beautiful and touching story.
| TheDeathChamber chapter 2 . 7/8/2005
I just love all your Snape-angst stories. I was just re-reading your A Promise to be Better. Delightful.
| hipa chapter 2 . 8/10/2004
Beautiful, simply beautiful... Dumledore is like a father Sev never truly have. I like this. I like it too when they are pair, but there is just something in this story that makes it even better this way.
| Elsa2 chapter 2 . 3/3/2004
I do like this story. Snape-angst leading into something so much warmer. And Lupin's in it, too! Bonus points! ;-)
| Bitc-of-da-world chapter 2 . 4/18/2003
WHAT UR NOT JUST GOING TO END IT THERE, u are arent you. no...Keep going.
| bidule1 chapter 2 . 2/12/2003
| bidule1 chapter 1 . 2/12/2003
very good thinking
| getsuei chapter 2 . 2/7/2003
Very good work! Love it! Too bad it doesn't have them as an official pairing, but still excellent! Poor Sev.
| kagemusha chapter 2 . 2/2/2003
Very very nice work...dang I think I just got hooked onto ur work. Great job! Very sweet, poor Severus...
| miss-cold chapter 2 . 1/29/2003
uuhh , this is so sweet!
is there gonna be more? there better be!


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October 4-6, 2018
San Diego, California
The Dana Mission Resort
1710 W Mission Bay Dr, San Diego, CA 92109
The Dana Mission Resort
1710 W Mission Bay Dr, San Diego, CA 92109
This is a business summit for serious business owners. Those tenacious, determined, hardworking, risk taking entrepreneurs who put it on the line every day. Working toward big dreams and wanting to take every advantage awarded them for putting themselves on the line.
You are going to learn how to build upon the success you already have, protect what you are working for and learn different tactics and strategies that will absolutely expand upon your financial base.
Who Are DOING Exactly What They Are Talking About. No fluff and philosophy here just the facts. Real world examples of strategies you can implement right away.
Each session has been vetted to bring you the most up to date information to help you grow, expand and monetize your business. You'll leave with the most innovative and timely strategies for you and your business.
You don't have to buy a special ticket or know the password. All our speakers commit to being available the entire 3 days to meet with everyone individually.
Aaron Scott Young, a Strategic Thinking Partner for entrepreneurs and business owners, has the expertise to quickly get to the heart of complex issues, see solutions and help to illuminate a path to forward progress.
Kevin L. Day, Esq. is one of the leading estate planning and international asset protection planning attorneys in the United States. Mr. Day is a regular speaker to professional and business groups on issues affecting business owners and high net worth individuals.
Jim Conaway possesses extensive experience in the use of prudent strategies with real estate, charitable planning, pensions, business structures, insurance and investing. Jim is also the host of "Smart Money Talk Radio" on NBC affiliate radio.
Scott has been in the mortgage, finance, and banking industry since 2001 and an active real estate investor since 2002. He has been actively buying notes on residential and commercial properties since 2005.
With over 25 years of experience in the industry, Wealth Strategist Lorraine Conaway has helped clients nationwide find clarity and confidence in their financial futures. Together with her husband and business partner, Jim Conaway, they have raised over $22 million dollars in planned gifts for various charities.
Jim Bennett founded the consulting firm NOW CFO in 2005 and is a Managing Partner in the Salt Lake City, Utah office. NOW CFO has offices in 18 markets spanning eight states, with plans for national growth. The NOW CFO consulting practice provides outsourced CFO, Controller and Staff Accountant consulting services for companies representing a broad range of industries.
Darin Adams is an award-winning TV personality who has spent 30 years in the broadcasting industry. Much of that career was spent working with entrepreneurs and small business owners, helping them get the marketing they needed. Now he is a noted speaker and author traveling the world, helping entrepreneurs discover how to get organized, save time and grow their business while still loving the passion of doing what they do best.
Michelle Pierson Young is an award-winning writer, an artist, a life coach and the President of Life Mastery, Inc. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Michelle coaches a diverse and international clientele ranging from housewives to doctors, from solo-preneurs to CEO's. She loves having a front row seat as they shift their lives from sometimes lonely and somewhat unfulfilling to lives that are vibrant, abundant and full of meaningful connections.
Thomas J. Powell is a leading financier with extensive experience in investment banking and private equity, commercial banking, mortgage banking, alternative asset management, corporate finance and governance. He has a proven track record in raising private and institutional capital, investment and credit risk analysis, risk mitigation, portfolio management, distressed debt recovery, and deal structure. Tom is passionate about free enterprise and international trade and has served as both an international guest lecturer and an instructor at Harvard University in the Office of Executive Education.
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Bill was on the founding teams of Sapient Health Network (now WebMD) and Learning.com. In both companies he raised substantial outside capital and generated positive returns for early investors.
He has since been involved in starting ReelDx (which provides libraries of real patient video case studies for medical education) and AgriCascadia (an investment bank serving the new agricultural economy).
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The summit runs Thursday- Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. You'll want to stay the whole time, we are packing the agenda for 3 full days of action.
Hearing it from the front of the room and actually applying it to your unique circumstance is different, that is why we encourage you to get your personalized questions answered by the experts. You will have the opportunity to schedule one on one appointments with the strategists to get your specific questions answered.
This isn't your ordinary business summit. We limit this event to 100 people. Why? We know you are facing your own challenges, you are shooting for your own goals, you are at different stages of the game and while the information you will hear from the front of the room will blow you away putting it to use can only be applied if it fits your exact circumstance. The focus is completely on YOU. That is why we limit attendance because you are going to get the change to sit down with any presenter you want to build your customized actionable plan.
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We sat together tonight, crowded together in my living room, and listened to four members of a team headed to Sudan next week share what was on their hearts in that moment. A desire to trust God in all of the details, and yet difficulty in doing so. A feeling of frantically trying to tie up all loose ends before leaving, and falling short. A hope that they would be able to let God's love flow through them to the Sudanese. A hint of fear expressed from loved ones.
And then, together, we laid it all at the feet of Jesus.
In a quiet moment during that communal prayer, the word "retreat" flitted through my mind. This place – my humble little living room – had become a retreat for those team members from the stress and busy-ness of preparing to leave for a foreign place. A place to stop, be still, share their hearts, and be encouraged by the Body. For me, I also retreated from my day and the demands of being a wife and mother. A quiet fellowship with other believers, completely focused on who God is and making His glory known throughout the nations.
As we finished praying, no one moved; no one wanted to be the one to break the peace and tranquility that had infiltrated our busy lives. Everyone wanted to linger just a little longer in this place we had come to together: this retreat. I could see the sense of being refreshed in each person's eyes as he or she finally rose, ready to engage with the world.
Isn't this what the Body is supposed to be like? A retreat from the world. A place to encourage one another, to rest in who God is together, to learn together so that we can re-engage with the world? We can't retreat forever, but stepping out of our daily lives to refocus on Him is vital. And when we gather together as Christians and find a retreat, we finally experience what God intended "the church" to be.
Perhaps I only see this because of the group writing project on retreating over at High Calling Blogs, but I'm thankful that it's provoked me to pause and consider it.
In the spirit of full disclosure, you should also know that this post puts my name in the hat for a free retreat at Laity Lodge. Anyone who reading this can register for 25% off of selected retreats as well. When you call to register, ask for "the HighCallingBlogs.com discount." If you also want to participate in the writing project, write a post by Friday, May 9, at noon Central Time and you can receive 50% off of selected retreats and be entered in the drawing as well. Check out Marcus's or Chris's blog for more details.


