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Mark 13:1-8
Een Goed Begin
Exordium Remotum:
Geliefde gemeente, dames en heren, mensen en kinderen. The exordium remotum was the preview of the sermon. My text is from Mark 13. Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
Now hear it in the Statenvertaling that was heard by us till 1824. En wanneer gij zult horen van oorlogen, en geruchten van oorlogen, zo wordt niet verschrikt, want dit moet geschieden; maar nog is het einde niet. Want het ene volk zal tegen het andere volk opstaan, en het ene koninkrijk tegen het andere koninkrijk, en er zullen aardbevingnen zijn in verscheidene plaatsen, en er zullen hongersnoden wezen, en beroerten. Deze dingen zijn maar beginselen der smarten.
That word smarten is not accurate to the Greek. The better translation iweeën, "labor pains." The famines and troubles are the beginning of labor pains—the most painful of pains, yet not pains of death, but of new life. The doom in these words is not doom and gloom, but doom and dawn, doom and gladness.
The pain is the pain of conversion and repentance, what the Heidelberg Catechism calls "the dying-away of the old nature and the coming-to-life of the new nature." We are to see our lives as a daily breaking-down and daily new beginning. So my topic is Een Goed Begin. From the proverb, "Een goed begin is het halve werk," a good beginning is half the work. They began here began well, but their work is only half finished, and there is very much for us to do.
The rest of my exordium remotum is announcements. I welcome our visitors today. Thank you for coming. We are marking the 400th anniversary of the voyage of Hendrick Hudson which opened up the colony of New Netherland, the ground in which forty-five years later our church was planted. I invite you to our colonial dinner with its historic menu, and let me thank you in advance for your donations at the meal.
I thank our committee who prepared all this, especially Lois Wingerson, and our kitchen volunteers. I thank our voorlezer and voorzanger Hans Bilger. I thank Jennifer Nelson and our children for learning the psalms. The psalms are all we sang in church for 200 years, unaccompanied, but churches with organs were allowed to hear improvisations on the psalm tunes before and after the service, which Aleeza Meir has given us today.
Our psalms and our liturgy date from 1563, which we know our children to have memorized. In 1792 we added an English service, with this translation of the Liturgy, and the Dutch and English overlapped till 1824, which means that we prayed in Dutch for 205 years after Henry Hudson! The liturgy ends with "Gedacht de armen," "Mind the poor." We do. Please take a grocery bag and bring it back next Sunday with food for the poor. Now, let the congregation pray. Laat de gemeente bidden.
When the first Dutch settlers came to Brooklyn, half of them were ethnically something else than Dutch, but they were all becoming Dutch in language and culture and religion, and they would maintain that language and culture and religion for 200 years. For the first few decades they were outnumbered by the Native Americans, the Canarsees. The settlers called them the wilden, the wild ones, not wild and crazy but wild as in the state of nature, like the wildlife in a nature preserve. That they lived in a state of nature does not mean they left no imprint on the land. Their trails through the woods were easily followed, and the clearings they had cut in the forest for planting their crops, and then abandoned, were easily discernible in the various stages of regrowth. But when the Dutch cleared the trees they made it permanent.
That's the difference. The aboriginal imprint on the landscape was as passing and organic as nature itself, like the passing of the seasons, the rising of spring and the falling of autumn, the wealth of summer and the dearth of winter, seasons of plenty and seasons of hunger. But the Dutch, although at first they lived more like the wilden than like their relatives in Europe, they had a different vision of the world.
They had a vision of a future, of a continuing orderly development, of well-ordered fields and stout barns and solid houses, a vision of human life abstracted from nature sufficiently to offer insulation from the cold and protection from hunger, a vision of life which the Canarsees considered curious and unnatural.
That vision extended to commerce and civics and religion. After Pieter Stuyvesant established our church in 1654, our very first services were in a barn, doubtless without windows, and it must have struck the Canarsees as crazy to pray to the God of Heaven from inside a barn (unless, of course, they had learned that the Lord had been born in one). But the congregation in that barn will have had a vision of a decent church of stone on stone, and in twelve years' time they built it.
What that church looked like we do not know—the picture in your bulletin is only one historian's guess. We do know that ten years after it was built one Dutch visitor described it as a "small and ugly little church standing in the middle of the road." Eight years after that our small and ugly little church became the home of that communion beaker, right there, our avondmaal beker from 1684. Four times a year that beaker was put out on the table in that ugly little building, and the people drank the holy wine from it. On that very cup, 300 years ago, there gleamed the reflected light of the interior of our first building. Wouldn't we love to be able to still discern what was reflected there, but light has no memory; light is always of the present.
In 1766 that building was torn down, and its stones were included in the walls of the new and larger church, and that beaker reflected that new interior. Forty years later that building was taken down, and what happened to its stones we do not know. They built a new church of bluestone over on Joralemon Street, and that beaker reflected a third interior.
The membership grew so great that after only thirty years they took down that bluestone church and they built a great new edifice in the classical style. Our congregation swelled to more than a thousand and then it gradually dwindled, and that great edifice lasted only fifty years, and its stones too were taken down, and we built this great place here, for a thousand again, but we never had more than two hundred.
This building we have used the longest of any so far, by twenty years, but who's to say how long before its stones too come down? What will be reflected in our beaker a century from now, and of what sort will be faces of the folks who drink the wine around the table?
Why are doing this today? Why does a church participate in these Five Dutch Days celebrations? For some of the same reasons that a school or a museum or a gallery or consulate may do this, but the driving motivation for a church has to be the motivation of love. The Love of God. For us to love as God loves and to love what God loves has to be under the surface of what we do.
Let me remind you of the love that's just under the surface of our two scripture lessons. The Ten Commandments were summarized by our Lord Jesus as "Thou shalt love God and thou shalt love thy neighbor." And in the gospel lesson the love is hidden in the image of the pain of childbirth. Childbirth comes from love and goes towards love. It comes from the love of father and mother making love, and it goes toward those two lovers increasing their love by sharing their love with a third, their child. The pain of childbirth is the most painful of pains but it ends in the most joyful of joys, the beginning of a life, which depends on our love just in order to stay alive.
We have this joy at childbirth in spite of everything we know about the reality of life. This child will have her share of trials and troubles. She will do some things she should not do and she will not do some things she should do. We shall have to forgive her of something or other, and we will need her forgiveness back. She may reject what we teach her and rebel against what we hold dear, but we will love her. And if we love her we will not reckon her points against her but will be always ready to begin again. There is pain in the love, not just at childbirth, but all through love and even in the joy, for love remembers, but always begins again.
What we do today we do for love. We love our tradition and our history and our Dutch connection in all its reality both good and bad. We have to forgive it and be forgiven by it. We love what our ancestors in this church began, and what they built, even what they built was as passing as Canarsee clearing in the forest. The stones went up and came back down, but we judge it was a good beginning, and we continue to build the work, even if our own stones come down in the future that God has for us. We will feel the pain, but we should not be dismayed, for the pain is the signal of the birth of whatever new beginning that God has for us.
How impermanent our history has been. Three locations, five buildings, stones put up and down. And yet there is that cup of Jesus' love. How many hands of the faithful have held that cup and put their mouths on it and drunk from it.
I don't know the last time that wine has been inside that cup. It is such a priceless and fragile artifact that I would not dare to have us drink from it today. But its surface still contains the light. The light which we believe to be the robe God, and the sign of the splendor of God's glory and God's grace.
That light is ever present because, as Einstein taught us, light is the constant of the universe. Everything else is relative and passing, but light is constant. E=MC2, light is what reconciles energy and matter, the light of God's grace is what reconciles all to which we put our energies and all we think that matters. And by that light upon the cup we can read the promise of the wine inside the cup, we can recognize the blood of Jesus' sacrifice and the atonement for our sins, and we can discern the new wine of the wedding feast, the gift of always a new beginning, of reconciliation, of truth and reconciliation, of forgiveness, of healing and resurrection, of the conversion of our old nature into the new nature, of the conversion of our sin into righteousness and our weakness into strength and our pain into childbirth, of the conversion of our fear into hope.
By the constancy of that light, that light that shone upon the Canarsees in their ceaseless round of years, and then upon the Half Moon as it sailed up the river, and then upon the settlers as they cleared their fields and built their humble homes, that light which came in through the windows of five successive buildings, by the constancy of the light of the gospel of God, we can believe the promise that in the love of God there is an enduring significance to every passing thing that we have done and yet may do.
We can never know the whole significance of what we do, we cannot stand far enough away from it in time and space to read it in the light at the source of the universe, but we put our trust in the promise of the light and of the blood and of the wine. Our hope for the future is not empty, its solidity is God's promises, which are more solid than stone and more constant than the earth. And when we believe these promises, this old church may ever new be born again.
Copyright © 2009 by Daniel Meeter, all rights reserved.


