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I promised to post pictures of the two dresses I made Monday. I was hoping to get pictures of the lovely, little girls wearing them, but I haven't so here they are empty and alone. The one to the left is from a vintage nightgown pattern, and the jumper below is one I hope to make again for each of the other girls.
About Me
- Mindy
- Wife, Mother, Mimi, lover of all things creative... sewing, embroidery, painting, collage... God and family are the most important things in my life.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Quick Sewing Post
I promised to post pictures of the two dresses I made Monday. I was hoping to get pictures of the lovely, little girls wearing them, but I haven't so here they are empty and alone. The one to the left is from a vintage nightgown pattern, and the jumper below is one I hope to make again for each of the other girls.
Posted by Mindy at 6:13 PM 2 comments: Links to this post
Labels: sewing, apron, vintage, recycle sewing, vintage patterns
Monday, December 27, 2010
Well, I've actually had some time to sew today. I managed to make two little dresses and have three more planned in the near future. However, hope and planning do not a dress (or three) make. Time will tell. I'll post pictures of the ones I did today later, because today I want to share something much more interesting for those of you who like to sew: pocket tutorials, wonderful ones. I'm a lover of the pocket myself, and for me it really adds to the value of an article of clothing to have one or more. If you like pockets and would like to learn how to add them to your clothing with a large variety of styles hop on over to Ikat Bag and check out the great Pocket Series. Almost anything you want to know about pockets you can learn in one of the many tutorials in this series. All my dear little ones are going to be so excited, because they love pockets too. I can't wait to try some of these out. I'm really fascinated by the smocked pocket. I've been too busy with Christmas to even read all of these post, but I have them bookmarked and plan to not only read, but also try several, if not all, of these out. Aren't they all great? She's giving this quilt away as well, so be sure and get your name in the hat to win!
Posted by Mindy at 9:50 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: sewing, apron, vintage, recycle sewing
Saturday, December 25, 2010
What a wonderful Christmas. I can't put my finger on it, but this one seems so much more special. Maybe it's because my parent's have both been ill recently and I see anew how precious life is. Maybe it is the joy of being surrounded by so many people I love that makes it so special.
I was able this year as never before to really focus on what exactly it is that we are celebrating. I'm thankful that the Nativity is more than a part of the decoration, more than a story. It's true. Jesus really came as a baby, God as man. He lived among us, He died for us, and He changed forever the way we relate to God, the Father.
I feel awkward trying to even put into words the wonder I've experienced this year. I guess it's so deep and personal that I can't explain it adequately to anyone else, but I wish I could. I wish I could put into each of your hearts the joy and awe I've encountered.
Usually there is a let down feeling for me as Christmas passes and all of the hype dies down, but not this year. All of my celebrating with others has past, but I am still celebrating inside. The reason we celebrate is not over, because the consequences of Christmas are eternal. Everyday should be a celebration for the best news that ever was told is just as true today as it was 2000 years ago. Jesus came to set me free, and I shall remain free forever. Merry Christmas!
Posted by Mindy at 10:03 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: sewing, apron, vintage, recycle Christmas
Monday, December 20, 2010
Christmas Projects
My daughter stopped blogging for a while to spend more time with her family. I'll miss reading her thoughts, but I appreciate her reasoning. She is such a wonderful mother and is raising some awesome kids (biased did you say? quite possible, but really she is and they are). She is overcoming her need for total perfection and making sure her house is really a home.
I am so proud of her. Each time I've been to her house lately she has had a project going and is involving the kids in it. One day it was making candy, you should have seen the proud little faces and sticky little hands as they dipped pretzels in chocolate and covered them with sprinkles. The little one was helping to roll Martha Washington balls and grinning from ear to ear.
They made a gingerbread house and she let them decorate it, choosing where the candies should go and later sneaking back in to pluck the most tempting ones off to eat. Sometimes it is hard when you have a creative idea to let go and let little minds form their own ideas and carry them out themselves. It really helps their self-confidence to know that their mother values their ideas enough to let them implement some of them.
The latest project was stocking making. Actually, she had planned to do this without their help, but when one eased in and asked if she could remove the pins and place them in the pin cushion, she smiled, backed up and let her do what she herself could have finished in a moment. She was so patient, even though I know she really wanted to finish up quickly while there was another adult around, and she could devote her whole energies to the task at hand.
Christmas is a time for sharing and giving, but we often only think of material things. However, sometimes it's the little moments of time and pieces of ourselves that are the gifts that mean the most and are remembered the longest. It is really encouraging to see those gifts being given so freely by and to ones I love so much.
Posted by Mindy at 10:27 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: sewing, apron, vintage, recycle family
Sunday, December 19, 2010
It is a Good Day
I'm so thankful for the good days in my life. I'm too often found taking for granted what is only mine by the grace of God. Things like a loving family, joy, peace, good health, they aren't a given. There are many who don't have such luxuries and I certainly don't deserve them, but oh, when I stop to think about them and count my blessings it's almost more than I can take.
Counting blessings is almost like receiving the gift of them again. Reliving precious times is akin to multiplying them . Most of us have little memories that we all tuck away in our hearts and seldom take the time to take back out and examine again. When we hit certain milestones sometimes it gives us occasion for reflection. I always find wonderful treasures when I wander down those sentimental roads. Today was one of those days.
My son graduated from college today, it's been a long road for him with more than a few detours, but he arrived at that goal today. As I saw him walk across that stage and receive a diploma while his family wiggled and giggled all around me I realized again that my son is now a man and no longer my little boy. Oh, yes, he will always be that little one in my heart, but he is responsible for other lives now. He's the head of a lovely family, and he takes that job seriously. He's working two jobs, and positively affecting those around him, and I am so very proud of him, but not just because of the milestone that was passed today. I know it was a big accomplishment, but what I'm proud of is the man he's become. I'm thankful that he's compassionate, loving, creative, fun, industrious, generous and a man of God.
I've rewound lots of memories and played them in my head today, and each one is a treasure. The little tow-headed chatterbox with large expressive eyes and charming ways romped once again on the screen of my heart and mind, and thankfulness has flooded my soul that I am blessed to be his mom. Heartfelt congratulations to him!!!
Posted by Mindy at 9:52 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: sewing, apron, vintage, recycle family, thankfulness
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Christmas Card Out-Takes!
There is plenty of fuzziness
For the past several years my daughter has asked me to come snap some pictures of them to try and make that very memorable Christmas card, and I adore that job. I'm not a great photographer, but with subject matter like grandkids who can miss?
Well, sometimes I do, and here are some of those misses.
It's hard to capture that ambiance of the tree, family, lights, and love when you're just a point and shoot kinda gal.
some cute but too dark
funny faces
clothing mishaps.
There were plenty other out-takes, but you get the general idea.
Posted by Mindy at 9:17 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: sewing, apron, vintage, recycle family
Friday, December 10, 2010
Wonky Log Cabin
I've been seeing Wonky Log Cabin Quilts around Blogland for a while now. I wanted to make one right off the bat, first off because I'm a bit wonky myself so this just spoke to me, secondly because I figured if I could make a quilt out of scraps and without excessive measuring this just had to be great!
Oh, how I'm loving this process. It's so easy and I really like the quirky look of the blocks. These are a real mish-mash mixing vintage and newer scraps, no color scheme, just a real grab bag quilt.
I'm sure this won't speak to everyone, but I'm having fun and hey, it'll keep me warm, right?
I really like this ducky block! A friend gave me a little vintage scrap with the cutest whimsical animals, and I couldn't figure out what to do with it. Now I know. These blocks will set off each animal in their own funky frame.
There is a really great tutorial for wonky blocks over at Tallgrass Prairie Studio. There are easy step by step instructions and great pictures of every step.
These are all of the blocks I have made so far, but this is something that doesn't take a lot of planning so you can work on one a little at a time. Although I will tell you it's hard to stop once you start. It's sort of addictive!
Posted by Mindy at 9:31 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: sewing, apron, vintage, recycle quilts, sewing, wonky log cabin
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Tasty Treat
One of my favorite cookies is a rosette. I used to make them when I first got married many, many moons ago. I haven't thought about them in years, and then the other day as I was cleaning out a cabinet I found my rosette iron. It's not a fancy contraption just a star or snowflake on the end of a metal stick. You dip the end into the batter and then into hot oil and presto you have a beautiful cookie. These lovely goodies taste like a cross between a potato chip and a funnel cake. I know, that sounds kinda weird and not very appetizing, but it really is good! Trust me!! Here is the recipe straight out of Betty Crocker's cookbook, the one I received as a wedding gift way back when.
Vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup water or milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Heat oil (2-3 inches) in small deep saucepan to 400 degrees. Beat egg, sugar and salt in small deep bowl. Beat in 1 tablespoon oil, the water and flour until smooth. Heat rosette iron by placing in hot oil 1 minute. Tap excess oil from iron on paper towels; dip hot iron into batter just to top edge (don't go over top). Fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Immediately remove rosette; invert on paper towel to cool. (If rosette is not crisp stir in a small amount of water or milk.)
Heat iron in hot oil and tap on paper towels before making each rosette. (If iron is not hot enough batter will not stick.) Just before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
18 rosettes
These make such a festive cookie.
Posted by Mindy at 12:26 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: sewing, apron, vintage, recycle holiday cooking, recipe
Monday, December 6, 2010
Gift of an Apron
I love wearing aprons! They make me feel so domestic and homemakerish (okay, I know that's not a word, but hopefully you know what I mean.)
I have collected a few vintage ones, I've made a few, I have some my mom has made for me through the years, but for some reason I only recently began wearing them. I don't know why I waited so long because I've always been a messy cook! It probably has something to do with the fact that I often store things I love instead of using them. I'm always waiting for a special occasion. I'm trying hard to change this and use the things I love, even if they get messed up at least I'll have a memory associated with them.
I have been meaning to post on the apron I'm wearing in this picture for a while. A friend made this for me and then gave me the pattern so I can make some too! I love it! It's such a happy apron don't you think so? I'm anxious to make some for gifts. I was hoping to get some made before Christmas, but I don't think that is going to happen. Not much time left and I don't expect I'll have a lot of sewing time before then. Some of the best gifts are those given "just because" like this one was!
Posted by Mindy at 7:13 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: sewing, apron, vintage, recycle apron
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Sewing For a Good Cause
I haven't had much time for sewing lately, but when I heard about a wonderful project some local women were involved in I just had to make some time to do a little sewing for a good cause. You see a group of people are going on a mission trip to one of the poorer regions of the Appalachians to distribute gifts of various items, including handmade dolls, to children who have very little. The dolls pattern is so adorable and pretty simple. You can find the original story of why women in a different area started making dolls for mission trips and a free pattern for the dolls here.
Once I started the process one of my brothers saw what I was doing and told me that there were possibly some available room if I wanted to go on the trip. He gave me a name and the next day I made the call. I'm happy to say I'm planning to go help deliver these dolls and the good news of the Jesus with them. I can hardly wait!
Posted by Mindy at 10:47 PM 2 comments: Links to this post
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The Literature of Lesbianism is a big subject, deserving of a big book, and Terry Castle has made one. The subtitle explains: "A historical anthology from Ariosto to Stonewall." As she's coming to Writers' Week in Wellington next month, Terry Castle is among the group of authors I'm swotting up on. This big book – 1110 pages, if you include the index – was published in 2003, and I have a copy to explore only because a friend lent it to me.
Terry Castle's introductory essay is great. She's concerned with the idea of lesbianism and how it has been represented by writers, male and female, over the centuries; lesbianism as "something to talk about".
I love how she writes. I got a bit tired of Terry-Castle-the-snark in The Professor (while devouring the book) so enjoyed the more or less snark-free writing here. "This woman has read everything!" I cried out more than once, with some envy. She writes beautifully nuanced paragraphs on the "paradox [of] the way in which would-be banishers of the lesbian idea have often ended up facilitating its entry into cultural consciousness by making it more 'talkable'."
To my delight, Terry Castle derives from the cross-dressing women in Shakespeare, who invariably end up with a man, the "central thing" that "the possibility of divergence is is broached." She has this way of taking a word, like "broached," and using it in a slightly unusual way, which for me makes her writing lively and surprising. I can't wait to hear her speak.
The extracts gathered together, the introductory notes to each section, and the (long) lists of further reading for each author selected, reinforce my admiration for the extent of Terry Castle's reading. I fancy myself as voracious and expansive in my reading habit, but she leaves me barely off the starting blocks.
A longer, and much more interesting, version of Terry Castle's interview with Guy Somerset in the recent Listener is here: http://www.listener.co.nz/culture/books/terry-castle-interview-the-extended-version/