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Hey world. Did you think we fell off the face of the planet? I can't believe how long it has been. When I started this blog I had use of our van and drove into town just about every day to sit in the AC and use the computer. However shortly after that the hubs got a job that required a long commute, and since his beast of a truck got like no mileage at all, he started using the van. No more trips to town for me and the girls.
So what has happened in the past year and a bit you ask. Well here's the very shortened version. Record breaking heat plus super prego mama and 2 little girls in a rustic cabin with no air conditioning and no way to go anywhere, plus no running water wasn't working out so well. Dave got better work, but it was a huge commute (70 miles each way) so with the cost of gas we were barely hanging in there. We made the very hard decision to leave our 20 acres and go rent a home that was closer to town and work, and way more comfy. I don't think I had ever appreciated a hot shower or a refrigerator more in my life. We stuck it out as long as we could, but eventually the cost of rent and the land payment became too much. With no other options we had to let the land go. I cried for days. Looking back I understand so much better why it had to happen this way, and truly feel that the Lord is directing our path, but at that point I was devastated.
October finally came along and with it our darling baby boy. He is the sweetest baby ever. I can not imagine our family without him. The girls adore him too and love being helpful big sisters.
Well the kids have decided that mom has had way too much time for herself. I will have to finish the rest of this update later. Stay tuned. The story does get better.


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Friday, June 17, 2011
Talking Point #6 – Making Room for One Another by Gerri August: Quotes
3 comments:
Great blog! I am using it to do my extended comments. I agreed with many of your points! I loved your video.ReplyDelete
Alison, I really like the last quote you used. "Zeke demonstrated how an awkward moment can be transformed into a teachable moment". I enjoyed reading all of the anecdotes and seeing how Zeke was always able to turn those awkward moments into teachable moments.ReplyDelete
I enjoyed reading your blog Alison. I really like the last quote you chose about teachable moments. In my role at Head Start I have the opportunity to spend time observing in many different classrooms so I get to experience many different teachers and teaching styles. Although some of them are great at making a teachable moment out of almost any situation I frequently see those opportunities missed or overlooked.ReplyDelete


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An Urn contains 5 red, 4 white, and 3 green balls. The experiment E is as follows: draw 3 balls (at random) one at a time, WITH replacement of the ball in the urn after each draw. Each outcome is an ordered triplet of the form (First ball, Second ball, Third Ball).
Let A: "The second and third balls are the same color"
Let B: "The first and third balls are the same color?
Let S be the sample space.
i) Find P(S), P(A), P(B), and P(A n B) - read as probability of intersection of A and B.
ii) Does knowing B has occurred increase the chances that A has also occurred?
i) For P(S) I got 1. I am stuck on the rest of the probabilities
ii) I believe the answer is No, but I am not sure how true my logic is. I feel like since there is replacement, other events already occurring does not increase the likelihood of other events.


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Wasting No Time .... Seriously!
"With the faith in each other and the faith in God, we will get the job done."
"We will prove worthy of this moment in history. And I think it may very well be a great moment in history."
U.S. President Donald J. Trump
"In one of his first acts as president, President Trump made it harder for Americans to afford a mortgage. Working class Americans, struggling Americans — now it's harder for them to get a mortgage."Just think: it's early days, and the new administration is already hard at work, warming up to its task of reversing just about everything and anything that the earlier administration of Barack Obama had instituted. This, of course, is not solely peculiar to the United States. That a Republican administration sets about methodically and expeditiously wiping out the decision-making and choices of a Democratic administration.
"It only took an hour for those populist words delivered on the steps of the Capitol to ring hollow."
Senator Chuck Schumer
"Visitors to whitehouse.gov Friday afternoon noticed some immediate changes. Pages on climate change, LGBT issues, civil rights, and health care, have been replaced with pages on an "America First Energy Plan," "America First Foreign Policy," "Bringing Back Jobs and Growth," and "Standing Up For Our Law Enforcement Community"."
National Public Radio
"It's a very disappointing outcome [postponement of a hearing challenging a Texas voter ID law discriminating against Latina and African-American voters]."
"This case has been in the courts for the better part of four years, and the people of Texas deserve an expeditious recovery of their constitutional rights."
Myrna Perez, Director, Voting Rights and Elections Project, Brennan Center for Justice, Texas
America's next door, northern neighbour has just recently undergone the very same transformation. When the new Liberal government took office, most of its Conservative predecessors' legislation swiftly came undone. A rather unseemly haste and one born of completely ideological perspectives. Irritating no end to some, and perfectly acceptable to others. That's on the domestic front, of course. And, of course, anything that Canada does hasn't the repercussion-value of what the United States undertakes in its impact on the international scene.
For President Trump, the businessman-cum-politician, that China came away with a trade surplus with the U.S. of $366-billion in 2015 represents an urgent issue to be addressed as soon as possible. Unlike addressing domestic legislation, this one will take a little bit of time, and it is entirely doubtful whether it will be met with any degree of success. But there's a showdown in the near future, one that already has Beijing growling about Taiwan's status with a new American administration that will view it as sovereign.
Americans themselves hardly know how to parse their new president's chummy view of Russia and its redoubtable strongman. Clearly Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin share some personal characteristics. In appraising one another they find much in common and perhaps some manner of accommodation will eventually present itself, melting the frosty atmosphere that has prevailed to date. How President Trump will address President Putin's pugnacity and the Kremlin's Ukraine adventure will be interesting, much less NATO's presence in the Baltic states.
As for President Trump's casual critique of German Chancellor Angela Merkel as a world leader whose ill-advised comforting of millions of Muslim refugees fleeing conflict in Syria, and millions more seeking haven from poverty in Africa, along with his sneering dismissal of the European Union, and his prediction relating to its imminent collapse as other dissatisfied members join Great Britain in its Brexit move, his frank appraisals certainly cannot be much appreciated by their recipients.
Americans themselves cannot quite seem to believe what they have wrought. On Inauguration Friday, according to Dan Stessel of the Regional transportation office in Washington, the Metro logged just over 470,000 trips using the rail system. Disturbingly, hugely so, regional transportation officials on Sunday noted that 1,001,616 trips were logged, on the day of the mass protests in Washington where women and their supporters from across the United States rallied to protest the social reversals their new president is embarking upon.
Labels: Presidency, Protests, Trump, United States


