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Bomber Command survivor had connections with all services
JEFFREY PETER MEURISSE HAYDON, DFC6-4-1913 29-8-2012IN THE grounds of the Royal Military College at Duntroon in Canberra is a heritage-listed timber cottage, Haydon House. Today it is the residence of the Regimental Sergeant Major Army.Completed in 1913, the house was where Jeffrey Peter Meurisse Haydon, known to everyone as Peter, was born in the same year.Months shy of 100 years later at Brighton in Melbourne, Haydon died, thinning even further the ranks of the Australians who flew andfought with Britain's Bomber Command in World War II.His death ended a lifelong link with all three of Australia's armed services.As a youth he grew up with the army cadets flowing through the RMC. As a young adult he flew bombing missions over Europe and south-east Asia, and after the war he had a career as a civilian with the Royal Australian Navy.His birthplace, at 4 Robert Campbell Road, Duntroon, was built to house the RMC's first professor of modern languages, J.F.M. Haydon, who came from Scotch College, Melbourne, to fill the post in January 1912.Professor Haydon and his family were to become long-time residents of Canberra. He and his wife Beryl (nee Price) had three sons who grew up at Duntroon, and who would often join the cadets in hikes and sporting events and made strong friendships with many of Australia's future military leaders.After he left Duntroon, Professor Haydon andDr L.H. Allen (1879-1964) were the first lecturers appointedfull-time to the teaching staff of Canberra University College, the foundation of the Australian National University. Haydon was a senior lecturer in modern languages. Allen, senior lecturer in English and Latin, had been professor of English at Duntroon.The ANU's Haydon-Allen Building and the Haydon-Allen Lecture Theatre are named after them.Peter Haydon believed his birth was the first registered for the new capital city after Canberra's founding ceremony on Capital Hill on March 12, 1913.He and his brothers were foundation students of Canberra Grammar Schoolon its first day of classes on February 5, 1929.After leaving school, Haydon worked for 10 years with the CSIRO and in private industryin Canberra. He was one of the fledgling city's young social set and at a dance one evening he met Clarice ("Claire") Metford, the younger daughter of the Commonwealth's Commissioner of Pensions, Alfred Metford. As war loomed in Europe, they started going out together.Despite Haydon's youthful years at Duntroon, it was the Air Force that attracted him when he decided to enlist in 1940, and the same year he and Claire married. After six months' training with the RAAF he was posted to England as a bomber pilot.He initially flew slow old Whitley bombers on raids over Europe, but one particular raid stood out.The British were puzzledby a tower the Germans had erected on a clifftop at Bruneval, a village on the French coast. Believing it to be a Wurzburg radar that was behind heavy losses of Allied bombers, the Chief of Combined Operations, Lord Louis Mountbatten, authorised a raid, Operation Biting, to steal its secrets.On the night of February 27, 1942, 12 RAF Whitley bombers of 51 Squadron, each carrying 10 paratroops of the 1st Airborne Division, took off from Thruxton aerodrome. Flying low despite heavy anti-aircraft fire on the coast, they dropped their paratroopers and an RAF radio mechanic near Bruneval.Haydon was captain of one of the Whitleys. In his flight log he noted "flak on cliffs and half mile inland also flak ships" then "10 paratroops dropped from 275ft".Many years afterwards he said they flew so low that at one stage the anti-aircraft guns above the valley could not depress their barrels far enough to aim at the aircraft.The soldiers fought their way to the cliffs, where the technician dismantled the radar. They retreated to the beach with most of the vital pieces of the equipment, and fought off beach defences and German reinforcements before the Royal Navy picked them up for the trip back to England. The naval part of the operation was commanded by an Australian, CommanderF.N. Cook of the RAN.Operation Biting's planners had expected heavy casualties, including loss of aircraft, but in the event all the planes returned safely despite some being hit by flak. On the ground two men were killed, seven wounded and six were missing, all of whom survived the war. The raid was a spectacular success. Two German prisoners werebrought back, one of them the Wurzburg's operator.Four-engine Halifax bombers were by now replacing the old Whitleys in the RAF, and Haydon flew his Halifax,code-named M for Mother, in raids over Germany until the night of August 6, 1942. He was with RAF 158 Squadron, flying from East Moor in Yorkshire, when his aircraft caught fire about 30 kilometres west of its target, Duisberg. The fire, in incendiaries in the bomb bay, killed the three crew members in the rear of the aircraft. The navigator, radio operator and front gunner baled out.Haydon was last out, holding the plane steady while the others left. He suffered burns to the head and right shoulder, and knocked himself unconscious on the edge of the escape hatch as he left the aircraft. He could not remember pulling his parachute ripcord but regained consciousness as he floated to earth. M for Mother crashed near Genk in Belgium.Haydon thought he came to ground about 30 kilometres from the other crew. He began walking, and after a couple of days saw a youth on the road ahead beckoning him. He followed, keeping his distance, and the youth guided him by hand signals to a small farmhouse.Thus began a two-month adventure that involved the Belgian and French Resistance, a surreptitious reunion on a railway station with his three surviving crew members, false papers, train trips across France guided by schoolgirls and young women, and a stay in the loft of a Paris apartment building.The building housed, in its lower floors, a brothel whose customers were German military officers. Above them, the airmen and other Allied escapees dined and wined in style on gifts ferried up from downstairs redirected tokens of appreciation from the Germans to the girls downstairs.After a long train trip through France, again guided at a distance by schoolgirls and young women, the four airmen from M for Mother made a frantic rush across the border to Spain while German bullets whistled around them.In Spain, the Basques sheltered them until the British ambassador sent his Rolls-Royce to San Sebastian to fetch them to the embassy in Madrid, then on to the naval base at Gibraltar.In Gibraltar, Haydon and his Australian navigator, Ivan Davies, found themselves strandedwithout papers because theBritish suspected they might be Nazi plants.By a happy chance, an old friend of Haydon's fromMelbourne walked into a bar where he and Davies were having a beer. The friend, Dick Shipton, was a junior officer on the battle cruiser HMS Malaya, and hetalked his captain into taking them on the Malaya back to England.After 19 missions, Haydon was never to fly in action over Europe again. He knew too much about the Resistance and the risks were too great. In November 1942 he joined No. 1652 ConversionUnit at Marston Moor, training Whitley pilots for Halifaxes, serving under Group Captain Leonard Cheshire, VC, one of the Allied air heroes of World War II. He and Cheshire became good friends.In January 1943 at Buckingham Palace, King George VI pinned the Distinguished Flying Cross on Haydon's best uniform.Haydon, now a squadron leader, was with the conversion unit until November 1943, making multiple requests to be sent home to Australia to join the Pacific War. With Cheshire's help he returned to Australia in 1944, where he flew B24 Liberator heavy bombers from airfields in the north of Australia and from New Guinea in action against the Japanese, first with the USAF 528 Squadron and then with the RAAF's No. 24 Squadron.Before being discharged in August 1945, Haydon spent six months at RAAF headquarters in Melbourne.After the war he had a variety of jobs before joining the supplies organisation of the Department of the Navy, where he worked in support duties for the Fleet Air Arm, including a stint in the Australian embassy in Washington in the 1960s.He spoke little of his war experiences for many years afterwards.He and Claire did not have children. Claire died inMelbourne on August 21, 1999. Haydon died peacefully at Mayflower retirement home in Brighton.He is survived by the family of his nephew, the late Michael Haydon, of Brighton, whose widow Barbara Haydon and her family were a great support to him.
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I know that the times are tough and life gets rough, but be grateful. If you are able to read this, be grateful for your vision. If you're able to type a comment, be grateful for your ability to touch. If you have on headphones rocking out to your favorite music, be grateful for your ability to hear.
I've noticed that we as a society have become so ungrateful. For the most part, most Americans have a roof over their head and at least some bread in their stomachs. We all know that there are plenty of people around the world who don't even have a home or food to eat on a daily basis. We say that we know these things but we never act upon the information in which we say we have. I say this because Americans as a whole have become the most wasteful society. We waste anything and everything that we get our hands on, especially food. But my goal isn't to just bring awareness to world hunger, but to bring hunger to your soul to want to be grateful for everything you have and don't have.
This epiphany of how ungrateful we are as people was revealed to me one day while riding the metro home from work. I really don't like to wear headphones in public. To me they take away the natural harmony of life. When I do put them on they are to ignore everything and everyone. (Be honest a lot of times we wear our headphones to drown out other people.) This day I put them on in order to do just that, drown out everybody because I felt like I had a hard day at work; being that my profession is somewhat of a customer service industry. God instantly knocked me down from my high horse, when I noticed the man behind me boarding the train was in a mobile wheelchair. He was in business attire and had a briefcase on the side of his chair. It looked like he was headed home from a long day of work just like the rest of us. Only difference was, I was standing and able to walk. He was paralyzed from the neck down. He was controlling his wheelchair with a white stick that he wielded with his mouth. He also typed on his phone with this very same stick. It put a tear to my eye when I realized how self-absorbed I was being by putting headphones on, just to ignore other humans.
After I saw him, the feeling of guilt and ungratefulness filled my heart when I realized how much I was complaining to myself. In my head I was having conversations with myself like, "Really Cliff? Was your day that hard? Did you jump out of bed and dress yourself this morning? Are you not standing six feet tall with full health and mobility? Oh! You are, huh! Well be quiet then!" But you might ask, "Cliff what does that have to do with wearing headphones?" To answer that question, I'll ask you one back. Do you put your headphones in your own ears? More than likely, you do. The man in the wheelchair, who is not able to move his hands and feet, wakes up every day and goes to work. He doesn't walk to the metro wearing his headphones every day. To be honest I don't know how he gets to the metro, but I do know that his times probably are tough and his life may be rough but he still pushes through it every day.
A lot of people these days love to wear their headphones wherever they go. Headphones have been a major a component in the dehumanization of America's people. We are no longer grateful for being able to speak and communicate with each other. In a sense we have become ungrateful towards our own and other people's lives. We like to complain about things in our lives that are within our power to change. Most of us Americans walk around with an "I deserve better because it's me" attitude. We need to learn to appreciate the simple day-to-day things that we are capable of doing.
To be grateful is to be humble. Maybe your clothes aren't the fliest and your shoes aren't the freshest, but at least you have some. That is a good enough reason to be grateful. To be able to accept the things that you don't have shows a great deal of humility. One thing I do, no matter who is around, is pick up pennies. It not only makes me kneel before men, it is a smart and economical thing to do. Never be above anything or anyone. Because the moment you're feeling all high and mighty on that horse of yours, will be the moment the real High and Mighty knocks you right back down.
One day when you are out in the public, take the time to people watch. It is a beautiful thing to be able to see and appreciate the beauty of people. So go appreciate life by being grateful that we even exist. For humility brings on greatness.
Thanks for reading and be great!

