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Art is unfortunately one of the subjects that tends to get put on the back burner in our homeschool studies. Yet it is one of my son's favorite things to do! A while back we had the opportunity to review Home Art Studio DVDs-- a Homeschool Art Curriculum and it has since been a wonderful addition to our homeschool. There are many reasons my children and I have enjoyed the curriculum-- one being that since it is DVD based, so my son can watch it and do an art project any time he likes.
This Name Alien Art Project is one of the many art projects included in the 2nd grade DVD. It looked like such a fun, open-ended creative art project-- I had to join in, too! It is also a fun way to practice cursive writing; or if your child is not ready for cursive, write it for them. Or I suppose you could use print letters instead.
Fun Art Project for KidsFirst gather your supplies:
- white paper
- pencil {optional}
- sharpie marker
- colored pencils or crayons
To begin, fold your white piece of paper in half. With the closed edge at the bottom {edge closer to you}, you will write your name in cursive letters with a pencil {or eliminate this step and use a sharpie}.
With colored pencils or markers, add eyes, a nose, mouth, arms, legs, etc! to your alien. Bring it to life! Turns out to be a wonderful way to unleash creativity!
My son used the cursive T in his name and turned them into eyes. The space between the T and the Y became the alien's mouth. The L were the alien's arms. The letters E and R completed the alien's body and feet. So cool, huh?!
Hope you are inspired to add a little art to your day! Enjoy!
- Piet Mondrian Suncatcher Art
- Painting with Nature Process Art
- Seurat Style 4 Season Pointilism Project
- Monet
- Picasso
- Polluck
- Matisse Valentine's Day Art Project
- Van Gogh Starry Night Project
Kristina once thought of going into education, but changed her mind a few years in to her degree. Ironically, she now has her hands full as a homeschooling mother of four. With children of various ages from infant to 7, she shares a variety of educational and play activities for babies through elementary age children on School Time Snippets. Follow along on Facebook and Pinterest.


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Marie Ridder travelled to Finland in 1947 when she was a 21-year-old reporter to cover the post-war negotiations between Finland and the Soviet Union. Ms. Ridder came to Finland from Sweden and she was shocked to see the difference between the countries: Sweden had everything and Finland had nothing. We spoke with Ms. Ridder about her experience.
Ms. Ridder came to Sweden after World War II because her uncle was the CBS correspondent for the Nordic countries and based in Stockholm. Ms. Ridder wanted to travel to Finland to cover the post-war negotiations between Finland and the Soviet Union. The American Ambassador in Stockholm gave her his blessing, but warned that Finland was still recovering from the war and suggested she bring some bags of coffee to give to people.
When Ms. Ridder arrived in Finland she noticed that there was a lack of everything. The hotel she stayed in had paper sheets and there was hardly any food available. Ms. Ridder had a suitor, a young Finnish reporter, and he took her to a black market restaurant for a proper dinner. But despite the lack of everything, Ms. Ridder says that you could find pockets of beautiful things. She bought some Arabia coffee cups, and she still has the cups, 70 years after purchasing them.
An editor from a Finnish newspaper wanted to invite Ms. Ridder for dinner, but he didn't have any food to serve. In the end, the editor invited her for coffee and served her the coffee she had brought from Sweden. Ms. Ridder protested using the coffee on her. The editor responded that he would like to offer Ms. Ridder something that he was able to drink. Coffee was rationed in Finland until 1954.
Ms. Ridder says that only two American reporters covered the Finnish-Soviet negotiations – she and William Attwood, who later became the managing editor of Look magazine. Both she and Mr. Attwood were stunned that the Finnish negotiators were so brave. "What do I remember the most? The deprivations that the Finns already were suffering and that the Russians were trying to make even worse," Ms. Ridder says.
Since the first trip, Ms. Ridder has returned to Finland three times. She says it is remarkable how Finland rebounded in just ten years. After coming back to the U.S., Ms. Ridder has remained interested in Finland, and she has been friends with several Finnish Ambassadors in Washington, D.C.
Ms. Ridder spent most of her career working in journalism. She was Washington editor for Vogue, Mademoiselle and Glamour magazines, worked as a Washington correspondent for the Ridder and, later, Knight Ridder newspapers, and wrote for a wide variety of publications including The Washington Post and Boston Globe. She served as Deputy to the National Director of Project Head Start and Liaison to Mrs. Lyndon Johnson from 1964 to 1968. She ran for the Virginia House of Delegates in the early 1980's, and has been very active with various environmental organizations.

subset: commoncrawl


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honey whole wheat pizza crust1:19 AM
I don't mean to be a traitor, but I think I've found my favorite pizza crust recipe and it's not in Artisan Breads Every Day. I know...GASP! If you're new in these parts, Artisan Breads Every Day is like my absolute favorite bread cookbook in the whole world. However, I found a pizza crust recipe the other day that was incredibly easy (it even works at the last minute), had only whole wheat flour, and honey instead of sugar. Delicious and easy puts it at the top of my list. I made a half cheese, half pepperoni for the fam, but my favorite was the cheese, spinach, garlic, and rosemary (white) pizza. Delish!


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First and foremost, YAY for being halfway through!!! I cannot believe we're at the halfway mark. It's all sort of gone by ridiculously fast and painstakingly slow. When I'm in the moment, milestones that lie ahead seem soooo far away, yet when I look back at all we've accomplished – me and my little bug – it all seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye.
Our 20 week appointment this week was great. Same ol', same ol'. Weight…Check. (Yikes, by the way.) Blood pressure…Check. Pee in a cup…Check. Listen to the perfect sound of our little one's heartbeat…Check. Pull out my sheet of questions…Check. Reschedule in four weeks…Check and OH that-seems-too-far-away-are-you-SURE-you-don't-need-me-to-come-back-sooner?!
At this appointment we also turned in our registration cards for the Lamaze, breastfeeding, and infant CPR classes. How exciting! I remember at our 8 week appointment they told us we'd register for those classes around 20 weeks, and I thought that seemed eons away – but, here we are! Like I said, it's simultaneously a snail's pace and a racecar's pace.
Now, back to the first part of every doctor's appointment – the weight check. Dun dun dun. I feel like at every appointment Ryan Seacrest should be standing by the scale… "Dim the lights… it's time for the results." Any woman who has ever been pregnant knows exactly what I'm talking about.
You see, back when I was not pregnant, I would look at every curvy pregnant body with envy, and gasp when pregnant women complained about how they looked or the weight they gained. How could they complain?! They were all so beautiful! And duh, don't you know you're supposed to put on lbs when you're growing a human being?!
And now, I'm one of them – and I totally get it. At first, I would be anxious in a non-negative way to see what the scale said at each appointment. At the last appointment, I had only gained one pound, and I was sure something was wrong. How could I have gained one lonely pound when my stomach was poking out and my underwear didn't fit anymore?! But no worries, mama Jess – you'd make up for it soon enough.
At this last appointment, I was shocked at the number on the scale. Now I can blame it on the fact that she wouldn't let me do the whole pee-in-a-cup thing before the weigh in, or that this appointment was at 4:00pm compared to my last 8:00am appointment – but the truth is, it was the highest number I have ever seen on a scale that I was standing on. (As I exclaimed during the Biggest Loser finale, "I weigh more than some of those contestants!")
Now, I'm not naive – I do realize that being pregnant = weighing more than I ever have in my life. But boy does it play a mental toll on you. I've been exercising as much as physically possible during this crazy time of work/grad school and eating only when I'm hungry. (Now, I probably could eat a little better – but I think half of the fun of being pregnant is letting yourself indulge in eating what you want, when you want it!)
But I'd be lying if I said that this week's weigh-in didn't rock my world a little bit. I may have even shed a pitiful tear once I drove away from the doctor's office (and was away from my hub). I know, it's ridiculous. But, it's the truth.
And now, I'm forcing myself to get to a MUCH better mental state about it all. I am back to my
tentative plan of wearing a bikini this summer to rock this baby bump. And I definitely trust myself enough to know that post-pregnancy I will get back to a healthy weight. While it may take quite a few months, and while I'll never have the same body again, I realize that this is all a teeny tiny price to pay for the joy of creating a life.
Oh, on the non-weight front – I SAW my belly move from the outside yesterday while our bug was apparently having a dance party, AND my hub got to feel the little one kick today. Yeah, in your face, weight gain.
Ok, time to go order a pizza. J Enjoy the 20-week, halfway-there belly shots!
20 Weeks!!!!!!
20 Weeks from the front!
P.S. This was 7 Weeks from the front!
20 Weeks - full body shot!