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Like Raindrops Pricking My Arms.
There are certain times of day that are just conductive to pondering. Usually they are such because they aren't quite one thing or another. Like dusk (I would have used the word twilight here but unfortunately Stephenie Meyer has sequestered off that word from use by the general public. Without looking like a douche, of course.). Dusk is lovely. Both because it actually is, sunsets tend to be a bit easy on the eye, and because it's the bridge between day and evening. It's the time when it just starts getting a little bit dark and times of day click into place. You can go all afternoon without knowing the time, but as soon as dusk hits there's no longer denying that this day is undoubtedly drawing to a close. And yet still not over, since night is arguably the best part of the day.
Better than dusk is an hour in the morning. It lies between four and five. When even the college students are generally in bed and the earlier risers haven't even stirred yet. The hour when the birds start chirping and the horizon remains black. I always feel the only one in the world who's awake. It's an hour that I like to spend with people, because there's not another hour that's more conductive to getting to know someone. It's sort of magical. I talked about this once with a stranger and I'm pretty sure it almost single handedly got me fallen in love with. It's my favorite time of day. I'm alone with my thoughts for one hour, when everything slows and I can float. And then it goes on to five o'clock and the world resumes. It's been awhile now, with my current hours at The Job, since I've been able to experience it the way I used to. I'm awake at five, but the hour has just ended and I'm groggy and want to go back to sleep. But, it's still there and sometimes I can feel my fingertips brush against the edge as I silence my alarm clock.
Similarly, and this is the one that made me think of the others, right before it rains. The sky sort of darkens, the wind picks up, and you know that the rain is somewhere on the horizon, but hasn't quite made it yet. It's the same sort of transition time. I always sort of want to revel in it. At camp in New Hampshire we used to have the worst thunderstorms. They would creep up out of nowhere and pretty soon the whole place would be shaking. Since it was at camp they were a little bit of a mixed bag. They might get you out of swim class, but rainy day activities are… not the best. Still, as soon as the leaves started rustling and the temperature would drop we'd know we were standing on the precipice of something.
Today I went out for a walk in that moment before the rain came. I knew it was going to rain, but it seemed like we'd been dancing with the weather all day. I wanted to get out, stretch my legs, think about some things. I put Bowie on my iPod and listened to "Heroes" as I walked. I didn't get far before the rain came, but being out in that inbetween time is beautiful. It's something that just doesn't happen that often. Like going to the beach in the winter you sort of forget sometimes, that things are still there when you don't see them. The world does not stop and/or dissolve into particles when you leave the room or stop thinking about it. I don't normally take walks when it's about to rain, so I wanted to. It's somehow different then getting caught in the rain, more purposely. Very conductive to thinking.
There're a couple times a year when similar things happen with seasons. Usually twice, though there are obviously four seasons. The break between spring and summer isn't so obvious, and autumn can roll into winter without us noticing so well. But there are moments between winter and spring and summer and autumn. The weather brightens or cools. Suddenly you no longer need that extra blanket on your bed; it's no longer jacket weather. Seasons click in place and one day you realize, it's spring. This year it was very clear for me. I have two rooms connected together by French doors. One's technically a porch though the windows don't really open. I call it my little room, and in the winter I have to section it off to keep from freezing. When the snow melted in March I opened it up. It smelled musty and I my fingerprints left dots in dust. Books and music I had left out there were waiting for me and I felt very very happy. There were memories out there that I had forgotten I needed. The sadness I had allowed to envelope me throughout the winter was shrugged off and I climbed out of depression so quickly I had to start wondering if it had been seasonal after all. My brain felt like it was working again. Like I wasn't digging around for things I wanted to be thinking about, but rather started up with the things I could help thinking about. I felt like me again. And it was nice.
And, This Is So Not A SyFy Original.
This movie, Human Centipede. I wanted to see it. Mostly cause it's called Human Centipede and without knowing anything about it the title Human Centipede sounds sort of awesome. But then last night while at the Cedar Lee's Late Shift (still miss calling them Cult Film Series) they showed a trailer. I'm not squeamish, and I love horror films. Things very rarely scare me even when I am dearly hoping that they will. So, I wasn't really taking the warnings of this film being horrifying and disgusting all that seriously. I sort of thought it would probably be about some weird human/centipede hybrid rampaging and killing the shit out of a bunch of people. I didn't really think about the possibility of it being about a mad German scientist making a human centipede by surgically attaching poor unsuspecting tourists mouth to anus. And, okay, I didn't give it much thought as I settled in to Road House and watched some punching, but later on as I was trying to settle into bed I couldn't think of anything else. Seriously. I am so incredibly sickened by this idea that I couldn't sleep. I had nightmares about being medically experimented on.
I don't think I can ever see this movie.
This has seriously never happened to me before. Actually, that's a lie. I've never seen the Japanese horror film Ôdishon about a man's auditioning women for a non-existent movie just so he can cozy up to them, only to pick the wrong girl. Mostly cause the girl is holding a six inch needle on the cover. I can't do medical shit. I used to not be able to watch medical dramas cause it grossed me out. I've watched Torture Porn before but I've never enjoyed it. I've never seen Hostel cause it looks stupid. Hack someone in half with a machete and I'll probably cheer, but if you inject them with a local anesthesia first my skin will probably go tender. It's a bit Nazi for me. And believe me, that was the one bit of the Holocaust museum that I just plain could not handle. Fucking hell. Leave it to the Dutch to come up with the thing that manages to keep me up at night. Mostly cause I think, like most, I'd rather be killed than disfigured and bodily attached to someone in front of me, being forced to suck down their shit day in and day out. The worst part about this is that the director consulted medical experts to make sure this was medically possible and realistic. Apparently they said with supplementary IVs to the individuals in back this creature could live for years. Years. Oh my god, I can hardly move right now.
And, the main character's name is Lindsay. Fuck you director man whose name I can't look up cause I'll see photographs and immediately get sick to my stomach again.
Finally, There's 'Splosion Sunday.
New tradition. My life needs more structure. I'm just kidding. No one's life needs structure. I do, however, need something to do with my time. So last Sunday I decided to make a double feature of Kick-Ass, which I genuinely wanted to see, and The Losers… which had Zoë Saldana with a rocket launcher. It figured it was sort of appropriate; they're both minor comic books that were adapted for the big screen at pretty much the same time. Mostly… I just wanted to see shit get blown up. I'm a simple girl, I like a lot of things. I like sappy dramas (just not too sappy cause once we get to say… The Notebook I want to rip my eyes out of my head, actually Nicholas Sparks can just disappear and I'll be well happy), I like comedies, I like horror, I like action, I pretty much like it all. But there is really just nothing like watching those hilarious scenes where things blow up in the background while the protagonist walks away calmly without even looking back. Actually, no, any explosions will do, cause when the protagonists runs out of a building yelling at people to "Get back, get back!" before everyone leaps forward and away from the blasts are pretty good too.
Big guns are fun, but there's nothing quite like a big explosion on a lazy Sunday. I am pretty sure this could single handedly keep Michael Bay in business. Tits too. Though, I can do without the tits.
So I've decided, 'Spolsion Sunday is a go. Every Sunday I'm going to watch at least one thing with an explosion in it. This isn't really a tall order these days. Sometimes you're hard pressed to find something without an explosion, but who said my job had to be hard. This week Road House was the one. I sort of thought it would be much more punching and much less explosion, but who says you can't have both? With two buildings going up in a mushroom cloud of flames and a car igniting in mid-air, I think it counts. So… what should I watch next week? Any suggestions?


text:
Housing: Otwell MS / 605 Tribble Gap Road / Cumming, GA 30040
Show: Georgia Dome , One Georgia Dome Drive, N.W. Atlanta, GA 30313
Tomorrow Housing: Otwell MS / 605 Tribble Gap Road / Cumming, GA 30040
Rounding out the Deep South Tour, the corps will head inside for one of the most intense head to head competitions of the summer. Tomorrow's line up includes all DCI World Class corps. The colts will take the stage in the 13 position, after their placement and random drawing from last weeks regional in San Antonio. It has been a crucial weekend for the corps, placing behind Spirit in last week's regional; however the corps has maintained a score of around 80 points the last few shows. With the addition of the new ending, the crowd in Atlanta is in for a real treat on the Dark Side of the Rainbow.
- Mail should be addressed to (UNTIL AUGUST 1st)
- General Delivery
Hold for Colts Drum & Bugle Corps
(Member Name)
Schuylkill Haven Post Office
2 West Main Street
Schuylkill Haven, PA 17972-9998
Today's Schedule
8:00 AM - Wake/Eat
9:00 AM - Stretch
9:15 AM - Visual
9:45 AM - Sectionals
10:30 AM - Ensemble
12:30 PM - Full Run
2:30 PM - Depart
4:00 PM - Warm Up
6:08 PM - Gate
6:28 PM - Perform
7:15 PM - Snack @ Busses
8:00 PM - Cooks Depart
9:00 PM - Corps Depart
10:30 PM - Snack
11:30 PM - Lights Out
What's Cookin' ?
Breakfast: Baked Pancake
Ham Slice
Pack Snacks
Lunch: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Mozz Buns
Snack: Packed Snack from Breakfast
Meal 4: Corn Dogs
Mac n Cheese
Banana Pudding with Nilla Wafers
Toni Jurney
Mary Wacker
Cathy Trotter
Mary Wacker
Cathy Trotter