subset: commoncrawl


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for the last couple of weeks, i've missed all kinds of fun due to a variety of symptoms and sicknesses - as my grandmother used to say in virginia, "you're just so sweet, all the bugs want to bite you!" though i do now question the truth of that statement, it's still a nicer way of looking at things.
so, tonight, when my husband went out and i stayed in, i decided to do some fun things despite being told very sternly TO REST.
first, because i've been craving strawberry shortcake So Much, even though strawberries are so far out of season it's not even funny, and i realize how un-environmental and un-natural and completely un-granola and un-cool and just probably un-responsible it is of me, i bought a box of strawberries. then i (oh, please try to ignore that huge run-on sentence!) came home and made some biscuits and ... I Ate My Strawberry Shortcake. and i liked it a lot. Amanda Soule might judge me for my crime against the natural order of the earth.
i sure am glad i've never cared if someone judged me.
anyway, there's that. i've always aspired to be really natural and laid-back and earth-friendly, though not overly obsessed, and i think there just comes a time when it's okay to accept that airplanes can fly fruit across the world so i can eat it. for a price. haha.
then, i thought it would be a great idea to try for the third time to knit a lace scarf. here's how that's going.let me just restate: this is my third attempt. it's actually a fifth attempt to make a scarf with this yarn. it's like i can't visualize what i want from the yarn, so i keep tearing it out. maybe by the time i settle on something, i can have the WHOLE skein of yarn all tangled up like just half of it is now. that's my goal.
sometimes, i let the yarn and the knitting really get to me. my third giant cable blanket is sitting in the corner all sad like. i should finish it so i can sell it and buy more yarn.
as one final thought: i've been having the worst cracked skin on my fingertips due to a chemical burn 4 months ago (a silver polishing accident) and the constant handwashing involved in my job, plus the cold weather, and i'm just wondering if there is some cream that will actually help heal my finger pads? i've tried just healing lotion for extra dry skin, but i suspect that my problem goes beyond simple extra dry skin, considering that my fingertips occasionally crack open and start bleeding in the cold winter air. i'm laughing now, but as that i type that, it sounds moderately pathetic... and old. I Might Be Old Now.
well, goodnight.
ps. when i try to type the word "obsession", i always try to spell it, "obsessiong" HAHA.
Friday, February 26, 2010
flying fruit and my yarn obsession.
1 comment:
my absolute favorite thing is cocoa butter. You used to be able to buy little tubs of Palmer's cocoa butter at Target but now I think you have to go to CVS. Make sure you don't just get a product *with* cocoa butter, get the real stuff. it works best if you really rub it in, or put it on before bed, then slip some gloves on to keep the moisture in :)ReplyDelete
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The Doy Bath Soap Review : Baby Soap
Read Previous Article: Lush Porridge Soap Review
The Doy Baby soap available in four different attractive shapes ( duckling, teddy bear, elephant, King Samba) rich in moisture's and natural oils suiting your baby's skin. The pack of four has exciting offers in firstcry here.
- Characters- King Samba, Lucky Duck, Cuddly Teddy , Mighty Mambo
- Enriched with olive oil which is rich in Vitamin E
- Contains gentle moisturizers
- Suitable for children of all ages
Price and Quantity:
Rs 35 for 75 gm
My Experience With Doy King Samba Soap:
Package: It comes in normal hard paper box. The soap is light yellow colored with the shape of lion cub (King Samba). The look and the feel of the soap is attractive and colorful. It had a small booklet with pictures and puzzles for the young ones from within the pack.
Texture: Milky cream soap and has mild foams.
Nature: Mild soap and provides rich lather easily. I usually prefer giving an oil bath to my son as the weather here peels off the baby skin too. This soap smoothly glides on your baby's skin making you easy to wipe the oil and sweat. Usually there is an difficulty in removing oil from your baby's skin. But I found easy using this Doy soap.
I sometimes when in a hurry even use it as a baby hair wash, it cleans the hair scalp too. The bubbles are not tearful making your child enjoy the bath place. Also the shape of the soap resembling the lion creates interest in watching it.
Fragrance: Very mild and long staying fragrance.
Rating: 4/5
Recommendation: Yes recommended to all young ones.
If this space has been making you Happy so far, please like Happiest Ladies on Face Book. Thanks for making me Happy.
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Monique's learning
This blog shows my learning
Wednesday, 9 December 2015
Technology On The Bus ( Distinction Post )
On Tuesday I had Technology.
First of all I transitioned quietly and respectfully to the bus. While we were waiting to ascend the bus I whispered to the person beside me and stayed to the side so the people on the other bus could get on.
When I was on the bus I showed the CARE values by:
- Community by staying seated and talking to the person beside me so the bus wouldn't get loud
- Active thinking by reminding people to stay seated and to talk quietly
- Respect by talking to the person beside me
- Excellence by being resilient when people wouldn't listen about staying seated and to talk quietly
When I got off the bus I transitioned quietly and respectfully to where I was supposed to be.
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Made it through last night without messing up. I'm staying with friends, and brought all kinds of fruit with me, plus stir fry vegetables and chicken breast (which is what I usually have). In fact the most unusual thing that happened yesterday was that I ended up going for lunch with some other friends – unexpected as I thought we were just going for coffee. We went for Japanese, and I had miso soup plus a 12-piece nigiri set.
I find estimating the points values of such generic meals really hard. I ended up finding an article on the Weight Watchers site about eating at Yo Sushi (a UK restaurant chain, not where we went yesterday) and took the values from there, adding a few points for good measure. From that perspective, I found Slimming World easier when eating out, as your meat/fish were 'free' foods as long as you ate plenty of vegetables with them. Anyway, I didn't go mad. I had my Peanut M&Ms in the evening as normal, and now just have to get through the rest of the day without cocking up. The worst bit will be when I get back to London and change trains – there are so many tempting stalls at Euston station! I'm a sucker for a warm Cornish Pasty (or was until I read that the ones I used to buy have between 25-35 points EACH!)
I'll survive.


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Today, I'll talk about my interview with Utah's famous, Scott Christopher.
BIO (from IMDB.COM):
Scott Christopher was born in Michigan, then moved to Utah at age 11. Along with three siblings Scott was raised by a divorced mother. He began acting at age 4 and went on to win the Irene Ryan National Acting Scholarship while attending Brigham Young University. Long-time radio and television veteran. Stand-up comic and show host. Acclaimed keynote speaker and author "The Levity Effect" and "People People." "Coach Austin" on the WB's Everwood. "Frank Quincy" on Granite Flats (Netflix/BYUTV) Splits time between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. Married with five sons.
Some of the movies I've loved him in are:
Single's Ward
Everwood (TV series)
The Best Two Years
Mobsters and Mormons
Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration
Granite Flats (TV Series)
When I first arrived on the set of NOT CINDERELLA'S TYPE, he was the one I looked for right away. When I didn't see him, I felt let down that I wasn't going to meet an actor whose films I'd enjoyed over the years.
And then...as I was chatting with Jenni James (author), Scott walked in with his son. I started jumping in my chair. My daughter, Chrystal (who took the pictures), had to remind me that I was a professional interviewer...NOT a fangirl. Believe me, it was hard.
Jenni, and her husband, Jason, greeted Scott, and told him that I wanted to interview him. He politely explained that he needed to get ready for the scene first. Of course, I wasn't going to fall to the floor, wrap my arms around his legs, and beg him to stay. I WAS A PROFESSIONAL - not a fangirl! So I let him leave.
When I saw him again, he was having his make-up put on. That was fun to watch, too!
I saw him at lunchtime, and he was eating a pizza while some of the extras on the movie set went up to him to get his autograph and have their pictures taken with them. I decided that although I was anxious to talk to him, I wouldn't bother him during lunch. (sorry, no pics for this one!)
AT LONG LAST... I was able to take a few minutes out of his schedule to ask him a few questions. Once again, I reminded myself that I was NOT a fangirl...but a professional interviewer. lol As we started talking, I realized something. He's as sweet as can be! He was very polite and didn't act as though he walked on clouds (which, of course, was where I'd put him in the first place). He was a regular guy, and he was great.
We talked about our glasses (yeah, funny way to start out talking, right?). But I asked him how he prepares for a scene. He told me that he doesn't stress over it and he uses common sense. He reads his lines, and goes with the flow. Sometimes he doesn't say his lines word-for-word that's on the script, but he just lets the words come out naturally.
I asked him out of all the movies he played in, which were his favorites? His answer (two of my favorites) - The Best Two Years and Mormons and Mobsters.
We discussed how the movie gets put together, and he told me about how the music is added in. This is called "Score" - Movie Score / Film Score. I definitely learned something new!
He plays the part of a father in NOT CINDERELLA'S TYPE, and I'm sure I'm going to love him in this movie, to.
And of course...the fangirl in me was able to get my picture taken with him, too!!! Don't ask me why I didn't get his autograph...
I think I'm going to frame this picture. What do you think??