subset: commoncrawl


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I went to Bark and Garden to check it out, not to buy plants and certainly not any more helebores.
I remember fondly quite a few years ago when Dan Hinkley showed up at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show with a whole slew of his newly created double hellebores. They were the hit of the flower show, the "it" plant that everyone wanted and many people were carrying them out of the convention center. At $50.00 a gallon, they were a little too pricey for my wallet back then. The "Heronswood Doubles" are still around, have come considerably down in price and I run into them at nurseries every now and then. While these aren't the Heronswood doubles, whenever I see any double hellebores, I think of that time and smile.


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This is a list of first 16 Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and the terms of Chief Ministers of Maharashtra as well as the political parties of the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra.
Yashwantrao Chavan (Congress): He was the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra (of the newly formed State of Maharashra), at the helm from May 1st 1960 – Nov. 19th, 1962.
Marotrao Kanamwar (Congress): He was the first non-Maratha Chief Minister of Maharashtra ad the only CM to have died while in office. His term was from Nov. 20th 1962 – November 24t, 1963.
Vasantrao Naik (Congress): He served 3 terms as Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The first was from December 1963 to March 1967; then from March 1967 to March 1972; and the third term from March 1972 to February 19975. Vasantrao Naik is Mahrashtra's longest serving Chief Minister with a total of 11 years.
Shankarrao Chavan (Congress): He served 2 terms, from February 21st 1975 to April 16th 1977 and then from March 12h 1986 to June 26th 1988. S.B.Chavan was the first politician from the Marathwada region to be appointed as Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He also served as Union Home Minister.
Vasantdada Patil (Congress): He served 3 terms – April 17th 1977 to March 2nd 1978; March 7th 1978 to July 18th 1978; and Feb.2nd 1983 to June 1st 1985.
Sharad Pawar (Congress): Sharad Pawar became Maharashtra's youngest Chief Minister in July 1978. He served 2 terms, first from July1st 1978 o Feb.17th 19800 and then from June 26th 1988 to June 25th 1991.
Abdul Rehman Antulay (Congress): A.R.Antulay was Maharashtra's first Muslim Chief Minister. He became Chief Minister when President's Rule was imposed in Maharashtra from February 1980 to June 1980. A. R. Antulay remained as CM from June 9th 1980 to January 12th 1982.
Babasaheb Bhosle (Congress): A lawyer by profession, Babasaheb Bhosale was appointed as Chief Minsiter of Maharashtra by Indira Gandhi. He was CM from January 21st 1982 to February 1st 1983.
Shivajirao Nilangekar Patil (Congress): A Maratha leader, S.N.Patil had the shortest tenure as Chief Minister of Maharashtra, from June 3rd 1991 to March 6th 1986.
Sudhakarrao Naik (Congress): He served as CM from June 25th 1991 to February 22nd 1993 and had to resign for mismanagement of the Mumbai riots in 1992-93.
Manohar Joshi (Shiv Sena): He was the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra from the Shiv Sena party, at the helm from March 14th 1995 to January 31st 1999.
Narayan Rane (Shiv Sena): He was the CM rom February 1st 1999 to October 17th 1999.
Sushilkumar Shinde (Congress): Sushilkumar Shinde was Maharashtra's first Dalit Chief Minister. He served as CM from January 18th 2003 to October 30th 2004.
Vilasrao Deshmukh (Congress): He came to power after making clear his anti-Pawar views and was CM from October 18th 1999 to December 4th 2008. Lost his seat after public outcry against his visiting the Taj Hotel premises after the terrorist attack along with filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma.
Ashok Chavan (Congress): He became CM as replacement for Vilasrao Deshmukh on December 8th 2008. He served as CM till November 9th 2010, being forced to resign after his involvement with the Adarsh Society scandal.
Prithviraj Chavan (Congress): Working in the PMO, he was selected by the Congress party to be Ashok Chavan's replacement. Prithiviraj Chavan is the present Chief Minister of Maharashtra, appointed as CM on November 11th 2010.


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Was it just me, or was there a healthy dose of chauvinistic patronization going on when the hollow men interrogated Mrs. Clinton? Wisconsin minimalist Senator Ron Johnson claimed that Clinton's emotional and tearful testimony about greeting the returning caskets of the four slain Americans was merely "theatrics" to avoid his tough questions. Johnson told CNN that Democrats were playing "election politics" with the Clinton hearings, tone-deaf to his own party's desperate political posturing. Predictably, satire turned to farce when the circus moved to the House of Representatives. Congressman Jeff Duncan of South Carolina shook his finger at Mrs. Clinton while accusing her of allowing the embassy in Benghazi to become "a death trap," and inquiring, "what does responsibility mean to you Madame Secretary?" This coming from a former auctioneer who'd never been fifty miles away from Greenville until his election to the House, attempting to scold a public servant who has logged a million miles in service to her country. The clear motive of these inquisitions was not to find facts concerning the Libya attack, but as an opportunity to attack the Secretary of State. At hearing's end, there was no resolution over what actually took place in Benghazi, and Hillary Clinton, in her final act as a member of the President's cabinet, made the political opposition look like an assortment of opportunists and fools.
This is exactly the image the Republican Party was trying to change at their post-mortem winter meeting in Charlotte, N.C. last week. Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana again rebuked the GOP for being "the stupid party," and urged future candidates to avoid saying things that were "offensive and bizarre." Jindal said, "It's time for a new Republican Party that talks like adults." Gov. Bobby must believe that we forgot about the time he gave his party's rebuttal to the State of the Union address by coming on television speaking to the American public like he was the newly elected mayor of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. To underscore the image of the "new" GOP, one of the invited and honored keynote speakers was Newt Gingrich. The meeting devolved into another Obama hate-fest, although they paid particular care not to call him a Marxist this time. The GOP believes their principles are solid and that it's just a matter of messaging that will return them to relevancy. They believe that by softening their rhetoric on womens' issues, they'll retain more of the female vote. Perhaps not trying to parse the definition of "rape" might be a good start. Oddly, the emerging Sunday spokesman for Republican "values" seems to be the unrepentant loser Paul Ryan, who attempted to use the term "forcible rape," in his own anti-abortion legislation. In fact, the GOP began the 2013 legislative term by introducing dual bills to defund Planned Parenthood, a "personhood" amendment that would outlaw certain forms of contraception, and harsh anti-abortion measures that mirror similar efforts in states with Republican controlled legislatures. It's tough to do a lot of soul-searching when you have no soul.
The re-election of Reince Priebus as Chairman of the Republican National Committee does nothing to dissuade the "stupid party" label. When, as chairman, Michael Steele brought the Republicans control of the House and gains in the Senate, the party rewarded him by firing him. Now that Priebus has presided over one of the party's worst political collapses in history, he is punished by being re-elected. I'm still waiting for some pundit of renown to connect the dots between Priebus and Governors Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Kasich of Ohio, Snyder of Michigan, and Scott of Florida in their union-busting attacks on collective bargaining and attempts to do on a state-by-state basis what they are prohibited from doing on a federal level. After Snyder's attempts to declare martial law in Michigan and Scott's voter-suppression measures that backfired in Florida, Priebus actually said, "Actually, our principles are more conducive to minorities than the Democrats'." Fellow, in-denial Republicans echoed the refrain that their problems arise from an inability to "explain their values," and the ordinary citizens' incapacity to "understand our Conservative principles." The meeting then unanimously approved a resolution to strip Planned Parenthood of federal funding on a voice vote.
A Republican lawmaker in New Mexico just introduced a new bill that would require the victim of a rape who was impregnated from her ordeal to carry the child to term in order to preserve the fetus as potential evidence at a criminal trial. The legislation reads: "Tampering with evidence shall include procuring or facilitating an abortion...of a fetus that is the result of criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to destroy evidence of the crime." This begs the question, who benefits from such a "trial," the victim or the rapist? At the same time, House Speaker John Boehner made a speech to the conservative Ripon Society and said, "We're expecting to be the focus of this administration as they attempt to annihilate the Republican Party." Austerity's champion Paul Ryan further opined, "If we had a (Hillary) Clinton presidency, I think we would have fixed this fiscal mess by now." Democrats need do no more than stand back and watch in awe, since, unlike Boehner's predictions, the current Tea Party-enthralled Republican Party will most likely collapse of its own accord. With enemies like this, who needs friends?