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What breeds of dog does your pet insurance cover?
Published 18/03/2016 11.10 AM | Updated 14/09/2017 09.01 AM
We cover all domestic dogs as long as they do not fall under the restrictions of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983, Dogs (Northern Ireland) Act 1991 or any changes to those laws.
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My Fair Mistress
Tracy Anne Warren
Ballantine, Nov 2007, $6.99
In 1812 London Lord Harry Hawthorne confesses to his widow sister Julianna that he has made a mess of their lives; he gambled and lost a fortune and admits he has nothing for their younger sister Maris' coming out gala. Instead he owes ruthless financier Rafe "Dragon" Pendragon a ton of money that is due.
Julianna visits the Dragon in his lair to persuade him to give them more time. Rafe counters with an offer of the debt paid in full by her being his willing mistress for six months. He expects the prim and proper lady to be outraged, faking a swoon, and walking out angrily; instead she accepts his daring terms to his shock. Both are quickly stunned by the passion of their lovemaking as neither has felt like this before. As each realizes without telling the other that they are in love, his enemy plots to use her to destroy him.
Although the underlying theme has been used a zillion times especially in the Regency sub-genre, Tracy Anne Warren displays her talent by making it so fresh that MY FAIR MISTRESS seems like the first novel to employ a rogue using a debt to buy a mistress. The story line is fast-paced and smoothly converts from an illicit love affair into a caring love affair and finally into protecting one's beloved at risk to one's self. This is a terrific Regency romance with two "Mistress" tales to follow.
Harriet Klausner
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
My Fair Mistress-Tracy Anne Warren
Posted by Harriet Klausner at 9:37 AM
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text: "Contact lens wearers with 'dry eye' and discomfort may find relief from sprays or drops that add lipids back to the eye, Australian researchers say," reports Reuters. "They found that among contact lens wearers with the bothersome symptoms, the outermost layer of tears on the eye, a protective layer of lipids, is more degraded than among people without the symptoms. The liposomal spray used in the study is already available on the market, as are similar compounds in drop form, senior author Fiona Stapleton told Reuters Health by phone." Read more.


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About: At least I can remember this stuff
I can remember it, but I don't have much to say. I am an artist working in a school…as a secretary, which honestly was the plan the whole time. I just don't much follow through with the art part. So I do little creative things to satisfy that urge.
I live in the middle of nowhere with my husband Peter and my dog Buck. Peter remembers everything.
I can't remember much apparently, so I figured this would be a nice place to write the stuff that randomly pops in to my head so that I keep them around a little longer. And this way I can write down the things that are happening now, so I don't have to scrounge for them later.


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This shocking declaration is mind-boggling on two levels: The first is the fact that many erliche Yidden learning in kollel and devoted ovdei Hashem, and their families were greatly inconvenienced or even harmed by the storm. So if these know-it-alls insist the storm was a divine punishment, why did these good people end up suffering?
Why did the storm hit Jerusalem, and many frum communities in other parts of the country, but not Tel-Aviv, the bastion of the secular government? After all, the Ten Plagues solely afflicted the Egyptians, while the Israelites were spared.
How can anyone claim to know Hashem's thoughts? How can anyone say that he or she knows that the devastating storm was heavenly retribution for the Knesset's attack on the Torah?
If we believe that all that Hashem does is ultimately for the best – even though it is beyond our ken and understanding and that His ways are inscrutable – then insisting that a nisayon is a punishment is tantamount to blasphemy.
I remember as a child, someone in the community lost his life in a freak accident, leaving behind a young widow and orphans. I later heard someone saying that it was discovered that a mezuzah in his house was pasul – some letters had been rubbed out.
It seemed to make the adults feel better that there was a "reason" for what had happened to him – a treif mezuzah – but I was appalled. Was Hashem so petty and wrathful that someone who was shomer mitzvoth but had inadvertently missed a detail of his observance deserved to have his life cut short leaving his wife a young widow and his children fatherless?
Then why bother with any of it since being human and imperfect, we will fall short no matter how hard we try or how conscientious we are, I wondered. I came to realize that people desperately need a "reason for why bad things happen to good people." It makes them feel safer. The tragedy was "justifiable" they convince themselves.
And no, Hashem was not petty or punitive – He is Divine.
But I imagine that the people suffering from a great misfortune, whether it is an individual or family dealing with physical or mental illness, or infertility, or a loss of parnassah or shalom bayit issues etc., or a community dealing with the life-changing aftereffects of a hurricane, tornado, terrorist attack, plane crash, or a rare snow or ice storm, do not want some delusional self-appointed spokesman for the Master of the Universe to tell them they brought it on themselves.
Venting –the verbal equivalent of mood-enhancing exercise! I feel better already.


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We have an ultimate need as we navigate life to sort things; whether it be cutlery, laundry or people. It's our human nature to simplify in order to make sense of life. But it has to stop being done with people! People are quickly sorted by gender, wealth and status. Immediately that's when stigma and labeling comes into play. We all have different stories which is what make the world such an awesome place. But the label of 'poor' needs to be re-examined as it's becoming a bad word. People are more than their religious beliefs, philosophies, sexuality and bank account balance.
What does being poor mean? Stop throwing the word around without understanding the definition albeit difficult to define. Poor can mean struggling to pay bills, not taking vacations, being homeless, not having enough money for groceries or music lessons for your children. It is and only is a measurement of wealth. It is not a description of morals, child rearing philosophies, work ethic or lifestyle. It can be described as "Economic deprivation – lack of income — is a standard feature of most definitions of poverty. But this in itself does not take account of the myriad of social, cultural and political aspects of the phenomenon. Poverty is not only a deprivation of economic or material resources but a violation of human dignity." – Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Poverty makes people uncomfortable and when faced with uncomfortable situations society tends to affix stigmas. When we stigmatize poverty what happens is that preconceived notions such as what poor people. 'Poor' people don't deserve a new guitar or to eat at a proper restaurant. When society becomes a judge and jury to what other humans deserve and what they don't then we dehumanize different people. Something the ugly side of human history has done with other races, First Nations People and religions all over the world.
Poverty is not a choice. People living in poverty aren't lazy, irresponsible, unreliable, unstable. They are not bad parents. Poor people aren't failures as human beings but quite the opposite it creates strong characters that understand the true values in life.
Poverty isn't an individual problem. It's a cultural epidemic. And nobody should feel ashamed for being entangled in it. While charities work to ease financial burdens they also work to keep the poor – poor and those with wealth feeling good if they choose to contribute. This system maintains a status quo of unbalanced power. Food banks, social programs and Christmas charities provide relief only and keeps the class system firmly in place. An entire societal revolution would need to occur in order the make change. In the meantime we can begin the process but reducing the stigma associated with poverty.