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Unloading Back of Truck Bed and Seat
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Unpacked the Truck and went through New Parts
Posted by A Mustang 1964 at 2:10 PM
Labels: Mustangs Unlimited, Parts
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The Story - In 1992 my wife greeted me at the door with an Uncle Henry's and a phone #. We found our Mustang in Durham Maine where a Kid had taken it from a Barn UNDER HAY in Mass. We bought it with out getting it running for $2,500 by time we returned to pick it up..we were offered more money. After getting it home found the numbers all match and was a True 64 built April 1 number 6276 with 056212 miles. Raven Black with Power Top... but needs some tlc


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Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Special Guest C.C. Hunter!
Today we welcome author C.C. Hunter to the Fictionistas blog. C.C. is the author of the upcoming YA paranormal Shadow Falls series that releases next week from St. Martin's. The first book in the series is "Born at Midnight." Some of you may know her by her real name, Christie Craig. As Christie, she writes humorous romantic suspense novels for Grand Central.
CC is here today to celebrate her YA debut and tell us a little bit about the series. Take it away, CC!
Why Ghosts?
In my book Born At Midnight, Kylie Galen has a problem. Well, actually she has a lot of problems. None of them are her fault, either. We writers do that to our characters sometimes . . .We overload them with issues. It's not easy being a fictional character. On the other hand, it's not easy coming up with all those issues for our characters to overcome, either.
But let's face it, issues and problems are what make books and characters special. And Kylie is special and, like I said, she's got her share of problems. As the book opens, one problem sticks out more than the others--she's acquired a stalker.
Not just any stalker, either. He's a very odd man wearing army garb. He just stands there and stares at her, all spooky like.
She didn't think things could get any crazier, but she's wrong. When she finally points out this freaky stalker to her mom, Kylie's life goes to hell in a handbasket. You see, her mom can't see the stalker. Kylie is certain her mom has lost it. Ahh, but Kylie's wrong again.
Kylie doesn't know it yet, but she's seeing ghosts. When I first started plotting Born At Midnight, I knew I'd have vampires, shapeshifters, werewolves, witches, and faes, but I wasn't about to let an opportunity go by without adding ghosts.
Why ghosts? Basically, I'm a big fan of ghosts and ghost stories. I like the stories that make my skin turn ultra sensitive--stories that when I'm reading them and hear a creaky floorboard or a whisper, I practically jump out of that ultra sensitive skin. You see, to me, ghosts are scarier than vampires and werewolves. My reasoning is simple. I believe in ghosts. Seen one actually, but I've yet to run across a vampire or bump elbows with a werewolf.
Now about that ghost. I was young and my mom and dad assured me I'd been dreaming, but I didn't buy it then, and I'm not completely buying it now.
I'd just turned ten, and I woke up one night to find my great grandmother hovering over me—again. At eighty plus years, she was hunched over a bit and therefore she always gave off the impression of hovering over you. Granted, she was the hovering type, and never seemed to mind telling you what she liked or didn't like about how the world had come to be. But that night, the experience was different.
You see, she'd been dead for about a week. And when I say hovering, I mean floating. She was wearing a long white gossamer gown, lots of fabric that almost appeared to be several layers of wraithlike material, and it flowed around her so much it looked as if she didn't have any feet. She said she just wanted to let me know she was okay. And yeah, being young, I had been a bit worried about the whole death thing. Then she told me that someday I'd have to give up the rags I called clothes (she hated the new fashions we young girls wore) and I'd be wearing a gown just like hers.
Yes, it scared me. Mainly because I really didn't want to give up my clothes, and as pretty as her gown was, I didn't think it was all that cool. Then there was the other fear. Granny was dead, so how could she be hovering over my bed? But in spite of the fear, seeing her also fascinated me. And ever since, I've longed to write a ghost story. Born at Midnight just seemed like my opportunity.
So what about you guys? Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever felt that eerie feeling that someone from the other side is close by? Today, I'll be giving away a copy of Born at Midnight to one lucky commenter, so make sure you leave a comment about your ghostly experiences.
Also make sure you snag my free short story, Turned At Dark. It's Della's story and it introduces the Shadow Falls series. You can read the first three chapters of Born at Midnight, too. All you have to do is visit my Born at Midnight page at Macmillan. Or you can download a free eBook copy of Turned at Dark at all major online retailers. The download also has the first three chapters of Born at Midnight on there as well. How cool is that?
Oh, and one final thing. To celebrate the release of Born at Midnight, I'm running a "Tweet my Book and Win a Kindle" contest through March 29th. The grand prize will be the Kindle but I'm also giving away copies of Born at Midnight, some Shadow Falls swag and ARCs of Awake at Dawn, which is scheduled to release in October. All the details are at my blog. So, please drop by and help me tweet my book and you could win a Kindle!
19 comments:
I'm not sure about ghosts, sometimes I believe sometimes I'm not so sure, I've never actually SEEN one but I remember after my Grandfather died my younger cousin and I were staying with my Granny before the funeral, we were in the little room I usually stay in at my Grandparents house and my Grandparents would always come in to kiss us goodnight, first my Granny (cause she went to bed earlier) then my Granddad, my cousin and I were talking after my Granny had been in when we heard a plastic bag crinkiling, there was an empty one at the side of the bed, when we looked down at it there was a foot shaped imprint in the bag! To say we were freaked out was an understatement, we both shot over as close to the wall as we could together! Granny and our Mum's said it was probably Granddad coming in to kiss us goodnight one last time! That's my biggest ghostly experience and I'll never forget it, as freaked out as I was when I seen the imprint appear I actually really like the thought that my Granddad came to say a final good-bye to us!ReplyDelete
Great covers!ReplyDelete
I love it. I'm having fun writing the ghosts in book three, Taken at Dusk.
Thanks for stopping in. Oh...today I'm also over at http://darkfaerietales.com/ giving away a copy of Born at Midnight. So pop over.
I am SO looking forward to this series! My mom's side of the family has ghost stories from when she and her 10 brothers and sisters were growing up. We hear them every year at holidays and they scare me every year. :)ReplyDelete
Love the covers, too!
Thanks for coming today, C.C.! And I agree with Kristen...great covers!ReplyDelete
Hi Kristen,ReplyDelete
Thanks. I feel as if I've had the cover fairy on my side lately. I love all the covers. I even got a great cover my new humorous romance that releases in August. Now, I'm waiting to get a sneak peek at the third cover soon.
And waving at Farrah. Loved your book girl. And Amanda, thanks so much for having me.
Oh yeah, I love the cover for your new humorous romantic suspense. It's great.ReplyDelete
Welcome to our blog, CC.ReplyDelete
I do love that cover with the split tree trunk. Awesome.
thanks for stopping by, CC! And Kitteh is right, your covers are fantsatic.ReplyDelete
Hi Gwen,ReplyDelete
I got your book last week. It's on my nightstand waiting to be devoured. I even talked about it yesterday while doing a Skype interview at a highschool.
Thanks, Mel. I'm thrilled with covers. I actually like the cover for Awake at Dawn a little better than Born at Midnight. I can't wait to see if they do even a better job on book three.ReplyDelete
I love ghost stories, but I'm not a true believer. (hangs head) My daughters on the other had (spawns of Satan that they are) do believe, and it's because when we were at their grandparents house which was built in the 1900's and filled with antiques, one of my daughters woke up to a boy floating over her. She said she blinked a few times, he was still there, and then closed her eyes and told herself he wasn't real. When she looked again, he was gone. Then the next night another one of my daughters saw a man standing in the doorway, just staring at them all and then he disappeared.ReplyDelete
I do believe in seeing what you want to see. To the day my grandmother died, she swore she saw my grandfather walking around the house a week after he died. She missed him so very much. It was actually quite sweet and comforting to her.
Your books sound great. I love finding new authors, so I'm jazzed about reading your books.
Yay! Christie Craig is writing YA. Can't wait, I seemed to be obsessed with YA. I love reading it, and am even writing it, as well. There are such good stories out there, and yours sounds extra good.ReplyDelete
I love anything paranormal, but I do love ghosts, because I do believe (i do, I do believe in ghosts) in them. My son and I watch Ghost Adventures all the time.
I'm so excited to read Born at Midnight!!! I've read so many ghost stories, and I do believe they exist...although I haven't had any experiences with them. I think CC is an amazing person, and can't wait to read her book series. :)ReplyDelete
Thank you everyone who stopped in and said hello. I so appreciate you taking the time to do a little surfing. And thank you Amanda for having me over today.
You guys rock.


text: Today we were in Sacrament meeting and I was having a particularly hard time trying to keep Lily and Jacob from being too disruptive. I had taken Jacob out into the hall once already and Lily was Crying "Ma-Ma" when another little girl had taken her book from her. One of our friends little girls (Hallie) got up and bared her testimony. Then Tyler looked around and asked aloud to himself "Now...who's next?" and I pointed to him and said "You" he said "no, not me!" and I said "You can if you would like to, but you don't have to." after two more testimonies done by kids his age he looked at me and said with resolution, "I'm going to go." And he did just that. He got all the way up there and said "I'd like to bear my testimony and I know this church is true. I love my family and I know Jesus loves me." He paused.. looked at me, said "Um..." and then said "In the name of Jesus Christ Amen." I felt so proud of him. He has done something at Six years old that I never dared to do. It makes me so grateful for him and the spirit he brings into our home. He surely is a blessing in my life. I love you Tyler.