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Wednesday, July 2
5 - 10 pm
Join us for a special evening to celebrate our third anniversary in the Yellow Building! The years have flown by and there have been many, many changes, but it's been a wonderful journey thus far. We can't thank you enough for all of your support, friendship and laughter.
Some changes or news you may have missed . . .

subset: commoncrawl


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Christine Cowden
Christine Cowden (Armstrong Business Office): I wanted to give Christine Cowden in the Armstrong Business Office two "Thumbs Up" because she has worked countless hours, even one on one, helping staff and faculty with the new Concur travel system. She been an excellent source of information for them and also for the business office staff learning the new process. Thank you, Chris! -- Lynly Horine (Aeronautics and Astronautics)


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The 4 Steps for Kids guidelines help
parents determine which car seat or booster seat is best suited to protect children based on age and size.
California state law requires kids to stay in a booster or car seat until they are 8 years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall. Studies show booster seat use significantly reduces the risk of injury for children 4 to 8 years old compared with seat belt use alone. Learn more about booster seats.
The California Poison Control System provides immediate, free, and expert treatment advice and referral in case of exposure to poisonous or toxic substances.
You can impact your child's brain development from day one.Learn More
Learn about free counseling and referral services.Learn More


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Tasha Renee Richmeier and Joshua Allen Eichman were married Sept. 14, 2013, at St. Nicholas of Myra Catholic Church, Hays, with Father Daryl Olmstead officiating.
Parents of the couple are Mark and Claudine Richmeier, Hays, and Rob and Lori Eichman, Plainville.
Grandparents of the couple are Kathleen Richmeier, Hays, the late Roy Richmeier, Verna Schumacher, Hays, the late Ralph Schumacher, Paul and Judy Hachmeister, Natoma, the late Ron Pruter, Jean Tremblay, the late Gilbert Tremblay, and Charles and Shirley Eichman.
Honor attendant was Shelby Richmeier, sister of the bride. Attendants were Sara Eichman, sister of the groom, Nicky Rohleder, friend of the bride, and Kristy Richmeier, cousin of the bride.
Best man was AJ Garcia, friend of the groom. Groomsmen were Dalton Mick, Aaron Wyatt and Josh Hrabe, all friends of the groom. Flower girl was Ailynn Anderson, cousin of the groom. Ring bearer was Tucker Rudman, cousin of the groom.
The bride is a graduate of Hays High School and Fort Hays State University with a degree in communication studies. She is the marketing coordinator for Nex-Tech Wireless.
The bridegroom is a graduate of Plainville High School and Salina Area Technical College. He is employed by Citation Oil & Gas.
Following a wedding cruise to the Caribbean, the newlyweds are at home in Zurich.


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hook and needle
Contact me
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|Michigan, United States
|I am a writer who loves to discover new crafts. I do lots of crocheting and knitting, and dabble in sewing and quilting. I haven't met a craft I didn't like.
If you were a cannibal, what would you wear to dinner?
My best pearls and little else. If someone is baring their flesh for my sustenance, the least I can do is return the favor - in style.


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Hacked email: Anthony Foxx made 'first cut' of possible Hillary Clinton V-P candidates
Anthony Foxx, the U.S. transportation secretary and former Charlotte mayor, made a "first cut" of people for Hillary Clinton to consider as her running mate, according to a hacked email published on WikiLeaks.
The March 17 email from John Podesta, Clinton's campaign chairman, names Foxx and 38 other people as worthy of Clinton's consideration for vice president. WikiLeaks is an organization and website opposed to government secrecy.
Podesta lumps the candidates into what he calls "rough food groups:" Hispanic, female, white male, black male, military and business. Bernie Sanders, who lost to Clinton in the Democratic primary, also made the cut, alone and not in a category like the rest.
Foxx was among seven African American men who made the cut, also including former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.
Famous business people on the list include Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Podesta says in the email that he and five other Clinton campaign officials came up with the list.
Joe Marusak: 704-358-5067, @jmarusak


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Street View lenses are exploring more of our world on an evolving series of platforms
A snowmobile is equipped with a Google Street View camera mast. The vehicles have been used to image ski resorts in North America.
A fishing boat equipped with a Google Street View camera motors along Japan's northeast coast as part of a project to document the region after the 2011 tsunami.
A camel walks the Liwa Desert in United Arab Emirates with a Google Street View camera.
A hiker explores Japan's Yakushima Island with a Street View Trekker camera mast on his back.
To go where cars can't go, Google adapted its Street View camera to a large tricycle, which has been used to photograph everything from zoos to UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Google recently used a pickup truck to deploy its Street View camera around Mongolia.
This eerie "selfie" shows the Google Street View Trolley photographing itself in a mirror at the Paris Opera.
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Exploring Lembongan
Lembongan Island is a mere 30 minute boat ride from Bali, mainland. The minute you step off the boat you are transported to a tropical island paradise, away from the relative chaos of Bali. The winding coastal paths, lazily make their way around the island inviting you to explore and discover.
Lembongan is very much a slow paced, barefoot getaway and is reminiscent of what Bali was 30 years ago. Mangrove forests, seaweed farms, crashing waves and hidden white sand beaches. The crystal clear waters surrounding the island are perfect for surfing, diving, snorkeling or wistfully staring out to sea.
The island offers the perfect mixture of water based activities or lazy island lifestyle and the opportunity to truly unwind and relax.
While you are staying with Twin Island Villas, there is a lot of this little island to explore. The best way to get around, is by scooter. Here at Twin Island Villas, we are able to help organize a scooter for you.


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Always start with an appropriate greeting "Guten Tag", "Guten Morgen", "Hallo" etc. This will give you confidence and get you into the swing of things.
Look carefully at the situation. Do you know the other person in the conversation? If you do, address them as "du", if not, address them as "Sie". We don't have this custom in England, so it needs special care.
Make sure you have stock of useful phrases for requests:


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Website Platforms & Tools
AquaJazz does all website designs using WordPress (CMS) Content Management System. It is highly versatile, well supported, easy for a client to learn, speeds up the design and development process, and can provide nearly any feature you may request.
My 2 favorite website hosting companies are Godaddy and BlueHost. They have good prices, excellent support, and are designed for convenience. If you have a hosting plan, I can work there too. I am available for changes, updates or migrations.
WooCommerce With WordPress
The most widely trusted ecommerce plugin system for WordPress, for retail shop fronts and basic service websites for small businesses and organizations because it is fast and versatile. It is compatible across all devices.
ElegantThemes Divi is a Framework Theme for leading edge, fashionable, liquid page design. It is compatible across all devices, offers an inspiring set of layout tools with excellent support and upgrades.
Formidable Pro
Some clients need elaborate mail forms for surveys, requests for proposals, and more. I use Formidable Pro, a highly flexible tool that stores all your data. When a job is more specialized, we have suppliers for customized applications that run on WordPress.
The most popular, low cost, high quality tool for memberships, creation and launching of Newsletters is MailChimp. When you need a newsletter, I will set you up and account, integrate it with your website, and teach you how to use MailChimp.
Adobe Suite
I use PhotoShop, Illustrator, Audition, Premiere, After Effects, Indesign on Apple & Windows.
Operating Systems
I work and test on both Apple Macintosh, Windows, iOS, and Android platforms.
Avada is the best selling theme in the history of WordPress. Highly flexible.
Mark did a wonderful and truly professional job redesigning the website for my yoga studio. He was easy to work with, prompt, creative, and responsive. He made a number of excellent suggestions regarding my site and was very patient with my questions. What I appreciated most was that this was not just a "job" to him. It was evident that he takes personal pride in his work and it shows. I won't hesitate to hire him again in the future for website work.Cynthia B.