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Growing up, my mom made it very clear she was not a "little kids" kind of woman. Don't get me wrong, she was an incredible mother, smart, talented, beautiful and totally adored by me—and the best little kids mother to her children. She just wasn't one of those ladies who loved on everyone else's babies and little kids—she put her energy into us. She was strong, a leader and someone I wanted to emulate.
My mom was an English teacher, an assistant principal or principal of mostly high schools during my adolescence. She hand picked all of my teachers—an act I wasn't as appreciative of then as I am now. I owe her for teaching me to write, to spell and most importantly, to love the English language.
Actually, there is so much I owe her for. Because of her, I am me. She (along with my dad) were strict enough that I grew up knowing I was loved and valued and yet lenient enough that I knew they believed in me and my abilities to make good decisions. That's a tricky line to walk. I had many, too many, friends rebel because their parents were overly strict and I saw many more friends who went off the deep end because they had no governance whatsoever.
Many of the rules, expectations and traditions we had in our home in
Las Vegas have been resurrected and instituted
for my children here in Idaho. I'd be thrilled to be considered a "mini me"
of my mom. But the truth is, she still
runs circles around me. She's still the
one I run to-- to figure out how to do so many things in my life. I count her and the rest of my family as one
of the greatest blessings in my life.
My mom walked on water or came pretty darn close to it when I was growing up. Yet, now, I appreciate her even more. This past year and a half that my son Kean has been battling cancer has been one where my love has grown even stronger for my mother.
I have to back up and tell you about a memory I have as a girl; something that seemed insignificant then but has oh, so much significance now. We had a boy who went to our church. Actually, his parents went to our church and brought him with them for the first hour. He was severely handicapped. If I remember right, he had fallen head first off of a two story balcony, landed on his head and miraculously survived. However, he was confined to a wheelchair, barely able to move his arms and spoke very little and with great difficulty. His parents would park his wheelchair next to the pew by one of the main doors leading into the chapel. Each Sunday, I'd dutifully follow my parents, walk over to him, shake his hand and say hello.
He had a towel he kept around his neck to catch his saliva. The other thing that I remember most is that his parents were gentle and kind. Even then, I wondered if his parents were that way before the burdens of his health or if the demands of care giving had slowly softened their personalities and turned them into these pillars of patience.
On once occasion, my mother and I both confided that we could never handle being the parent of a special needs child. Though in those days the term special needs wasn't in our vernacular.
Now fast forward to the day Kean was born. If you remember, I had spent 75 days in the hospital on complete bed rest -- on an emotional rollercoaster that had us scared beyond words that he would even live, if he would have lungs or a properly developed heart. His birth was a miracle in so many ways—a real miracle, not just an overused saying. All of us, literally sobbed in relief when he was born squirming, breathing (albeit with the help of a c-pap mask), and even let out a scream of protest upon entering this world.
The team of NICU doctors, nurses and Respiratory Therapists whisked him away within seconds. It was 45 minutes later that the Intensive Care doctor came to my bedside to tell us they were fairly certain Kean had Trisomy 21 – Down's syndrome.
I wish I could tell you I accepted this news with grace. If I knew then what I know now, I would have. I would have celebrated this gift. But in my ignorance, I embraced fear and agony and cried constantly for days until my bed pillow was literally drenched.
My mother, on the other hand was angry. I never went there but she did. She just couldn't understand why we had suffered through so much with this pregnancy, given a miracle only to have it spoiled or desecrated. It was hard to watch her struggle with her demons while I wrestled with mine. As a mother myself, I can understand her protectiveness, her anger at seeing her child in such anguish. I thought back to that long ago conversation where she and I agreed we could never handle having a special needs child and I wondered and worried that she'd fail to love this new little grandson.
Oh what fools we mortals be! Why I even allowed such an ugly thought to enter into my heart or head is beyond me. I guess it testifies to my then fragile state.
My mother has been magnificent. While she has been there to fill in as mother for our three girls while we have dealt with Kean's health issues, she has developed a relationship with Kean that words fail to describe. The two of them have the most beautiful bond. He worships his Grammy and she idolizes him. She is about the only person he will consistently go to for comfort and cuddling other than his mom. She is the one who taught him to sing, curving his body into hers, rocking him back and forth to get him to relax and go to sleep.
She is the one who flew out of her home and headed to my house when I called her sobbing and incoherent (I had just been told about the cancer). She is the one who spelled me in the hospital when he was first diagnosed with cancer (and the many other weeks we were inpatients). She is the one I dared leave him with, so I could go home and see my other children, rest and shower. She is the one I called to come rescue me, when Kean was so miserable and I couldn't handle watching him anymore. She is the one who cried with me and tearfully wondered how I could stand to see him in such pain. She was the one who replaced me late at night when I got the stomach flu in the hospital and had to leave Kean immediately to spare him from the germs. She is the one who listens to me when I worry about all the constant little things—a cough, a rash, a refusal to eat, vomiting, a fever, extra whining or lethargy.
She is the one who listens to me wail about the dear friends we have met who are watching their children suffer and often die from this insidious disease. She is the one I call every single day (yep, not an exaggeration). She is the one I let see inside my heart, the one I break down my barriers for; the one who listens as I moan and whine and let it all out. She is the one who doesn't tell me to buck up, this too shall pass or to be thankful he is still alive. She is the one who lets me bathe in self pity when I need to, who joins with me in bemoaning the fact Kean is suffering so much, life is just not fair (or fun) and sometimes that is just exactly what I need—camaraderie in my wallowing.
She is also the one who has celebrated every tiny milestone, relished each day of good health, kind friends, acts of service, beautiful strangers and the tenderness of this entire journey.
She has not only been there, she has loved me through this. She has been my supporter and cheerleader. I've had countless people tell me I'm brave, valiant or strong. If I am, it's because I have no choice. I am a product of my parents. I have been raised by, taught and molded by my mother. My magnificent mother. Because of her, I am me. And for her, I am thankful.
Happy Mother's Day Mom!


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Losing weight and staying fit is the topmost priority for every second person in the world.
For some extremists, working out just to keep the flab at bay is no longer enough, and a growing number of people are adopting the "more is better" celebrity approach. Many workouts rival those of elite athletes in terms of frequency, intensity and duration, following the theory that greater effort equals a better return in terms of anti-ageing, disease-fighting and fat-minimising benefits. But do daily three-hour workouts really help to hold back the years? Experts warn they won't, and claim that extreme exercise can put your health at risk.
Women who reduce their body fat too drastically often suffer from poor circulation and develop lanugo, a fine layer of hair, as the body tries to keep warm. They are also at risk of exercise amenorrhoea, when periods are disrupted, a warning sign that oestrogen levels have plummeted. This can temporarily affect fertility and, since oestrogen is vital for bones, a woman may start losing bone mass, putting her at risk of osteoporosis.
A woman's skin becomes thinner and less elastic with age as collagen and oestrogen levels drop.
Weight training and cardiovascular activity such as running tightens and shortens the muscles while yoga lengthens and builds functional strength.
No need to damage your body, instead I suggest you to slow down and prolong your life by natural approach such as Yoga exercises and meditation.
Experts advise doing some form of strength training at least twice a week to keep metabolism running efficiently.
Practicing yoga develops strength and endurance, enhances your focus, improves your balance and increases your performance in every aspect of your life. It works the whole body synergistically, working every joint, muscle and fibre improving all of your bodies functions.
Yoga is the best medicine for preventing injuries and aiding muscle recovery and repair. When the muscles and surrounding tissues are lengthened and relaxed during yoga asana (Sanskrit word for postures) it creates more room for blood to flow.
This in turn attracts more oxygen to the area helping muscles to heal and grow, making them more effective for your next workout (and less sore in everyday life). As an added bonus yoga also helps to flush lactic acid from the system. The squeezing and releasing motions the yoga postures create invite the good stuff in and push the bad stuff out.
Meditation research has shown that yogic disciplines can favorably affect the body in the direction of better health and consequently a longer life.
That meditation and pranayama can lower the whole tone of body function and thereby slow down the inner working of the cells by acting on the central nervous system, is in line with both the scientific and yogic theories of aging. By slowing breath and metabolism we can slow the cellular clock, delaying the aging process. Yogic techniques seem to be the key. Just how much we can slow down aging at a cellular level remains to be seen. That yoga can slow breathing has already been shown, and its effects are profound.