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August 24, 2012
Regarding POWERGIRL's new costume...
24 comments:
Sadly, it is indeed true.
I get why DC would want to redo her costume, but the new one is pretty dull.
'Ol Nicholas Prom misses the old costume with the cleavage. If it ain't broke, don't fix it :)ReplyDelete
- Anonymous8/24/2012 11:26 AM
I always liked the boob window, even though I can understand why women would find it sexist and probably why it was included in the first place, but I always felt it never really hindered her character.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous8/24/2012 12:06 PM
He's so right, the new cosume is terrible. But you know us fanboys, we hate change.ReplyDelete
More kids would brush their teeth if she showed up in the old costume.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous8/24/2012 3:37 PM
I don't know about anyone else, but her new costume just draws my eyes to her left breast instead of both of them.ReplyDelete
Hey, I LIKED the boob window! And the boots. Amanda Conner drew amazing boots.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous8/24/2012 5:32 PM
Amanda Conner can make pretty much anything look amazing but she totally owned Power Girl.Delete
- Lee S.8/24/2012 4:27 PM
If you make any variation on the Superman/Supergirl costume it's going to look like a generic superhero. At least she has those Mega Man boots for a little distinctiveness.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous8/24/2012 6:11 PM
So sluttifying Starfire is okay but Power Firl is to be made to look generic and boring?ReplyDelete
Dafuq, DC?
- Anonymous8/24/2012 6:11 PM
Power Firl... yeah...Delete
I'm lacking sleep, sue me. :P
- Diane8/27/2012 3:58 PM
Doesn't Power Firl work with Suicide Squid a lot?Delete
Ohh, that's a "P" over her left boob. I thought it was two stripes. And I don't normally see negative space, a la "two fish" in Superman's "S," so this is a design fail.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Lee S.8/24/2012 10:05 PM
This is kind of off topic, but as a kid it took me years to realize that Superman had an "S" on his chest and not some abstract alien symbol. What works for Scott Kim doesn't work for comic artists.Delete
- Also anonymous8/25/2012 2:14 AM
It also took me several years to discover that those wierd yellow blobs in a red field was supposed to be an S.Delete
- Anonymous8/25/2012 1:23 AM
I'll happily trade.. I'd like Starfire back, and Power Girl could keep the boob window.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous8/25/2012 11:13 AM
I can see it being justify by a 3-panel story arc.Delete
Panel 1: they stare blankly at each other.
Panel 2: They both start saying "You looked better befo- ... yeah."
Panel 3: They turn around and each go their way...
Next time we see em, back to old costumes.
- Pwykersotz8/25/2012 12:57 PM
I'm gonna have to be a dissenter. Granted, I'm not a fan of Power Girl, but just looking at both costumes through the lens of someone who likes superheroes in general, I like the new one better.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous8/25/2012 2:13 PM
I liked the old cape design better, personally.Delete
- Anonymous8/26/2012 10:56 AM
As a woman I liked the old the Power Girl costume. She knew she had ridiculously big breasts (unlike all the other over-sized bimbos who everyone pretended was a perfectly normal shape) and she owned that fact, not only acknowledging it but making it part of her super-identity. Now the message is, instead of "its okay to be different as you can still be awesome", "if you want to be a super-heroine you have to be generic".ReplyDelete
She was extremely generic before: she was another Superman clone, except she was female so she was hypersexualized and objectified. Oh, is that not what you mean by generic?ReplyDeleteReplies
Nah, she's not generic! She's just working with what she's got; we all know women only have three things an author can iterate on: their sexiness, making babies, and finding someone to make babies with. They just made Power Girl's thing sexual titalation.Delete
And there's nothing generic about pigeon-holing all female characters into only one of three procreative attributes.
- Anonymous8/30/2012 9:19 PM
Whats more intresting than that they changed her costume in the New 52, is that they kept the boob window on her costume in the Ame-Comi line of comics. You know those anime(ish)-style comics where supposedly all heroes are females and younger(the last ones up for debate, but that´s my impression anyway). I thought that scenario would make a perfect excuse to not have her boob window. I mean why change it in the New 52 which is the main universe and not this alternate one? It makes no sense!! :D Not saying I´m totally against the boob window, just wondering what their thought processes were on that one.ReplyDelete
btw, if you havent checked out the ame-comi series yet, do it! Its full of girl power, and thats always welcome in super hero comics. I dont think its perfect, but the action is fun and the characters are written pretty well, focusing on the most basic personality traits to appeal to as many readers as possible. It just has a lot of potential :) And I am looking forward to the ongoing where they will assemble the all-female justice league :D
I will admit I was partially drawn to Power Girl for the sex appeal, but she was a fucking badass in the old universe and her costume suited her. She looked powerful. I think it's more the simplicity of it than the boob window, but if there was an emblem or something there it would detract and if there was nothing there it would be too plain. Her half cape thing was cool too, and her boots and gloves tied it together really well. Just an overall good character design, especially Amanda Conner's take on it.ReplyDelete
Then they killed it.


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I guess I will write about a little incident that happened this weekend so years from now I can reflect and maybe laugh a little.
Since Wah-Wah's birthday in Aug, I have discovered the joys of kayaking. With all the rivers and lakes around here, Oregon has plenty of places to kayak. I have found kayaking to be a very relaxing hobby.
Recently, I bought a hard shell kayak that I really wanted to use before the rainy season sets in around here. Last Saturday seemed like everything was going to fall into place. I just got a roof rack for the car installed and the skies were clear. So I took my new kayak down to the Williamette River (this is the main river that runs through Portland). As I was out on the water, I noticed that the river changed drastically from earlier in the year. First, the water level was much higher and there was much more debris in the water (due to all the recent rain we've had).
I ended up paddling pass Ross Island and into downtown Portland before I decided it was time to head back. Little did I realize that going back was going to be against a tough current. By the time I passed Ross Island again, I was exhausted. Next thing I know, I hit a current that started to turn the kayak side ways and I was in the water. I didn't see that coming.
Once a kayak flips, you can't get back in without taking it to land. With all the water, in the boat, I was lucky my kayak didn't totally sink.
Anyway, I was in the water for about 10 mins. I have to say that the water was pretty chilly. It was at least in the 40's. Thank God a boat came by and tossed me a line and then pulled me and my kayak to shore. They gave me a towel and said I better take off my wet clothes before I catch hypothermia. I told them I'd rather catch hypothermia before I get undressed in front of everyone. They also led me use their cell phone to call Wah-Wah and bring me some dry clothes.
Amazingly, my cell phone still works after being in the water for so long. Unfortunately, my ipod wasn't as lucky (at least I had an excuse to go buy a newer one). I also noticed my body has been pretty sore for a few days. I guess it was from all the treading water.
I've learned a few things from this experience. First, never bring electric devices on a kayak. Second, stay off the water till the summer. Lastly, God was watching over me that day.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
A cold swim
Posted by Achtung BB at 9:37 AM
3 comments:
- T said...
Sorry you're sore, but glad live to tell your own story.
- shakedust said...
I am happy you were rescued.
I had heard that cell phones can go through a lot and still work. From what I hear there are people whose jobs it is to try to break the phones to get them to fail. If your iPod failed, I wonder if the iPhone wouldn't survive either.
- f o r r e s t said...
you are alive!
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Weekly, maybe even daily journal of a 17 year old raising chickens and bees.
2 comments:
- Floridagirl said...
I like your blog. I especially liked the chicken feathers. It's cool to see the detail once you start looking.
- July 24, 2009 at 6:33 PM
- starfish said...
Hi there, was just doing some research for my own chicken blog,
http://polloplayer.wordpress.com/ and came across your blog, which is EXCELLENT! Kind of hard to get my rear end kicked by a 12-year-old, but nonetheless, wanted to ask if I can post a link to your blog on mine so others can enjoy it.
- August 3, 2009 at 7:33 PM
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Thinking LaBeq's apartment could do with some draft prevention as well, I sewed her another snake. They proved difficult to wrap, so I whipped up some bags with these Christmasy panels I'd found in Grandma O's stash.
I took breaks to crochet gifts for a baby shower (I used this pattern for the flower and this pattern for the booties) . . .
pattern, but modified it for the chunky yarn I had on hand.
Knight Hoodies for all four boys.


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Monday, May 25, 2009
The Graduation Party, Part One
5 comments:
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
It was a great party and well worth the drive. We had a great time and really enjoyed getting to know this family better. Let's make sure this is the first of many family gatherings.ReplyDelete
This is the first I've heard about why Kyle declined the honors. I must say that I do admire him for taking that stand. He still has the honors to help him in the future.
Lucas tears come from big loving hearts. At least that's what I tell myself when I cry through big events, blogs and Hallmark commercials.ReplyDelete
So glad your life is going better, may you and your garden bloom together.
I had an absolute wonderful time. You are the perfect hostess. And it was so much fun to watch Kyle graduate- and even bad speeches are fun when you can "tehehehehehe" with those you love.ReplyDelete
Aunt Max
PS- I also loved having you share our day of waiting for Mikayla to arrive in Las Vegas- that was so much fun!
Thanks for allowing me to psuedo be there through this blog. It's great to be able to see pics and hear the stories. You guys all look great. Wish I could have been there for reals but you know I was there in my heart. I love you.ReplyDelete