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Last week, we talked about getting energized with yoga. Today, we are going to talk about supporting a healthy lifestyle through the practice of yoga.
There is some very interesting psychology behind this that student's of western thinkers (e.g. Freud, Jung, Fromm, etc.) will find familiar and indeed, quite rational.
When an individual decides to be happy, something within that person activates; a kind of Will or Awareness emerges. This awareness begins to observe the jungle of negative thoughts that are swimming constantly through the mind.
Rather than attacking each of these thoughts because that would be an unending struggle, yoga simply advises the individual to watch that struggle and through that watching, the stress will diminish (because it becomes exposed and thus unfed by the unconscious, unobserving mind!).
At the same time, as an individual begins to reduce their level of internal negativity, subsequent external negative behaviors begin to fall of their own accord. Habits such as excessive drinking, emotional overeating, and engaging in behaviors that ultimately lead to unhappiness and suffering.
With this being said, it would be an overstatement to imply that practicing yoga is the easy way to, say, quit smoking or to start exercising regularly. If that were the case, yoga would be ideal! Yoga simply says that based on rational and scientific cause and effect
relationships that have been observed for centuries, that when a person begins to feel good inside, they naturally tend to behave in ways that enhance and promote this feeling of inner wellness.
As such, while smoking (for example) is an addiction and the body will react to the lessening of addictive ingredients such as tar and tobacco (just to name two of many!), yoga will help the process. It will help provide the individual with the strength and logic that they need in order to discover that smoking actually doesn't make them feel good.
In fact, once they start observing how they feel, they'll notice without a doubt that instead of feeling good, smoking actually makes one feel quite bad inside…it's harder to breathe, for one.
Now, this post isn't an anti-smoking post and if you've struggled with smoking then please don't be offended by any of this. There is no attempt here at all to imply that quitting smoking is easy or just a matter of willpower.
Scientists have proven that there is a true physical addiction that is in place alongside an emotional addiction that can be just as strong… perhaps even stronger.
Next time, we will be talking about more about the importance of proper yoga attire.
To another issue of Why Yoga Matters,
Morgan Green
P.S. – If you enjoyed this post on Why Yoga Matters Part 11-Supporting A Healthy Lifestyle, remember to like, share, and comment below.


text:
I have never had a dog that is mine. Don't get me wrong, I love our Labradors. But their first loyalty is to my husband. I'll do if he's not around. They are also outside dogs. I have never had a little dog. Oh my, I think I'll have to call today and say, "How much is that doggie in the window."
Friday, January 16, 2009
How Much is That Doggie in the Window?
I have never had a dog that is mine. Don't get me wrong, I love our Labradors. But their first loyalty is to my husband. I'll do if he's not around. They are also outside dogs. I have never had a little dog. Oh my, I think I'll have to call today and say, "How much is that doggie in the window."
14 comments:
- Ballerina Girl said...
you sound just like me!! just a little while ago I bought MY dog...an airedale terrier. you probably read about her in my blog!
She is all mine....and I LOVE HER and am so pleased with the purchase.
Know that it is hard work training them and all, but well worth it. Can't wait to hear if the
Price is Right
- January 16, 2009 at 9:26 AM
- Brenda Leyland said...
Ahhhhhhhhh..... how sweet! Of course you need another pet (smile)....
Come by my site sometimes, as I have an award for you! Joy joy!
- January 16, 2009 at 11:19 AM
- Nathalie said...
I arrived here from Brenda's blog. Oh yes, I can see why you need a puppy. The black one in the middle is the cutest in my opinion but I'm sure yours (if you go ahead)will be the cutest again.
I'll come back and check what happened... :-)))
- January 16, 2009 at 11:33 AM
- Edie said...
How ADORABLE! SOLD! LOL! I love animals and puppies are SO hard to pass up. My Tobi is part Chow, and Chows are one people dogs. I am without a doube, HER person! LOL! Can't wait to see which one you get. :)
- January 16, 2009 at 12:47 PM
- Gwendolyn said...
I would have a hard time resisting those faces, too! :o)
- January 16, 2009 at 1:23 PM
- Uncommon Blonde said...
I think it's a wonderful idea and it would make you smile every day! They are sooo cute!
- January 16, 2009 at 1:49 PM
- sara said...
oh they are sooo cute. we had a schnauzer growing up..great dogs!!!
- January 16, 2009 at 2:03 PM
- Beverly Lewis said...
I forgot to tell you these are Morkies. Maltese and Yorkie.
Makes me think of that old TV show "Mork and Mindie" with Robin Williams. Hilarious and endearing.
- January 16, 2009 at 2:09 PM
- Chatty Kelly said...
I love my dog, an indoor dog, Boston Terrier. There is nothing like the love of a dog. :D
- January 16, 2009 at 3:14 PM
- 2nd Cup of Coffee said...
Hello. You've seen Zoe. She's a Yorkie. Now, just do your research, keep a level head, because a doggie changes everything. Yes, you will need a babysitter when you go on vacay for example. They're a lot of work, health problems (no predicting) are expensive, and they're one more thing to clean up after. HOWEVER-- how do you think I feel about my little mess-maker? LOVE, LOVE! Just want you to research the breed(s) before you leap.
- January 16, 2009 at 3:20 PM
- Greg C said...
No dogs, no dogs, just keep saying it. My cats wouldn't stand for something like that.
- January 17, 2009 at 7:38 PM
- Merrie said...
Oh YES! I have a yorkie and love him. He is so much fun and so loving and cute. About 4 years ago my husband finally broke down and got me my very own dog that can stay in the house. The dog now has made us great owners... they are such sweet little ones... plus, they don't shed! Andy (my yorkie) was solid black when we got him, but he's turned light tan...
- January 18, 2009 at 9:25 PM
- Pam from alertandorientedx4 said...
Aww...puppy breath! How sweet! We adopted a little Silky Terrier (you can read about it in my blog from last year), to add to our family of the 2 bigdogs and Baggie (short for Begerra) the cat. Way too cute, but for sure pay attention to Lidna's advice...
(p.s. Where's your Picture Tag?)
- January 19, 2009 at 1:02 PM
You HAVE to let us know if you get one. As you may have read on my blog, we got a shih-tzu puppy last year and he has brought so much joy to our family.
Plus, think of all the blog fodder of puppy would give you. I know, it's bad when it becomes all about the blog. :)
- January 25, 2009 at 9:07 PM


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Bucknell Update
It's back to school time in L-burg and, unfortunately, everything isn't sunshine and lollipops at my alma mater. Here's my latest on the behalf of the Alliance for a Better Bucknell:
The new academic year is about to begin at Bucknell. For many students, especially the new Class of 2013, it is a time of excitement and new beginnings. Regrettably, for many of us who are not on campus, this is a time of sadness given two recent developments.
First, Bucknell president Brian C. Mitchell announced his resignation this summer. As anyone who has ever met him knows, President Mitchell is a force of nature. He has, over his tenure, applied his considerable energy to some of the most pressing challenges facing Bucknell--including making a concerted effort to pop the "Bucknell bubble" and ensure that students are confronted with a wide range of views on the issues facing our nation today. ABB will miss President Mitchell and wishes him success in his next endeavor. We also hope the Board of Trustees will ensure that his successor is the kind of change agent who will force Bucknell into greater heights of excellence. His legacy deserves it, and our degrees demand it.
Second, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education--a civil-liberties group in Philadelphia--has placed Bucknell on its "Red Alert" list given the ongoing free-speech dispute we have noted here. The group's announcement is accompanied by prominent advertisements, including in the U.S. News & World Report college guide. Clearly, this is not the reputation we want Bucknell to have. ABB urges all friends of Bucknell: Redouble your efforts to change this unacceptable situation. Call on President Mitchell, kindly but firmly, to stand up and make clear that the events of the spring were a mistake, and that all students and faculty will have their right to speak freely respected. Tell your Bucknell friends, and ask them to do the same.
That is not fun, we know, and it is not how we would prefer to begin the school year. But as it is often said, we are all members of the "Bucknell family," and sometimes family members have to pull each other aside and present some hard truths. Please join us in doing that at this challenging, and crucial, time for the university we all love.
--Allison Kasic '05