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Blogspot recently suggest that I, along with all other bloggers, I'm sure, should check my "spam comments" box once in a while.
Spam with an "S" is a food-like substance that comes in a can with a peel-off metal tab to open it. Spam with an "s" is an email-like substance that Blogspot peels off and puts where you can't see it.
The box for spam comments contains those comments which the spam filter has taken out. I'm not sure what those would be. I looked into the appropriate box. I had no spam comments. So I'm still wondering.
We used to eat Spam. My little brother was especially fond of it. He likes salt and fat.
Now it's a word for stuff you don't want to deal with, that has to be put in a different place.
I just Googled Spam. It's an Hormel product. I clicked on the link. I got the message, "Service unavailable." Poor Spam. It's become a bad word on the web, "unsolicited bulk emails," that has to be put in a box where you can't even see it, and now the web won't even serve it.
We once tried to go to the Spam museum. It was in a small mall in Austin, MN, I think. We used to go through Austin on our way from Mason City, IA to Rochester, MN. It wasn't open that day. [The Spam museum, not Austin.]
Old people think about memory a lot, especially the loss of it. But when I think about memory, I think about S/spam, because…
…memory is a lot like S/spam: It can mean a lot of different things. There are things in there you don't want to know about. It tastes good because there's lots of salt and fat. It has a lot of ingredients, some of them mysterious. There's a museum about it somewhere, but you can't quite remember where, and it's probably closed.


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Inclusion Strategy focus group
Sheffield City Council wants to develop an Inclusion Strategy, which will set the strategic direction for supporting vulnerable children and young people (including those with special educational needs and disabilities) in Sheffield.
Council officers have already done some work on this strategy, but without any direct involvement of parents. This workshop has been arranged to try and address this.
Because we only have two hours, we have decided to focus on three key areas that parents keep raising concerns about:
- SEN Support in mainstream schools: How can we ensure that SEN provision is of a consistently high quality across all schools in Sheffield?
- EHC plans: Because we already have lots of evidence relating to the process of getting an EHC plan (such as timescales, quality, and communication with parents), we would like to focus more on what happens once a plan is in place – what difference does it make?
- Specialist provision: Do we have the right mix of specialist provision (special schools and IRs) in Sheffield?
If you can't attend this workshop, you can also give us your views by email (firstname.lastname@example.com) or telephone (0300 321 4721). There may be workshops on other topics in the future.
Venue: St Mary's Church and Community Centre
Venue Address
St Mary's Church and Community Centre,
Bramall Lane, ,
View on Map


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Welcome to my blog. I'm thrilled to take part in the Summer Giveaway Hop. I'm # 304 on the blog hop list.
Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not a Writer for organizing this event. It's a great way to connect with other readers, authors and bloggers, and win some super giveaways.
My giveaway? An e-copy of
Defending Glory
Defending Glory
first book of the Piedmont Island Trilogy.
Suffering from survivor's guilt and unable to resume his career with the FBI, Mac McKeown moves to northern Minnesota to start over as a general contractor and forget that fateful day that changed everything. When he discovers the body of his nemesis on Glory Palmer's property, along with a warning for her to leave while she still can and abandon her dream of building a Christian retreat, Mac realizes his past has come back to haunt him and an innocent woman's life is in grave danger. He vows to keep her safe during construction of the retreat... but how will he protect his heart?
To enter your name in the giveaway draw:
(1) follow my blog, and leave a comment with your email addy
For an additional chance to win:
(2) sign up for my newsletter HERE.
I'll announce the winner August 11.
Enjoy the rest of the Summer Giveaway Hop, and happy reading!
* * *


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Trade News
Each day TFO Canada publishes a sample of trade news on the Canadian import market along with any new, updated or changed regulations and legislations regarding international trade; countries in which TFO Canada offers services and on the export sectors which it promotes.
Ghana launches Export Development Strategic PlanThursday, July 02, 2015 > 09:37:25
(Ghana Broadcasting Corporation)
Ghana has launched an Export Development Strategic Plan to increase non-traditional exports earnings from 2.3 to 5 billion dollars for the next five years. This will encompass eleven priority areas including cocoa, palm-oil, crafts and jewelry.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Murtala Mohammed, made this known in a message at a Trade and Investment Opportunities meeting between officials from Ghana and their Chilean counterparts.
Meanwhile The Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Chile, Ricardo Allen has been explaining why his country is encouraged to invest in Ghana.
He said besides an impressive democratic credential, Chile believes Ghana's economic challenges will soon be a thing of the past.
Mr. Allen was speaking on the sidelines of the Ghana Chile Investment opportunities session in Accra.