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Watermelon Socks: Pattern FLK Heel Socks in Biscotte & Cie Felix Self-Striping, in Melon D'Eau
Painted Canyon Scarf: Pattern Painted in The Yarns of Rhichard Devrieze Peppino, in Agawa Canyon
Tinkerbell Socks: Pattern Crystalline Lattice in Ellyn Cooper's Yarn Sonnets Tinkerbell, in Fern Gully
May and June were super productive on the knitting front, but apparently not on the blogging side of things! I get so excited about starting a new project I completely forget to stop and reflect and write about what I have finished...hopefully this post will get me caught up.
JD and I have some friends back in Maryland who were expecting their first child...they were keeping the baby's gender a surprise until birth, so I knew I needed to find the perfect gender-neutral project. Luckily the mother-to-be told me she was decorating the nursery in an ocean/beach theme, so that helped me find the perfect pattern and yarn.
I found the Twinkle Twinkle Blanket pattern on Ravelry back in December...I loved the stunning yet simple pattern, the in-the-round construction, and the fact that it uses fingering weight yarn. Then I just needed to find the perfect yarn and color...a few email exchanges with Allison at Simply Sock Yarn led me to Dream in Color Smooshy, in the Blue Lagoon colorway. I liked that the yarn is durable, soft, and washable, and the colorway had the perfect tonal depth without being too variegated.
This was my first time using the disappearing loop cast on method...it worked really well and avoided both the cast-on "hole" and the tendency of other methods to pucker in the center.
Our friends' baby boy arrived safe and sound in June, and I was so pleased to present them with this lovely blanket!
As soon as I finished the blanket, I cast on for my June Sock Knitters Anonymous project...one of the themes was Historical Figures so I chose the Marie Antoinette pattern, from the wonderful Anne Hanson at Knitspot. I had some madeleinetosh tosh sock yarn leftover from my Sproutlette baby dress project, so I put that stash to good use.
This pattern has a very interesting construction...the top cuff is first worked flat, in a narrow strip, and then grafted together in a circle. Stitches are picked up along the edge and joined in the round for the remainder of the sock. I really liked the cuff edging, and the "honeybee" stitches down the back of the ankle down to the heel. Very regal design, hence the Queen B name!
In other project news, I have given up on my seamed Custom Fit cardigan. I wasn't happy with how the pieces fit together and my crappy attempts at seaming with mattress stitch. Apparently I am a knitter, but NOT a sewer, so I should stick to seamless (or as close to seamless as possible) designs from now on. I'm going to frog the cardigan and use the yarn on a new cardigan pattern...Magnolia by JOJI. Fingers crossed this project is finished soon!
In my next blog post I will share some other exciting news that happened this summer...hint: annual summertime event with critters and funnel cakes...any guesses?
Links to projects in Ravelry:Starlight Lagoon BlanketQueen B Socks
And the Sock Obsession continues...
For April's Sockdown Challenge, I chose Crocus vernus, a pattern from the featured designer Hunter Hammersen. I really liked the elegant floral lace pattern on these socks and couldn't wait to make them.
The yarn for this project had been in my stash for well over a year...I bought it just a month or two after I first started knitting. Purple is my absolute favorite color, and the Mountain Colors "Harmony Storm" colorway is a beautiful mix of purples and greys and greens. I wanted to use the yarn for socks, but I was very leery of sock knitting at that time. I wasn't really comfortable using DPNs and all the explanations of the Magic Loop or 2-circulars methods were beyond my comprehension. Plus, the descriptions of sock construction looked way too difficult. Or so I thought. Fast forward to 2014...I can't stop knitting socks, and this yarn immediately came to mind when I chose the Crocus vernus pattern.
Aren't they beautiful? I love the almost "ruffly" edge on the cuff, and the contrast of the lace pattern with the channels of yarnovers along either side. I completed 6 repeats of the pattern on the leg, with another 6 repeats on the foot before working the toe. The finished sock is a bit more snug than other socks that I have made, but they fit me very well and look so pretty on my feet.
In other news...
- I won a prize in the March Sockdown Challenge with my Slytherin Socks! I won a copy of the Intwined Pattern Studio software. I've never thought of designing my own patterns before, but with this software it might be fun...
- I'm taking a break from sock knitting (gasp!) and working on a long cowl/infinity scarf right now. My indigodragonfly club yarn for April is a worsted weight, and I thought it might be fun to work with heavier squishy yarn and big needles for a change. Loving it so far!
- When I do go back to sock knitting later this month, I will be tackling my first ever stranded colorwork project! I received a copy of Op-Art Socks for my birthday, and one of the Sockdown Challenges for May is mathematics/tech/geek so I plan to make the Fibonacci socks. Can't wait to get started on those...
Until next time, happy knitting!
Back in February, I discovered a group on Ravelry called Sock Knitters Anonymous (SKA)...every month there is a different "Sockdown" Challenge with various options to choose from. Members choose the challenge option and cast on during the challenge month, and must finish the socks and post photos in the group by the end of the following month. It's a really fun group, and I like how the different challenge options encourage you to work outside your comfort zone. There are two featured designers each month, or you can pick one of the design/construction/theme challenge options. Some months there is also a Mystery Sock (MOCK) pattern as well. At the end of each challenge period, the group moderators hold a random drawing from all of the completed projects for various prizes donated by some awesome pattern designers, yarn companies, and other knitting-related vendors. Great motivation to finish your socks, don't you think? My Monkey Squalor socks were my first entry in the SKA group...one of the February challenge options was designer Cookie A. She had TONS of patterns to choose from, and the Monkey pattern is one of her most popular on Ravelry.
For the March Sockdown, Heidi Nick was one of the featured designers. After browsing her patterns, and adding a bunch to my Ravelry Favorites, I decided to make the Dolores Umbridge socks. I really liked the mock cabling and the unique zig-zig running down each side. I had another indigodragonfly special edition colorway in my stash...Owl Week: A Bad Week To Be A Field Mouse in the Sad Lester Sock base. I fell hard for this gorgeous rich green as soon as it was featured on the website last summer. I was originally planning to make the Nennir cowl, which has a really cool Celtic knotwork pattern that I thought would be perfect with the green. Once I got the yarn, however, I realized it was not the best choice for a project to be worn around the neck. The Sad Lester Sock base is made from 100% Bluefaced Leicester wool, which I hadn't used before. The wool is soft, but not as soft as Merino wool or the other indigodragonfly Merino blends. It takes colors beautifully, however, which is why the green was so awesome. So, I decided to make socks from it instead.
Now, in case you are unfamiliar with the Harry Potter universe, Dolores Umbridge is a truly evil witch disguised as a sweet old lady. She acts syrupy sweet, dresses in pink with big bows on her head, and decorates her office with collectable kitten plates...and is a fan of incredibly severe punishments for anyone who crosses her, or anyone of less than pure Wizard blood. Creepy, creepy lady.
In addition, most of the villains in the Harry Potter world are/were members of the Slytherin House at Hogwarts School of Magic. The colors of Slytherin are green and silver, and the mascot is a serpent. So with a pattern name of Dolores Umbridge, and using striking green yarn, I had to name this project Slytherin Socks!
How amazing are these??? Cables twisting snake-like down the legs, all the way to the toes.
This was a great pattern...my first time working exclusively from charts, and I really liked the heel construction. Instead of a typical heel-flap, the increases for the gusset are worked at the same time as the heel, so there was no picking up stitches. Very cool.
So I definitely see myself knitting a pair of socks for each month's SKA challenge for the rest of 2014! I'm nearly finished with this month's challenge (good thing I have until May 31) and I already have my pattern and yarn ready for May. Stay tuned for more sock posts as they are completed!
2014 continues to be productive on the knitting front...4 more projects finished since my last post!
Last fall, Shalimar Yarns offered a Monkey Jacobus kit using their Enzo Sport yarn. I had never made knitted toys (called "softies") before, but the monkey looked so cute I couldn't resist! Shalimar yarn has always held a special place in my heart, as my first-ever knitting project was made with their Homage fingering weight...my first taste of luxury yarn! Plus, they are Maryland-based, not far from where JD and I used to live.
When I received the kit, I was a bit intimidated by the lengthy and complicated-looking pattern (10+ pages!) so I was hesitant to get started. So the kit languished in my WIP bin until I finally got the nerve to give it a shot in February. Surprisingly, the pattern was not nearly as difficult as I had feared...just very detailed...I just followed the instructions and before I knew it, I had an adorable monkey, ready to stuff.
Isn't she cute? I named her Bernadette!
At the same time, I started a new pair of socks, with the awesome pattern name of Monkey, designed by Cookie A. I had some yarn in my stash that I thought would be perfect for this project...an indigodragonfly club yarn from last year. The base is called Filament o' Squid (70% Merino/30% Seacell) in the colorway Squalor Amongst the Ankles. I must admit, I wasn't in love with the yarn when I first received it...the color is kind of a muddy green with a bit of yellow/gold in it, and the fiber texture is different...not unpleasant, just different. Every month or so I would take it out of my stash bin, give it a look and a squeeze, and I started liking it more and more. I think it looks great with this pattern, don't you?
This was my first lace pattern sock, and I just love it. I also used a different cast on method, as I noticed the cuffs on my first two sock projects were a little tight. I used the slip-knot cast on and I really like how it turned out. The edge has an almost folded-accordion look to it.
Next, I made the Greystone hat with my first Bare Naked Knitspot club yarn. The yarn is Kent Worsted (60% Merino/40% Romney wool) in the Driftwood colorway. I love this color...completely from undyed natural wools. It's a beautiful blend of browns and greys with a great sheen. The texture seemed a bit rustic at first but softened up considerably after a soak and blocking.
The cables look great in this yarn, don't you think?
Finally, our good friends back in Maryland were about to celebrate the first birthday of their daughter, and I knew I had to make her something special. She is the lucky recipient of my Baby Girl Blanket and Sproutlette Dress, so I had to top myself, you know? Enter the Tulips Cardigan pattern...simple and practical, yet oh-so-cute and in such beautiful colors! The Coldwater Yarns online shop has a great selection of kits in different color themes...I chose the Anita's Rainbow kit. The kit comes with enough yarn of each color (9 colors in all!) to make the cardigan...so you don't have to buy full skeins of each. The yarn is Dream in Color Classy, which is a worsted superwash wool. The colors are amazing...not boring solids but beautiful and rich and complex.