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Healthy Living
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Seeking Drug and Alcohol Treatment for Employees
by Dr. Jeffrey Stuckert
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If you currently know of or have known of an employee that needs drug and alcohol treatment, it is likely that you are frustrated. As an employer, you have a range of options available, but the action that many employers are likely to take is to fire the employee in question. Employers may think that is this the most practical and viable option. Dealing with employee drug or alcohol abuse seems troublesome, and hiring a new employee altogether seems as if it is the best choice for the company. But that choice may be wrong.
There are numerous reasons why employers may want to consider sending their employees to a drug and alcohol treatment center. Some of the reasons are practical - increased job satisfaction, or the use of less healthcare dollars - but other reasons may actually impact the company's financial situation. The cost of finding and training new employees is not inexpensive, and it may actually cost less to send your employee to a drug and alcohol treatment program rather than to find someone new. The following include some, but not all, of the reasons to send an employee to a drug and alcohol treatment program.
Employee Drug or Alcohol Abuse: Reasons to Finance Employee Treatment
- Productivity. Employees who are sent to a drug and alcohol treatment program will experience a boost in productivity. Employee drug or alcohol abuse is detrimental to the company - he/she may not be productive at work because they may be experiencing symptoms of withdrawal, or they may be trying to recover from the night before. Either way, employees lacking treatment cannot focus on their tasks at hand, short-changing the employer and the company. Treatment is essential to this employee. Afterward, he/she will be more responsive to their superiors, and in general, he/she will be a healthier employee - physically and emotionally.
- Job Satisfaction. If an employee suffering from drug or alcohol addiction is a supervisor in any regard, after treatment, the employees that they oversee will also experience increased job satisfaction. Employee drug abuse and alcohol addiction affects everyone in the workplace. It impacts many functional areas of the company, as the workplace is heavily impacted by negative attitudes. After treatment, the employee will be able to perform better at work, managing their workload and others more efficiently.
- Company Loyalty. Employees who receive drug and alcohol treatment will be much less likely to injure the company in an inadvertent way, such as damaging the company's reputation. When employees are actively using, they are not good ambassadors for the company or the community. Interactions with clients and co-workers will suffer, and attendance may often be a problem. However, employees sent to get treatment will do and feel the opposite - they may experience feelings of greater loyalty towards a company willing to provide them with assistance and help while they are dealing with their disease, and will "pay" the employer back with increased productivity, a boost in work performance, and company loyalty.
- Recovery Time. Employee drug or alcohol abuse is a problem that can be treated within a reasonable amount of time. In residential recovery, employees who receive alcohol and drug treatment will be expected to attend a treatment facility for four weeks, and can begin work again in six to eight weeks. This recovery time is relatively short, especially in comparison to medical leave for lengthy operational procedures. The recovery time is not extraordinary, and the benefits, overall, are great.
- Re-training and Re-hiring Costs. The cost to find middle to high management is substantial, and a missing employee puts a burden on additional employees to perform extra duties until that position is filled. Oftentimes, financing these costs can be more expensive than the cost it takes to send an employee to drug and alcohol treatment. There are several different costs that employers can expect to pay for when losing and attempting to replace an employee.
- Separation Costs: These costs may be the costs paid for exit interviews, administrative duties, separation/severance pay and unemployment compensation.
- Vacancy Costs: These costs may include the costs paid to employees who work overtime to take over additional duties, or to find and hire a temporary employee to take over that specific employee's tasks.
- Replacement Costs: These costs may include the cost of attracting applicants, entrance interviews, testing, medical exams and acquiring and disseminating information.
- Training Costs: These costs may include formal or informal training costs, literature costs, technology costs, and time spent learning additional tasks.
- Separation Costs: These costs may be the costs paid for exit interviews, administrative duties, separation/severance pay and unemployment compensation.
- Moral Duty. Sending an employee with a serious health issue to find drug and alcohol treatment is the right thing to do. Legally, companies are not allowed to fire employees due to serious health issues, such as cancer or heart health, but employers are much more willing to let employees go because of substance abuse or alcohol addiction - diseases which should be treated as physical and mental health issues that need to be addressed for the health of the employee.
Whether an employer chooses to send an employee to seek treatment is ultimately up to company, but there are numerous reasons - both for the sake of the employee and for the sake of the company - to send an employee to receive drug and alcohol treatment, rather than to wish them well and finance the costs of hiring someone new.
About the Author
Jeffrey Stuckert, M.D. has practiced clinical emergency medicine in Ohio for 29 years and is an American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) certified physician. He has personally attended to more than 70,000 emergency-room patients, and currently serves as the CEO and Medical Director of The Ridge, a residential addiction treatment program and Northland, an outpatient treatment center near Cincinnati. Dr. Stuckert has practiced addiction medicine on a full time basis for the last two years. Dr. Stuckert has served as Chairman and Medical Director of Emergency Medicine Departments of both the Christ Hospital and Deaconess Hospital for 22 of his 29 years, supervising all clinical personnel and administrative operations of those divisions. This includes the supervision of over 100 emergency physicians, more than 100 emergency medicine residents and hundreds of nurses and ancillary staff. For more information about The Ridge, please visit www.theridgeohio.com, and for more information about Northland, visit www.northlandmbs.com.
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Saturday, January 2, 2010
So school's back and i'm not happy! Of course who wouldn't! August was pretty boring. I was best in social studies I think... Anyways nothing real important happened in August. I'm blank!
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A federal safety report reveals the bus that crashed on a Kentucky interstate and injured more than 30 students had tires taken from a scrap bin. It was also revealed that the maintenance and inspection records for the bus had been burned. The report was read in discovery in two lawsuits against Commonwealth Bus Service, which operated the bus in the June accident.
The report led to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) placing the bus company on probation. The Courier-Journal has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the federal safety administration for copies of the full report. Jefferson County Public Schools has temporarily halted its use of the bus service.
Source: Claims Journal and Insurance Journal
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Compensation Not Necessary (RVFF #3)
Random Vocabulary Flash Fiction (RVFF) - Click here to find out what it is.
Today's word: Reparation (rep uh RAY shun) - 1. paying back; 2. making amends; 3. compensation /I used definition #3 for this story.
As I veered our snowmobile onto the frozen lake, the frigid Alaska air carried an icy mist cinnamon-fine and as penetrating as glass-dust. The sound of the mist pelting our goggles was ominous, and fifty yards out, a white-out obscured my vision.
"Randy! Go back!" my brother said.
"No! I know what I'm doing!"
"Shut up! I've got it!"
And I did have it - until the ice broke.
The snowmobile balanced precariously on one ski at the broken ice edge - front-half submerged, back-half slipping. My brother, clinging to the snowmobile, plucked me out of the water and tossed me onto the ice just before the snowmobile plunged beneath the surface. He never emerged.
How do I compensate my brother for my disobedience? For causing his death? I never can. Reparation isn't possible, nor is it necessary, when your brother sacrifices his life for your own.
Word count = 148


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Now for the really hard part; how best to sum up a day of exhilaration, misery, heat, chills, cramps, kisses and hugs. Actually, the process of running the Boston Marathon is never about one day. Or one runner. It's about months of training and the support you receive after countless (endless?) solo miles. Continue reading 'Boston 2016: Thrills, chills, kisses and hugs'
Archive for April, 2016
Boston 2016: Thrills, chills, kisses and hugs
Tags: boston marathon, colella's, hopkinton, squannacook river runners, stu's 30k
Marathon No. 16: Euphoria, until 2:49
Tags: Boston Marathon bombings
How many police cars do they need?
I had no idea of the scope of what just happened. All I could do was try and comprehend what I was hearing.
Two loud bangs
Sirens blaring, endlessly.
It was sensory overload. Continue reading 'Marathon No. 16: Euphoria, until 2:49'
Marathon No. 15: More heat trouble
Tags: bennington, boston marathon, shires of vermont marathon, vermont
Our journey home began in December of 2011. My father-in-law Wilton was dying at his southern New Hampshire home and we needed to be there for him in his last weeks. We were fortunate – with the help from some very generous friends – to pack up all of our belongings into a 26-foot U-Haul and not hit any snowstorms on our six-day sojourn from Montana.
My wife and I were also fortunate not to have jobs at the time. We could focus all our time and energy on Wilton, who passed away in January. A short time later, we set ourselves up in an apartment in Ayer, Mass., to start our new lives. Continue reading 'Marathon No. 15: More heat trouble'
Marathon No. 14: An unforgettable year
Tags: boston marathon, bozeman marathon, bozeman running company, september 11th
Some years, my body "takes" to running. Some years not.
There have been years when my legs have felt tired and stale. It happens, since I run year-round.
But 2011 wasn't one of them. Continue reading 'Marathon No. 14: An unforgettable year'
Marathon No. 13: Paying homage
Tags: big sky wind drinkers, boston marathon, ed anacker, frank newman marathon
There are small-town marathons. And there are small marathons.
And there are three-dollar marathons. OK, there may only be one of those.
The Frank Newman Marathon, which starts in Bozeman, may be the lowest-key marathon ever. And the least expensive. Continue reading 'Marathon No. 13: Paying homage'
Marathon No. 12: Forgot about the pain
Tags: ashton, boston marathon, bozeman, idaho, mesa falls marathon
My first marathon as Masters runner (age 40 and up) and my first as a father happened on Aug. 28, 2010. It was three years after my previous one, and everything I remembered from previous marathons came back.
Including the pain. Continue reading 'Marathon No. 12: Forgot about the pain'
Marathon No. 11: 'You're in first place!'
Tags: boston marathon, lewis and clark marathon, mesa falls marathon, montana state university
After a surprisingly smooth recovery after a magnificent Mesa Falls, I started having some impure thoughts about riding this wave I was on. The local Lewis and Clark Marathon was just four weeks after Mesa Falls, and about two weeks out, I started thinking about running L&C as well.
But I first needed a test run. I decided go for about an hour and 40 minute run halfway between the races. If I felt good, I'd go for it. I did, so I did. Continue reading 'Marathon No. 11: 'You're in first place!''