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This must be the oddest Ayn Rand reference I've yet run across. It's also likely the least legitimate, although the story's antagonist, "Ragnar Danneskjold" (a true hero from Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged) is going after Digg, one of my least favorite social networking sites.
I hate Digg's mob rule mentality, and this guy seems to be exploiting it for some significant financial gain. And so, I suppose I'm a bit conflicted on whether this guy is doing something wrong, although I'll likely find something wrong with it if I think on it hard enough. Which I probably won't do.
Regardless, though, this guy's taken the wrong monicker. Ragnar Danneskjold is more of a Robin Hood figure (stealing back the ill-gotten booty confiscated by an oppressive government), and whoever this guy is, he doesn't fit that particular mold.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Happy Sweet 16!
It's my daughter's 16th birthday today, and so posting might be a bit light.
Jimmy Carter and the Facts of Reality Don't Mix
A little background information on Jimmy Carter, who's important only because he continues to influence the Left on issues as important as Israel. His silly comments about the Bush Administration are just that--silly, and for me, easily dismissed. But his inability to accept the facts of reality, and the respect he still enjoys in many sectors, is a dangerous combination.
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Teh awesomeness, Vitaa-chan! >.< Oh my god.. older Yamamoto is sooooooo cool! Can I have him too? ;p Nyaaa.. j/k!
Anyways... no doubt about your vectoring skills. Flawless as usual!
Artist Comment
f--- yamamoto you are so gorgeous why havent i vectored you before T_T (ok well i have but NOT TRULY)
so i was making my claimed banner at AP but i just couldnt find a scan that fit. most scans of yamamoto i actually kind of hate
Spoiler (show)
BUT OMG YAMAMOTO PLEASE PLEASE MARRY MEEEEEEE! coming home to your smiling face would be so SATISFYINGGGGGGG
so well because i'm not walling this i decided to just post it as a vectorness XD
so i tried changing the scan to look more manga-like since i've always love the manga style MOAR, it was mainly successful ^^ though the shirt is really fugly, i was trying out a new painting style but it failed because i spent a whole 20seconds on it.
anyways maybe i'll wall more anime KHR scans since the manga ones are so few ^^
vector #76 // scan
6hrs // 34 layers // 22mb
More Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Indy Art
Browse Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Gallery: Recent | Popular.
EevaLeena Apr 15, 2009
Teh awesomeness, Vitaa-chan! >.< Oh my god.. older Yamamoto is sooooooo cool! Can I have him too? ;p Nyaaa.. j/k!
trofikabinet Apr 15, 2009
Awesome vitaa-chan :) I love your style of painting :D Is so amazing ;)
DarthTofu Apr 15, 2009
shinonome69 Apr 15, 2009
thanks for the work and sharing! i love tyl yama xD
kuryuki Apr 15, 2009
*-* it's wonderful u submited here too now i can download it
...i just never download scans on ap much
Sinever Apr 16, 2009
my brother couldnt believe it when he saw your vector, he said to me:"its yours vector isnt it?" XD *of course not*
our vectoring style is almost the same....anyways I totally love it :3
your vector is very neat & the colors are lovely ^^
aqiaqua Apr 16, 2009
I love how you converted into into manga style, it looks so much better, hahaa xD. Love the painting on his face and the shirt looks awesome! His eyes are mesmerisingggg wtf where's gokudera? xDDD
Pulver15 Apr 16, 2009
I see you change the anime style to manga style
like how the shirt is painted
looks totally hot!
temarigenius Apr 22, 2009
Wow~ >_< Yamamoto looks so handsome! *_*
I don't really like how the anime drew the older Yamamoto, so its really awesome that you changed the style to manga style!~ >.<
So awesome! :D <3 <3 <3
animelover901120 Apr 23, 2009
he are so cute...i love this scan
vampiresiberian Apr 28, 2009
nice job!
Yamamoto looks really good in that img... ^^ thanks for sharing! xD
tina21 Jun 29, 2009
Yamamoto! Kyaaaa!
He looks sooo awesome there!
now I only need to find Squalo's one and someone
to vector my beautiful Skull!
thank you! it's soooo GREAT! ><
Kidzuki Oct 14, 2009
Aww, soo cool! Thaks for sharing, love him ^o^
Djunan Oct 25, 2009
Wow so cool I love it Thanks for the picture so great,I love all the details <3
ErikaYukariHirae Jan 06, 2010
He's sooo cute *--*
Awesome! Good job! ^-^b
Akisa May 02, 2010
TYL Yamamoto rules ! Thank you for sharing !
HelgaHagane May 15, 2010
hooot *_*
thanks for the photo
cacaboudinquipue Aug 29, 2010
I'm lovin' it so much ! Yamamoto is the best
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What's on this week
What's on this week
1. Four years after The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises is set to conclude Christopher Nolan's Batman film series with a bang. Starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman, only to name a few, the third sequel of the trilogy has already caused an uproar amongst the fan community as well as standing ovations at early screenings. UK release date is July 20th.
2. Exclusive members club Dorsia in chic South Kensington is having an American House Party this Thursday. What better way to forget about the rain than picturing yourself surfing the Californian waves or sipping a Cosmopolitan under the hot Manhattan sun?
3. Ever wanted to become a hipster? No? Well it doesn't matter anyway as everyone's welcome to 2012 Shoreditch Festival celebrating all things music, theatre, dance and art. Get your wayfarers, skinny jeans and East London approved brogues out, you're all set to take a stroll along Regent's Canal for some live music – or relax at the vintage picnic area.
4. Are you Sporty, Sensual, Free Spirited or Stylish? Discover the color of your personality with Ralph Lauren's new Big Pony fragrance collection for women. Don't forget to check out their Olympics fashion range – even if you're not fencing or track cycling, it doesn't mean you can't get the athlete's looks.
Comments2 Responses to "What's on this week"
Hiya, cool blog you got here
will definitely check these out this we (fingers crossed it won't rainnn!) x
Cool blog!! I'm the sporty one!!


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India's auto market is growing fast, and drivers will soon be able to go faster, too. On Wednesday, the national government raised the speed limit on private cars to 100 kilometers an hour from 80 — roughly, to 60 miles an hour from 48. Commercial traffic and vehicles carrying eight or more passengers will be held to lower limits. The higher speed limits would not apply to city streets, but on the country's growing highways.
Sales may be flat — or worse — for American automakers, but sales are booming in India, which could surpass China as the world's fastest-growing market for new cars in the next five years. In one area, however, India already leads the world: traffic fatalities. India has recently recorded more than 90,000 traffic deaths a year, and some reports indicate an even higher figure:
"Nearly 1.05 lakh [105,000] people die in road accidents in India. It is the highest in the world," Brahm Dutt, secretary of the department of road transport and highways said at the end of a workshop last Saturday to firm up the government's first policy on road safety. Dutt said deaths on Indian roads now exceed casualties on Chinese roads.
In light of the current situation, it's unclear what effect higher speed limits will have. India has spent several years building improved roads and highways suitable for high-speed traffic, as explained in this Times series from 2005, but fatalities have continued to rise. "Negligence and over-speeding were found to be the causes of 90 percent of accidents," stated one government report from a few years ago.
There's been much talk about how developing countries are mobilizing so fast that it's overwhelming the environment. But what about safety? Considering that drivers in other industrializing countries may not respond to seat belt laws, it's clear that safety has a lot of catching up to do.


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So I'm spending some time working on dowloading some games and themes (hence the superkaramba thread) and I got Cube2 at least up and running (nice game btw) and thought I'd try downloading another game.
3-D Pool, very cool. Downloaded the tar, unzipped it, compiled it, and installed it. The one problem? Getting the game to execute so it will run. I can get into the directory, but can't seem to come up the command to start the game.
I know someone has the answer to this because there is no information on the Foo Billards site or in any of the files I downloaded for the game.
As usual, thanks in advance.


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I don't live or die by whether things are published, I live or die by whether I want to keep writing, whether I am able to get up in the morning and write. That's what I do, seven days a week, I get to my desk and work, and try to think. I love it.
Interview in The Australian by STEPHEN ROMEI (7 April 2012)
DAVID IRELAND (b. 1927 in Lakemba, NSW) is one of only four authors to have won Australia's most prestigious literary prize, The Miles Franklin Award, more than once. He has been unable to find a publisher for his work since his tenth, poorly-reviewed novel, The Chosen, appeared in 1997.
Click HERE to visit the DAVID IRELAND page at the Text Classics website.
You might also enjoy:
WRITERS ON WRITING #7: Glenda Adams
WRITERS ON WRITING #4: Kurt Vonnegut
WRITERS ON WRITING #35: Mahmoud Saeed


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Just a few months ago, I was dragging my feet about user-generated video. I know videos get millions of hits, but I just wasn't into it. I mean, if my mother can get all excited about the skateboard riding dog and the people out there who made their wedding party dance to Thriller, how cool can online videos be?
Then, I realized how easy it is to upload videos to these sites. How easy it is to embed them onto my own sites to show potential employers that, not only do I know how to make videos, but hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people are interested in seeing them.
Now YawpBox has a way to reach millions of viewers in a format that brings user-generated videos to the world audience in a viewer-friendly format. Every week, they show a new episode of YawpBoxTV, featuring the best videos from their network, with the hosts Lex and Terry discussing the footage. The show gives anyone with their own video camera a chance to compete with others for their own 15 minutes of fame on the show, 15 minutes that could potentially reach millions of viewers, producers, and company heads.
For YawpBoxTv, YawpBox has a special Lex and Terry challenge page, where users can see the video topics Lex and Terry are looking for for the show. The topics range from "Have you ever had a mullet" to "Show us your craziest holiday footage." It makes me think YawpBoxTV will soon become an America's Funniest Home Videos for the digital age.
It also gives millions of people the chance to have their voices heard on important topics. User-generated content gives everyone an equal chance to speak for and against the topics they are passionate about. Think about Joy Nash from Fat Rant. A few years ago, the only outlet she would have had for her rant was friends and family, maybe the men and women who read feminist magazines. Now, her rant has gone world-wide.
Even better, user-generated videos allow us to see what others are watching and share what we like, even if it is a dog riding a skateboard.
Monday, January 14, 2008
User-generated content and YawpBox
Posted by Wendy Withers at 8:55 AM
Labels: entertainment, music video, Thriller, user-generated content, YawpBox, YouTube
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Last night was the first night that I could actually go out and see the different galleries in town! A friend from mine from LA was spending the night with me so I drug her around to all the different stops. I had never been in the Nagle Warren Mansion, but oh the woodwork! I love every inch of that place! Reminds me of the mansion we used to rent in Westfield (on the main drag, next to a McDonalds!) Apparently, it was built by a grocer that supplied the black hills area - this guy/guys were loaded! Cheyenne was actually the 2nd electrified city in the U.S. - and we can't even get an art center now...sigh.
We stopped off at Deselms and The Link, of course, but I was really impressed with Chris Amend's work at Clay Paper Scissors - He's a retired art teacher from Gillette. Pretty awesome figure drawing/abstractions - especially the pencil/color work on wood. It's nice to know that there is art like this in Wyoming!
It had been a while since I had been in The Link, they had a live musician - I had to clap and hoot and holler, we were practically the only ones in that room (there are three large ones). It's good to embarrass the musicians every once in a while. I also got to talk with the featured artist at The Link. Her work wasn't really hung though - it was propped up on the couch, and a few smaller things were hung around the corner.
At Deselm's, Harvey's little jack russel terrier, Spot, attached one of my friends shoe laces and would not let go. He was dragging the poor thing all around the gallery, while looking at the art. There was lots of laughing at his plight.