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First, I painted over an old canvas with black acrylic. Then using some of the ideas I learned in the Laurie Doctor workshop, I lettered on the canvas with a twig from my River Birch tree.
The lettering is based on Joan Miro's primitive calligraphy. I love the gestural and graphic qualities.
I added watercolor to some of my pages from the Laurie Doctor workshop, and tore out areas I found interesting.
Inspired by an article written by Patricia Gaignat in the issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors, I layered my primitive calligraphy swatches, along with swatches of patterned paper, and small pieces of metal mesh. (I used window screen from the hardware store.) I then tied them to the canvas.
Some of the underlying, patterned papers were mine, some came from Seth, and some came from Kathy McCreedy.
I am happy with how the piece came together. It feels good to have created a piece specifically for the "Different Strokes" exhibit. When our guild has an exhibit, I normally enter something I've already done - which isn't bad, it was just nice to approach it differently this time. The exhibit will be at the Sullivan Munce Cultural Center in Zionsville, Indiana throughout the month of October. If you're in the area, check it out!


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Ready for the Easter Egg hunt on Holy Saturday. It was windy and cold. Can you tell? Spot Lily, Jonah and Gianna, along with great-nieces and great-nephew. Lots of fun, despite the cold.
Isn't great-niece #4 a darling little bunny?
Lily's on the hunt
A little Easter project from the kitchen that Reed and I tried, Hidden Surprise Easter Egg Treats (here's the recipe). I think we'll definitely try these again and make a tradition out of these yummy treats.
Our family all dressed up after Easter morning Mass
Gianna's first Easter
All in all, it was a very peaceful and family filled weekend to celebrate His Resurrection.


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Chris from Sharp End Gaming has graciously invited me, along with Tim Williams from RangerX3X to playtest an early version of his majestic Operation Hubertus scenario. Tim already has an AAR up of his initial turns, playing as the Soviets. I'm going to play the scenario as the Germans.
If you are a Command Ops player, you are definitely going to want to play this scenario. The forces are finely balanced and the urban combat is unlike nearly any other Command Ops scenario I've played. Winning this will take some fine generalship - probably finer than I can muster! This is probably the most fun I've had playing Command Ops - and I generally find Command Ops scenarios a lot of fun to play.
Some scenes from Day 1 of the battle:
Day 1 objectives are the Red October and Barrikady factories. I'm moving a Pioneer battalion and KG Seydel into position to join the 212 and 226 Sturm Companies. Once the assault is prepared, I'm going to attack the Red October factory with the Pioneers and Sturmtruppen with the KG in support.
While my formations move into place, I bombard the objective in preparation.
Dawn breaks as the assault forces maneuvers into position.
Meanwhile, in the south of the city, I prepare several shaping attacks. I want to tie up Soviet reserves and keep them out of the fight for the factories.
Soviet resistance and artillery fire in the south of the city is tough. The shaping attacks take casualties before they even really kick off.
By 0822 the Pioneers and Sturm Companies have secured a foothold in the Red October factory. Strong Soviet forces are still in the area, however.
To the north, a Soviet flanking attack is developing. I commit the entire 576 Grenadier Infantry Regiment to a spoiling attack to break up the Soviet maneuver before it becomes a problem. The battered 544 Infantry holds in place north of the tractor factory.
The Germans hold the Red October factory, but significant Soviet forces are gathered around the Commissar's House. That looks a lot like a counter-attack shaping up, to me.
In the south, the 191 Regiment attacks the Pavlov's House objective.
Around noon, most of the Soviet troops in the vicinity of the tractor factory have moved west to threaten the 576 Grenadier Regiment HQ. A recently arrived Croatian regiment is headed north to reinforce them. I take this opportunity to move the 544 Infantry Regiment south and take the tractor factory objective.
The 576 Infantry took a bit of a drubbing, but managed to stop the Soviet flanking move. I pull them back to their original positions to rest.
After heavy fighting, the 191 Infantry take the Pavlov's House objective around 1600. This prompts a counter-attack from Soviet forces in the area to the north that will require a further five hours of fighting to clear.
Two reinforcing Pioneer battle groups are now in place to begin the assault on the Barrikady Gun Factory. It is late in the afternoon, but these are fresh troops and I think sufficient to take the objective.
The 544 Infantry hold on at the tractor factory in the face of Soviet counter-attacks. If they can hold, I'll move the 369 Croatian to their north and seize the Skudri Crossing. I hadn't intended on grabbing any of the crossings on Day 1, but doing so should keep the Soviets in the north occupied and away from the main effort at the factories.
Things are going well, so I optimistically believe the Pioneer unit backed by KG Seydel can take the Commissar's House objective. This is a mistake: those troops have been moving and fighting for 14 hours and should be rested before any further attacks.
Assault Group Linden's planned path to the Barrikady Gun Factory takes then straight into a pile of Soviet units. I'm going to adjust their orders to try and bypass the enemy and head straight for the factory.
The attack on the Commissar's House objective is a disaster. By 1930 I pull my troops back to the Red October factory to take up defensive positions for the night.
Around the same time, 191 Infantry with help from some reinforcements KG Scheel has defeated all the Soviet counter attacks on the Pavlov's House objective and the Germans are pretty firmly in control of the south of the city.
The assault on the Barrikady Gun Factory gets underway while the 396 Croatian prepares to take the Skudri Crossing. Artillery pounds Soviet units caught in No Man's Land.
The Croatians have taken the crossing, and the 544 Infantry still holds the tractor factory as night begins to fall.
Around midnight the 336 Pioneer Regiment secures the Barrikady Gun Factory, and with it, I've taken my planned for Day 1 objectives. It's been no picnic, however, and I've taken some casualties. If the Soviets can mount a significant counter-attack tomorrow, I may be in trouble.
Situation at the end of the first 24 hours. I'm working on an encirclement of the Lazur Chemical Factory and Commissar's House objectives, which are my primary objectives for Day 2. I don't have a ton of reinforcements expected, but I am getting a couple of battalions of assault guns. Combined with still relatively strong Pioneer formations, I think I stand a decent chance of taking the Chemical Plant.
More to come! I'll also be finishing up the Zumbelay Withdraw AAR in the next day or so.
Update: Chris has provided an updated scenario, that I'll be playing through this evening. So, I won't finish this particular AAR, but I will do a full AAR of the entire scenario once we have a release version, probably this weekend based on Chris' latest post.


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Ever since the enormous success of The Ring in 2002 there has been a sudden resurgence in the PG-13 horror film. From The Others to Insidious, most of these films are mysteries at heart, with trumped up visuals and sound design that make them look and feel like adult horror films. However, it is the mystery and the protagonist's unraveling of it that gives each of these films their narrative thrust.
This core mystery structure is also at the heart of Andrés Muschietti's feature-length version of his short film Mama. In this case, the mystery surrounds the identity of who or what is the titular character of Mama.
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty, The Tree of Life, Take Shelter) stars as Annabel, an irresponsible, rock band bassist, with a love of mascara and tattoos, whose artist boyfriend, Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), has made a startling discovery. Lucas' two nieces have returned after disappearing five years prior when their father, who murdered their mother, kidnapped them and crashed his car off a mountain road. In his manic state, Lucas' brother attempted to murder the young girls, Victoria and Lily, only to be stopped by some kind of unseen supernatural force.
The girls, having now returned to civilization, have become feral savages (cue the creepy children imagery) and call out to their "spiritual protector," whom they refer to as "Mama." It isn't until Lucas and Annabel obtain custody of the children that the mysterious presence, Mama, begins act out due to what is assumed to be jealousy over the girls' new parenting arrangement.
There are a number of elements in Mama that serve to elevate it far above the typical dreck that is released into theaters in January. The real standout in the film is Muschietti's sense of dark humor, as exhibited in his off-the-wall shot selection. This is best on display in a scene that sets up a diptych where Chastain's Annabel slowly creeps down a hallway on the left side of the screen, towards the sounds of what audiences are to assume are girls playing tug, while screen-right the girls play with Mama in their bedroom.
Mama can be terrifying at times, often in a way that is humorous upon reflection, as it delights in jump-scares and explorations through rooms that, also upon further reflection, probably could have benefitted from having the lights turned on. Before to long, the wild world that the girls once inhabited, mold, moths and all, has crept into the domestic lives of Annabel and Lucas. Mama's most effective scares and thrills come from around corners and from brief glimpses of the wispy, dirty villainess.
However, other scripting problems quickly begin to detract from the power of these scares. For example: In The Ring, Naomi Watts' character was compelled to chase after the supernatural because her death was imminent. She had no other option but to push forward without looking back. Annabel's motivations aren't as clear or as forward thinking. Instead she is left to react to the rapidly deteriorating environment around her. So, while Jessica Chastain is a brilliant actress and turns in a solid performance here, her character's motivations and actions grow increasingly silly and questionable when she doesn't take dramatic action – like moving to a different house – when murderous and terrifying actions are occurring around her.
The film seems to rely on the notion that it is a horror film to justify these questions instead of finding a reason for characters to act this way. Whether it be the blizzard in The Shining or Alien's Nostromo, there is always a way to answer this essential question posed by most haunted house films.
Where Mama really begins to fall apart though is when the character is fully revealed and her rather simple mystery is unraveled. It isn't that Mama is the worst onscreen monster that's graced the silver screen; it's just that her powers and abilities are incredibly vague. The limitations of her spectral skill-set vary from body possession to portal creation and yet at the same time she cowers in fear and remains out of sight for most of the film. Why can't Mama just murder all of her enemies and be done with it?
When a film has its audience asking these kinds of questions instead of enjoying the spectacle of the film, something has gone wrong.
Despite these problems, it is refreshing to see a horror film where the human interactions take precedent over the monster that the film is advertised on. There is a sensitivity to Mama that is rare in horror films and it provides an interesting commentary on parenting and motherhood that, while not particularly deep, gives Mama a much needed soul.
|2 / 4 Reels