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- Annoying Pop-up's
- Connects to the internet without permission
- Installs itself without permissions
- Slow Computer
- Slow internet connection
- System crashes
Do not be fooled by clever marketing campaigns and embellished promises, PCclear is nothing more than a harmful rogue antispyware application designed with the sole purpose of defrauding a consumer out of his hard earned money, while leaving him with nothing more than an empty shell. PCclear is unable to deliver on any of its overstated promises, and cannot offer any benefit to an infected PC.
Distributed and spread with the help of illicit websites which makes use of drive-by downloads, the PCclear infection can also be caught through malicious Trojan and malware bundled downloads. PCclear follows the same path as most other rogue antispyware applications, and will try everything in its power to gain the trust of its victims. As a first line of attack, PCclear will inform the user that his PC is infected with various serious but ultimately fake infections. PCclear will then inform the user that the only way to get rid of these bogus infections will be to pay for a licensed version of PCclear.
Users are urged never to spend money on this rogue, and instead destroy PCclear before permanent and irreversible damage is done to their PCs. Symptoms of a PCclear infection have been reported as users being unable to connect to the Internet, and increased system instability and slowed performance.
In order to get rid of PCclear for good, users are urged to invest in a powerful security tool which will offer protection against future similar threats as well.
Download Spyware Removal Tool to Remove* PCclear


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- Chapters edited: 2 out of 41
- Word count: 102,000
I have reached a breakthrough this last week.
A couple of weeks ago, I hit a low with my WIP. I was surly and depressed and considering shelving it. Everything seemed so hard, and the things that needed fixing seemed overwhelming and I wondered if I would ever finish. It also doesn't help that shiny new project seems so much better than old cranky project. (You all know that feeling, right?)
But then something brilliant happened. I participated in Maggie Stiefvater's Critique Partner Love Connection. I exchanged my first three chapters (rough as they were) with a few people, got some good feedback and some not so much my style. I met a couple people who I think I'm going to continue working with. (I'm not naming names yet.)
But most importantly? This experience have given me a renewed excitement about my book. Other people seemed to like it for the most part. Sure there are thing that need fixing, and yes it's going to take me quite a while to fix them. But what I lost sight of is that even though it's hard, I'm making my book better and I'll be one step closer to my dream.
Big revelation.
So, how are your projects going? Did you learn anything new this week?


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Lee Blessing: "A Body of Water" and "Two Rooms"
Lee Blessing's latest work, A Body of Water, focuses on the loss of memory but the retention of body, and what that means for a relationship; a revival of his older play, Two Rooms looks at our struggle to keep a memory alive once the body is gone. Both works show the effect of time: Two Rooms comes across as a little dated, although emotionally relevant, whereas A Body of Water shows a modern playwright who is utterly exhausted.
- A Body of Water
Photo/James Leynse
If you somehow managed to condense Lost into a two-person play, added a third character to twist the plot in a Memento-type fashion, and then stripped out the drama, you'd have Lee Blessing's aimless new play, A Body of Water. Normally, plays either suffer from characters in search of a plot, or a plot in search of characters: here, Blessing suffers both simultaneously, for his characters are in search of their character, and that, in effect, is the plot.
Moss (Michael Cristofer) and Avis (Christine Lahti) awake to find themselves naked in bed together; after casually regrouping in bathrobes that conveniently fit them, they set about rationally exploring the situation. There are some comic bits, particularly involving a search for scrotal birthmarks that might trigger some insight, and then Wren (Laura Odeh) enters, clarifying that A Body of Water is actually a drama, and that Moss and Avis, married, are on trial for murder, and that she is trying to get them to remember enough to defend themselves.
Just kidding! Actually, as Wren confesses--fifteen minutes later--she's actually their daughter, and she's just messing with them because their memory loss, which has made her a live-in nurse, drives her crazy, and this is her revenge. As for the accident, it's a murder-suicide. Or not. We're as much in the dark as Moss and Avis, and considering that they change personalities each time they wake up (this is called a dramatic device: it keeps things "interesting"), the plot is a liquid mess of falsehoods, always rippling in new directions. Maria Mileaf directs broadly, trying to eke out some small shred of entertainment, but when you're stuck going down shit creek without a paddle, the last thing you want is to watch a clown juggling in the backseat.
- Two Rooms
Photo/Aaron Epstein
When Lainie's (Angela Christian) husband, Michael (Michael Laurence) is kidnapped by terrorists on an oversea trip, she resolves to continue to live her life in parallel to his, convinced that living in a dark room, devoid of furniture, will somehow make her feel closer to him. Two Rooms uses this heavy-handed metaphor, to draw the attention of Ellen van Oss (Adinah Alexander), a professional shrew for the State Department, and the manipulative friendship of Walker Harris (Patrick Boll), a reporter obsessed with forcing the government's hand.
The play that follows is too structurally clever to seem real, and Peter Flynn's literal direction (the two rooms are the same set, cued only by a difference in lighting) often confuses the thrust of the action--especially since the actors often sit in the visible wings, watching. These artificial moments don't seem so bad, though, with a blindfold on, and Mr. Laurence does a wonderful job--smooth, strong, and even--living in his dangerous present or, ghost-like, interacting with his comforting past. (Again: it's the same room.) Ms. Christian also feeds nicely off this energy: it gives her a rawer emotion to play with than the intelligent and collected soundbites that she shares with her restrained and professional visitors. Quips and metaphors about birds, for example, are straining to put the hostage situation into context; Lee Blessing does his best writing when he's simply dealing with the actual circumstance (or the dream that Lainie has conjured up for it) and ignoring the lecturing from Ellen (there's a literal PowerPoint presentation of war photos).
Ultimately, it's not the room that's important, but what's inside it--or, in Lainie's case, what's missing from it. The more that Blessing and Flynn fill that world with clever metaphors and literal interpretations, the harder it is for the actors to actually deal with their loneliness and grief.


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The worst feelings are the ones you have no control over. The ones that you have no understanding of. The kind of feelings that you would do anything to get rid of or forget about but they cling to you like a fucking vine. The type of feeling that consumes your entity and affects everything you are. Do you lose yourself to it or do you try and push away what your mind won't let you forget. Better yet, are you stronger if you forget it or embrace it?
Suppose some of these things just take some time to pass, or maybe they never do and they change everything thing you ever believed to be true up to that point.
Maybe all you can do is follow your gut, because thats the realest thing you have. It is either your last choice or your lost chance. Fuck it.


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Pope Francis canonized over 800 Fifteenth Cent. martyrs of Otranto in a sainthood ceremony in St. Peter's on Sunday, May 12, 2013. Given the age of the cases, and the large number of saints, how can we be sure of their authenticity? In "The Myth of Persecution: How Early Christians Invented a Story of Martyrdom," (HarperOne, 320 pages, $25.99.) Notre Dame Professor Candida Moss argues that the earliest persecutions of Church history were a "pious fraud" perpetrated by the Church Fathers to serve ideological ends. "This story of Christian martyrdom is a myth that leads Christians to claim the rhetorical high ground," writes Moss, but it also leads to a "theologizing of violence." Óscar Romero would beg to differ!Romero's life—and death (photo)—rebuts any assertion that persecution and martyrdom is a "myth" in three important respects:
- Romero took it as a point of faith that martyrdom/persecution are defining qualities of the Church and had the conviction that persecution was both a historical and theological fact.
- Romero's life life—and death—help illustrate how martyrdom/persecution can come to be denied, but also how the historicity of these claims is ultimately redeemed.
- Finally, Romero did not shy away from embracing an 'insular' Catholic identity of persecution that some on the Left and in the secular world find off-putting.
Romero also believed in early Christian martyrdom as a sort of theological necessity. "Persecution is a reality that is necessary for the Church," he declared. "You know why? Because the truth is persecuted. Jesus told his disciples: if they persecuted me, they will also persecute you (John 15:20)." (May 29, 1977 Hom.) He quoted Pope Leo XIII as having said that in addition to the well-known "Four Marks of the Church"—to be One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic—"I would add another: persecuted." (Ibid.) Accordingly, "persecution is a characteristic mark of the authentic Church," and, "A Church that does not suffer persecution is not the true church of Jesus Christ." (Mar. 11, 1979 Hom.) "Thanks to God," Romero said, "we are not only aware of the stories of the martyrs of past ages but we are also conscious of the martyrs of our own time." (Apr. 14, 1979 Hom.) For example, Romero said that the persecution of the Polish Church by Communist regimes recalled the Roman persecutions: "Cardinal Woytila reminds us of the times of the catacombs and the times of the [Roman] circus," Romero said: "the times of the martyrs." (Oct. 29, 1978 Hom.) To Romero, there was a continuity, a constancy, between early martyrdom and the modern experience: "Because the Christians refused to adore the emperor, many of them died as martyrs. This is always the cause of martyrdom." (Sept. 29, 1977 Hom.)The following critique from Prof. Moss could well be applied to Archbishop Romero: Moss argues that the early Christians were not being "persecuted" because they were Christians, but because they were offending Roman sensibilities on other grounds: early Christians were "rude, subversive and disrespectful," refusing to swear oaths, join the military or participate in any other part of Roman society. "If persecution is to be defined as hostility toward a group because of its religious beliefs," she argues, "then surely it is important [whether] the Romans intended to target Christians. Otherwise this is prosecution, not persecution." This is a maddening variation of the «odium fidei» quandary that has plagued Romero's canonization process, wherein it is argued, essentially, that Romero was killed because he was "rude, subversive and disrespectful," refusing to be civil with government authorities, denouncing the army's human rights records, railing against the hoarding of land and wealth by the oligarchy, etc. The "Catholic Answer" to this critique, of course, is that, "The early Christians would not follow Roman rules—such as sacrificing to the Roman gods—because of their religious beliefs," so it makes the assertion that they were not persecuted for their religious beliefs untenable. Similarly, Archbishop Romero was denouncing injustice because of his religious beliefs and therefore the contention that he was not killed for religious reasons but for "other" reasons is based on a myopic view of reality. "Most Christians today aren't being menaced because of their doctrinal convictions but because of moral choices rooted in their faith," John Allen writes in a recent piece regarding modern persecutions. "That distinction doesn't make their suffering any less spiritually significant ..."
His intense identification with the early Christian Church was a source of encouragement and consolation for Romero, which allowed him to face the prospect of slander, personal attacks and accusations, harassment, intimidation, and ultimately, threats of violence and violent attacks upon his Church and his collaborators with serenity. "The struggle of the Church is precisely the following: to maintain herself faithful to the majesty of God as she confronts the powers of this earth," Romero reflected. "For her defense of God, the Church is slandered. Those who attempt to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth are seen as subversive and therefore persecuted and denounced." (Ibid.)
His intense identification with the early Christian Church was a source of encouragement and consolation for Romero, which allowed him to face the prospect of slander, personal attacks and accusations, harassment, intimidation, and ultimately, threats of violence and violent attacks upon his Church and his collaborators with serenity. "The struggle of the Church is precisely the following: to maintain herself faithful to the majesty of God as she confronts the powers of this earth," Romero reflected. "For her defense of God, the Church is slandered. Those who attempt to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth are seen as subversive and therefore persecuted and denounced." (Ibid.)
Allen illustrates the point by discussing the case of Fr. Giuseppe "Pino" Puglisi, set to be beatified on May 25. The Church has ruled his death at the hands of the Italian mafia a martyrdom. "His assassins' motives had nothing to do with opposition to Christianity—indeed, they understood themselves to be good Catholics," Allen writes. "Yet Puglisi's reasons for standing in the firing line had everything to do with his faith." Allen recognizes that Romero's is a similar case.Finally, Romero also quietly rebuffs Prof. Moss' tepid approach to prosecution of the Church when she questions characterizing the Obama administration's attempts to force religious institutions into providing abortion rights as a subtle, modern form of persecution. "The use of this language of persecution is discursive napalm," Moss says. "It obliterates any sense of scale or moderation." Here is what Archbishop Romero said on the issue:
Abortion has been legalized in [El Salvador] despite the fact that the bishops asked the President and the Assembly to respect the life that lives within the mother's womb. But the law was passed. This is truly a persecution of the Church for this law is clearly against the morality that the Church preaches.(Oct. 2, 1977 Hom.)
Archbishop Romero drew strength and inspiration from the early Christian martyrs and he believed wholeheartedly in Church persecution as a historic and theological truth. He wanted, he declared, to be part of "a Church that is alive, a Church of martyrs, a Church that is filled with the Holy Spirit." (Dec. 31, 1978 Hom.)
Musical Tribute to Romero & Other Martyrs
Musical Tribute to Romero & Other Martyrs