(Note the picture above is pre-blocking) Various project notes on Ravelry for this pattern indicated that the cardigan runs small, so I made the 24-month size and also modified the pattern to have 10 rows in each color vs. only 8 rows. Luckily I didn't run out of yarn!
Isn't she adorable? And don't the colors look perfect on her?
I currently have another pair of socks on the needles, as well as my first project using lace yarn. My brain is already two or three projects ahead and I can't wait for my next club packages to arrive!
Happy knitting!
Ravelry project links:Bernadette MonkeyMonkey SqualorGreystone: The Legend of RomneyBirthday Tulips
JD has been "gettin healthy" in 2014 and so far the results are amazing...he's lost 20 pounds and his cholesterol dropped from over 200 to 134! We're basically going with a plant based, whole-foods diet. This recipe was a great find, and with our modifications, it's been a favorite for both of us.
The flavor in this chili is amazing...smoky and rich and with just the right amount of heat and bite. You won't even miss the meat!
Vegetarian 3-Bean Chiliadapted from blog.fatfreevegan.com
2 large onions, chopped2 large bell peppers (red and yellow), chopped6 cloves garlic, minced1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained4-6 cups vegetable stock (preferably salt free)2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder1 tablespoon cocoa powder2 teaspoons smoked paprikaa few dashes of Cholula sauce2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, with juice1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsedsalt and pepper to taste
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and dry-saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add diced bell peppers and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 more minute.
Add beans, 4 cups broth, spices, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add more broth if chili seems too thick/dry for your tastes. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for at least 1 hour.
Taste and add salt, pepper, and more Cholula or chili powder if necessary. Add corn and quinoa, stir and cover.
Simmer for another 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!
I'm off to a great start for 2014!
In January, I completed 3 projects...my Charades in the Acid Rain socks, Sweet Rizzo hat, and Mars Attacks! socks.
For my first pair of socks, I used my Giftapalooza yarn from indigodragonfly...the colorway is called "Acid Reindeer" and it's a beautiful mix of rich blues and violets in the MCN Sock base. I didn't want to make a boring stockinette sock, but I also didn't want to make anything too complicated for my first sock project, so the Charade design was a great choice. Plus it's a free pattern!
Then I went on to use my December club yarn, also from indigodragonfly...Merino Silk DK with the aweseome name of "Light The Lamp, Not The Rat!". This is one of those colors that I probably never would have chosen myself, but once I received the package I fell in love with the shiny spun gold...it looks like it's glowing! This is why I join this club...so I get to try new colors and yarn bases and get me out of my comfort zone.
In case anyone is confused about the color name...here is a link to the inspiration from the holiday classic "A Muppet Christmas Carol"...I love Rizzo!
The Sweet William pattern was already in my queue and I thought it was a perfect match for the yarn and the gorgeous color. This is the first hat I made for myself, and I love it. It's much warmer than you would think so it has been a regular fixture in my bundling-up routine each morning.
Finally, I tackled another pair of socks. This time, I wanted to try Susan B. Anderson's simple stockinette sock design, and used Wisdom Yarns Saki Silk in the "Mystery Mars" colorway. Blues and greens mix with orange for a fun, random-stripe look. I got the yarn from Webs when I ordered my sock blockers (I needed something to add to the cart to get free shipping) and I liked it even more than I had hoped. Very soft and easy to knit with, and I can tell they will wear well with very little pilling.
At the moment, I am working on several monkey-related projects (can't wait to share pictures!) and hope to finish my CustomFit cardigan soon as well. My first Bare Naked Knitspot club shipment should arrive any day now, as well as my next indigodragonfly club package, so I will have no shortage of goodies to fondle and get on the needles. Good thing, since it looks like spring will never come!
One particularly cold morning this month...
2013 was my first full year of knitting, and I was surprised when I checked my Ravelry projects page and found that I completed 15+ projects in 2013...I had no idea I had completed so much!
As for 2014, I can already tell that this will be the Year of the Sock. I finally tackled my first pair of socks in the last week of December, and I absolutely love knitting them. I have so many new sock patterns in my Ravelry favorites it's getting ridiculous...if I didn't knit anything but socks this year I still couldn't finish them all. Here's a hint of my first sock project...full pictures to come when they are finished.
I plan to renew my membership in the indigodragonfly Smart Ass Knitters club when it comes up in February...can't wait to see what Kim and Ron come up with in the new year! In addition, I have signed up for the Bare Naked Knitspot club for 2014. Anne Hanson's patterns are so beautiful...classic without being boring, and I love the idea of natural fibers in their undyed state, so I can't wait for that first shipment as well.
One phobia I hope to overcome this year is my aversion to seamed sweaters. I have never been one for sewing, and the idea of having to assemble pieces to complete a sweater has always scared me off. But with Amy Herzog's new CustomFit program, I am challenging myself to get over this fear and just do it. It has really helped me to read Amy's blog and participate in the various Ravelry discussion boards for the CustomFit program. Amy emphasizes the idea that you are Making Clothing and not just random knitting. Real clothing should be properly constructed (i.e. in pieces and seamed) and be an integral part of your wardrobe. I have nearly all the pieces completed on my first CustomFit sweater...an open-front cardigan. With any luck, my first seamed project will be completed by the end of this month!
Finally, I hope to connect with more knitters in 2014. Not just on Ravelry, but in person and more regularly. I plan to attend my LYS knit nights and other events whenever possible, and there are a few fiber-related events that are on my calendar for 2014: Toronto Knitter's Frolic in April, Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in May, and maybe even Rhinebeck!
So that's my wrap-up of 2013 and plans for 2014...what projects did you complete this past year? Any exciting goals for 2014?
This is, hands down, the most beautiful thing I have ever created. I've made some pretty desserts and fine-looking main dishes, and I was very happy with my Left Bank Cardigan and fingerless mitts, but this by far surpasses them all. Can you believe I made this myself???
I discovered this pattern back in March, when I had only been knitting for a few months. I drooled over it and favorited it in Ravelry, and even went ahead and purchased the pattern, but I don't think I really believed that it would be something I could, or would ever, be able to make. A few months later, indigodragonfly released a special edition colorway in their Merino Silk 4-ply Sock base that I thought would be perfect for this project, so I splurged and bought the yarn, and soon after found just the right beads. The pattern and the yarn sat, waiting patiently, in the background while I continued to work on simpler projects and gained confidence in my knitting.
Towards the end of September, I decided I was ready, and with one false start, cast on (509 stitches!) on September 29. And surprise, LilyGo's pattern is so well written that I really didn't have any problems at all. I just kept plugging away, learned how to read my work and made sure the stitch counts were right after each repeat and the end of each row. Slowly but surely, the gorgeous design started to emerge. I was driving poor JD nuts every night, insisting on showing him my work in progress as soon as I finished a section, but I couldn't help it!
A little over a month later (much sooner than I had expected), my shawl was finished. A good soak and careful pinning later, and I was holding my greatest knitting achievement (so far!). I really felt that I had done LilyGo's wonderful pattern justice. The yarn is perfect...gorgeous colors and with the sheen of the silk and the drape of the wool it really shows the design well.
The lesson here? Don't assume something is too difficult or out of your reach...make a goal and work towards achieving it. It was great having this as a "dream project" on my radar for this past year. Every time I looked at it, the goal seemed more real and more achievable. The pattern became less complex as I learned more and more with my other projects. I'm so glad I took the plunge!
About the name...the pattern is called Princess and the Pea (see those pea pods throughout the design?) and the colorway is Canoe Up To The Beer Store (there was severe flooding in an area of Canada this past spring and indigodragonfly was donating money from the sale of this yarn to help those affected) so I came up with The Princess and the Canoe.
Thank you thank you so much to indigodragonfly for coming up with such wonderful yarn and colors, and BIG thanks to LilyGo for designing such a beautiful pattern that is written so well and is easy to follow!!!
Link to my Ravelry project page here.
I'm looking out at a gorgeous Ohio fall Sunday...bright sunshine, cool crisp air and falling leaves. And football on the TV. Life is good.
These muffins are the perfect treat for a late-October weekend.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffinsadapted from The Loopy Ewe
Filling:8 ounces cream cheese1 cup powdered sugar
Topping:1/2 cup sugar5 tablespoons flour1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
Muffins:3 cups flour1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon nutmeg1 teaspoon ground cloves1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking soda4 eggs2 cups sugar2 cups pumpkin puree1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
Beat together cream cheese and powdered sugar until well combined. Scrape onto piece of plastic wrap and form into a log, 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in freezer for at least 2 hours.
Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl. Mix with clean hands or two forks until crumbly. Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins, or use paper liners.
In large bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until well blended. Add all of the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Do not overmix.
Slice cream cheese log into 24 equal pieces.
Put a small amount (barely 1 tablespoon) of batter in each muffin tin well. Top with piece of cream cheese mixture, then spoon batter on top, completely covering the cream cheese. Sprinkle each muffin with topping.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for a few minutes before serving. Makes 24 muffins.