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Rode the Anthem as that is the likely bike I'll be racing in Arizona, 300 miles over a couple of days on some pretty rugged trails does not sound like fun on the Flash, I'll go ahead and take the 4 pound weight hit for being a bit more comfortable. The temp rose a bit as I headed down Yankee Jims to the North Fork of the American River. I turned around at the bridge and headed back up towards Sugar Pine Lake and Shirttail Canyon.
|Wooden bridge over Shirttail Creek.
As I got to the top of Shirttail Canyon three motos that had passed me earlier were pulled over to the side of the road. It seemed they had been trying to air up one of the rear tires and ended up leaking more air than filling it. They had been really cool as they passed me so I asked if they needed help. They asked if I had a pump and by chance I did have one that would convert to schraeder valve. We sat around and BS'ed while one of them worked feverishly pumping up the tire. Ten minutes later they were on their way and I felt good about helping out, they would have been screwed out there, 25 miles from nowhere is where I found them.
|Pretty good views today, not much haze, an oddity for mid Jan.
|Shirttail Canyon Rd, in great shape for January!
I made my way up Big Dipper and took the single-track around Sugar Pine, lots of fisherman taking advantage of the lack of snow, normally there would be 3 feet of snow around the lake. The wind was really picking up as I made my way around the lake, I had headphones and my Shuffle going, but I could still hear the wind in the trees howling.
|Sugar Pine Lake.


text: I just wanted to say thanks to Alex Bellinger of the SmallBizpod for mentioning our conversation VIA skype. He linked the web to my podcast on his blog, thank you Alex! the Smallbizpod is an awesome, BRITISH, podcast, thats right, he's in England! If you're reading this Alex thanks for the mention and I just wanted to go ahead and return that favour here on the Blog. Check out Alex's show and also check out my show!


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The last time I dressed up for Halloween I was a sophomore in college and we went around and collected candy like we were younger and would come home with huge smiles on our faces showing our parents all the candy and cavities we had collected during the night! Since then, I haven't been too big on Halloween, none of my friends have a party, I don't think about my costume each year, and I don't decorate a ton. But one thing I secretly want to do is dress up my dogs, don't ask me why I just think it would be cute and adorable, until they start chewing at their costume and if there is an ounce of stuffing anywhere in their costume, it will be pulled up within 5 seconds. So to save money, I don't actually buy a costume for them because I know it is a waste of money but it is still fun to think about. So I'm taking a poll for what costume to buy Kip and Kimbia, a boy costume for Kip, and a girl costume for Kimbia. Help me decide please!
Today I am linking this post up with the huge blog fest!


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I did buy an iPAd when I was in the US in april for my good friend and former colleague at Bite Group Manju Kesani Manju Linkedin Profile
All I asked him in return (being a super geek guy) was a in depth review on the iPAD. And he has way deliver on my expectations. He was negative before testing the product, but now he is a convert :-) On my side, I am playing with a "rival" tablet that I believe does address some of the current iPAD gaps. In the mean time, please read Manju's assessment. Really interesting one
Manju wrote "I've been a gadget guy for a long time. Any new gadget that comes out, I have to test and play with. Usually own. Having tested almost every smart phone and innovative mobile device in the last two years, I tend to be very opinionated and a harsh critic. This is why when the iPad was first announced, I like many people (including Cristobal), jumped on the bandwagon and became a "doomsayer", prophesizing the impending demise of this product and potentially Apple itself in the long run…all without even touching the device. I questioned how many times a single company can keep creating revolutionary devices that change the way we do things? Surely they must fail at some point…and the iPad felt like it may be it. Like many,
I reasoned that the backlit screen, weight and battery life should clearly make it inferior to my Kindle for reading books. And, the lack of a keyboard should make it inferior to my Mac for surfing, word processing or almost anything else. For the first time I can remember, I really had no desire to own a new gadget.
But, when Cristobal was kind enough to offer to bring me an iPad from the US, my gadget obsession got the better of me and I bought one. 32GB WiFi model (3G model had yet to be released at the time). Living in Lithuania, without ubiquitous WiFi access, I quickly realized that WiFi only was very limiting. I wanted to use my iPad everywhere, just like I use my laptop, for which I have a Vodafone Mobile Connect mobile broadband card). After doing a bit of research, I quickly realized that I could turn several of my phones into mobile WiFi hotspots, using the 3G network and the SIM card from my VMC card. I currently use both an HTC HD2 and a Nokia E71 as mobile hotspots (Note: the E71 required a 7 piece of software called Joikuspot Premium – which I can easily recommend). Now that this problem was solved, and I could get both my Mac and iPad online simultaneously, I got on with seriously testing my iPad
My first reaction was surprisingly positive. I was impressed with the design, interface and functionality but I was (and still am) disappointed with weight (its a bit too heavy) and the difficulty this creates in holding the device for long periods of time. All in all though, I find myself spending more and more time with my iPad. To my own surprise it has replaced both my Kindle and Mac for most day-to-day functions. The small size, ease of use and always-on functionality makes me want to take it with me almost everywhere.
So what do I do with my iPad everyday?
1. Surf: The iPad has become my preferred internet surfing device. Whether I'm laying in bed, sitting on the couch or sitting in a café. It really is a convenient way to peruse the web
2. Read the Newspaper: I love reading the Financial Times on the iPad, using the FT app. Yes, FT is expensive, and has many VERY annoying limitations (like the inability to share articles with your friends). But, the fact remains that it is a great way to read the newspaper without getting out of bed in the morning
3. Stay Up-to-date with:
a. the Markets: The Bloomberg iPad app is great. It gives me the latest business/market news, currency and stock quotes with a simple, great user interface.
b. Twitter: I don't tweet a lot, but I do follow a number of people/companies on twitter that enrich my life and give me a information which I would not have otherwise gotten. The twiteriffic app is perfect for this.
4. Read Books: I love reading, and the iPad gives me a new way to read my Kindle books using the Kindle iPad app. While still nowhere near as convenient as my Kindle, the ability to allow me to mult-task on one device more than makes up for its deficiencies as a reader. Also, it's nice to read and see pics in color. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, apps like Stanza, iBooks, BN reader and Zinio all give me additional ways of getting and viewing content on my iPad. I'm no longer linked to one source for all my reading material. Sorry Amazon.
5. Take Notes: I love using Evernote…on all my applications (blackberry, Mac, pc and now iPad). I like taking notes and always having my notes with me. In fact, I've used a Tablet PC for almost 6 years now. The iPad+Evernote has effectively replaced my Lenovo Tablet PC + Microsoft One Note.
But there are still drawbacks…
1. The iPad is a little too heavy to be comfortable holding for long periods of time and a bit slippery (perhaps the design is a little too slick). I live in constant fear of it slipping out of my hands and watching the beautiful display smash into a thousand pieces.
2. I agree with Cristobal, from time to time I experience some WiFi issues. The handover and searching for networks isn't as smooth as I would expect. This is not too big a problem, and I'm sure that a future software upgrade will fix this.
3. The lack of support for flash videos is incredibly annoying. My primary internet device cannot play many of the videos on the web. Either Apple will have to start supporting flash, or the whole web will need to change. I'm betting on the latter.
4. Where is the front facing camera? I'm disappointed that its not included in the iPad, while the recently announce iPhone 4 will have this functionality.
5. Price…like it or not, it is still a bit too expensive
I love my iPad. Its become an indispensible part of my life for all the reasons I mentioned above. But, for me, most importantly, the iPad has given me a view on the future and two very important trends:
1. The browser is no longer my primary window to the internet. My guess is that more and more over time, we will not be reaching for Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Chrome to access the internet. We'll be reaching for custom purpose built apps. Mobile apps are going to continue to grow in leaps and bounds.
2. Content is evolving from a static form to a more dynamic/interactive form. The Kindle was revolutionary for its time…it became an iPod for your books. The Kindle took heavy books, and moved them to a convenient electronic format. The iPad has gone much much further, it is changing the way content itself is presented. For those of you with doubts, check out these three apps (which are really books/magazines disguised as apps):
a. The Elements: A lot has been said/written about this already. It truly is amazing
b. Wired Magazine: Mags are evolving and Wired was the first one to realize it.
c. Alice: Two guys and a vision of taking a classic book and making it more interactive. They were right it worked.
While these apps are still first generation, and have significant room for improvement, you'll probably begin to see how content will evolve in the future.