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Today is my favorite day of the year. Well, tonight actually. Tonight is the night that Tia and I have our annual girls night out. Just the two of us, no children and no husbands. Not that we do not love both. But this night we go out to dinner, share a bottle of wine and just catch up.
I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!


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The daily happenings of Velcro and her little sister and brother, Ceilidh and Jack Sparrow
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Wordless Wednesday!
7 comments:
- Lorenza said...
Hi, Velcro!
The Orange Crew! Ha!
Good pictures!
Kisses and hugs
- August 20, 2008 at 7:09 PM
You sure are nice to all the cats!
You have been a busy pup, going to the park and to work!
- August 20, 2008 at 7:47 PM
- Noah the Airedale said...
Um where did those cats come from....have we missed something lol. Cripes. Nice pics Velcro.
Noah Willow Tess Lucy
- August 20, 2008 at 8:14 PM
- The Cole Crew said...
Wow Velcro your outnumbered. Your so good with cats they may think your one of them.
- August 21, 2008 at 7:46 AM
- MONA AND THE MOMMY! said...
How exciting your days are compared to mine. I just sit home waiting for the Mommy to come home but then we have lots of fun together. Your kitty cat sure is pretty. The Mommy has been working a lot of OT this week and has to work tomorrow & all next week but her gonna be off Friday and we are going to the country & stay for 4 whole day with Roxie, Sammy & Andy.
Today her gots to go to the dentist so I'm alone again...but I don't wanna go to the dentist so I better shut up while I'm ahead.
LOVE ya....Mona
- August 23, 2008 at 6:44 AM
- Gus, Louie and Callie said...
How are you at herding cats?? We do a good job of that with ours but we only have 2...
Big Sloppy Kisses
Gus, Louie and Callie
- August 23, 2008 at 9:06 AM
- Kathryn and Ari said...
Do you have cats? We had no idea! That's one more thing you have in common with Ari: she, too, spends her time on a bed with felines (but she doesn't like to admit it in public!).
- August 24, 2008 at 6:22 PM


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I'm starting out with the Jacquard Indigo Dye Kit. One large vat is full-strength, one is half-strength.
This is the "sky fabric" experiment. Multiple dips, over several days, in both vats.
This is an experiment with the popsicle sticks and rectangular blocks from the Indigo dyeing kit.
I'm not happy with either project, but will persevere.
I set up this blog as a way to test out some ideas. Nothing to see here. This is not the blog you seek. Move along.


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But unhappily we will still keep the stormy weather and rainy atmosphere... that it will not let us, in a proper manner, obviously to see the sky...
By the way: On the ceiling of a hypermarket I've observed that are hung some pink funny indicators of "weather prognosis"?!! It looks to be an awesome idea... anyway.... outside the I've found the true face of the nature unleashed...
A week ago, in friday 13 was a giant moon called "Strawberry Moon"...(The Strawberry Moon of June is sometimes referred to by Europeans as the Rose Moon, while other cultures named it the Hot Moon for the beginning of the summer heat.")
...and because it is raining heavily* as it may say " it is still bucketing down".... Oh...yes I found this phrase "it was still bucketing down" that it means in romanian "plouă cu găleata"...
Blurred reflection...
So these are the last updates from our part of the world and soon... it will be "Midsummer ( in northern hemisphere), also known as St John's Day, is the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, and more specifically the Northern European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice or take place on a day between June 21 and June 25 and the preceding evening. The exact dates vary between different cultures. Because he was alleged to have been born on that day, the Christian Church designated June 24 as the feast day of the early Christian martyr St John the Baptist, and the observance of St John's Day begins the evening before, known as St John's Eve."
Did you know: from wikipedia:
In Romania, the Midsummer celebrations are named Drăgaica or Sânziene. Drăgaica is celebrated by a dance performed by a group of 5-7 young girls of which one is chosen as the Drăgaica. She is dressed as a bride, with wheat wreath, while the other girls, dressed in white wear a veil with bedstraw flowers. Midsummer fairs are held in many Romanian villages and cities. The oldest and best known midsummer fair in Romania is the Drăgaica fair, held in Buzău between 10 and 24 June every year. There are many superstitions related to this day, particularly those involving marriage or death. The term Sânziene originates in the Latin "Sancta Diana", and superstitions relating to this day are mainly erotic in nature, referring to young girls and their marriage prospects.
From Wikipedia & other source:
"The summer solstice occurs when the tilt of a planet's semi-axis, in either the northern or the southern hemisphere, is most inclined toward the star (sun) that it orbits. Earth's maximum axial tilt toward the sun is 23° 26'. This happens twice each year, at which times the sun reaches its highest position in the sky as seen from the north or the south pole.
The summer solstice occurs during a hemisphere's summer. This is northern solstice in the northern hemisphere and the southern solstice in the southern hemisphere. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the summer solstice occurs some time between December 20 and December 23 each year in the southern hemisphere and between June 20 and June 22 in the northern hemisphere."
Click to read more info about: "The June solstice marks the first day of the summer season in the northern hemisphere. The word solstice is from the Latin word "solstitium", meaning "sun-stopping", because the point at which the sun appears to rise and set stops and reverses direction after this day. On this day, the sun does not rise precisely in the east, but rises to the north of east and sets to the north of west allowing it to be in the sky for a longer period of time. In the southern hemisphere, the June solstice is known as the shortest day of the year. It is when the sun has reached its furthest point from the equator and marks the first day of winter."
White flowers of mirabelles in Spring; image in B&W.
"The mirabelle plum, also known as the mirabelle prune (Prunus domestica subsp. syriaca), is the edible drupaceous fruit of the mirabelle prune tree, a cultivar of the plum tree of the genus Prunus. It is believed that the plum was cultivated from a wild fruit grown in Asia Minor." more infos on wikipedia.
"So is Still Springtime... until tomorrow....
so why not to have a last look at the splendid spring visions
with white and pink blooms on green branches"...
"The mirabelle plum, also known as the mirabelle prune (Prunus domestica subsp. syriaca), is the edible drupaceous fruit of the mirabelle prune tree, a cultivar of the plum tree of the genus Prunus. It is believed that the plum was cultivated from a wild fruit grown in Asia Minor." more infos on wikipedia.
"So is Still Springtime... until tomorrow....
so why not to have a last look at the splendid spring visions
with white and pink blooms on green branches"...
Spring sunset with friends...
|Apricot pink flowers (Prunus armeniaca)"Prunus armeniaca ("Armenian plum"), the most commonly cultivated apricot species, also called ansu apricot,Siberian apricot, Tibetan apricot, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation." more infos in wikipedia.
... As long as I mentioned before the term of bucket... how about this summer plate, "pink bucket* of strawberries"... oh no, no kidding!!... LOL... how I'm feeling amused by...coincidence... or of playing with words....
|In the shape of a heart... a bright reddish strawberry!!
|"pink bucket* of strawberries"/ "găleată roz de căpșuni"
From Did You Know Category:
Definitions of bucket (găleată)
- noun: a roughly cylindrical open container, typically made of metal or plastic, with a handle, used to hold and carry liquids or other material.
- "Sections of bamboo or plastic buckets are used to carry water from nearby streams for cooking and washing."
- synonyms: pail, scuttle, can, tin, tub, ice bucket, wine cooler
- a unit of data that can be transferred from secondary storage in a single operation.
"These caches can be thought of as simple hardware hash tables with fixed size buckets and no chaining, as shown in Figure 1."
- verb: rain heavily* - "it was still bucketing down"
Arhiva foto privată/ Private Photo ArchiveFor an enlarged format or view, please, click on the first photo.
Photo instants from Spring/Summer 2014
A cosy and relaxation time to spend in the middle of nature...
in a garden or park, a resort, on the alleys, in the forrest or whatever...
Fun, now and always!
Have a cosy, nice and sunny summer time!"
"Earth Day 2014"- "Education is at the heart of Earth Day."
"2014 The 2014 theme for World Environment Day will focus on 'Small Islands and Climate Change', the official slogan for the year 2014 is 'Raise Your Voice Not The Sea Level."
"2014 The 2014 theme for World Environment Day will focus on 'Small Islands and Climate Change', the official slogan for the year 2014 is 'Raise Your Voice Not The Sea Level."
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Who else? Its Saurav. He has been re-called for the Test series against South Africans. The official theory is that the team needs experienced players after recent dismal shows. I hope he is not being used by the "other" lobby to show Greg Chappel's place may not be that secured. Its also a chance (last?) for Saurav to take the high road and his revenge. The selectors and the coach have created enough ill-wills in the team that re-entry of Saurav may affect Dravid's performance. Some interesting things to come out though. The question is could Saurav prove his mettle or not?
Friday, December 01, 2006
He is out, He is in...
Posted by ashish at 8:39 AM
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The publicity machine at Oxfam is doing well
- check out the State Minister's media release
- the Age article
- the ABC Melbourne interview with Ben Hart
- the Trailwalker website
Any others?
Sign up at bottom on mobile Email me Try some other thoughts
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Trailwalker publicity
The publicity machine at Oxfam is doing well
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- Breakcore
- Hi-NRG!
- Electro
- Club dance
Comment: this issue by Yan includes a couple of tracks. The first of them, the title track, is a catchy, a little bit infantile (in a good sense, of course) bumper embellished with shimmery synthetic layers and glitch- y noises. Furthermore, the metrics of the pace will be changing throughout this long-running track. DJ GO COME ON! is thought to be presented at the dance floors characterized by electro-driven vibes and chopped vowel samples. Indeed, it can be considered a genuine exemplar of Hi-NRG! In a word, the result is suggestive and amusing.