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Oil and gas operations and iron ore ports are being shut as the West Australia coast braces for its fourth tropical cyclone this year. A severe cyclone warning is current for coastal areas from Mardie to Wallal, and Pilbara communities are being warned to take precautions.
FYI: Cyclone Preparadness
Tropical Storms
Cyclone Becky - A tropical cyclone, that has formed northwest of Vanuatu, is now expected to affect land areas as early as this afternoon. Cyclone Becky is moving East-Southeast, bringing gale force winds to the Banks group and extending over Sanma and Penama tonight. Winds are estimated to increase to 55 knots. The sea will be rough with heavy swells. "People including sea going vessels are strongly advised not to go out to sea until the system moves out of the area. Heavy rainfall and flooding, including coastal flooding is expected in the affected areas."
Distributed by: Skywatch-Media: Earth News & Events That Affect Us All


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We welcome expressions of opinion, but it's important your contributions add value to the community and promote positivity. So don't post anything that may be seen as obscene, offensive, derogatory or malicious. The purpose of these online communities is to share and inspire, and not to discourage. Be open-minded and remember that not everyone will necessarily agree with you.
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Think about what you're saying and where you're saying it, and ask yourself if it's relevant. Users are not permitted to post commercial messaging of any kind. This includes spam and marketing messaging, as well as content protected by copyright or trademark.
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Every now and then, something comes along too good to keep quiet. When this happens, Bank of Melbourne and Westpac may reproduce your comments to promote Bank of Melbourne or for training and other business purposes. Commenting on the site means that you understand this and give permission for your content to be used, distributed, changed and displayed in any way and in any medium as we see fit.
If any comments you make go against these guidelines, we reserve the right to delete them. We also reserve the right to block any user at any time, with or without notice, and for any reason, if we feel they are not adhering to the guidelines.
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Here in South Texas,
"We're moving away from one-size-fits-all," said Jon Gary Herrera, a
Some of Time Warner Cable's competitors are moving the same way, slowly but surely, toward tiers of pricing for higher speeds and bigger amounts of broadband at home, mimicking the wireless industry's much-maligned pricing plans. The strategy, called usage-based billing, is advantageous for the companies that control the digital pipelines. But it may be detrimental for customers who are watching more and more video on the Web every month, as well as companies like
Executives at cable and broadband providers dispute that by saying it is in their interest to make broadband a must-have product. "The exploding growth of online video usage undercuts any argument that cable is standing in the way of this business," said Brian Dietz, a spokesman for the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the industry's trade group.Continue reading the main story
But some government officials aren't so sure. The Justice Department's antitrust lawyers are conducting an investigation into the cable industry's treatment of online video companies with an eye toward deterring anticompetitive behavior. Some analysts say the investigation could, perhaps counterintuitively, accelerate the move to usage-based billing.
As online video use soars, customers just want faster and better broadband service, and they complain (online, naturally) when Web pages or videos take too long to load. Kate Miller, a Time Warner Cable customer in Utica, N.Y., said her 2-year-old daughter Jane has already learned the word "buffering."
"Elmo," Ms. Miller said, "was never meant to buffer."
There's a clash between what users expect from broadband service and what is actually delivered to them, said Chris Balfe, the president of
Usage-based billing is seen by some as a fairer alternative to broadband caps, a term most closely associated with
Comcast said this spring that it would start to test usage-based billing. "Our network is not an infinite resource, and it is expensive to expand it," David L. Cohen, a Comcast executive, said at the time.
Along with news and entertainment, the futures of entire industries — commerce, health care and transportation — are being built atop a broadband foundation. Companies big and small are coming up with ways to get faster broadband to more people; many people believe that broadband speeds will inevitably improve as time goes on, just as computer chip speeds have.
But others say that the marketplace lacks sufficient competition, which keeps the price of broadband — a high-margin product — higher than it otherwise would be. They wonder whether strategies like usage-based billing will worsen what is already an economic barrier for some Americans. "It's like locking the doors to the library," said Nicholas Longo, the director of Geekdom, a new collaborative work space for small companies in San Antonio.
Geekdom will pay almost any price for reliable broadband — that's a critical piece of what it sells to start-ups that pay for work space. But some of the start-ups fear that changes to broadband pricing will tamp down consumer demand for the new products they're conceiving and testing.
"If we had an unlimited pipe, there's so much more we could do," said Yuri Zapuchlak, a co-founder of Vidmaker, a video editing tool that exists "in the cloud," meaning that the videos are uploaded and downloaded from the Internet in real time. For now, the Vidmaker software works around the limits of wireless and wired Internet access by breaking off the chunks of video that are going to be edited and uploading only those chunks.
Time Warner Cable started testing usage-based billing in San Antonio four months ago by offering the $5 discount to lighter users. Customer service representatives at a suburban call center are now trained to ask new customers about how they use the Web; once uses (listed on a work sheet) like "Internet gaming," "watching TV/movie clips" or "video chat" are mentioned, callers are steered toward a pricing plan with unlimited bandwidth.
For now, unlike the 5-gigabyte plan, the unlimited plans have no overage charges. But the provider, and others like it, could change the pricing plans if many people begin to drop cable TV— essentially making up for losses on the television side by making broadband more expensive.
Such changes to pricing, if they occur, would happen gradually and carefully, executives say privately. But they are already working to change consumer expectations. Suddenlink, a home broadband provider in 18 states, sells usage-based plans tied to speeds, so customers who choose faster, pricier broadband speeds also have more bandwidth to use. The company calls them "allowance plans."
One of Comcast's tests will be structured that way. In another test, customers will get a monthly allotment of 300 gigabytes a month (enough for roughly 100 movies) and will pay more for additional "blocks."
The Netflixes of the world are wary of these moves, though there may be little they can do. Concerns about both caps and usage-based billing have already caused one would-be online video competitor,
Dish Network and other companies have been preparing plans for similar bundles, which could help cause the so-called unbundling of television that consumer advocates have dreamed about for decades. But "these guys have the pipe and the bandwidth," said a Sony Network Entertainment executive, Michael Aragon, referring to cable and broadband providers, while speaking at a meeting sponsored by Variety in April.
Still, Mr. Aragon added, "We do believe there's a business model out there."Continue reading the main story


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GoodDay, I am Barrister DAVIDSON WELSH,(Solicitor at law) and Personal Attorney to Late Engr.Thomas Henderson,A National of your country, who used to work with Shell Development Company as the Chief Engineer. On the 2nd of may 2004, My Client with his wife And their two children were involved in a fatal car accident along Lagos Epe Express Road in Nigeria. All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives, Since then I have made several enquiries to their embassy to locate any of my client's extended relatives, this effort has been unsuccessful. After several attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet, to locate any member of his family but to no avail hence my mail to you is to assist in repatriating the money that belongs to my client before it is confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge deposit was lodged. My Particular interest is in Bank where My client had an account valued at 15.5 Million United States Dollars.The Bank has issued me a notice to provide the next-of-kin or have the account confiscated within the next thirty official working days. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over two years, I am seeking your consent to present you as the next of kin to my client, so that the proceeds of this account,valued $15.5M can be paid into your account. You should not worry about the different names between you and my client.I will present you as a relative For your assistance, you shall becompensated with 30% of the fund while 5% should be for expenses or tax as your government may require. I will appreciate that you forward the following information so that we can proceed immediately with the processing of the transfer to the account you shall provide. Your fullname and address/telephone and fax numbers, you can open a new Account All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us have this transaction accomplished. It is worthy to note that due to the nature of this transaction absolute confidentiality is required during the course of this transaction and when the fund has been remitted into your nominated account.However,I demand absolute sincerity. Best regards, DAVIDSON WELSH REPLY-EMAIL:firstname.lastname@example.com
What Is This?This Email with the Subject "CAN YOU BE NEXT OF KIN" was received in one of Scamdex's honeypot email accounts on Sat, 09 Dec 2006 07:44:39 -0800 and has been classified as a Advance Fee Fraud/419 Scam Email. The sender shows as BARR DAVIDSON WELSH <firstname.lastname@example.com>, although that address was probably spoofed. We recommend that you do not attempt to contact any persons or organizations referenced in this email, as you may expose yourself to scammers and, at the very least, you will be added to their email address lists for spam purposes.