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We had a beautiful home that we rented for the year while my husband was away in Iraq. Unfortunately, our landlords and their property manager were not so great.
First, we were mislead about our move-out date. Second, the homeowners who already knew they would be returning before the August 2014 move-out date we wanted, came home even earlier than expected and wanted their house back then and there. Third, after the owners returned to the area, any needed repairs started getting difficult, dragged out and done as cheaply and slowly as possible. Fourth, the homeowners were planning a major remodel, including likely changing out the 12-year-old carpeting. Even with all the previous crap, I agreed without hesitation to the three needed visits from contractors to assess the space for expansion and remodel.
After a year of headaches and heartaches with these people, we moved out on June 30. I paid a cleaner to come and do an exceptionally thorough move-out clean and steam clean carpets. I paid the property manager's repair person to take down art work and patch, repair, paint any holes on walls anywhere in the house. I went well above and beyond making that house immaculate. I just wanted out without ANY hassles. The move-out inspection went well. There was one carpet area that I had used an OXY product on that did not work out so well. I showed it to them and gave them a quote from the most highly rated repair person on Angie's list to fix. The property manager signed a move-out inspection stating that the move-out condition was the same as the move-in condition, except for that one carpet spot.
That night I get an e-mail that they have found another stain in the living room. Until just a few days before move-out, we had a large red persian carpet in that room. The stain had a pink tint to it and I just wanted this all to be over and so said, fine, get a quote for its repair too. The stain was exceptionally faint and the property manager mentioned that it should be able to be patched. Then a week later, the list from the landlords to the property manager to us began to grow.
My cleaner and I talked. I wanted to know if he had seen any thing being listed. He told me that a newly claimed master bedroom stain was not there when he did the cleaning, neither before nor after. He stated that the property manager, owners and their kids came while he was steam cleaning, walked around on wet carpets with dirty shoes and refused to take them off. Our cleaner volunteered to us that we ought to get a lawyer right away because, from what he saw and heard, the landlord was out to keep our deposit any way he could. I've been a landlord and I've seen what bad tenants look like. While I know it is self-serving to say so, we were excellent tenants who left that house in excellent condition. We don't smoke, we had a cleaner come once/week to clean the house, we had professional cleaners do a move-out clean and carpet clean. We were good tenants and our housecleaners were willing to back us up.
Not knowing that I had a statement from our cleaner, the property manager wrote to me stating that our cleaner found more than two stains, which we knew was not true. We hired an attorney. Ultimately, after assessing all the "damages," the property manager offered a 50/50 split with the owners of the home on repair costs. We had planned to pay the full costs of the family room carpet replacement and the patch repair for the living room and only that. The number offered was about $500 more than we thought legitimate. On the other hand, it was close, kind of. Our attorney asked us "how much are your principals worth in terms of time and a continued fight on this?" I was so tired, I just wanted to be done with this house and these people. We told her to just accept the offer on our behalf, but tell them we do not accept blame for anything but the two carpet stains, even though we accept their number for costs. We are simply paying for this to be done, to have a written statement from them saying this is over, there will be no other claims of needed repairs. I went back and forth on this, but when all is said and done, I was just too tired to fight this any more.
And, that is how much my principles are worth.
The name of "The Stone Rabbit" comes from a little stone rabbit we were given in Senegal. We had recently arrived with our 10 week old son to our new home and decided to take a walk along the beach road near our house. We came upon a man at a little stand at the side of the road selling small stone statues. He gave us this little stone rabbit as a welcome gift to our baby boy to his country. It has seen better days, but still travels with us to each new place.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
How much are your principles worth?
Posted by The Stone Rabbit at 8:24 PM
1 comment:
This landlord is either racist, wretched, or retarded -- probably all three. His father would knock some sense into him, in most cases. But, I've met the guy's daddy. He's also racist, wretched, and retarded.
- July 18, 2014 at 5:06 PM
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I finished Kamryn's costume this morning and so we had a little dress rehearsal for tonight to make sure here hair will actually go in pig tails (all of her hair) and to see if she likes her bucket and stuffed animal. Here she is....more pictures to come from this weekend of the kids in their costumes!
Our Little Boo with her friends Mikey and Mikey's stuffed animal that Boo fell in love with!


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"Man of Steel"
"Just contemplating how massive the change in life young Henry Cavill is about to deal with," Russell Crowe recently tweeted about his "Man of Steel" co-star.The 30 year-old Cavill, repped by CAA, is relatively unknown to U.S. audiences but after Zack Snyder's Superman reboot flies into theaters next month, Cavill may become one of the most recognizable faces in showbiz.
"Star Trek Into Darkness"
Already the star of PBS' hit series "Sherlock," British thesp Benedict Cumberbatch isn't planning to take the foot off the pedal anytime soon. The UTA-repped actor will next portray WikiLeaks mastermind Julian Assange in the upcoming drama "The Fifth Estate," which many insiders have pegged as an awards season contender.
"The Wolverine"
Stepping into a role originally intended for Jessica Biel, 20th Century Fox clearly views the role of villain Viper as a pivotal part of "The Wolverine." She'll be asked to match wits with star Hugh Jackman in almost every scene, and if all goes according to plan, the Russian-born thesp could be seen in a lot more Hollywood movies in the future.
"Pacific Rim"
Why he could break out: Hunnam is already a star on FX show "Sons of Anarchy," but this role will show whether the Brit thesp has the chops to take on leading man feature parts. His voice has been all over the trailers and "Pacific Rim" helmer Guillermo del Toro is so high on him, he has already been cast in horror pic "Crimson Peak" with Benedict Cumberbatch, Jessica Chastain and Emma Stone.
"The Spectacular Now"
Why he could break out: Even though he shares the spotlight with Shailene Woodley in "The Spectacular Now," Teller received quite a bit attention himself after the high school drama premiered at Sundance. After roles in "Footloose" and "Project X," Teller's profile has been growing, and he will reunite with Woodley this fall in Summit's "Divergent" franchise.
"The Great Gatsby"
Why she could break out: In a cast full of marquee names, "The Great Gatsby's" Jordan Baker is the one face that wasn't already familiar to auds and bizzers. Newcomer Baker had no trouble holding her own with the likes of Carey Mulligan and Leonardo DiCaprio. With "The Great Gatsby" overperforming at the B.O. and a role in a starry ensemble, the Aussie thesp is well-positioned for further success.
"Star Trek Into Darkness"
Why she could break out: The daughter of actor Trevor Eve and actress Sharon Maughan, Eve first starred in the romantic comedy "She's Out of My League" but has recently been promoted to the showbiz majors, co-starring in J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" sequel. She can next be seen opposite Bryan Cranston in the home invasion thriller "Cold Comes the Night"
"Kings of Summer"
Why he could break out: Sundance is always reliable as a place to spot emerging talent (Jennifer Lawrence, "Winters Bone") and early buzz has 18-year old Robinson as one of those potential breakouts in Sundance pic "The Kings of Summer." Robinson came close to landing the coveted role opposite Shailene Woodley in "The Fault in Our Stars" and will continue appearing in ABC Family's "Melissa & Joey" as he starts college.
"Fast and Furious 6"
Why he could break out: The role of Owen Shaw in "Fast and Furious 6" got Universal execs so excited that the studio gave the Welshman another villainous role in its new "Dracula" movie. Evans will also get the opportunity to show his heroic chops in the pivotal role of Bard the Bowman in "The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug."