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Thursday, September 8, 2011
Savannah Bound
I'm headed home to Savannah tonight for a three-day weekend. I need a dose of sun, sand and southern. See you next week!
[photos by: Alicia Bock Photography]
14 comments:
beautiful pictures. Savannah is one of the places on my "travel to or live in" placesReplyDelete
i just moved from savannah and miss it! it is always so so pretty--even if it's raining. enjoy your time there! xxReplyDelete
Oh have fun. I just got my does of southern goodness. So good for the soul!ReplyDelete
have a great time! these photos are wonderful.ReplyDelete
I have to Savannah is one of the few places I have never been would love to see pictures. :)ReplyDelete
mmm yummy picturesReplyDelete
That's a city on my list, have a fabulous time!ReplyDelete
How GORGEOUS! I need to arrange a visit!ReplyDelete
Have a fun and safe trip!ReplyDelete
Have an awesome time Natalie!!ReplyDelete
Exciting! Hope you have a wonderful time!ReplyDelete
have fun and I am jealous.ReplyDelete
lucky you, Savannah is such a beautiful town !!ReplyDelete
Enjoy that southern sunshine! Safe travels this weekend!ReplyDelete
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Last month, we made a spur-of-the-moment decision
to travel to my birthplace...
...Knoxville, Tennessee!
A friend of mine posted on facebook once that her young daughter
asked why Knoxville has a big disco ball in the sky. LOL!
That is no disco ball,
although that is a cool idea,
but the Sun Sphere, built as the centerpiece of the
1982 World's Fair.
You gotta be THERE!
Since we were 30 years late for the fair,
Michael took the boys to a Redemption CCG tourney
which was held at a local church.
Brian played in his first tournament.
I have no idea how they did because...
I spent most of the day at the hotel sick from a lupus flare.
I did manage to venture out to the BIG used bookstore.
If I hadn't felt so poorly, I could have spent the whole day there.
I did look through most of their collection and was able
to buy most of Brian's literature books for the year.
Now, that's what I call FUN!
The next day, we went birding as a family.
I had mapped out some of Tennessee's best birding spots
between Knoxville and the town where I grew up.
Our first spot was a wildlife area
near Strawberry Plains, TN.
We like dragonflies, too!
The fields were full of birds, particularly indigo buntings.
We also saw yellow-breasted chat, common yellowthroat,
and a variety of other warblers. In the woods surrounding
the farm, we saw a yellow-billed cuckoo.
The YB Cuckoo was on our lifelist from having heard it
but this was the first actual sighting for all of us.
In Jefferson City, a small town where my parents went
to college and only a few miles from where I lived almost
all my life, we went to a spot I never knew existed before this trip.
There we spotted egret, heron, and geese.
Soon, we made our way to my hometown, Morristown.
We stopped for pictures in front of my high school alma mater.
We thought it was interesting that the sign just happened
to show an announcement about freshmen orientation
as I snapped the shot of my up-coming freshman.
He missed that orientation. lol
We also did some birding at one of my favorite spots,
Panther Creek State Park.
That evening, we made our way to the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park. The birding was not as great as we had anticipated.
With it being tourist season, there were just too many people
for the birds liking. The trails were all way too steep
for me to attempt to hike, too. :(
We did see some beautiful sights, though.
The boys got the chance to hang out in the Chimneys, too.
Splashing in this creek is a treasured memory of my childhood
and now is something Brian will always remember as well.
He and Michael had a lot of fun climbing the rocks.
This one reminded us of Pride Rock from The Lion King.
Brian wanted his turn to present "Simba," too.
Then they found a "horse" and became cowboys!
I think they had some great Father-Son QT!
As we drove into the higher altitudes, we did spot more birds.
But still not on the trails!
No, Ben, we are NOT hiking all the way to Maine. :)
The boys enjoyed crossing back and forth...
... and back and forth between Tennessee and North Carolina.
Brian was able to touch a mountaintop. LOL!
The guys took the long hike up to Clingman's Dome
while I stayed below and bird and people watched.
I felt better about my decision to stay behind as I
saw people in excellent physical condition
panting and wheezing. :)
Michael and the boys made it to the top, though,
and I added the chestnut-sided warbler
to my life list. Win-win!
They enjoyed the hike back down much more than the one up!
After the Dome, I pretty much forgot all about taking pictures.
We took the long way down out of the mountains
as we drove through NC, back to Georgia,
just in time for Michael to have gallbladder surgery!
What a fun trip!
I'm glad we decided to be spontaneous for once.
Happy trails!


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Miller-Meeks in Squeaker over Teahen
In a race marked by open loathing of Peter Teahen by Iowa's conservative bloggers, Mariannette Miller-Meeks overcame a big Teahen margin in Linn County to claim a 109 vote win in the 2nd Congressional District. The Ottumwa doctor will now challenge first-term Democrat Dave Loebsack in the fall.
So did Miller-Meeks win, or did Peter Teahen lose? A little of each, perhaps.
Teahen started the race as a perceived front runner, but he didn't sit well with the conservative base. Opposition research is easy in the Internet era, and a little quick searching turned up a December 2007 party affiliation change from Democratic to Republican. Most damning were campaign contributions to Democrats Mike Blouin and 2002 congressional candidate Julie Thomas.
Teahen offered an unapologetic defense of the Thomas donation, saying the pediatrician had saved his daughter's life. But it left a bad taste with conservatives, who repeatedly emphasized the donation and party changes on their blogs. It didn't stop there. Shortly before the election, an email from a British disaster worker surfaced, charging that Teahen acted like a diva on a Darfur mission and calling his resume into question. The charge cut to the core of Teahen's biography as a Red Cross disaster expert.
Bloggers also attacked Teahen's family values, posting links to his divorce papers. Democrats joined the attack as well, filing complaints about ads for Teahen's funeral home that (they said) too closely resembled campaign ads.
Mariannette Miller-Meeks, meanwhile, made the most of a medical and military background. (How many M's can I cram in? Well, the campaign played on the name by handing out M&Ms as favors.) By the April congressional district convention, she seemed to have established a strong foothold among the party activists, which matters a lot in a low-turnout election.
Her GOP bona fides were also attacked by third candidate Lee Harder, whose underfunded campaign that emphasized the social issues never gained much traction. Harder's signs proclaimed "Vote Conservative," while Teahen and Miller-Meeks both left off the word "Republican." But that appeal fell flat, as the race was treated as a two and a half way contest with a focus on "who can beat Loebsack."
Teahen started the night in the lead, as returns from his base in Linn County rolled in early. He won a big margin -- 67 percent to 26 percent -- over Miller-Meeks in Linn, where turnout was high due to hot courthouse primaries. It was almost, but not quite, enough. Over half of Teahen's total vote came out of Linn, which is the 2nd District's largest county but doesn't dominate the way Polk County controls a majority of the 3rd District.
Teahen's base in Linn was considered a strength early in the campaign, as he argued that a candidate from the northern end of the district would run stronger in Linn and Johnson counties against the Mt. Vernon-based Loebsack. But Miller-Meeks turned the argument against Teahen, arguing that he was raising money exclusively from Linn County and not campaigning enough in the rest of the district.
As returns rolled in from the rest of the district, Miller-Meeks caught up and took a narrow lead. County by county, she picked up wins of several dozen or a couple hundred in low turnout, whittling away at Teahen's 2,500 vote Linn margin. A 742-vote win in her home of Wapello County was enough to seal the deal.
The race is not yet on the national radar. But, then, it wasn't on the national radar two years ago either.
The 2nd District, on paper, is the most Democratic in the state, and in retrospect it seems that the real fluke was not Loebsack's 2006 upset win, but rather Republican Jim Leach's ability to hold the district for 30 years. Leach was able to pull as much as a quarter of the Democratic vote, until that vote went flooding back to Loebsack in the national landslide of 2006. Miller-Meeks will need to win back some of those Democrats and independents to take this race off the "safe Democratic" list.