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I have written in the past about coaches telling kids that they need to get bigger and stronger but fail to follow up those suggestions with details on how to get bigger and stronger. http://nowforeverfit.blogspot.com/2012/04/yeah-but-how-do-i-do-that.html
As I stated in that article I am not using this as an opportunity to criticize coaches because even they would acknowledge they are not qualified to dispense sound nutritional advice to their athletes. That said if a coach or parent is going to make a comment that a child needs to get bigger or even to lose weight they must be prepared to follow that up with wise and intelligent advice. And if they don't have the answer they should be prepared to provide a resource that can.
I am always concerned that a child can take a comment like this the wrong way and life at that age is confusing enough without tossing ill-advised suggestions their way. What may seem to be a constructive comment may actually have unintended consequences. For example a young athlete is advised to "get bigger" without getting any advice to do so and heads off to the local supplement shop to get advice from a salesperson…not a good first step!
What of the young lady that is told she needs to slim down for her next gymnastics competition but again is not advised how to do so. Though it's frightening to consider this that child may severely restrict food intake because she thinks she's "fat."
Kids are always listening to us and look up to us whether we realize it or not. Several years ago my nephew (6 years old at the time) asked me why I would not eat any pizza and soda and I said because it's bad for you. Needless to say he repeated this to his mother when he wouldn't eat his pizza and the comment was traced back to me and she read me the riot act, which I deserved. While I didn't think anything of my comment at the time when his mother called I immediately knew the mistake I had made. When it comes to youth nutrition no food should be labeled bad. The better approach would have been for me to say: "I would rather have an apple and some almonds because I like that better than pizza."
With this approach I haven't confused him and have demonstrated with my actions that when it comes to food selection you have choices (also keeps my sister-in-law in good spirits). Making better food choices is a process that takes time but the key is to be consistent with your own food choices because remember, kids ultimately get their cues from us.
Along these lines what about a school wide obesity prevention program? With nearly 1 out of 3 children in the United States overweight or obese this seems like a needed step. However, A new report from the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health examined the possible association between school-based childhood obesity prevention programs and an increase in eating disorders among young children and adolescents.
The Poll asked parents about obesity prevention programs in their children's schools and about food-related behaviors and activity that may be worrisome.
Overall, 82 percent of parents of children age 6-14 report at least one school-based childhood obesity intervention program taking place in their child's school. Among these programs are nutrition education, limits on sweets or "junk food" in the classroom, height and weight measurements, and incentives for physical activity.
Additionally, 7 percent of parents report that their children have been made to feel bad at school about what or how much they were eating.
This same group of parents was also asked about their children's eating behaviors.
Thirty percent of parents of 6-14 year-olds report at least one behavior in their children that could be associated with the development of an eating disorder. These behaviors include inappropriate dieting, excessive worry about fat in foods, being preoccupied with food content or labels, refusing family meals, and having too much physical activity.
"The issue of childhood obesity is a serious problem. In order to intervene in what seems like an epidemic of childhood obesity, everyone needs to be involved," says David Rosen, M.D., M.P.H., Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School and Chief of Teenage and Young Adult Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics.
However, Rosen says, "When obesity interventions are put in place without understanding how they work and what the risks are, there can be unintended consequences. Well-intentioned efforts can go awry when children misinterpret the information they're given.
"Many of these behaviors are often dismissed as a phase," says Rosen, "But given what we know about the association of these behaviors with the development of eating disorders and knowing that eating disorders are increasing in prevalence, they should be taken very seriously."
The fact that 30% of parents report at least one worrisome eating behavior in their children is concerning.
"It's much better and safer for parents to respond to worrisome eating behaviors early – even if there turns out to be no problem – than to wait until there is obviously a big problem,' Rosen says. "It is much easier to prevent an eating disorder than it is to treat an eating disorder."
Rosen offers these suggestions for parents:
· Be attentive to your children's eating habits. If you see behaviors that are worrisome to you, talk to your children about them. If the behaviors escalate, involve your child's doctor.
· Find out what your children's schools are doing to prevent childhood obesity.
· Be involved and engaged in that process.
· Ask your children if they're being teased at school about their food choices or their weight. If they are, go to the school and find out what is happening. *
While I think school wide programs like those suggested in the above report are noble in nature it seems to be a bit of an overreach to me. I started teaching an athletic development class at a public school last fall and on the first day I asked the children why they signed up for the class? Several children said they took the class to exercise so they won't become obese…
I was a little dumbfounded that 3RD and 4TH graders had this word in their vocabulary. I am not naïve and obesity is not something to take lightly in fact it has become even more costly to America's health than smoking. But it seems like too much attention is paid to the problem and not enough to the solutions. Rather than scare tactics let's promote the benefits and fun of free play and school wide programs that have the potential to have lifelong impacts such as growing a school garden with the help of local farmers. Some schools are even partnering with local farms not only to provide fresh food for school lunches but also field trips to show kids where their food comes from.
It is my strong belief that as parents, teachers and coaches the most effective steps we can take to resolve the youth obesity crisis or more appropriately the childhood inactivity, play deprived and over-fed, undernourished crisis is to model the behavior consistently that we expect of them. They are watching and they are listening, closely.
Additional Resources:


text:
The other day I finally I figured out the source of much of my stress. It's something so simple that you might roll your eyes at me when I tell you what it is. But it dawned on me while I was loading the dishwasher.
I was staring at the sink, annoyed that I couldn't fit that one last cup and bowl into the dishwasher. If I could fit those in, and if I could find ten more minutes to get those pots cleaned, and if I could manage to wipe down the sink, I'd be done. Finished. Something would actually be accomplished around here.
But I had run out of time and space. So my task was unfinished. And I felt unaccomplished because I couldn't check it off my list.
This small thing annoyed me and frustrated me more than it should have. Why? Why was this small, silly thing so bothersome to me?
I leaned against the sink, sucking down my iced coffee, looking at the dishes, and holding my list of to-dos in my other hand.
And then BOOM. It hit me.
My to-do list was sabotaging me. It was making me feel stressed out and like a big failure. And there was an easy fix I could implement right away.
But let me back up. I do have a system and it does (usually) work really well.
Truthfully, I have several to-do lists. I used to have one, huge, loooooong list that was immensely stressful to look at. I kept it on the computer in my iCloud notes so it would sync across my laptop, phone, and iPad. The syncing was nice, but the list was scary and stressful.
So I changed my system. I went back to using my trusty notebook and I broke my to-do list into several master lists: Home, Kids, Work, Blog, Personal. One on each page of the notebook.
On Sunday night of each week (ideally) I make a single, less overwhelming list of to-dos for the week. I've found this to be WAY less stressful for me, and keeps me out of my habit of endlessly going over each of the lists, wondering what I'm forgetting. If it's not on the week's list of to-dos, I'm not thinking about it. Done and done.
I've been doing two major things wrong:
1) I add things to my master lists that are, by nature, things that will never, ever, ever be done. Like doing laundry. Washing dishes. Yard maintenance. House cleaning. Putting away laundry. (And am I the only one who has baskets of clean laundry that sit around the house for weeks on end?)
2) I add things that are enormous projects that will never get done in one sitting. Like sorting through a year's worth of school papers. Creating my media kit. Culling through and printing all our pictures from our 2013 Disney trip.
So what am I doing about it?
Making more lists, of course.
I have two new master lists: "Ongoing" and "Bigger Projects."
And I'm being more realistic about what should go on those lists. For example, I wrote a blog post for another website and it took several sittings to finish it. I knew it would. So that post should have gone on the "bigger projects" list, because it wasn't something I could get done in one day. Instead, it sat on my weekly list for several weeks in a row, stressing me out.
The Ongoing list? It's got the tasks that need to eventually be attended to but will never be totally done: Laundry. Dishes. Yard work. House cleaning. It's there just to remind me that those things exist. Maybe most people don't need that reminder, but I do because my brain works like this.
If I really think I can accomplish a certain task related to one of those two new categories, I put it on my weekly list. Like "trim bush next to front door." That's a doable task. "Do yard work" isn't.
So that's how I've dialed down my stress and created a sense of control in my very out-of-control life.
What do you think? Are you a list maker? Do you like the idea of master lists and a weekly list? Would this kind of system work for you?
Note: This is a revised, previously-published post, so that's why some comments are from a while ago. 🙂
photo credit: Hammonton Photography via photopin cc


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Majied Enterprises is located at 1317 Greenway Ave, Flint, MI. This business specializes in Theatre.
Majied Enterprises can be found at Greenway Ave 1317. The following is offered: Continuing Education. The entry is present with us since Sep 10, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Flint there are 8 other Continuing Education. An overview can be found here.


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Rip Gil Scott Heron
Alright everyone, we are super backed up on emails again but I promise to hit you all back! One more thing the buttons under the pictures for facebook and twitter are pretty much for us to keep track on what content to add more of and what not to add. Make sure if you like a picture or a video you let us know but hitting that shit. Mean while feel free to hit us up on Twitter and on Facebook … Thank you all so much for the love and support. DeadFix v2 is almost done which will have a lot of interaction with you guys. Cheers and be easy.
Dead Fix
Would you hit?