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Ray Athey
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Great while it lastsIt was fun to use even after it broke, and wrapping it in tape. It's not a horrible product, just not a great one. It can be used after it breaks, only if the leather tip does not come completely off. You will notice the leather start to crack after a few short uses most likely.
Looks nice, sturdy handle.
It breaks extremely fast, flimsy crop tip
This crop is made for light BDSM play. It can be used for spanking various parts of the body, and is also quite useful just for aesthetics/role play. Mostly we use it for the latter and i'll explain why in the performance section of this review.
Design / Craftsmanship / Size / Material / Features
The crop is slightly over 2 feet long and looks quite stunning. It has a comfortable rubber black handle which is ribbed with circles for a secure grip. I'm not sure what the neck of the toy is made of, but it's coated in a lovely bright red thread which gives the crop a vibrant clashing red and black look. It is the type of thing I would expect to find in a fetish dungeon. The top of the crop is made of leather, and feels rigid and sturdy. However, I soon discovered it was anything but.
At first I was extremely pleased with my choice. I enjoyed the lightweight, yet sturdy and firm feel the crop had. Unfortunately after 4 or 5 spanks the leather tip of the crop started to crack and nearly fell apart. To even make this instrument usable in the future, I had to wrap it in duct tape all around the leather crop tip to hold it together. Even now I don't use the product very hard for fear that it will fall apart. It was nice for the 2 minutes it lasted, but disappointingly flimsy and fragile on the top. I will say it is useful for light play, perhaps medium if wrapped in duct tape. It would make a decent cane as the middle of the crop is fairly sturdy and painful, as well as leaves sexy marks. I do however think due to the aesthetically pleasing red and black look this crop has, it would be excellent for a costume, photo shoot, video, or role play. Unfortunately that's all it's really good for aside from light, (very light) play.
Care and Maintenance
This product will most likely not need to be cared for or maintained. If you really do need to clean it, you could use the old fashioned soap and water method. You may need duct tape to repair the crop top after the leather tip breaks, which it probably will for most serious, intermediate, or beginning users to BDSM.
It only came with a plastic bag around it, it had no instructions.
Personal comments
I'd advise getting a stronger crop or different flogging toy, it was disappointing how quickly it broke. Unless you plan on using it for looks only or extremely light play, don't waste your money on this particular product.
Follow-up commentary 21 days after original review
Despite the fact that the crop's tip is broken, we have been using it more and more than we originally thought we would, especially due to the crop tip breaking during the first time we used it. If you use it as a cane it works quite well.
This product was provided at a discounted price in exchange for an unbiased review. This review is in compliance with the FTC guidelines.
Ergh that is a poor quality if it cracks at all let alone after just a few swats! Thanks for revieing this one...it looks so cute, it's a shame it's not better quality.
WOW! I cannot believe this broke so soon. What a disappointment. For BDSM products, I would completely expect durable materials. That's just yuck that this was made so cheaply. Thank you for the very informative review!
Broke after 2 min?? I'll pass.
Good review. Too bad it's built so poorly
Good review.
Great review!! Would love to have it.
Yeah it sucks it fell apart so quickly. By actually looking at it once you receive it you wouldn't think it would fall apart. While I held it in my hands it felt very sturdy but once I put it to use it was nothing like what I had expected. Comes to show appearances can lie even when the item is in your hands.
Thanks for the review.
Thanks for the great review! Good to know the quality isn't all that great.
Great review!
Good review...
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Attractions, shopping, outdoor activities - everything you want to do and see in Didim is easily accessible - within walking distance, a short drive Didim is known for being a very walkable city with a compact downtown core, so you'll likely find many of the places you want to go are just a short walk from your hotel. Visit our Maps section to help plan your route. Taxis are plentiful and can be hailed on the street, as well as found at designated stands, and called for pick-up. If you prefer to drive yourself around, you'll find that most major car rental companies have offices in Didim. Parking is available at most hotels, and is easy to find around most attractions. Visit our Transit System page for more information about using Didim public transportation system to get around. Visit our page to explore other modes of getting around in Didim. Search below to find listing for taxi companies, car and RV rentals.
Turkey has come a long way from medieval practices and has flourished into a leading medical and healthcare region for Europe and a top competitor with even the US. They have low costs and excellent quality facilities, treatments, and technology making them an excellent place to receive top rate health care. Their doctors are usually trained abroad and a lot holding certification from the US. Being an EU candidate for membership they consistently uphold their standards of healthcare. If you're travelling to Turkey be assured you will receive some of the best care and will be treated by some of the best trained doctors in the country. In short, if you have to be sick, Turkey is a great place to be sick.
A heterogeneous traffic mix that includes high-speed vehicles sharing the road space with vulnerable road users as well as unsafe road infrastructure and vehicles that are in poor condition all contribute to the high fatality rates seen on Didim's roads.
Share your reviews with other users for Road Safety and help to improve this guide.


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Listen: Arcade Fire Offer Two New Songs For 'The Hunger Games'
Arcade Fire have contributed two original compositions to The Hunger Games film that's commanded the attention of the nation in recent days.
The Régine-centered "Abraham's Daughter" and an orchestral composition called "Horn of Plenty" are now available for listening below, as well as at ArcadeFireTube's Facebook page.
Horn of Plenty:
Abraham's Daughter:
Discussing the orchestral track with EW, frontman Win Butler said "We were interested in making music that would be more integral in the movie, just as a mental exercise. And there's an anthem that runs throughout the books, the national anthem of the fascist Capitol. So as a thought experiment, we tried to write what that might sound like. It's like the Capitol's idea of itself, basically. It's not a pop song or anything– more of an anthem that could be playing at a big sporting event like the Games. So we did a structure for that, and then James Newton Howard made a movie-score version of it that happens in several places in the film."
"Horn of Plenty" does not appear on the film's soundtrack. The Hunger Games is now playing in theaters nationwide.
Photo: Johnny Firecloud


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I wish I had an never ending amount of money love WV this dress is awesome gorgeous colours and shape xoxo
I love Vivienne Westwood's stuff too C:nice dress!
Wow, it is simply stunning!*Nathalie
There's a very similiar dress in All Saints to this, and less than half the price... but I would rather have the Viv :) xxx
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Pregnant at 26 weeks
Top & hair clip: Anthropologie | Skirt: h&m | Heels & earrings: Nordstrom | Purse: Vintage
Jenny- my future sister in law!
Sorry I sorta disappeared from blogging for a week or so..
Just taking a little break and enjoying spring.
We went to California last weekend for my brother in laws engagement party.
And then I decided to stay back with my son for the remaining week.
We had such a wonderful time soaking up the hot sun in Sacramento California.
I cant wait to share more memories with you!


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One of the most known parables of Jesus is the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. This parable speaks about the love and the heart of God the Father. It is great to know that God will always receive us with open arms.
'My son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' – Luke 15:24
To a far country
Jesus told a story about a man with two sons. One day the younger one said to his father: 'Dad, give me my share of the estate. I have no desire to work on the farm with you any longer. I want to taste the things of the world.' Reluctantly his father gave him his share of the estate. Then he packed his possessions and traveled to a far county. There he began to party. And when you have a lot of money, you have many friends around you. He squandered all his money, his entire possessions, with friends, prostitutes, liquor, partying, etc. Until the moment came that he spent all of his money.
With the pigs
At that very moment the country was struck by a severe famine. This he did not foresee. Many people think that when everything goes well in their lives, it will remain so. But make no mistake: in one day the whole situation can turn around and you can lose everything you have. This combination of circumstances caused the young man to have a major problem. He searched for a job and found one on a farm, where he took care of pigs. He was so hungry that he longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating. Let me tell you: the food of a horse or cow is delicious compared to the food of a pig. When you are even willing to eat pig food, then you must be terribly hungry. But the Bible says: 'No one gave him anything.'
Back to the father
While he sat there with the pigs, his thoughts went back to the time he was at home with his father. Suddenly he came to his senses. He thought: 'What a fool I've been. I thought that everything would be better in the world. But here I am sitting with the pigs. I have nothing left, while the servants of my father have food to spare. I had that too, but I gave it all up. If this young man had remained seated and only thought about his past and his present situation, he would have died there. His rescue did not go automatically. But he thought: 'You know what? I will get up and go back to my father. I will say to him: 'Father, I have sinned. I have made a mistake. Make me like one of your hired servants. As long as I may come back to you.'
The young man made the decision to get up and set out to the house of his father. Do you know what I love about this story? The father was daily on the watch to see if his son would come back. His father saw him from afar. He could smell his son a mile off and his clothes looked terrible, but the father did not care. The father ran towards him, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said: 'Father, I have sinned and I am no longer worthy to be called your son…' But the father interrupted him and said: 'My son, I am so happy you are back!' He said to his servants: 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'
God's love for you
The heavenly Father, the Creator of heaven and earth, your Maker, loves you so much that He looks for you every day. He waits for the moment that you will come back to Him. He has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to die for all your sins. The only thing you have to do, is accept His gift of grace. Make the decision today to come back to Him. He will receive you with open arms! Activate your faith today. Put your hand on your heart as an act of faith and let us pray together:
'Father in heaven, You are a good, loving God. Like the prodigal son, I make the decision today to get up and come back to You. Father, I have sinned and I repent of my sins. Accept me as Your child. Thank You that You will always receive me with open arms. Thank You that You are the same, yesterday, today and forever. At this moment let Your power go out to save, redeem, deliver and heal. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen!'