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Here's the end result:
- Host a Trunk and participate in Trunk or Treat - We didn't get to host a trunk, we planned on it, but when they had to reschedule because of the weather, we couldn't do it. But we did go and had a lot of fun.
- Go to the Johnny Appleseed Festival - Yup, Elijah had his first experience picking apples
- Pick out pumpkins - We did this at the festival
- Take some fun Fall pictures - Fun... Challenging... What's the difference?
- Carve and/or paint pumpkin(s) - Ended up painting, cause it was more kid friendly
- Pick out and cut down our Christmas tree - We did and Katie, Charlotte and Mark came along to take pictures of the whole process
- Have a snowball fight - Maybe if we had snow this would have been plausable
- Take some nice Christmas pictures - Azalea didn't get to come along because it would have been too much going on (maybe next year), but we did do this while we were hunting for Christmas trees
- Decorate "tree" advent calendar - With Elijah's help - By the time I went to buy the advent calendar I wanted, they were sold out and not restocking it. I couldn't find a suitable replacement, so we did a countdown on Elijah's chalkboard instead
- Celebrate Birthdays and Anniversaries - Some were celebrated late, but we did celebrate them.
- Play catch in the backyard - We didn't play it in the backyard, but we did have random games of catch in the house
- Make Christmas cards - With the kids help - We sent out Christmas cards, but not the ones I was planning on when I made this list. Maybe I will do the homemade ones next year.
- Help at church - In some way (because volunteering should be fun) - We didn't do it as a family, since we didn't host a trunk, but Joe volunteered as an usher and on the chair team.
- Go sledding - No snow = No sledding
- Put together a 100 piece puzzle - With Elijah's help - We had some ups and downs with the process, but he had fun, in the end.
- Attend the Ladies Christmas Tea (Meanwhile the guys will have a guys day out) - Was planning on going until we found out how much the price of the tickets were. Instead my mom, my sister and I went out to eat. It was the first time in approx 18 years that we haven't attended the tea, so it was sad, but we couldn't justify the cost with what was provided.
- Have a Christmas songs sing-along night - It wasn't a whole night, but songs were sung and a good time was had.
- Play in the leaves - Yes, there was plenty of that going on.
- Visit friends in Pennsylvania - I am actually shocked that this didn't happen. I have no idea why either...
- Go see Santa Clause - This almost didn't happen too, but we went to see him at the last minute. We got the extra enjoyment of a little tour of the firehouse too.
Not too shabby. We also did random fun things, not on this list, like roller skating, get togethers with Joe's side of the family, going to a Harvest Party and attending Winterfest, to name a few.
I don't think I will be making a fun list for the Spring... We seem to have no problem finding fun things to do in the Spring and Summer. We actually have to make sure we don't commit ourselves to too much. However, even though there isn't a list, I plan on updating about the fun we will be having in the coming months. So be sure to come back and take a look!


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Thursday, May 05, 2011
Silver Lining
There is a silver lining to all of this though. I've watched as neighbors helped neighbors and strangers helped strangers. I spent 3 1/2 days without power, Internet, cable and very spotty cell service. And I realized that I could survive without those things.
I spent those days sharing a home with my parents, my husband, girls and youngest brother. My sister, brother-in-law and nephews also spent quite a bit of time with us. We played games. We laughed. We sat quietly and shared the newspaper. We listened to the battery powered radio - our only connection to the outside world. We spent more time together in those days than we probably have in the last several years.
I don't wish the kind of tragedy that struck last week on anyone, but I think it's important to find the good that can come out of those kinds of experiences.
Do you have a favorite silver lining? Have you ever made lemonade out of lemons?
5 comments:
- Caroline said...
My thoughts and prayers are with you all. But it so good know that in times of need strangers pull together. Caroline x
- Problem Child said...
We played a lot of board games, which we all love, but rarely have time to do these days. Lots of quality family time -- very nice.
That said, I was quite happy to hustle them out the door to school and work yesterday!
Word verif: rally
We do indeed rally to the cause!
- Sheryl M said...
My parents are still in Huntsville, and one sibling in Madison. I have been blessed that not one family member had anything other than property damage. My mother and stepfather commented that the day after the storm, neighbors that they had never met arrived on their doorstep to aid in getting the trees off of the house that had fallen during the storm. Now, my parents dont live in the safest neighborhood, but have been blessed with a bounty of good samaritans.
- robertsonreads said...
Blessings all. I only had power out for 1 day and I was at work the majority of that.
- Playground Monitor said...
I learned to enjoy the quiet (except for the big generator running behind Home Depot, but that generator helped keep folks supplied with necessities). I read a couple books on my Kindle at night and reacquainted myself with the radio.
I cooked out almost every evening and shared with several of my elderly neighbors. After I made hobo meals (ground beef patty with sliced onions and potatoes wrapped in heavy duty foil and baked in the hot coals), they thought I was just the cleverest thing. This was something I remembered from my son's Boy Scout days. These ladies said we really should cook out more this summer because it's fun to linger over dinner at the picnic table under the shade tree. And I still have a bag and a half of charcoal, so why not?


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How does ASI 345 apply to me?
ASI 345: River Leadership can satisfy academic requirements and personal goals in the following ways:
- This course counts towards a General Education Social Science requirement. As a part of General Education curriculum, all students are required to complete one Social Science course.
- Have you decided on your cluster yet? Defining your own cluster is always an option. If you do so, this course can count towards your cluster.
- This course counts towards the completion of a Sustainability, Energy, and the Environment minor. This is a unique, interdisciplinary opportunity here at UD. For more information about SEE please visit their website.
- Another important aspect of this class is experiential learning. What better way to teach students about the river than to have them spend time on the river? This is accomplished through kayaking, fish shocking, macro invertebrate sampling, and other hands-on activities.
Or, call the Rivers Institute at 937-229-4665.


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The Battle of Tull left me really wanting to read the next Dark Tower graphic novel installment, The Gunslinger - The Way Station. What struck me first about this volume was the art. The drawings of the demon in the circle of stones were amazing. The use of light and colour were different from the rest of the graphic novel and most of the series. The series tends toward being dark, which is appropriate to where the characters are going and what has happened. There tends to be a lot of dark reds and oranges. The cover of The Way Station is very blue, which I really liked.
Also, I was excited to finally see Jake. Jake plays such an important role in Roland's story. It's so interesting to see a boy from 1977 New York interacting with Gilead's last gunslinger. The readers understand his references, but Roland tells Jake that he speaks strangely. Jake is one of my favourite characters in the novels and I'm looking forward to seeing more of him.


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Hallelujah, i'm done with finals and currently spending a relaxing but action packed weekend in my hometown. Thus, if i'm a bit behind on my blogging, I apologize. I'll be back in full swing for summer on Monday! Good luck to everyone still taking them!
The kind people at Caress sent me a sample of their new Evenly Gorgeous exfoliating body wash . I was happily surprised when I received it, as it looked and smelled much better than a typical drug store brand. I love the new fashionable redesign at a super affordable price, and couldn't stop opening the bottle to get a whiff of the yummy burnt brown sugar scent.
As a Floridian it's a constant battle to maintain a dark summer tan (trust me, it sounds crazy but it gets competitive between the girls!). My dad has shoved the importance of sunscreen down my throat since I was little kid, so whenever I can use self-tanner for a summer glow I do. The body wash was the perfect pre faux tan prep. The exfoliator smooths away any dry skin and left it feeling silky. It was the perfect foundation for a great tan. I'd definitely reccommend it, especially for that purpose!
Plus, check out this cute video from Queer Eye's style guru, Carson Kressley!
xoxo, lauren


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Gubu World is an Irishmans view of global affairs. Gubu is an Irish political phrase that stands for grotesque, unbelievable, bizare and unprecendented. Gubu World is a polictical blog that debates international issues of contention. While keeping an eye on events in Ireland we regularly debate developments in Iraq, Iran, Israel and other troubled spots.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Gadaffi's False Victimhood
When a dictator falls his dark and dirty little secrets inevitably come out. It now appears that the tragic death of his step daughter was a fabrication designed to garner international sympathy for him as a victim of western military aggression. Documents found in his compound have included Hana's school records, college degree as well as details of her assets. The mad dog of the Mediterranean played this sinister lie while ruthlessly suppressing his own people as he sponsored terrorists all over the world including in Ireland, Europe and most unforgivably of all in my view, in Uganda where he financed the blood lust of the LRA, the worlds most gruesome murder gang. Gadaffi is gone, but there will always be shame shame shame on all those "Irish Republicans", Marxist activists and other anti western liberals who bought into the Gadaffi persona and secretly or otherwise worshipped him.
Below is a clip of Reagan addressing the American people shortly after ordering the bombing of Tripoli in 1986.
3 comments:
Strange how this daughter didn't turn up in Algeria! Why did you remove my earlier comment Leddy, surely you don't condemn claims to victimhood solely when 'Muslims' are involved, do you?
And why did you remove the wikileaks cable that condems the Jewish state as a hotbed of human traffiking, fraud and money laundering? What are you trying to hide?
- August 30, 2011 at 6:42 PM
- Ted Leddy said...
I deleted it because it was racist. Your time contributing to this blog has run its course. Unless you are prepared to sign in, identify yourself and refrain from anti semetic remarks, all future coments of yours will be banned. They are my terms.
Anyone who is pro Palestinian, whether they be Arab, leftist, Centrist or Conservative Muslim, is most welcome to contribute to discussions on Gubu World. There is very little that I am not prepared to discuss. But sectarianism, racism or anti semitism will not be entertained.
- August 31, 2011 at 12:50 PM
Now there's a story that died a death, wonder why??? Not the case of false victimhood you claimed it seems and yet you delete a legitimate comment about true cases of false victimhood, here's a few to remind readers:
- September 8, 2011 at 6:32 PM