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Winter Games 2018 dates confirmed
|Canada's Kalynn Park. Photo © www.wintergamesnz.kiwi
12 Jan 2018 – Audi quattro Winter Games NZ are delighted to announce that the 6th edition of the Games will be held from 24 August - 8 September 2018 in Otago.
We would like to invite all Mixed Doubles curling nations to the 2018 event, once again hosted at the Maniototo International Rink in Naseby.
This tournament will run in the first week of the games, 25 - 30 August.


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No, it didn't hurt!
I do have very intelligent thoughts upon occasion you know.
To get back to this thinking thing... I was thinking about all the squeaky little rodents
that are all around us....all of the time.
Also thinking of all the pesky birds
that fly in and out of our yard harassing us.
They are always dropping sticks on our heads... tweeting at us all of the time.
"we must remove them...one by one ... or two by two.
Whichever works, and relocate them somewhere else.
We will have to patrol the yard -- the house -- everywhere -- even the car!
These rodents and birds seem to be coming out of the woodwork around here!"
I've got one!
it's still wiggling!
I have him in my punishing jaws... throttling him to an inch of his little bunny tail --
is that tale?
What do I do with him???? he's still wiggling around and tickling my tongue!
I don't want to squeeze to hard ya know.
I've got one of those pesky birds!
It was flapping around in the house -- it's a poor peasant pheasant, hungry and far far away from home.
I think he's lost.....BUSTER!!!!!
He's looking for a spot to hole up until the spring thaw.
Maybe we need to rethink this idea of patroling the yard to remove the rodents and pesky pheasants and other feathery sorts.
or pheasant under glass????
or mole soup????
we need to think more about what we think we should do.
What do think about that?
I think I'll sleep on it and make the decision tomorrow.... after all tomorrow is another day!
more to come!


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Wednesday, January 9, 2008
I have to remind myself
over and over
to just be where I am.
I keep starting, but then jumping away from the writing.
I am a bit stuck, I don't know what I am doing. I don't know how I am going to do this part.
It is odd, as I have the boards, which form a vague sort of outline, I know the points that need to be touched upon, I know what will happen, but still I don't know how I will get there, from here, and here. How will they all be woven together? How, where, when, does each strand get woven in to create the whole? I keep freaking out, running away from the words, away from the story.
I have to keep reminding myself, I only need to see this moment. Be in the present moment in the story, and describe it, and walk through it, and then when I get to the next one, do the next one. I can't keep going on unnerving myself by wondering about several steps ahead, or a page ahead or even a paragraph ahead of where I am. I need to be calm and centered, and center on just this one piece, and move from piece to piece, strand to strand, stepping stones, through, across the story. After I am done the rough draft I can go back, I can move words, and ideas, and weave better, now I just need to move, from one moment to the next. I only need to hold one strand at a time. I only need to see the moment I am in.
I only need to see the moment I am in.
"Do you know where Mikiyoshi is right now? Do you know what he is doing?"
"Go there.
All I ask of you is to go there,
sit with him,
feel those keys in your hands.
Can you do that?"
"of course. I was there earlier today.
Before I fled."
"Go back sit beside him. Perhaps you need to wait, to sit still and listen. To wait like you always keep him waiting. To hear his breathing, as he kneels bent on the floor.
The candle is lit, the offering is made, you both wish to turn the key in the lock. All you have to do is keep your eyes open"
5 comments:
- Amy said...
Taffiny, You go and move, and take physical steps and stepping stones, and move. I read just yesterday that a study shows that creativity increases after burts of physical exercise. Don't be hard on yourself. Go for a walk, skip like a little girl, run a race with cheese, forget it while YOU move and jump and skip. Then see what's ther...just an idea
- January 10, 2008 at 10:18 AM
- Absolute Vanilla (& Atyllah) said...
You are spot on - you just need to be in the moment of the story. The story will guide you as you honour it by writing down one word at a time and before you know it, you will have completed a paragraph, a page, a chapter... a novel.
- January 10, 2008 at 10:38 AM
- Paul said...
I really liked that picture.
As far as your writing problems, I would give you advice but I think I suffer from similar afflictions.
Paul (strugglingwriter)
- January 10, 2008 at 11:37 AM
- Vesper said...
Taffy, it's unbelievable how similar we are - I do the same things and I realise I'm doing them just the way you realise it. I guess I don't have enough patience to just deal with one particular moment in my stories. (or do I suffer of some sort of attention deficit disorder?!) :-)
I can't write because of that.
I'm writing a few words or a few sentences, then I jump to another moment , maybe even at the end of the story, then come back. I know what I should and just can't...
Good luck! I hope you can overcome this!
- January 10, 2008 at 12:08 PM
- Taffiny said...
Having recently had a bad experience with standing on a scale, jaw dropping disbelief, I think I must really take up your idea to get moving.
Plus the idea sounds right, sometimes when I used to exercise, I would keep having to get off the treadmill to write story stuff down.
Thanks. One word at a time. It might take me a mightly long time, but at least I will be moving toward something. And if I can get past the fear thing, I think the words that are huddling together just out of sight, will come over to greet me. I like your idea of honouring the story, one word at a time.
I'm sorry but for some reason "I think I suffer from similar afflictions" made me smile.
Bit like some sort of illness. :)
I have done that, and tend to do that when going about my day, half thinking about writing. I will be surprised that 3 different ideas, sentences connecting to three different parts of the story, will come within minutes of each other (then of course I get nothing for weeks).
I am not having that so much with the rough draft, ( I do feell called to do it, but I usually manage to tamp it down, or just jot something quickly down, and then go back to where I was) right now my trouble is more like, someone who is afraid to go on a blind date, and when she does agree to go on one, has trouble focusing on the moment (really seeing the guy, hearing him, and even tasting the food), because she keeps thinking "but what if I like this guy, what if we fall in love, what if we get married? I don't know what I am doing. We can't do that. I can't do this. I can't afford to have kids". I keep worrying several steps ahead of where I actually am at. About what is around the corner, and how unprepared I am for it, so much so, that I have trouble seeing, and writing, the scene I am currently in.
Jumping around a lot, probably isn't ideal for finishing the current scene one is on, but I have told myself it is okay, because, as long as ideas are coming, and one is working on the story, then it is progress, and I also tell myself that this increases connections in the story, making past, present, and future, more interrelated.
Now this may or may not be true, but that is what I tell myself. And anyway jumping around is better than being stuck.
- January 10, 2008 at 2:22 PM