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Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 400
Source: Review copy provided for blog tour
Links: Goodreads | Amazon
Since the car crash that took her father's life three years ago, Emma's life has been a freaky — and unending — lesson in caution. Surviving "accidents" has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.
It's not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn's fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn't let her die before, and he's not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul.
Inbetween is a surprising albeit regular paranormal romance with a rather refreshing twist -- reapers. While Inbetween does go above and beyond a regular, 3 starred read, it falls a little short under "ASDFGHJKL;" amazing.
Well let's start off with what was absolutely awesome with this book, yes?
- Damn good world building, that is!
- GAH. Just WOW. Inbetween really threw me in for a loop here. Most paranormal romances don't really wow me with the world building but with the romance. (After all, isn't that the point? It is a paranormal romance.) Well, except for this little book here!
- What's so surprising about the world building is how in depth it is. The Inbetween itself, how the system works, and everything else obviously showed the work of someone who took the time and effort to come up with something unique and pretty much awesome.
- The writing is actually GOOD.
- Okay, I guess it's no surprise now that I expected very little of this book besides some cute/steamy romance to gnaw on for the time being. The writing, although redundant at times with the descriptions, is vivid and just easy on the eyes. I LOOOVED it.
- There are some pretty heart wrenching scenes in here, I'm not going to lie. I don't know if it was my teenage hormones fluctuating at that very moment or something but I was near TEARS, I tell you. Books hardly make me cry, so that is an accomplishment I tell you!
- Romance = A-OKAY!
- Not the best, but not the worst -- it's just really, really freaking cute. While I would have LOVED some more romance development between Finn and Emma, the back story and the time they spend together is just adorable and very well written.
IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE ME GO RAHI was going to start my sentence with, "Okay," but that's just really awkward when I think about it since I do it so much. Like the title says, there were little things in this book that just irritated me for a bit.
- Maeve, my dear, you are so cliche that it hurts my heart. IMMENSELY.
- Okay, so, not just "for a bit" but Maeve irritated me throughout the entire book. She is the villain after all, but this villain was so two-dimensional she made paper look like a three-dimensional human. Her character is so predictable, it's gut wrenching. (END RANT.)
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Payments are processed to your desired payment processor you requested in 24h-48h. But usually we pay in LESS than 24h. Only in exceptional cases we pay in 5 working days.
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There will be no fee on deposit, but because we need to maintain website, we need to include a cashout fee (around 5%). We pay both withdrawal and deposit fees so they are covered through this withdrawal fee.
All fees will be small and reasonable, we are here to maintain a GOOD activity and a LONG online life.
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Yes, we offer 10% referral commission for AdPacks purchases made by your referrals, plus other surprises, just go ahead and register an account.
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No, we will not change your sponsor, but in some exceptional cases we may discuss, we will try to understand every situation individually.
17. What Payment Processor Adzrevshare.com accept ?
Payza, Solidtrustpay, PerfectMoney, Payeer and Bitcoin. All purchases (Add Funds) are automatically and instantly processed and the funds should be reflected immediately. But during some cases, it may take up to 10 minutes for the payment to get processed due to several reasons like server overload, delay in the processor site etc.
18. Do Adzrevshare.com have Re-Purchased Rule ?
No. All income simply goes to your main balance for withdrawal.
19. What is Adzrevshare.com REFUND policy?
NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN FOR DIGITALLY DELIVERED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES DUE TO THEIR INTANGIBLE NATURE! Since the Advertising Credits that you are purchasing are instantly added to your account, no refund will be provided. Also, referral commissions and revenue sharing are instantly and automatically done. This process cannot be reversed. Therefore, no refund will be provided. Any Refunds attempted will result in permanent loss of your account.
20. How Your Profits Sharing Works ?
We share profits(excluding 10% that is paid as refferal commision to upline) from every AdPack Sales, with all members who have an Active Adpack. We do not gurantee any profits or speed of earning from profit sharing.
If your question is not answered here then use contact us page to send us your question OR check our Facebook Group or email us directly.


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Vivino just released a study from their 23 million users looking at the Most Popular French Wines. They specifically name their most Popular French Wines under $20 – the Seven Affordable French Superstars.
Not only is Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge near the top, but it has the single highest average rating of any of the seven wines!
Link here.


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Name Product: Andrew Warner – Bot Academy
Size: 4.9GB
Sale Page : _http://blankrefer.com/?https://botacademy.com/join/
Week 1: How to build your bot (If you can use MailChimp or Aweber, you have the technical skills to do this)
Even if you don't know how to code, in this step-by-step video screencast, I'll show you how to setup your first campaign, add messages, drip it to your audience, and follow up. You'll be building your bot alongside me.
Week 2: How to write your chat bot script (that converts super high, and is designed to sell).
In this module, I'll show you how to write short-form, persuasive copy…even if you've never written sales copy before.
Plus, you'll learn a tip we discovered for increasing click rates by 20% and how to create a funnel that leads to a sale.
Week 3: How to get people to opt-in (And get signups 4x to 8x cheaper/faster).
I've seen a lot of people who build great bots…but no one signed up. So then they think bots are a waste of time, when really, they screwed up. You can't expect someone to come to you and subscribe to your bot. You have to promote it. In this module, we'll show you how.
You'll learn how to do one-click subscription, how to automate it, how to incorporate your bot with your other marketing campaigns, and more.
Week 4: How to get clients (Like how we trained Mary to get to $12,000/mo in less than 4 months).
The secret is showing your potential clients just enough so that they understand how bots work and see how it'll deliver a clear ROI, but not so much that they get overwhelmed. We'll show you exactly how to do that, along with how to do a demo that closes the sale.
You'll also get a template you can use inside Pipedrive, a sales management app, to help you close sales and stay accountable.
Week 5: Advanced Optimization (We'll work directly with the group to improve everyone's bots and give personalized help when needed).
This is where we go deeper into bots. We'll show you how to add more intelligence to your bot, how to combine different bots, how to mix bot platforms, how to get tracking data, how to collect payment, and more.
And, I've also put together a special bonus package:
Bonus 1: One year of free Messenger marketing software, so you don't have to pay anything to run your campaign… ($600+ value)
Bonus 2: A listing as one of my certified Messenger campaign consultants. ($1,000+ value).
Bonus 3: Five group coaching call sessions during the course ($2,500 value).
Bonus 4: A swipe-able campaign template you can use with your clients (a $1,000 value).
Discount code: (Only VIP members can see the discount code)
You must be an active subscriber to view this premium content. Subscribe or Login.
Get More IM Special Offers: http://www.biznulled.com/specialoffer/
Any questions, pls contact me: [email protected]
Thank You


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So I decided with God force to give it another try and.
This game is not so bad if we don't take in consideration the frame rate. It appear to have a lot of cool stuff like the perks and all the stuff you can gather and I think craft later on. But when someone like me come from a gorgeous engine like Frostbite and BF4 mix with a Mirror edge background this game is a waste of time. Rather play something else. BF4 engine look better and run better. If the graphic was rewarding for the frame rate maybe I could play but I pretend this graphic engine is not really good and I can't see jackshit most of my time playing on it. This mix with a climbing and running gameplay that don't reach the any good part of Mirror Edge. The climbing is not so good and slow pace and this is not fun for a player like me. I prefer a fast paced gameplay and sound like the dev did not give that option when the game started. There is a also some bugs and weirdness when climbing and other not finish or well made stuff.
Enough said, I don't like this game and I'm not going to play it. I'm not saying this is completely bad product but surely not a 3A one like I said in my first impression.


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A new translation of a Roman victory stele, erected in April 29 BC, shows Octavian Augustus's name inscribed in a cartouche (an oblong enclosure that surrounds a pharaoh's name) – an honour normally reserved for an Egyptian pharaoh.
Octavian's forces defeated Cleopatra and Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. His forces captured Alexandria soon afterwards and Cleopatra committed suicide in 30 BC, marking the end of Egyptian rule.
Historians believe that although Octavian ruled Egypt after the death of Cleopatra, he was never actually crowned as an Egyptian pharaoh.
The stele was erected at a time when Octavian was still paying lip service to restoring the Roman Republic. He would not be named "Augustus" by the Roman Senate until 27 BC. In the years following that, he would gradually acquire more power.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Octavian Augustus Named as Egyptian Pharaoh on Philae Victory Stele
Heritage Key (Owen Jarus)
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I'm a Web Developer with a B.S. in Information Technology from CSU, 6 years of military experience, SysAdmin/Networking experience, and an unparalleled drive to continue growing my skill set.
Outside of work you will find me tinkering with code, playing ice hockey, or wrestling my dogs.
Angular JS
Node JS
Express JS
Backbone JS
Adobe Photoshop
This design was created as a theme for the Counter-Strike:Global Offensive subreddit. I wanted to create a theme that honored the history of the game. I incorporated a minimal color pallette to give a clean appearance. Additionally, the color pallete was influenced by Condition-Zero, the first expansion for Counter-Strike. I created a loud 'Subscribe' button that can be easily spotted in the upper right. I wanted to easily draw attraction to this button in order to capture more subscriptions. Adobe Photoshop was used to create this design.
The goal of this project was to recreate the current website in the Sitefinity CMS environment. This resulted in a complete rewerite of the website's front-end in order to use the widget, template, and module features of Sitefinity CMS in order to empower the marketing department with the ability to easily create content pages. This website was built with gloabl e-commerce in mind supporting 5 languages and 3 regions.
This project was a one-day challenge to myself. I wanted to see what I could build in 8 hours from scratch using new technology for the first time. I used SASS for the general CSS structure and used HighCharts for the graphing. I had to develop a custom theme which was reusable in HighCharts. At the end of 8 hours this was what I was able to build. Given the time constraint I was very happy with the organization of my code and the file structure, customization of HighCharts, and utilization of SASS. You can review the code via GitHub.
The Logos Academy is a Full Stack (MEAN) web application that on-boards new CrossFit gym members through an expert-tested curriculum. It focuses on safe and effective development of functional movements and provides personalized, attainable goals for each of their members that are easily accessible on the mobile friendly app. The app also deepens and further develops the close-knit box community by allowing fellow gym members to share and track their progress as well as encourage each other to achieve their goals.
One of the primary features that I implemented in this project was the ability for the store owner to modify elements on the front end without any programming experience. I made this process very simple for the end-user allowing simple plain-text entry into the form elements. This was achieved using update and post operations to the data that was stored on the back end. As a result, the store, welcome message, daycare packages, spa packages, and contact information are able to be modified by the store owner when logged in to the website.
This project was inspired by the Momentum extension for Google Chrome. I enjoy the simplicity of the Momentum app. I wanted to take the simplicity of Momentum's design, but incorporate weather statistics with live video backgrounds. The screenshots do not reflect it, but this app plays a live video background related to the conditions in the city you enter. This project is server-less and includes heavy use of Angular Routing with a different view being used for each potential weather condition.
This project was fun in nature utilizing the Star Wars API (SWAPI) to help me build my understanding of AngularJS. Overall this project solidified my understanding of Angular using routing, custom directives, and configuring controllers and services to GET data from a live API.