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Terrorists attacked a mosque in the Egyptian city of Bir al-Abed, killing at least 235 people, as reported by the BBC.
The attack came during a Friday prayer service and was directed at a mosque in a town that sits on the road that runs from the Nile Delta to the Gaza Strip.
Here is a report from France 24:
As reported by the BBC:
"Witnesses say the al-Rawda mosque in the town of Bir al-Abed, near al-Arish, was targeted during Friday prayers.
"It is the deadliest attack of its kind since an Islamist insurgency in the peninsula was stepped up in 2013.
"Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisis has held emergency talks with securty officials to decide how to respond."
The Guardian described the attack:
"A bomb ripped through the mosque as Friday prayers were finishing, then militants in four off-road vehicles approached and opened fire on worshippers, a military source told the Guardian.
"More than 50 ambulances ferried casualties from al-Rawdah mosque in Bir al-Abed, around 40km west of the city of Arish city, to nearby hospitals. At least 130 people were injured."
Courtesy of CNSNews.com
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Shannon wiggled her toes into the warm sand. Underneath the surface the sand was moist and cool and tickly between her toes. She leaned back against the edge of the sandbox, soaking up the sun, pretending her toes were a giant sieve as she filtered precious jewels from tons of ancient diggings. The large jewels she found were carefully lifted to the side like a conveyer belt on top of her foot and placed in a bucket, while the tiny pieces were cast off and allowed to fall to the ground or blow away like chaff.
She had just uncovered an imaginary enormous ruby when it was knocked off the top of her foot and flung across the walkway. Shannon sat up quickly and looked up as the shadow of a bigger girl fell across her face. Kris laughed mockingly at her.
"Daydreaming again, lazy bones? Don't you have anything better to do?" Kris challenged her.
Shannon answered softly, "I finished my afternoon chores and Mom said I could play for a little before dinner."
"And what about your schoolwork? You didn't do very well in spelling last week," scolded Kris. She thoroughly enjoyed teasing her younger neighbor and could always find something to make fun of. Her voice was harsh and intimidating.
Shannon lowered her head and answered slowly. "I studied harder this week and only missed one work on today's test."
"Well, hoop-dee-do. I'm soooo impressed! I didn't miss any," bragged Kris.
Shannon looked past her accuser and thought of how much time her mother had spent with her each day this week helping her review the words. She remembered the pleased smile and the hug her mother gave her when she told how well she had done on the test. Suddenly, her sense of accomplishment was gone. Under the piercing glare of the other girl, she felt small and confused.
"Well, Miss Smarty, which word did you miss –C-A-T?" and she kicked sand at Shannon's tabby cat which had been rolling in the grass nearby. The cat ran off into the bushes to lick her paws.
"No, I missed awesome," said Shannon.
"Oh, oh you're so awesomely brilliant," mocked Kris.
Shannon sighed. She and Kris had never been able to play together without these word battles. Somehow Kris could turn any situation into a convenient opportunity to ridicule her. Being fairly close in age, they should have been able to have tea parties on the porch, picnics in the tree house and explorations in the sandbox, but Kris never played like the other girls their age. She played with words – but not kindly. Because there weren't any other girls in the neighborhood, Shannon ended up being the target of Kris's verbal barrage all too often.
Her thoughts were interrupted by her mother's gentle voice, "Dinnertime. Come in please. Hello, Kris, how are you tonight?"
Kris muttered, "Hello Mrs. Barnes," and ran toward her own house. As Shannon watched her go, Kris seemed much smaller and less intimidating. She wished that somehow they could be friends.
Later that evening she asked her mother about Kris. Her mother was well aware of their frequent conflict and how Shannon struggled to get along with her neighbor.
Her mother surprised Shannon with a simple story.
The goldsmith in the land of Rugoldia had been given the assignment of making a new crown for the king. He was to gather the purest, brightest and most precious jewels from the kingdom. The gold and silver would be refined and purified to perfection. The gems would be beautifully and artistically positioned to bring honor and glory to the sovereign king, and to cause all who saw it to bow in reverence.
After working many long months perfecting his creation, at last the jeweler was ready to present it to the ruler.
The king eagerly anticipated the unveiling of his new crown. No expense had mattered, no time limits had been given to hinder its excellence. His expectations were for the largest, shiniest, most expensive creation ever. The goldsmith stood before him with outstretched arms, the gift covered in velvet.
Slowly, the king removed the velvet wrapping. His mouth fell open with a gasp of astonishment. Befuddled, the king looked angrily at the jeweler. "How – how- could you – what a waste!"
The goldsmith, however, was not surprised at the reaction. Respectfully he replied, "Your highness, hold it up to the light."
Again, the king gasped as the tiny jewels caught the light and reflected a beautiful glow onto his face. The longer the king looked into the crown, the more amazed he became. Instead of the expected massive, enormous crown, he was gazing at an intricate, filigreed, delicately engraved piece of art. The golden strands were twisted, woven and braided, which left open spaces ornamented with tiny jewels: rubies, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires – none larger than a star in the night sky.
He held his breath as he realized the tiny diamonds spelled, "KING OF RUGOLDIA," and inlaid into the gold were strands of silver fiber spelling the words, "LOVE, KINDNESS, HOPE." Relief designs depicted wheat, grapes, an open book, the sun, honeybees and milk. With wide eyes he looked at the goldsmith.
"Your honor," the goldsmith said quietly, "Your kindness and the loving concern you demonstrate to the people of your kingdom give us hope and courage. We are grateful and honored to be your servants. This crown is a representation of the nurture, fruitfulness, wisdom, integrity and prosperity of your realm. Your highness, the value of your kingdom is not in an expensive crown, but in the kindness and justice of your reign. Your gentleness has made us great."
Humbled and honored, the king generously rewarded the goldsmith for his painstakingly beautiful artwork and sensitivity.
"So you see, Shannon," said her mother, "Your kindness, patience and forgiveness will help you become friends with Kris. Maybe it won't happen immediately, but with hope and confidence you must be her friend." Gladly, Shannon hugged her mother and headed off to bed.
The next afternoon, Shannon played in the sandbox, watching, anticipating the arrival of Kris.
Calling to her cheerfully, Shannon said, "Kris, do you know about the world's most valuable jewel? I'm digging for one!"
"Right, like you're going to find anything valuable in that junky sandbox," snapped Kris.
Laughing, Shannon looked mysteriously at Kris. "If you help me look, I promise you we'll find it."
Kris approached the sandbox. "O.K. Miss Smarty, what do I have to do?"
"Come, sit down here. Dig carefully with your toes through the sand."
Kris slipped off her sandals and dutifully dug her toes in the sand. There was nothing there except the cool sand. Shannon glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, and saw her diligently digging deeper and deeper, tunneling her feet under the sand. Kris seemed to think the sand did feel good on her bare feet.
At the same instant both girls exclaimed, "I found something!" Laughing, they compared the little rocks they'd discovered. Kris's had sparkles of quartz in it. Shannon's had streaks of red.
"Maybe it's a ruby," she said with hushed awe in her voice.
Kris almost made a snide remark, but seemed to change her mind, and said instead, "Mine must be diamonds! Let's keep looking."
After a few more little discoveries, Shannon looked sheepishly at Kris. "I didn't tell you what precious jewel we are really looking for, did I?"
"No, you didn't," responded Kris.
"Well, it is in this sandbox right now," smiled Shannon. "A friendship is a very valuable and precious jewel."
Kris looked down at the sand, the meaning of what Shannon said sinking in. After a few moments, she grinned and said, "Hey! Tomorrow, let's dig for ancient bones!"


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In response to being asked to remove a television message outside his office that pressured Democrats to act on his budget and hospital debt proposals, Gov. Paul LePage on Wednesday began holding his gubernatorial business in the Blaine House.
Gov. Paul LePage threatens to move offices out of State House
Have feedback? Want to know more? Send us ideas for follow-up stories.


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10 CVs in GB-B79 Tamworth (West Midlands).
class 2 driverTamworth, West Midlands have been driving for 15 years delivering an assortment of items using a varied amount of vehicles [more]
TypistTamworth, West Midlands I have excellent IT experience and can turn my hand to any job invloving IT and typing [more]
Sales assTamworth, West Midlands Great customer skills, Good team player, I work at morrisons and have to deal with customers every day, i have worked there for 3 and a half years [more]
picker/packerAldridge, West Midlands i use to be a inspector packer for a few places [more]
Graduate Sports TherapistSutton Coldfield, West Midlands I am a graduate BSc (Hons) sports therapist who achieved a 2.1 classification in Sports therapy from the university of Birmingham. During the first year of study I obtained a sports and remedial massage qualification which included techniques such as NMT, Soft Tissue Release, Post Isometric Relaxat... [more]
Telephone operator, administrator, receptionistKingstanding, West Midlands I am a highly motivated, flexible and hard working individual, with the ability to work on my own initiative or as a member of a team. I have the ability to communicate with clients, team members, management and external organizations at all levels. I have excellent interpersonal skills and the abil... [more]
ReceptionistSutton Coldfield, West Midlands Typing documents and letters, • Completing amendment and cancellation forms • Speaking to customers, making appointments, dealing with enquiries and complaints, • Communicating with engineers on current and outstanding jobs, • Booking appointments in the diary, • Sending out reminders for servi... [more]
Data Entry, administratorSutton Coldfield, West Midlands I am an experienced administrator with good typing skills. I am organised, have an excellent telephone maner and strong customer service background. I am I.T literate and am used to using the Microsoft packages. I am a team player but also work well as an individual. I am friendly, approachable and ... [more]
Sports Massage TherapistSutton Coldfield, West Midlands Although I have not worked as a 'massage therapist' I have completed a Level 3 VTCT sports massage and therapy course. I have assessed the client i.e. subjective, objective, active, passive etc. I have completed consultation forms and prepared the massage area. I have provided treatment i.e. massage... [more]
LecturerSutton Coldfield, West Midlands Qualified PGCE/PCET in further education in 2010. Had 1 yr full teaching experience and have full QTLS. I have my own tutor group and deliver on a range of vocational sports science courses (applied physiology, exercise physiology, sports psychology, anatomy for sport) as well as A2 PE. I have exper... [more]
Results 1 to 10 of 10 resumes
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In case you missed it, here's Queer Me Now exclusive video of Brent Corrigan and JJ Knight Live Sex Show at HustlaBall Las Vegas 2017 VIP Party. The VIP Party was hosted at the Entourage Vegas and Queer Me Now has all the exclusive pictures of gay porn stars fucking in front of audience for you. Thanks to HustlaBall producers for allowing @philliyT to take the pictures inside this invite-only event.
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|The Great Gray Owl will migrate from
Canada's boreal forests to the Pike's Creek
area when winter food is lean. Photo
courtesy of Wisconsin DNR.
Jerry Jolly Hiking Trail segment
heads through aspen-birch forest
Day hikers can explore Wisconsin's northernmost ecosystem on a segment of the Jerry Jolly Hiking Trail near Bayfield.
The Jerry Jolly is part of the Pike's Creek and Mt. Ashwabay Trail Network, a set of ski trails winding through a thousand acres of Bayfield County Forest and the Nourse Sugarbush Natural Area. The segment described here runs 1.1-miles round trip.
To reach the trailhead, take Wis. Hwy. 13 south from Bayfield, turning right/west onto County Road J. In short order, the county highway becomes Star Route Road. After passing the Old Corny Road intersection, look for signs pointing out the parking lot for the Jerry Jolly trails on the right/south.
Climatic influences
From the lot, head south on the stem trail for 0.31 miles. Along the way, the trail crosses a tributary to Pike's Creek.
The trails sit in the Superior Coastal Plain ecosystem, which includes the northern portions of Bayfield, Douglas, Ashland and Iron counties as well as the Apostle Islands. While much of the Bayfield Peninsula consists of pine barrens – areas of sandy soil that support mainly pine and scrub oak – Lake Superior greatly influences the coastal plain's climate. Winters are warmer, summers are cooler, and more rain and snow falls here than inland.
Because of that, a good mix of aspen birch and other hardwoods reside alongside pines and fir-spruce more common to the boreal forests farther north.
Another factor influencing the Pike's Creek climate is the Bayfield Peninsula's hilliness, which contrasts with the flatness of the pine barrens to the southwest. Evidence of the hilly terrain comes on the Jerry Jolly Trial just after the third trail junction, when the stem gains elevation for about 0.12 miles. At the fifth junction, take the trail heading left/northeast, and for the next 0.06 miles the trail descends the hill.
One-time boreal forest
Before pioneers settled the area, the Superior Coastal Plain largely supported a boreal forest. Marten, fisher, beaver, caribou and gray wolf all thrived there. Once the old growth trees were cut, however, aspen-birch took over, and so the wildlife also changed. Today, white-tailed deer and smaller mammals, such as squirrel, chipmunks, rabbits and voles dominate the wooded landscape.
At the next junction, the trail reaches Jerry's Meadow Loop. Go right/east as wrapping around a small meadow for 0.25 miles.
Meadows such as this are extremely rare in the coastal plain. Often these grassy areas are abandoned farmland pastures and fields.
At the next junction, the trail leaves the meadow for the stem you came in on. Go right/north on the stem for 0.25 miles.
Snow birds
Despite the large-scale disappearance of the coastal plain's boreal forest, birds from those Canadian woodlands migrate here some winters when food is not as plentiful in their northern homes. Skiers on the trail will hear or see owls that wouldn't be spotted during summer.
Upon reaching the next trail junction, for a little variety go right/northeast onto a small 0.12-mile loop. The loop returns to the stem trail farther ahead; at that junction, continue right/north back to the parking lot.
The trail is named for Jerry J. Jolly, a long-time Bayfield area outdoorsman. In 2007, the Jerry Jolly Hiking Trail was dedicated in his honor. Because of his middle initial, sometimes maps and brochures refer to the trail as the "Jerry Jay Jolly Trail."
One last note: By midsummer, parts of the trail can sport high grass, so you may need to wear long pants when hiking it.
Read more about day hiking Bayfield County, Wisconsin, in my Day Hiking Trails of Bayfield County guidebook.