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You could use the LEGO Steel Balls as a third wheel on the robot. It is a caster wheel. But this is steel and as we know from basic existence on this planet, where there is steel there is also rust. The steel ball could get quite rusty and this could have an influence on the behaviour of the robot
- #650
- 09 Jan 2018
- 2:02
Rust on the steel ball
Check your steel ball. If it is very rust try to replace it or to remove the rust. If it is rusty there is more traction between the ball and the plastic "container" of the ball.
Five Minute Bot
Building instructions for a LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Robot that we call the Five Minute Bot because it could be built in Five Minutes.
In this video I would like to discuss a question and to give an answer to a question that we receive very often and this is about the importance of these steel balls - the castor wheels of your robot and how they influence the movement of the robot. It is quite challenging for me to capture this difference between the two steel balls on a camera and that's why I'm going to discuss this with you. When you buy these steel balls they come brand new and they are very smooth. And this one here is an example. When you move with this there is almost no sound
while if you use an older one, it gets more rusty and if you move this ball, you hear a sound.
Let me try to move it closer to the mine and to see if there is a difference. First, I'll move the smoother one
and now the rusty one.
It's difficult to capture this but if this steel ball is very rusty, what happens is that it will have some influence of the movement of the robot. So, you should always check them and make sure that these are not very rusty.
Lessons with this tutorial
This tutorial is used in the following lessons
Moving Straight with LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robots / Understanding the issues with moving straight
- Importance of the caster ball on the LEGO Mindstorms robot movement


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Our job is to make your job easier.
Since 2004, Healthcare Select Workers Compensation Group Self-Insured Program has provided what has proven to be premier workers compensation coverage to a select group of healthcare facilities in Minnesota. With the assistance of HCIS, a group of facilities formed Healthcare Select, a program governed by the group's membership, not some faraway insurance company. In so doing, a program was created where a member's annual cost is determined by their own claims, not outside market pressure.
Healthcare Select is a group self insured program. As with any such program, there are risks and rewards. The rewards are numerous, including possible dividends, increased input in claim handling, peer group safety forums, rate setting and most of all, self governance. The board manages the associated risks through guidelines for membership, effective underwriting, the purchase of excess insurance and aggressive claim handling and loss control.
It's much more than just workers compensation coverage. It's workers compensation coverage where you control the cost, the risk and the reward.
Healthcare Select Features
Tailored Loss Control, Safety and Claim Services
Assured Availability
Lower Costs
Cost Stability
Loss Control
Peer Group Safety Forum
Superior Claim Service
Excess Insurance
Program Oversight
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Risk Management Services


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GE3S.org- The Green Building Consultant Company
It is the only global company that offers global solutions in materials and counseling for Green Building Consultancy.
It's a comprehensive range of innovative, clean and efficient energy products used for the implementation of a new, dynamic building philosophy, support conservation and human health.
The basis of the philosophy Green Building, which the company GE3S governing its activities, the guarantee of the use of environmentally friendly materials of the highest quality for the renovation or construction of buildings using techniques of sustainable development and in direct connection with the provision of health for residents. Indoor air quality, high levels of energy and environmental standards as well as healthy interiors in harmony with nature is essential conditions for a good mood in our homes. GE3S Company focuses mainly on integrating the various aspects of everyday life Green Building man to ever higher levels of environmental awareness and the growing environmental perception.
With the participation of the company GE3S the designers and contractors can become creators construction of new generation, characterized by higher housing standards and greater respect for the environment.
Our products are characterized by excellent quality and efficiency.
Professional service we provide on construction sites, maintenance and restoration of buildings, as well as advice tailored mean that because of aesthetic design, implementation, and also with solutions that provide comfort population, our house is an ideal place for life.
Green Building Consultant choice also means putting advanced technologies developed on the basis of the results of research work into practice to fully experience GE3S products intended for ecological construction and providing guarantees spectacular results. Our commitment to maintaining standards Green Building is reflected in respecting the environment, quality of life for building occupants, and also in reducing energy consumption.
This is the way GE3S Company - a world leader in solutions for Green Building - intends to promote worldwide better living conditions. Ecological style building means better living conditions, better quality housing.
Detail us: http://www.ge3s.org


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"I could…if you'd stop yelling at me when I chase him."
"I do it for your own good."
"Yeah, he's pointy on all ends but the tail…I really want to grab the tail."
"No, buddy, when have I ever let you walk without it? Same as yesterday."
"But mom…I can't catch the bunnies with the leash on."
"Clyde, you couldn't catch the bunnies with a jet pack on."
"Yeah, you're probably right. Can I have cat food for breakfast?"
"Good, but make sure he watches me eat it." (licks lips)
"And give me my share first because Bailey's a pig."
"Don't say that too loud."
Who are some of your favorite real-life characters?


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Monday, June 21, 2010
Solving BP's oil mess with crowdsourcing
A crowdsourcing approach is being considered by the Environmental Protection Agency EPA of the US to help mitigate the effects of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by the oil Giant Bharat Petroleum(BP). According to the BBC, thousands of suggestions have been sent to the EPA website for review by experts. Crowdsourcing is an approach usually taken by companies or organizations to distribute problem-solving assignments to a group of people, known or unknown.
Some of the ideas shared on the bbc website can be found here. I think crowdsourcing is an approach governing bodies can use to involve the citizenry and gather brilliant suggestions from people with experience in a particular field. What is even more interesting about this approach is that, such information can be obtained for free;in the case of the BP crowdsourcing approach, the EPA has warned it will not accept information claimed as confidential business information (CBI).
I would love to put forward this suggestion to the local governing bodies in Ghana especially to create a platform that will allow the citizens to share their suggestions especially in national crisis. I am sure with this approach, it wont be long before we find a solution to the perennial floods in the capital, Accra.
Author Edward of PathGhana at 5:29 PM
Labels: bbc, BP, Crowdsourcing, oil spillage
2 comments:
- jacqueline said...
hmmm,i think ghana will definately benift from ur suggestion "crowdsourcing" ....if its being put into considaration.
- June 23, 2010 at 8:37 AM
- Crowd Sourcing said...
Great ideas and your blog is nice. You have defined the good use of crowdsourcing, it is an approach usually taken by companies or organizations to distribute problem-solving assignments to a group of people, known or unknown. You can also share your ideas on Crowdsourcing
Thanks and Regards
- July 7, 2011 at 8:07 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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There is a complete copy of Star Wars done entirely in ASCII characters that you can watch in theWindows operating system (or any OS that supports telnet). The only thing required to watch it is an internet connection; speed does not matter.
To watch it on Windows XP,
- Go to Start, Run.
- Now type "telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl" without the quotes and press Enter.
On Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista
Telnet is turned off by default in the latest versions of Windows. So, in order to watch star wars, you must first enable telnet by going to Control Panel › Programs › Turn Windows Feature On or Off and ticking both the telnet check boxes. After doing that, follow the steps given below:-
- Go to Start, Search in Windows Vista and Windows 7. On Windows 8, open the main Start page.
- Type telnet and press Enter.
- In the following command prompt window, type "o" without quotes and press Enter.
- Now type "towel.blinkenlights.nl" without the quotes and press Enter.
A command prompt window like the one in the image will open with the movie being played in it. See the movie yourself. Did you enjoy watching this new version of Star Wars? Well, I did and know it for sure that you would have too.


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I can't complain, because I spent most to this past week on boats, haha.
But I did miss Thanksgiving in the States and I wish I'd been there to celebrate with all my friends.
Last year I celebrated Thanksgiving in Paris which was awesome, hopefully I'll have a great celebration again next year!
Next stop in the humid and hot north-east of Oz, Atheron Tablelands and Cairns.
(1) beautiful lunch on a boat for our host Claudia's birthday in Noosaville (2) Paddleboarding is SO fun, I think I'll take it up in Germany if I have the chance (3) homemade danishes for Claudia's birthday (4) bbq dinner (5) the Glass Mountains, very impressive, it's hard to capture there beauty on photo (6) pineapple & strawberry lunch, both perfectly ripe and sweet (7) my humble abode for a couple of days at Abel Point Marina in Airlie Beach (8) wonderful fresh juice with orange, carrot, celery, apple & ginger (9) budget lunch with fresh veggies, fruit and cheese (10) the flowers here in summer are gorgeous (11) a peek at the bay in Airlie Beach (12) sailing around the Whitsundays (13) beautiful view from the Whitsundays from this Mediterranean style swimming pool (house) at Shute Harbor (14) Whitehaven Beach on Hamilton Island, goes on for 7km and is said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world (15) coral reef life at the Marina (16) I cooked up a dessert as a thank you - fudgey chocolate cake with vanilla salted caramel sauce and mango and peach compote


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America needs Jesus. At Christmas time, the old American Christmas carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem, could not be any more appropriate for today. Phillips Brooks penned these words in 1868 following a trip to the Holy Land. After America had fought a terrible civil war, these words were like salve to a tired, war-torn nation in need of healing within and without. May these lyrics, once again, draw our hearts and minds to the very present Christ of Christmas.
"The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight"
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth!
How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv'n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav'n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.
O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!


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Competency Assessment
If you're going to spend money on business or staff development, it makes sense that you spend your money on the right initiatives and that those initiatives reap results that can be identified.
An internal appraisal no matter how comprehensive, will only give you limited information because only two people are involved. To make good decisions on developing your business and key people, you need better information.
To help you with this process we can now offer a series of feedback tools, which gather anonymous feedback from the people you work with, across the business so that you gain a broad spectrum of information before you make your decisions.
The main profiles are as follows: (for more details click on the logo).
Providing feedback on how well and individual leads.
Providing feedback on how well an individual coaches people or teams.
Provides feedback on how well a person manages relationships.
Provides feedback on how well sales people and sales teams are performing.
Provides feedback on how well a team feels they are working together.
Provides feedback to an individual sales person on their performance and behaviour.
Provides feedback on how well a business is dealing with change in the context of purpose, leadership, communication, responsiveness, and learning.
Provides feedback on the service that the team/business provides its customers.
provides feedback to organisations on the service levels being achieved by their IT department.
helps people to manage their own careers better, and to think through and focus on areas that need to be addressed before making a decision on a career change
Historically all of these areas have been difficult to measure and evaluate until now, and each of these profiles will identify the relevant issues so that you can create a plan to tackle them.
To find out more about any of the above profiles and how they could be applied to your situation, please feel free to contact us on 01636 629002 or at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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By Jeremy Bloomenthal, City-Yuwa Partners
On 18 October 2014, Young ICCA held a workshop in Tokyo, Japan together with the International Centre for Dispute Resolution's young arbitration practitioner group, ICDR Young & International. Approximately forty young professionals and students came together at the offices of Nishimura & Asahi. The event coincided with the beginning of the International Bar Association's Annual Conference. The program saw a prominent faculty address three main topics as follows:
Introduction by Moderator
Wendy Miles - Partner, Boies, Schiller & Flexner
Topic 1 - Getting into International Arbitration
Elaine Wong - Senior Associate, Herbert Smith Freehills
David MacArthur - Partner, Bae, Kim & Lee
Topic 2 - Getting a Grip on International Arbitration
Yutaro Kawabata - Senior Associate, Nishimura & Asahi
Nicholas Lingard - Senior Associate, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Topic 3 - Getting Ahead in International Arbitration
Yoshimi Ohara - Partner, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu
Helena Chen - Partner, Pinsent Masons
Participants and faculty were seated in a circle as if for a fireside chat. After a warm welcome and opening remarks by the organizers of the event, Wendy Miles kicked off the workshop, recounting how her earlier studies in public international law and her worldly adventures led to being hired by Gary Born and becoming instantly immersed in the field of international arbitration.
The discussion corresponded roughly to the sequence of the three topics above, which were illustrated by numerous concrete examples, personal anecdotes, and down-to-earth advice from faculty and participants alike. Many useful lessons could be distilled from the dialogue.
On "getting into" and "getting a grip on" arbitration:
On "getting ahead" in arbitration:
Wendy Miles delivered further remarks to conclude the workshop, and participants expressed their gratitude to the faculty for conveying such interesting, personal stories.
The workshop was followed by a networking event at a Japanese restaurant where approximately thirty people continued the conversation over drinks and a selection of Japanese foods. Later into the evening, a smaller group continued bonding over songs at a Japanese-style karaoke in one of Tokyo's most "happening" districts, Roppongi. The evening ended with a traditional Ippon-jime (a Japanese custom celebrating the success of an event by participants clapping their hands), and participants expressing their hope to meet again in the near future.
Generous support for the workshop was provided by, in alphabetical order, Baker & McKenzie, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills, the Japan Commercial Arbitration Association, Nishimura & Asahi, and White & Case as Platinum Sponsors, and the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre and Hughes Hubbard & Reed as Silver Sponsors.


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Car seat
January 27, 2011
Filed under Uncategorized
I learned my lesson today about reading and re-reading your car seat's manual. I thought I would be able to just raise the 'headrest'/back of my Wes's car seat (Evenflo Symphony) since he's getting close to being 1″ from the top. But NOPE, he has to be 1″ below it at the lowest setting unless he is forward-facing. I'm so glad I couldn't remember if the seat rear-faced until 30 or 35lbs, that's the only reason I re-read the manual and saved us from using the car seat improperly.
Unfortunately, this means Wes either will have to be forward-faced very soon (he's maybe 2″ from the top, but closer to the 1″ mark) or we have to buy a new car seat.
I've wanted a different seat because it's hard to lift him over the sides of his current one, plus we bought an older model and it does not rear-face as long as some other seats and it doesn't harness until 65lbs (which is recommended- this is when it converts to a booster, he won't be in a big seat at 65lbs like he is now).
Here's him in his current seat:
And the seat I'd like, a Radian XTSL. It has a tall back, rear-faces until 45lbs and has lower sides so hopefully I wouldn't catch Wes' legs all the time.
January 18, 2011
Filed under Uncategorized
Wes has constantly been in Quinn' food and water bowls, and the big food container. He likes to grab handfuls and throw it in the air like confetti. Really wishing we would have gotten him this for Christmas or his birthday and set it up indoor for winter.
January 16, 2011
Filed under Uncategorized
Wes told me he wants this: http://www.etsy.com/listing/62860576/moose-a-moose-tee-for-toddler-or-baby?ref=sr_gallery_7&ga_search_query=moose+a.+moose&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=1&order=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title&show_panel=true
He told me by pointing and starting to dance when he saw it. 🙂
And for random pictures…
My car said it 7 outside…Wes disagreed:
Breaded in wheat germ, Steve didn't even notice it wasn't breadcrumbs:
Cold days = lots of time inside:
His new toy box:
Shutting daddy in the toybox box (Quinn also was in it a bit, Wes wasn't a fan):
Wordless Wednesday
January 14, 2011
Filed under Uncategorized
Noggin – Moose A. Moose "Everywhere I Go" Song
January 12, 2011
Filed under Uncategorized
Wes LOVES Moose A. Moose…and Zee, but mostly Moose.
January 11, 2011
Filed under Uncategorized
Watching Quinn outside. Any time he couldn't see her he'd go "Dah? Dah?" and look around for her. Dah = dog. 🙂
Wes, Quinn, and I played outside early in the day and shoveled the driveway. Well, I shoveled, Wes stood in the garage and watched me. He did clap a bit, so he was my little cheerleader.
Steve ended up getting home a bit early, so they went out to play and shovel.
Today it *feels* like -10, so no shoveling or playing outside. We will probably go to the library to get a break from the house- staying home all day makes for some LOOOONG days.
Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!
January 10, 2011
Filed under Uncategorized
The rest of the week in pictures (and a video)…
January 8, 2011
Filed under Uncategorized
Crazy kids:
Books read before breakfast one day:
Wes trying to be nice to Quinn…she's not so sure:
His hair is filling in, look at it standing up! 🙂
The shoes never stay on, thankful that his socks didn't end up in his mouth:
This is how he points, he was pointing at Moose A. Moose on the tv:
Knocking down a block tower yesterday while we waited for Steve to get home:
January 5, 2011
Filed under Uncategorized
What happened to our good eater? Wes use to eat anything and everything. Now, if it isn't a carb or cheese, he wants nothing to do with it.
He's surviving on: waffles with pb, quesadillas, grilled cheese, puffs, mommy milk, and water.
Sometimes he's willing to eat some YoToddler yogurt, which has fruit and cereal in it.
We've started giving him a bit of moo milk (obviously, cow's milk) so today I pureed a banana and gave him that at breakfast. At lunch I mixed some YoToddler in with a bit of milk. I still give him pieces of whole fruit, but at least he gets some nutrients in him even if he refuses to eat anything else.
With toddlers you're suppose to look at their whole week to see if they are getting all the food group requirements, so I'm trying not to worry too much.
12 month Stats
January 4, 2011
Filed under Uncategorized
Weight: 26lb 3oz
Length: 31″ (I think this is wrong)
Head: 48cm
90th percentile for all. 🙂
He only had 2 shots, we decided to delay the MMR and Varicella (chicken pox) vaccines. He's scheduled to go back at 15 months for them, not sure if we will though or wait a bit longer. If we wait longer then it throws off the rest of the vaccine schedule for the year. We don't mind, but the pediatrician's office we go to is very pro-vaccine so they like to stick as close to the schedule as possible.
Being Silly-
Just woke up, helping me cook dinner/having a snack-
It's been a struggle to get him to eat fruits/veggies the past couple weeks…dinner aftermath-