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A quick post before I head out to celebrate New Year's Eve. I'm hosting a small pre-party and I'll be playing some deep house/lounge stuff but what I would really love to do is to organize a big block party and play something like Blowing Up The Barrio. It's the first Fort Knox Five tune I heard back in early 2005 and I've been a fan ever since. The track is truly designed to rock the dancefloor at your neighborhood (barrio) bloc party. The beat is solid and the horns are hot. Just the way I like it.
Happy New Year! See you in 2009.
The Fort Knox Five - Blowing Up The Barrio [320 kbps, direct link]


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Anna Faith Carlson: Will She Be Cast As Princess Elsa on 'OUAT?'
Florida teenager Anna Faith Carlson is an unreal match for 'Frozen' character Princess Elsa. With the news that 'Frozen' characters are heading to the hit TV show 'Once Upon A Time,' Anna is hoping to snag the coveted Elsa role. Can her major social media status help her get there?
Anna Faith Carlson, 18, went to see the hit animated flick Frozen in December — and that's when she realized she looks EXACTLY like the movie's lead character. After seeing the movie, Anna started posting side-by-side pics of herself with Elsa on Instagram — and things went viral, fast! Anna hopes to use her newfound fame to get an audition for next season of Once Upon A Time.
Real-Life Princess Elsa: Florida Teen Anna Faith Carlson Wants A Role On 'OUAT'
If Anna gets her wish, we'll see her in Storybrooke soon. The Florida teen posted a message to her 300,000 plus followers on June 12 to enlist their help in snagging her the Once Upon A Time role. "I know this is kinda a lot to ask, but it would mean the world to me. Can you take a picture from my page dressed as Elsa, post it and hashtag the words #AnnaAsElsa? I'm hoping to audition as Elsa on Once Upon A Time! You can do it on Instagram and/or Twitter. :) THANK YOU SO MUCH!" Anna posted on her Instagram page.
TV fans were shocked when Elsa showed up in the Once Upon A Time season 3 finale on May 11. Rumor has it the role is still up for grabs — and there's no doubt Anna is a perfect doppelganger for the character!
'Frozen' Snow Queen Elsa: On Her Way To 'OUAT'
We already know a few hints about Elsa's role on the next season of Once Upon A Time. There's already been talk of who would be the most perfect fit for the role, but that was before Anna went viral! The hit TV series is also going to feature Kristoff from Frozen on their next season, too! We seriously can't WAIT to see what they do with the character.
Do YOU think Anna should be cast as Elsa, HollywoodLifers? Let us know who you think is perfect for the TV role in the comments below!
— Megan Ross


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Donating is made simple when you have a credit/debit card stored on your personal account. We work with a third-party site to make sure our site is SUPER secure. Go ahead and add or edit a card to make giving easy!
Step 1: Login to Pure Charity Account.
Step 2: From your dashboard, click Payment Sources
Step 3: Click Register a New Card
Step 4: Complete the form and check the 'Yes, make this my primary card' box to ensure this is the card that will be charged and save your information.
Step 5: Click Donations.
Step 6: Click "Giving Circle Contributions." Then there should be a 'resume' button where the arrow is pointing if your card is errored.
Your giving circle contribution should now be updated! If you have any questions, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com


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Saturday, July 21, 2012
New Theme: Wombats
Posted by Jenny Sherman at 2:51 AM
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Friday, July 20, 2012
Mash Ups: Jenny Sherman
Sailor Captain America!
Boy I am really really really really rusty but glad to keep the paper drawing going. My tablet just can't really do what I want sometimes, need much much much more practice. COMON SQUASHERS! Mash ups are the BEST!
Posted by Jenny Sherman at 2:13 AM
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Labels: Jenny Sherman, mash ups
Friday, July 6, 2012
New Theme: Mash Ups
example: David mashes Totoro with Adventure Time!
example: Mona mashes Game of Thrones with Disney Dragons!
Posted by Jenny Sherman at 12:00 PM
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Posted by k.mediani at 9:44 AM
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text: PHOENIX – The fourth suspect in an armed robbery at a strip club that resulted in the shooting of a police officer and a volunteer sheriff's posse member has been brought back to Phoenix following his arrest in New York City last month.Police said William Herbert Mayes, 30, was the final suspect sought in the robbery case. He was booked into the Maricopa County Jail Thursday night on one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.Three other men have pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the robbery and subsequent shooting of Phoenix police Officer Scott Sefranka and Phillip Grigg on New Year's Eve.According to police, Jason Beau Keep masterminded a plot to rob his former employer and recruited others to carry out the plan. Keep believed there was up to $500,000 in the safe at the Pink Rhino Cabaret. The plot fell apart when the suspects spotted a large crowd outside the club.Instead, police said Roger Allen Sharp and David Lee Murray Jr. followed two employees and robbed them of $18,000 outside an IHOP. The pair crashed their car into Grigg's vehicle while fleeing from Sefranka.Police said Sharp shot Sefranka and Grigg during a confrontation.Sharp faces charges of attempted murder, armed robbery, unlawful flight, resisting arrest, burglary and prohibited possessor.Murray faces two counts of armed robbery. Keep faces one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.Sefranka is still recovering from his injuries and Grigg is still hospitalized in critical but stable condition.


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in middle of a marital 'situation'...
MrsM plans to travel light,
she will take a capsule wardrobe
with a few carefully chosen pieces
to go from day to night
with stylish accessories.
MrM has other plans.
There will be a laptop to manage
the spreadsheet of activities.
There will be many guidebooks
(exactly how many is a secret).
There will be adaptors
and wind-up torches.
And there will be wellington boots
in case there is a high tide.
Think again, MrM.
You can choose between MrsM
and the wellington boots.
But you can't have both.


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Congratulations to Dale Wylie, who was fortunate to be the 9th comment when it came to random number generation. I apologise to everyone else, but who knows, there might be another chance soon! And Dale, hope you enjoy your original print of As A Child!
(Sorry for plastering this picture rather big, I wanted to see what it looks like at this scale. Fortunately there's only a limited amount of mug on show)
Speak soon!


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This year's winner of Rockwood Fall Festival's Miss Teen Fall Festival Pageant will receive more than a sash and tiara.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Roane County News, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
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the Washington Post reported that Donald Trump jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State when he disclosed highly classified top secret intelligence to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak while they visited the Oval Office.
Today, in response to criticism of that leak, Trump all but admitted that he had indeed revealed highly classified info during the meeting.
This morning, on Twitter, Trump proclaimed that he has "the absolute right" to share any information he wants...
What's makes these tweets worse is that they contradict his administration's earlier attempts to deny the story.
The poor saps he threw under the bus this week include Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and national security adviser H.R. McMaster who both claimed in mirror image statements that the the Post's story was "false".
But Trump was not done. As a final insult to the collective intelligence of the country the schmuck tweeted this an hour later...
Hey idiot... YOU'RE THE LEAKER!!!!!!!


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Mid-term Progress Reports
You will be very shortly receiving an Empower Mid-Term progress report for your child(ren). This report will be used with all students moving forward, to clarify students in grade 7, 8, and 9 will receive only Empower reports. Students in grades 10 and 11 will receive an Empower report for Proficiency Based classes AND a Powerschool report for traditionally scored classes. Students in Grade 12 will get an Empower report with only the Habits of Work reported AND a Powerschool report with all their traditional scores. All students are receiving a Habits of Work report, which is one piece of eligibility for co and extracurricular involvement for all students.
We do have Empower parent accounts set up for all students and their families. Please contact the school if you would like your login information as soon as possible. Otherwise our plan is to have login information available for you during Parent Teacher Conferences on Thursday, Nov. 10th. We will also we offering sessions on how to access Empower that day beginning every 30 minutes to help parents navigate this new Learning Management System. More information will follow shortly concerning Parent Teacher Conferences.
Just a reminder to parents – the proficiency scores the district has adopted is not comparable to the traditional 100-point scale. For example a 4 does not equal a 100, our 4-point scale is used to indicate the student's growth in meeting learning targets. A score of 2 or 2.5 shows that the student is in the process of learning the skills and strategies necessary to reach the level of complexity necessary to meet the rigor of the standards. Meeting the standards necessary for graduation is the basis of our work here at MSAD #27. A score of 3 means the student has meet the standard a score of 4 means the student can apply the information at a higher degree of complexity, it does not mean they have a 100. We will be offering opportunities for 4 level work in both the middle and high school. We will continue to educate students, parents, and the community on this shift away from traditional grading practices.
Middle school parents are also receiving their students STAR reports in Math and Language Arts. (We no longer use NWEA.) High School students will receive their reports during Parent Teacher Conferences on Nov. 10th.
Please contact the school should you have any questions about these new learner reports. We welcome the opportunity to help you understand these educational changes and how it applies to your child(ren)'s progression through the curriculum.


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The group assembles, one of the members being elected BIG LEADER. When there is silence, The BIG LEADER makes a sound, as short and quiet as possible. He is then challenged. the challenging member attempting to produce a sound even shorter and more quiet than the first. In the midst of great celebration, the challenger becomes the BIG LEADER. The process then continues until all members have had a chance of becoming BIG LEADER. The Challenger who last comes BIG LEADER is named as the SUPER BIG LEADER. There is great celebration; drinking, music, &c.
Improvisation Rite. Conventions:
- Any challenger must fuirst be announced.
- It is generally accepted that the challenger always wins.
- Nobody is allowed to become BIG Leader more than once.


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As I had said in my previous post, I'm going to review the blushes I got from Adam's Beauty and show everyone all the blushes I have.
First I'll start off with the most expensive one I got, which is the Jill Stuart one in 02 rose bloom. Its also my favourite out of all the blushes I got! =)
This is my favourite blush because it gives a very nice light flush of color, I also like blushes that give a more cool pink because I look nicer with cool colors and its usually hard for me to find cool pink blushes, so I`m very happy that Jill Stuart has this color. I also find that with this blush, its very easy to control how much you've put on, and its hard to overdo your blush using this. The brush that comes with it is also super soft and dense, and I just use it for applying my Jill Stuart blush so that different blush colors don`t mix.
My next favourite out of the 3 that I got is the Maquillage Face Creator in 11.
I love this blush palette mainly because of the contour color. Before I got this palette, I used to use the bronzer from Rimmel, but I didn't like it because I found that the bronzer looked too yellowy for my liking. I have really pale skin that doesn't really have a yellow undertone even though I'm asian, my skin actually has more of a pink undertone so when I used the bronzer, it didn't really match my skin and it was very obvious that I was contouring. But with this new contour color, it looks more natural and its not as obvious when I do contour.
My second favourite part of this palette is the highlighter. Since I've been getting only 4 hours of sleep every night for 2 weeks (because of non stop midterms and assignments), I have severe dark circles and bags under my eyes, and the only thing that kept me looking nice was using highlighter under my eyes. My roomate even said I've been looking nicer these days even though I get no sleep and I think its because of the highlighter.
I haven't really used the other colors in this pallet much though, because I don't really use bronzer, and I've been using the blush from Jill Stuart so I haven't used the blush color in this palette.
Lastly, I will talk about the Coffret D'or blush in PK-25.
This is a really nice blush and I love the little brush that it comes with and the packaging is AMAZING. The packaging is clean and pretty and I love how there's a separate compartment for the brush and how the blush doesn't all spill out because there's a "protector thing" that keeps the powder in. The inside of the cap is also a mirror, which I thought was pretty cool.
The only reason why I didn't like this blush as much was because I thought it was a lighter pink than it actually turned out to be. The color came out very similar to the mineralized blush dainty from MAC, so I was kinda sad that I ended up having duplicates of the same color.
In addition to the 3 new blushes I got from Adam's Beauty, here is the rest of my blush collection.
This blush was a limited edition blush from Loreal, and as you can see I've used up all of one side since I loved it soooo much. I still have to finish up the other side, which is the highlighter, and the highlighter is really good too. It gives the same effect as the highlighter from the Maquillage blush palette.
This is the Dior Show Powder in 002 girly pink. It doesn't give off much color, but it does add a nice shimmer/ sparkle to the face.
Next is the Rimmel blush in Santa Rose, its more of a peachy color, so I don't use it as much because I like pinks, but I still use it sometimes when I want a peachy glow.
This is a blush from Majolica Majorca in PK333, and this was the default blush that I used to use everyday before I had the Jill Stuart blush.
And lastly, from MAC, the mineralize blush in dainty, I like to use this blush on my extra pale days, where I look like a ghost because I've had no sleep and all color is drained from my face, and this blush makes me look awake and healthy again. lol
And that is my whole blush collection, I don't have too much since I like to use one color and stick to it and I don't like having duplicates. I hope you all enjoyed this review! =)
My next post will probably be a eye shadow collection so stay tuned for it! =)
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Blush Collection + Reviews
Posted by alcupcake at 8:07 PM
Labels: Blush, Coffret D'or, Dior, Jill Stuart, Loreal, MAC, Majorlica Majorca, Maquillage, Rimmel
4 comments:
- Jess said...
Lovely blush collection! ;)
- March 15, 2010 at 5:59 AM
- alcupcake said...
thanks jess! =)
- March 17, 2010 at 1:40 AM
- Popcorn said...
I have been wanting to try the Maquillage palette~ hahaha looks soo pretty. I have a JS blush too, but i haven't used it yet. LOL sometimes I don't even know why I buy makeup when I don't really use it that often. XD
- March 23, 2010 at 10:58 PM
- alcupcake said...
yeaaa you should definitely buy it! I'm loving it, its the perfect shade for me =)
- March 25, 2010 at 10:27 PM
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Crown Equipment Corporation
Industry: Manufacturing
About Crown Equipment Corporation
STATUS: Military Friendly®
Military Friendly Ratings
We rate how Military Friendly® an organization is within 6 different categories. Learn more about our methodology.
The ratings below reflect the extent to which each organization exceeds the benchmark standards for Military Friendly®.
Hiring & Onboarding
Opportunity & Advancement
Culture & Commitment
Support & Retention
Policies & Compliance
Recruiting & Sourcing
Why Work at the Company?
Top Jobs
Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records for the purpose of giving advice or preparing statements. Install or advise on systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data.
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul trucks, buses, and all types of diesel engines. Includes mechanics working primarily with automobile diesel engines.
Operate computer-controlled machines or robots to perform one or more machine functions on metal or plastic work pieces.
Assist patrons at hotel, apartment or office building with personal services. May take messages, arrange or give advice on transportation, business services or entertainment, or monitor guest requests for housekeeping and maintenance.
Interact with customers to provide information in response to inquiries about products and services and to handle and resolve complaints.
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators and helpers.
Develop, create, and modify general computer applications software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions. Design software or customize software for client use with the aim of optimizing operational efficiency. May analyze and design databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team. May supervise computer programmers.
Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.
Top Degrees
A program that prepares individuals to practice the profession of accounting and to perform related business functions. Includes instruction in accounting principles and theory, financial accounting, managerial accounting, cost accounting, budget control, tax accounting, legal aspects of accounting, auditing, reporting procedures, statement analysis, planning and consulting, business information systems, accounting research methods, professional standards and ethics, and applications to specific for-profit, public, and non-profit organizations.
Computer and Information Systems Security/Information Assurance
A program that prepares individuals to assess the security needs of computer and network systems, recommend safeguard solutions, and manage the implementation and maintenance of security devices, systems, and procedures. Includes instruction in computer architecture, programming, and systems analysis; networking; telecommunications; cryptography; security system design; applicable law and regulations; risk assessment and policy analysis; contingency planning; user access issues; investigation techniques; and troubleshooting.
Computer Science
A program that focuses on computer theory, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, computer development and programming, and applications to a variety of end-use situations.
Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst
A program that prepares individuals to apply programming and systems analysis principles to the selection, implementation, and troubleshooting of customized computer and software installations across the life cycle. Includes instruction in computer hardware and software; compilation, composition, execution, and operating systems; low- and high-level languages and language programming; programming and debugging techniques; installation and maintenance testing and documentation; process and data flow analysis; user needs analysis and documentation; cost-benefit analysis; and specification design.
Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to repair, service, and maintain diesel engines in vehicles such as automobiles, buses, ships, trucks, railroad locomotives, and construction equipment; as well as stationary diesel engines in electrical generators and related equipment.
Medical/Clinical Assistant
A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of physicians, to provide medical office administrative services and perform clinical duties including patient intake and care, routine diagnostic and recording procedures, pre-examination and examination assistance, and the administration of medications and first aid. Includes instruction in basic anatomy and physiology; medical terminology; medical law and ethics; patient psychology and communications; medical office procedures; and clinical diagnostic, examination, testing, and treatment procedures.
Operations Management and Supervision
A program that prepares individuals to manage and direct the physical and/or technical functions of a firm or organization, particularly those relating to development, production, and manufacturing. Includes instruction in principles of general management, manufacturing and production systems, plant management, equipment maintenance management, production control, industrial labor relations and skilled trades supervision, strategic manufacturing policy, systems analysis, productivity analysis and cost control, and materials planning.
Traffic, Customs, and Transportation Clerk/Technician
A program that prepares individuals to perform duties associated with managing revenue-based customs, traffic, or transportation services, such as control of domestic and international traffic, toll roads and waterways, and to assist in the dispatch and control of fleet-based traffic for businesses and public services. Includes instruction in record-keeping; preparation of customs and transportation documentation; operation of communications equipment; basic transportation operations management; tariffs, rates and fares; revenue collection and change-making; and interpretation of customs or transportation regulations and related legislation, policies, and procedures.
Welding Technology
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to join or cut metal surfaces. Includes instruction in arc welding, resistance welding, brazing and soldering, cutting, high-energy beam welding and cutting, solid state welding, ferrous and non-ferrous materials, oxidation-reduction reactions, welding metallurgy, welding processes and heat treating, structural design, safety, and applicable codes and standards.


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The Empathy Toy
is a blindfolded puzzle game that can only be solved when players learn to understand each other.
The Empathy Toy on CBC TV
Learning 21st century skills by playing games—and how the Empathy Toy is being embraced by everyone from students to CEOs—takes centre stage on CBC's Our Toronto with Marivel Taruc.
How the Game Works
Meet the Empathy Toy! Each toy piece has a different shape and texture. One player starts with a pattern of assembled puzzle pieces, and everyone works together to recreate the same puzzle-shape with the matching pieces! But wait – there's an unexpected challenge…
The Empathy Toy Origin‑Story
It all started as a student project with a very specific assignment: design a navigational aid for the blind. Discover the history of the Empathy Toy in this early-days Tedx Talk from Twenty One Toys Founder, and Empathy Toy Inventor, Ilana Ben-Ari.
Getting Started
What's the difference between the 3 versions of Empathy Toy? Find the answer to this, and other common questions about the Empathy Toy, in the Getting Started section of empathytoy.com! Review all you need to know to get up-and-running with your Empathy Toy for work. Learn the ins-and-outs of getting started with your Empathy Toy for school. Or pick up the basics for playing with your Empathy Toy for home. Ready? Let's start playing!Learn More About Getting Started
Our knowledge base of Empathy Toy resources is here for you to explore! From videos explaining each of the Empathy Toy sets and kits, to webinars with experts from our Empathy Toy community – you'll find something to inspire your work‑and‑play with the Empathy Toy in the Resources section of empathytoy.com!Find More Resources
Forward-thinking facilitators, resourceful educators, and ambitious parents in over 45 countries are using the Empathy Toy to change their worlds. Read more about their individual struggles and successes in our Empathy Toy Community Stories. While you're there, find Twenty One Toys on social media to join our community and connect with other players like you!Discover More Community Stories
What's New
The Empathy Toy is in the news! Check out the latest press on the game that's "shaping classrooms of the future" [Time Magazine, 2014]! Alongside all the amazing things people are saying about the toy in the media, you'll find notes on all the latest improvements and updates to empathytoy.com.See What's New
A Mid-Year Update
We're breaking records and temporarily out of Empathy Toys!


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I am a southern girl who is in love with the idea of love. I was raised in a small town where wearing cowboy boots to school is considered fashion. In one week, I will be headed off to begin my adventure as a freshman in college. Maybe if everyone keeps their fingers crossed for me, I'll be able to make a million new friends and keep a 4.0 for four years.
I blog about life, love, and everything in between those two words. My blog is all about making new friends, so click here and stay as long as you want!
Twitter. @CMCblogger
Blog Lovin'.


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Ones to Watch in 2012: Carishma
Could Carishma be pop's new princess? If the rest of her material is anywhere near as catchy as her debut single, "Glow In The Dark" then the answer is 'quite possibly.' Produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, the man behind such hit songs as "The Boy Is Mine" (Brandy & Monica), "If You Had My Love" (Jennifer Lopez), and "Say My Name" (Destiny's Child), "Glow In The Dark" is an infectious pop smash that's just percolating with energy and I just can't get enough.
In the Taj Stansberry-directed video, Carishma demurely struts around a desolate beach, oozing both confidence and mystery. Eventually stumbling upon a wild beach bash, complete with sexy boys, fire breathers, and a massive bonfire, this exotic beauty shows off her sexy dance moves, and partying literally until the sun comes up. Proving all that glitters is in fact gold, Carishma rolls and writhes sexily around in the sand, surrounded by onlooking Tiki Torches, all the while decked out in a shimmery golden, bejeweled bikini. Absolutely STUNNING. Check out "Glow In The Dark" below and download it for free if you're so inclined.
Carishma has been performing since she was a little girl, ultimately becoming the triple-threat (singer/actress/dancer) that she is today. At the age of 9, Carishma starred in an HBO movie and by the age of 10, she had already won several dance competitions. At age 14 Carishma signed with an indie label and got to work, recording dozens of tracks, none of which would ever see the light of day. Splitting with her label after graduating high school, Carishma was accepted into NYU's Music Business and Performing Arts program. A talent and a scholar - how refreshing! It's always nice to hear about artists who put their education first, ahead of their careers.
It was during her stint at NYU that she gained the attention of mega-hitmaker Timbaland, after auditioning for him at The Hit Factory in Miami, ultimately recording a song with him called "Keep Hangin' On." What a dream come true for this rising young talent. Since graduating from NYU, Carishma has been hard at work on her debut album, working with big names including Claude Kelly (Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson), J.R. Rotem (Rihanna, Leona Lewis), Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and more. Can't wait to hear what's next for Carishma!
While we're waiting to find out, check out her beautiful video for "Glow In The Dark" below and download the single on U.S. iTunes HERE. Hey! While you're at it, why not snag her Timbaland collaboration, "Keep Hangin' On" HERE. Stay tuned also for some SICK dance mixes by Dave Audé and Ark Angel. You can even pick up the Ark Angel remix for free on her Facebook page HERE.
Check out Carishma on the web:
Labels: Carishma, Music Videos, Ones to Watch


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Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told visiting CIA director Leon Panetta that any new U.S. strategy for Afghanistan must take into account Pakistan's concerns, especially fears that more troops could push militants across the border into Pakistan, according to a statement by Gilani.
The CIA is believed to be behind the more than 40 missile strikes to have hit suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban targets over the last year close to the border region. American officials do not generally acknowledge the attacks, which are unpopular among many here.
A U.S. drone fired two missiles at a compound being used by suspected Taliban militants in a village near Mir Ali in North Waziristan, according to two intelligence officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information.
The compound was destroyed and eight bodies were pulled from the rubble, the officials said, adding that two other suspected militants were wounded.
The targeted compound in the village of Shakhwadi was owned by two brothers, and Taliban militants were frequently seen visiting the building, which was cordoned off after the missile strike, the officials said.
Ahmed Nawaz Dawar, a local tribesman, said Taliban militants buried those killed and took the wounded to a hospital.
Another suspected U.S. missile strike killed three militants and wounded four just after midnight Thursday in Shana Khuwara village in North Waziristan, officials said.
Anti-American sentiment is pervasive throughout Pakistan. The Pakistani government publicly condemns the U.S. strikes as violations of its sovereignty, but many analysts believe the two countries have a secret deal allowing them.


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The Clippers rescheduled some interviews in their coaching search, said several NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Former Memphis Grizzlies Coach Lionel Hollins was scheduled to interview with the Clippers' front office Wednesday, but Hollins was attending an NBA competition committee meeting in San Antonio today, the executives said.
So the Clippers and Hollins now are scheduled to meet Thursday and Friday in Los Angeles, the executives said. Hollins also will meet with the Denver Nuggets for their head-coaching opening on Saturday.
Former Portland Trail Blazers Coach Nate McMillan was supposed to meet with the Clippers Thursday, but his meeting was canceled. The Clippers' interest in McMillan was lukewarm, one executive said, and they might not interview him at all.


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Last week we had a fun class of making a Hexagon Mug Rugs. They all turned out so darn cute I just had to share them with you. At the end of the show and tell I have a YouTube video from Creative Grids; the maker of the Hexagon Trim Tool! Enjoy.
This ruler is so easy to use, fun and really addictive!
Have a wonderful day full of quilting and sewing fun!


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|Kok raps rival over 'sexist' posters
Ki Mae Heussner | Mar 3, 08
DAP incumbent Teresa Kok has been the target of sexist campaign tactics before but when assailing her MCA challenger for hanging �sexist� posters, the politician today said she expected more from a woman opponent.
Yesterday, Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Seputeh parliamentary seat, Carol Chew Chee Lin, launched a poster campaign that criticised Kok for contesting both the Seputeh seat and Kinrara state seat.
One version features a caricature of Kok, clad in a skimpy red dress and matching stiletto heels, embracing �Mr Kinrara� after dumping �Mr Seputeh�. The caption reads: "Once and for all, we will never abandon you, please vote BN."
Another version features Kok on a rocket, flying from �Mr Kinrara� to �Mr Seputeh�.
According to the opposition politician, nearly a dozen billboards with these images have been erected in the Seputeh constituency.
"The implication (of the caricature) is that I am a loose woman. This kind of message is really shocking and has sexist content.
"I didn�t expect a woman to allow this kind of stupid cartoon. I am quite disappointed," she said when contacted today.
She said other DAP candidates such as secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Prof P Ramasamy are also contesting for state and parliamentary seats but "these men" were not criticised in a similar manner.
'Gentlewoman's fight'
Especially given Chew�s previous position under Wanita MCA head Dr Ng Yen Yen, Kok said she expected the MCA novice to engage in a "gentlewoman�s fight."
"(Ng and her deputy Chew Mei Fun) need to take a stand on this," she said, adding that MCA always talks about the importance of women candidates and encourages gender sensitivity.
"Ng should have sent her PA (Chew) for gender sensitivity courses before sending her to contest in Seputeh," she said.
During Kok�s 1999 run for Parliament, sexist comments made by her BN opponent, Sua Chong Keh, incensed voters in the Seputah constituency and ultimately tipped the scales in Kok�s favour.
"Compared to previous elections, there are more women candidates in (all) parties," she said. "It is sad to see the BN candidate launch this campaign," said Kok.
Despite numerous attempts, Chew (right) could not be reached for comment.
However, China Press today quoted the BN politician as saying that the posters were not sexist and were only meant to illustrate the point that a candidate contesting for two seats would not be able to serve the people well.
Conduct ethical campaigns
In a related development, the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) today expressed its disappointment with the two cartoon-styled billboards in the Seputeh constituency.
JAG said that the billboards depicted Kok in a manner that degraded her as a woman and trivialized her work as an MP.
�The sexualized cartoons of her (in a tight, bright red dress, red high heels and flitting from one �lover� to the next) sets women up as sex objects,� said the group in a statement.
�Sexist comments demean women and when made in relation to their work, violate their right to a safe working environment.
�This incident highlights again the need for mandatory gender sensitisation programmes for all members of political parties and Mps,� it added.
JAG urged all political parties to conduct their election campaigns on a more ethical basis.
Probable Source: MalaysiaKini
Daripada Abu Umarah iaitu al-Bara' bin 'Azib radhiallahu anhuma, katanya: "Kita semua diperintah oleh Rasulullah s.a.w. untuk melakukan tujuh perkara, iaitu meninjau orang sakit, mengikuti janazah, menentasymitkan orang yang bersin, menolong orang yang lemah, membantu orang yang teraniaya, meratakan salam dan melaksanakan sumpah."
(Muttafaq 'alaih)


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In our Gospel reading today, Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth where his reputation as a healer and preacher in other towns in Galilee has preceded him. Mark doesn't tell us what Jesus preaches in the synagogue in Nazareth, but he writes that Jesus' neighbours are amazed by what he says.
But instead of being happy with his powerful words and healings, the people from his hometown take offence and reject Jesus. They wonder how a simple carpenter like Jesus could have become a powerful preacher and a miraculous healer, let alone the Son of God.
Today, I use this brief mention of Jesus' hometown to spark a discussion among us about our hometowns. This is the first Sunday morning service since I arrived here last July where all three congregations are worshipping together. I hope that we can use this time to reflect on our hometowns and how they shape our ministry.
Near the end of this reflection, I am going to open the floor so that others can share stories of our hometowns. Such sharing, I believe, could help me know our three towns better. I also hope that it will help all of us reflect on how each town shapes us and shapes our work in ministry.
The rejection that Jesus suffers in Nazareth weakens his ministry. Mark says Jesus cannot perform miracles there. He connects this weakness with the lack of faith shown to Jesus in his hometown. Then Jesus repeats an old proverb: "A prophet is not without honour except in his own town and among his relatives."
Prophecy is one of several roles we adopt in the church. I use a list of five words that begin with the letter "p," to remind myself of five different roles of ministry Those words are pastor, priest, pedagogue, preacher and prophet. Memorizing these "Five P's" helps me remember the wide-range of the church's mission. I hope that briefly running through them will help us all think about our work in the church.
First is pastor. A pastor is a companion to people who are sick, troubled, or mourning the loss of a loved one. The root of the word in Latin means shepherd, which reminds us of the image of Jesus as the shepherd of his flock. Those of us who spend time visiting people in the hospital or helping neighbours during a bad patch are the pastors among us.
Priest refers to the role of conducting rituals such as baptisms, communion, weddings, and funerals. Such rituals connect us to our sacred values of faith, hope and love. While the role of priest can be undertaken by any of us, it is the one of the five in which ordained ministers are most likely to preferred.
Pedagogues are teachers (pedagogue just being a fancy Greek word for teacher.) All of us who have taught Church School classes or organized study groups are part of the ministry of teaching.
Preachers proclaim the good news of God in Christ and relate our ancient Scriptures to events in our communities today. In a charge like Borderlands, there are several strong voices who are willing to take on this role when we are between ministers or when the minister is away on study leave.
Finally, prophets. Prophets speak against injustice and sin and call a community to return to God's path of love. Prophecy is the role that Jesus said hometowns cannot easily accept from one of their own.
Protestants support the idea of the ministry of all believers, something that I mentioned at Joyce' Nelson's funeral last week. It suggests that all of us in the church are called to be ministers in the five roles -- pastor, priest, pedagogue, preacher and prophet. None of these roles are necessarily easy. But with God's grace, any of us can and do carry them out in different times and places.
Except, Jesus warns us that ministry can be more difficult in one's hometown. He suggests that people who know us best might be the ones least able to accept our authority to preach, heal, or prophecy . . .
I wonder if Jesus' statement about hometowns is still true today. Hometown does not have the same meaning today that it did in the First Century. Nowadays, most of us move many times in their lives. Because of these moves, "hometown" more likely now refers to where one lives at present rather than the place where one grew up.
Take my own life. I was born in Kingston, Ontario at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. When I was three years old, my parents moved us to Cornwall 150 km to the east and where I lived for the next 12 years. When I entered Grade 11, we moved again to Belleville, 250 km back to the west. And when I went to university, I moved still further west to Toronto, which is where I have lived for most of my adult life. So which one of these is my hometown? Kingston where I was born? Cornwall where I spent my most formative years? Toronto where I have lived longer than anywhere else? Or Coronach where I now live?
The idea of hometown stability came to my mind when I chatted with Helen Curran on Thursday evening. She told me that she had lived in her little house on Churchill Avenue for almost 60 years, since she married and moved to Coronach from her family's farm near Shaunovan. Not only has Helen not moved in almost 60 years; her children and grandchildren also live in Coronach, which makes her family quite unusual in my experience.
In my family, a reunion with my four siblings and my mother -- like the one we enjoyed at the end of June -- is a rare achievement since we now live in three different provinces. Of course, other families are even more far-flung, sometimes with family members living on different continents.
A famous example of the latter is provided by President Barack Obama. When he first ran for President four years ago, I was struck by a family portrait printed in the newspaper from his half-sister's wedding in Hawaii in 2003. At the centre of the picture was Obama's grandmother, originally from Kansas but then living in Honolulu. Beside her was Obama, the child of a Kenyan and an American, his wife Michelle, the descendant of Black slaves who had grown up in Chicago, Obama's half-sister whose father was from Indonesia, and her husband, who grew up in Burlington Ontario with parents who were from China by way of Malaysia. Whew! Now, what hometown would Obama's family say they were from?
Regardless of whether we have a strong sense of hometown, the place where we live shapes our lives and hence also our ministry. Which brings me back to the three towns of Borderlands.
Any observations I have about our towns after one year still seem superficial. Each town appears to be shrinking in size, despite the mine and the power plant. We are isolated from the rest of Saskatchewan with poor roads and services, especially health care. The culture is largely rural, even though many people no longer farm, or at least no longer gain their livelihood exclusively from farming. The strong connections that bind people together are reflected in the large size of most funerals. The beauty of the countryside, the sunshine, and the sharp swings in our weather affect us all, largely in positive ways, I believe. But beyond that, I don't yet have a lot to say about this beautiful place in which we live.
So partly for that reason, I now want to open the floor up for sharing. I hope some of us will be willing to speak to questions like the following: what do you consider to be your hometown? Have you always lived in Rockglen, Fife Lake, or Coronach? If not, when and why did you move here? And what do you believe are some of the elements of our towns that influence your work in our churches?
The floor is now open . . .
Thank you all for contributing. I appreciated hearing of your experiences.
To close, I refer back to our Scripture readings today. Both of our readings -- the one about Jesus in his hometown, and the one from St. Paul -- talk about weakness. The lack of faith of Jesus' neighbours in Nazareth weakens his ability to minister among them. St. Paul talks about his mysterious "thorn in his flesh." But St. Paul also reminds us that in weakness lies God's strength. Paul's insight is one of the cornerstones of Christianity, in my opinion.
Ministry strikes me as both endlessly complex and difficult -- and then in the next instant, as easy and effortless. It moves from difficult to effortless when touched by the grace of God.
We don't need to be wise, strong, or experienced to accept grace. Like Paul, we can be foolish and still accept grace. Like Paul, we can suffer from a "thorn in the flesh" and still accept Grace. Like Paul, we can consider ourselves to be weak in many ways, and still accept grace.
Paul also reminds us that Jesus' path of faith, hope and love is one that leads to the cross. The power of God's love is revealed in a willingness to die in the face of injustice and sin. In this willingness to die, our illusions, anxieties, and false idols also die. In this willingness to die, grace appears.
Our union with God's Spirit flows from the defeats of life. When, with Grace, this union happens, our ministry flows effortlessly.
Effortless ministry does not mean that it will be "successful." It does not mean that we won't sometimes be rejected by people in our hometown. Nor does it mean that we don't have to pay close attention to our surroundings and the people in our families, churches, neighbourhoods and communities.
What it does mean is that we can do our work as pastors, priests, preachers, pedagogues and prophets without anxiety. We can undertake our ministry in the realization that God calls us, supports us, and saves us regardless of any resentment we might receive from the people in our hometown.
Love calls each of us to ministry -- to support one another, to remind ourselves of our sacred values, to proclaim the good news, to teach our tradition, and to speak out against sin and injustice. God supports us in this work in all our hometowns. And it is to God that the glory and honour of our ministry lies
Thanks be to God. Amen.


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Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Works for Me Wednesday
Hello again, and happy Wednesday! My works-for-me Wednesday posts always make me a little self-conscious. I think anyone reading my post is probably thinking, "Duh. I learned that as a kid." But what I post is what I think is helpful, so be kind! :-)
My tip for the day actually comes from my mother, and it's something I have yet to do for myself. We lived in Athens, Greece when I was a kid, and we didn't have a clothes dryer (and yet we had marble floors...). Having to hang out ALL laundry for a family of four was quite a challenge, especially when having to hang it off the balcony, and one of the most annoying things was corralling the clothespins.
My mom, creative thing that she is, took one of my old dresses, probably about a 4T, and turned it into a clothespin hanger. It was a short-sleeved dress with buttons on the back. She hung the dress on a regular clothes hanger and tacked it in place. She sewed the sleeves shut and cut off part of the bottom and sewed it shut. Then, voila, it was filled with clothespins which could be easily accessed through the buttons on the back.
I think the great things about this clothespin hanger were that it was cute, it was very cheap, it could hang anywhere, and it could hold a lot of clothespins. I'm planning to make one for myself soon!
Blessings, Jeni at 8:08 AM
Labels: WFMW
3 comments:
- carrie said...
I did not know that you blogged, too. Very creative idea your mom had!
- October 12, 2007 at 9:06 AM
- Tiffany said...
What a great idea. Unfortunately, I have nowhere to put a clothesline- too many trees and trees=birds and birds=...you know! :)
- October 12, 2007 at 11:36 AM
- Sandi said...
Great tip, Jeni! What a fun idea!
Are you posting your WFMW link on Rocks in my Dryer, too? If so, you don't have to worry about whether or not it's a helpful tip -- I only click on the ones that I'm most interested in, and I'm sure others do, too...those of us who know you think anything that you have to say is clever, so don't worry! I've felt that way before, too...
- October 12, 2007 at 2:55 PM
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