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Having reached the most sought after destination for international tourists (viz. Rajasthan), we (Suresh Jayram) and I thought we should also do what the international tourists do!! Yes, of course the Desert Trek or the Desert Safari. Desert Trek sounded better and definitely less intimidating than the Desert Safari choreographed for the hordes of tourists who visit Rajasthan. We fortunately bumped into Rajendra the soft spoken owner of Shivam Guest House, the budget hotel in Jodhpur. He described Nayan Sukh the modest desert dweller from Osian. Nayan will be waiting for you in the bus stop, he said. Suresh and I were anxious to be clear about his identity. What if we were horded off by some unknown strangers. Before long, we were met by a young cheerful looking kid. I am Nayan Sukh's brother he said. His opening lines were well rehearsed and he introduced us to the concept of a holiday in the desert. If we were going to stay with him, there would be no problem I thought. Rakesh looked clean and above all bright and not unhappy. In a few minutes our jeep was pacing over the desert sands only to be met by Nayan Sukh conducting 2 camels at the same time. The ship of the desert were all ready to receive their urban visitors. Suresh rode with Nayan and my camel was guided by this enchanting brat of a kid.
It was quite a daunting effort to sit on the camel on their knees to enable our mounting their humped back. We managed it and tried to look brave and optimistic. After all it was holiday time. The swaying movement of the camels was less threatening than the speeding motor bikes on the Delhi streets. Suresh was relieved to be away from Bangalore's traffic jams. We survived the 2 hours ride only to be met with a host of colorful huts. The main house cemented and with the traditional swastika on its front was Gangaram's house. He lived there with his wife, daughter-in law, 4 sons and an elderly mother. It had a courtyard where the men sat and were served by the women who covered their faces with the sari end. There was a small little room for dining. The rear rooms were where the women and children slept.
Suresh and I were given the red hut in front. It was a small room with Chattais and a cow dung polished floor. The family showed us around and we didnt see any toilet around. We were told that there were none and the whole desert was there for the pleasure of defecating and urinating in!! Thank God that we had our hand sanitizers and toilet papers! It was like the shooting of Reshma and Shera – sand sand everywhere. There was a nip in the air and we wistfully stared around and revelled in the sights. Peacocks prancing up and down. The camels with their patient demeanor enjoing the desert air. We sighed, took a deep breath and went to sleep within minutes.
The food that the humble family served us could beat any five star hotel hollow. More than the food, the loving hands that served us made us aware of what we had lost back home where we would dine standing up before rushing off for work. We heard Gangaram speaking of the Bishnoi principles of serving food to the visitors. He said that guests were supreme in the ethos of the followers of Jamboji. He also said that they never harmed any living being. Suresh and I hung our head in shame. We could not but recollect that it was within miles of the Gangaram household that Salman Khan and his friends ventured to shoot the innocent Chinkara. When we did get a glance of these brilliant creatures roaming free in the countryside, our hearts bled thinking of man's arrogance and violent temperament. Am I proud of the Bishnois? How simply they lead a sustainable existence! Are they ever invited for any of the Sustainable conferences in cities. They are not corporate I guess. Before leaving for their work of tending to camels and driving tourists on them, they sit in front of the camel's enclosure and silently pray. They always seek their consent and happiness before using them for their trade. They recylce every drop of water. They use the camel dung for their cultivation. They use organic material for building their homes.
Their dwelling place is less than 100kms from their erstwhile rulers, the royal family of Jodhpur. Hobnobbing with the hoi poloi of the world, the fortunate kings and their sons have forgotten about these hard working villagers. They have no water, no electricity, no roads and no support whatsoever. The family and their neighbours are totally unaware of the benefits available to them through the various Government schemes. They have no access to reasonable medical care. They are not assured of livelihood for the entire year. They have no access to schooling within a reasonable distance. Yet how well they have done for themselves. They bought four camels for a lakh each. They have managed to put up 6 huts. They also had tie ups with tourist agents who sent them foreign guests who paid more.
As we ate the food in the shining steel plates, we asked Gangaram more about the family. He explained that all the children were married. The oldest was 22 and the youngest 8 years old!!!!! India shining again. He also reassured us that sati or the terrible practice of a woman jumping into her husband's pyre only happened sometimes – but happened it did! My word – it was a cathartic experience to be told the gruelling details of the real India.
Who will help the down trodden and the unfortunate in our country? What is the use of millions of tourists visiting a place, if part of the revenue is not ploughed back into development? Isnt it cruel to children to be married off? Does Rakesh know that he is being deprived of education in the process of helping his brother run the tourist business? We went there to have some photo memories but came out a bit wiser and more conscious about the actual plight of the millions of Indians below the poverty line.


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Her Majesty is very particular when comes to wedding stationaries in terms of colour coordination and design. For someone who is experience in dealing with design and printing, she knows that it can costs us a bom if we are paying a professional. So DIY and be creative came into her plan.
As mentioned in my post earlier, our black and hot pink invitation card was designed and printed by her friends on compliments basis. When she told me how much does it costs per card, I was having a big shock. Enough for me to pay for the whole week's toll charges.
Normally wedding couples will just buy the ready printed church ceremony booklet's cover from the bookstore, then pay a printer to do the booklet's layout. But we wanted something that's more personalised, so her majesty printed our own cover at home, design the layout of booklet by herself then sent it for photostat at Bormas. The bridesmaids spent less than an hour time to fold and tie it the night before the wedding.
For the dinner reception, the design of table numbers and seating cards were re-adapt and made by Her Majesty too. Each table is named after the Disney cartoon.
Individual seating card for every guest
If you pay a close attention to the table number, seating card and invitation, you'll realise that all share the same design.
To be different from other weddings, her majesty didn't want the typical guest sign in book that you'll end up just put it on the shelves. Initially we ordered a canvas print from this studio in Kompleks Mutiara Jln Ipoh but three days before the wedding, we just get to know that everything was not in order. Given two days left, it's really hard to find something similar not to mention we don't have the time for it. Again, we must thanks an old friend of hers who is a professional commercial photographer, for calling up his friend to rush a last minute job for us.
We are going to frame this photo and display it in our house. It's definitely a meaningful memory for us.


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Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end.
Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that.
I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.
After all there is something about a wedding-gown prettier than in any other gown in the world.
Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction.
My heart to you is given:
Oh, do give yours to me;
We'll lock them up together,
And throw away the key.
Oh, do give yours to me;
We'll lock them up together,
And throw away the key.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach.
There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.
A hundred hearts would be too few
To carry all my love for you.
To carry all my love for you.
Love puts the fun in together, the sad in apart, and the joy in a heart.
Spouse: someone who'll stand by you through all the trouble you wouldn't have had if you'd stayed single.
I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.
Marriage, n: The state or condition of a community consisting of a master, a mistress, and two slaves, making in all, two.
The difficulty with marriage is that we fall in love with a personality, but must live with a character.
A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.
Marriage: that I call the will of two to create the one who is more than those who created it.
A happy marriage is a long conversation that always seems too short.
There is no such cozy combination as man and wife.
Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love
When love is not madness, it is not love.


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My track of the day today is the fantastic "City Lights", by The Bad Flowers. It's the first single from the band's "The Bad Flowers" EP, which is to be re-released in November.
You can get a copy of the single on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/city-lights-single/id1138754922
Stream on Spotify.
This is a band that every rock fan needs to hear! They are brilliant live too. Catch them on tour in October/November, supporting Scorpion Child along with Jared James Nichols. Details here: https://realrockandroll.wordpress.com/2016/08/03/scorpion-childthe-bad-flowersjared-james-nichols-uk-tour/
Website: http://thebadflowers.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebadflowersband
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBadFlowers
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebadflowers/