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1. Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World: How One Family Learned That Saying No Can Lead to Life's Biggest Yes by Kristen Welch
Full disclosure: I applied for and was selected to be part of the launch team for this book. I applied because the title was quite appealing to me as a mother. I LOVED this book! I have a more detailed review of the book in a different post but I highly recommend this book to all of my parent friends out there. In addition to being encouraged that it is possible to teach our children gratitude and contentment I was also reminded that I am not responsible for my children's entertainment every waking hour of the day (which, as a SAHM, I sometimes feel like that's part of the job description and can feel guilty about trying to get housework or errands done instead of playing with my kids non-stop). Here's a favorite quote:
I bought into the lie that it's my job to make my kids' childhood magical and fun, to guarantee that every day will be an adventure all about them. Our children need to be bored. They need to kick their feet and wait outside of bathroom doors, unanswered. They need to be sent outside or to their rooms to play. They need to turn over the bag of tricks and find it empty. Because that's when they will discover they don't need stuff to fill their time. They don't need a plan for entertainment. They can create their own. p.742. A Girl's Guide to Moving On: A Novel by Debbie Macomber
It seems like I've read something else by her because her name is familiar but I'm not certain. I did a quick search and learned that this book will not be officially released until February 23rd. I think I found it on NetGalley, a book site where you can submit a request to read books in digital versions before their official release. Anyway, I found it to be quite an engaging read. It was fairly predictable in its rhythm and conclusion but I like books with positive endings so I was okay with that. It's a good fiction read about a woman and her mother-in-law helping each other get through their divorces and start fresh.
3. Song of the Meadowlark (Intertwined Book 1) by Sherri Wilson Johnson
I have previously read all of Sherri's "Hope of the South" historical Christian fiction novels and thoroughly enjoyed them. We are friends so I am working on reading all of her books. This was the fourth of five for me. This one is contemporary Christian fiction. It is a very engaging story about a young woman trying to move on from her past who gets stranded in a small town in Georgia on her way to visit her parents in Florida. If you like books with an encouraging message and positive ending, check out this book.
4. Time Management Mama: Making Use of the Margins to Pursue Your Passions by Sarah Korhnak and Beth Anne Schwamberger
This was a quick and helpful read. I have wanted to figure out how to make more time to work on my blog without casting my other responsibilities aside. This book is written by two entrepreneurial women with families who have plenty of experience in the trenches. The chapters offer helpful tips and advice for various avenues of a woman's life - family, household chores, business needs, personal aspirations, etc. The end of each chapter has a synopsis of suggestions for using your time wisely in that particular area. The book helped me to define my passions and come up with a measurable goal to work on this year in each of them. It reminded me that I don't have time to do everything so I need to focus on what's most important to me right now. Perhaps there will be time for my other goals next year or when I complete one of my current goals. My time is valuable and I want to use it the best way I can. If you feel like there's no time in your schedule to pursue activities that are important to you, check out this book. You may find ways to be more productive that allow you to free up some time for your passions.
5. The Girl on the Train: A Novel by Paula Hawkins
I didn't know much about this book other than it was popular last year. It sucked me in quite quickly and reminded me a bit of Gone Girl which I read last year. A woman (Megan - kind of weird to read about someone with the same name) goes missing and a woman (Rachel) who used to watch her in her yard from the train she road nearly daily wants to figure out what happened. She knows she was in the vicinity the night Megan went missing and wonders if perhaps she knows something but can't remember (because she is a heavy drinker and has blackout periods where she has no recollection of large chunks of time). I spent the majority of the book trying to figure out what happened and whether Rachel was involved. The book shifts between time periods (before and after the disappearance) and the point of view of Rachel, Megan and a third woman, Anna. This is a book that can be read in a day if you are able to sit and read without distraction (I have two kids so this isn't possible for me). It was very engaging and had my mind trying to solve the mystery throughout. I did not find it predictable in the least.
6. King of the Comics by Stephan Pastis
This is a book containing a bunch of Pearls Before Swine comic strips. I have read this comic off and on. My parents introduced me to it. The zebra and crocodile story line is generally quite entertaining. Pig is one of my favorite characters because of his innocence and naivety. Stephan uses a lot of puns in his strips and also makes fun of this use. It's a clever and entertaining comic.
7. Guilt Free Motherhood: A 5 Step Guide to Reclaiming Your Time, Health and Well-Being by Amber Khan
I don't know any mom who doesn't have something about motherhood that she feels guilty about. It could be not spending enough time with her kids, not contributing financially to the household, spending time on her health and well-being, not keeping the house clean enough, not being like the other moms. It could be any number of things. This book addresses just about anything you could be feeling guilty about and offers suggestions to help you in your particular struggle. The author is British so some of the sayings and words are a bit unusual. It's a fairly quick read which is good as most moms don't have a ton of free time.
8. Secrets Among the Cedars (Intertwined Book 2) by Sherri Wilson Johnson
This is the second book in the series. I know there is at least one more planned. This book is about a district attorney in Cedar Key, Florida who is trying to find a key piece of evidence for a murder trial she is prosecuting. She meets a man who used to be a defense attorney and he ends up trying to help her while protecting her from threats she is receiving. There is suspense, danger and a little romance. A fun read.
9. Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home by Richard J. Foster
This was a wonderful book! A very in depth guide to various types and practices of prayer. The book is broken into three sections: Inward, Upward, and Outward prayer. I enjoyed gaining a better understanding of what various prayer focuses consist of. Part way through the book I felt like I was a terrible prayer because I feel like most of my prayers are self-focused (but, I was assured, that is also an acceptable type of prayer). I also am a perfectionist so I struggle with wanting each prayer time to consist of ALL the various types of prayer, which is impossible and a little ridiculous. I'm glad I kept reading because I was comforted to know that it's okay to be where I am in my prayer life. God will continue to guide me as I consistently spend time in prayer. This is a book I would like to keep as a reference for when I am struggling and in need of direction. Unfortunately for me, this is a borrowed book so I will have to acquire my own copy. If you are desiring to grow in your prayer life I highly recommend this book.
10. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
This was a very quick and engaging read. The main character reminded me some of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. A genetics scientist and professor, Don Tillman, has decided that he is ready to find a life partner so he begins "The Wife Project". He enlists help from his friend, Gene, to sort through the completed questionnaires for matches. He mistakenly thinks a woman named Rosie, whom Gene sends to his office, is a match from the questionnaire and asks her on a date. Chaos and humorous circumstances ensue from there. I quickly became endeared to Don and Rosie and hoped that they would both find what they was searching for. I would recommend this as a good fiction read that really sucks you in and takes you for an enjoyable ride.
Wow! Ten books! I doubt I will have such a high count in future months. Five fiction, four non-fiction, one comic. Not a bad distribution. I attribute the high number to the fiction. I can read multiple chapters in one sitting whereas with non-fiction I usually have to put the book down after each chapter to ruminate on what I've read. I'm excited that I've found so many engaging fiction books already this year. That's usually my biggest challenge.
If you have read any engaging fiction, I'd appreciate a recommendation!


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Eyecare Physicians & Surgeons is the ophthalmology practice of Joseph M. Lally, Jr., MD and Alexander R. Kent, MD
We strive to provide state of the art eye care while treating our patients like family. Our practice's services include:
Founded in 1978, the practice has a long standing tradition of excellence in caring for the eyes of South Carolina's Lowcountry. Both Dr. Lally and Dr. Kent have been recognized as Best Doctors in America.
Eyecare Physicians & Surgeons has office locations in Downtown Charleston, North Charleston, and Walterboro, South Carolina. There is free parking available. Office hours are by appointment. New patients are welcome. Please call for an appointment with one of our doctors at the following numbers:
Downtown Charleston: 843 722 7705
North Charleston: 843 574 9818
Walterboro: 843 549 2578

subset: commoncrawl


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LATEST: Two people bailed in Bury St Edmunds murder investigation
Two people who were arrested yesterday in connection with the death of a man in Bury St Edmunds have today (September 17) been released on bail.
Police were called at around 12.15pm on Wednesday (September 14) to reports that a man had died in a property in Samuel Street Walk.
A Home Office post mortem examination was carried out yesterday, and concluded that the cause of death was as the result of a head injury.
The body has been formally identified as Kevin Turnbull, aged 52 from the Great Whelnetham area.
A 51-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman, both from Bury, were arrested last night on suspicion of murder and taken to Bury Police Investigation Centre for questioning.
Both have now been released on police bail and are due to return on November 15.
A police scene remains in place at the address in Samuel Street Walk as enquiries into the death continue.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Major Investigation Team on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.


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Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 3 small (about 500g) single chicken breast fillets
- 150g rice stick noodles
- 1 tbs rice vinegar
- 2 tbs fresh lime juice
- 1 tbs sweet chilli sauce
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp peanut oil
- 100g (2 cups) finely shredded Chinese cabbage
- 2 carrots, peeled, coarsely grated
- 8 green shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup firmly packed fresh coriander leaves
- Place chicken in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer chicken to a plate. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Coarsely shred chicken and place in a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, place noodles in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 5 minutes to soften. Stir with a fork to separate. Drain well.
- Place vinegar, lime juice, sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce and oil in a screw-top jar and shake until well combined.
- Add the noodles, cabbage, carrot, green shallot, mint and coriander to the chicken and gently toss to combine. Drizzle with dressing and gently toss to combine. Divide the salad among serving plates and serve immediately.


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Saturday, February 4, 2012
LIFE | Dressing For Comfort
jacket: vintage
skirt: selfmade
backpack: vintage
necklace: Nelly
shoes: 1990s Chanel
The Dutch are known for their sober attitude, no sillyness, no frillyness. When dressing, practicality always comes first. But what I've always disliked is the common thought that practicality and aesthetics don't mix. Like ignoring how ugly Uggs are because of their comfort. As if there aren't any comfortable shoes in the world that don't make your feet look 5 sizes bigger. As a protest against this practicality I stopped wearing jeans for years, looking back it was an unnecessary masochistic thing to do.
For a day in the city I wore something as decadent as a high slit floorlength skirt in the most casual of fabrics; heather grey jersey, sheer pantyhose with flat shoes, a leather backpack and some gold metal jewelry.


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Booking through Thursday – Writing or Riveting
Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme in which we answer a question about books or reading.
What's more important: Good writing? Or a good story?
(Of course, a book should have BOTH, but…)
Yes, a book should have both, but…
It doesn't help that the story is great if the prose is dismal, and it doesn't help if the writing is great if the story is uninteresting. So, I guess the difference comes when the one thing is great and the other is passable.
Through the years I've figured out a few facts about myself. One of the is that I'm an action driven reader. If the story doesn't grab my attention a book will never get top marks from me, however luminous the prose is. Sometimes I read a book, and I can gush about the language to anyone willing to listen (mostly Kristin), but if there's something lacking in the story it still won't be a favorite. On the other hand, a wonderful story with language good enough not to annoy me, might get top marks. That usually means that the prose is good, but not good enough to deserve special attention when I read.
The best reading experiences are when both the language and the writing is great. Thinking back to last year I can remember at least three books that had it all: Among Others by Jo Walton, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
So, yes, both is better. But if I have to choose between two evils, passable language and great story.
Bokbilde XXIX – frå Stines notater
Stines notater: Bokbilde XXIX.
I want to do this again one day soon. Sitting on a bench in a park reading a good book. Summer, come, come!
Ulicam: The girl with 7 horses
Georgeous photoseries at Ulicam by Ulrika Kestere. Go there and take a look.
Ulicam: The girl with 7 horses.
I found this over at Token Skeptic.
If you don't get it you should read up on Doctor Who.
Saturday Snapshot – Nice
A good friend of ours flew of to Nice today. There's snow outside and we've love to be going to Nice instead. I guess I just have to look at some pictures that I took when we visited in in April/May 2009. Almost three years ago, doesn't feel that long.
This meme is hosted by Alyce from At Home With Books
To participate in Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken. Photos can be old or new, and can be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. All Alyce asks is that you don't post random photos that you find online.
Book Beginnings on Friday – Surface Detail
Book Beginnings on Friday is a bookish meme sponsored by Katy at A Few More Pages.
Here's what you do: share the first line (or two) of the book you are currently reading on your blog or in the comments section . Include the title and author so we know what you're reading. Then, if you are so moved, let us know what your first impressions were based on that first line, and if you liked or did not like that sentence. Link-up each week at Katy's place.
Iain M. Banks write long science fiction novels, so it's always a bit daunting to start a new one by him. Surface Detail has been sitting in Mount TBR for a while, but I joined a few reading challenges for 2012, put it on the list so I should get my act together and start reading it. I'm just about halfway through and enjoying myself, like I've always done when reading one of his books.
It begins thusly (Sorry, I've overdosed on Big Bang Theory and couldn't resist. Thusly is now a part of my vocabulary.):
"This one might be trouble."
She heard one of them say this, only ten or so metres away in the darkness. Even over her fear, the sheer naked terror of being hunted, she felt a shiver of excitement, of something like triumph, when she realised they were talking about her. Yes, she thought, she would be trouble, she already was trouble.
Good beginning. Don't you think?
Booking through Thursday – Skipping
Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme in which we answer a question about books or reading.
I saw this article the other day that asked, "Are you ashamed of skipping parts of books?" Which, naturally, made me want to ask all of YOU.
Do you skip ahead in a book? Do you feel badly about it when you do?
I sometimes do skip ahead, for a few different reasons.
Descriptions of how people look tend to make me impatient. I really don't care about that kind of information, at least not when it takes more than two sentences, so I skip it.
Relationship angst, loves me, loves me not…. – aaaargh!!!! Skip.
When a book is really exciting I tend to skip ahead because I can't wait to see what happens. At those times skipping is really a sort of compliment to the book.
I don't feel bad about skipping. I don't do it that much, and when I do it makes me happier with a book than I would otherwise have been.


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FOOTBALL comes with no guarantees that a grand final team will be back on the big stage the following season, and that's why Wycheproof-Narraport is desperate to make the most of its second opportunity in as many years at winning a flag.
The Demons lost last year's North Central league grand final to Charlton by seven points, but 12 months one have earned another crack at the premiership on Saturday at Boort.
This time the Demons' grand final opponent will be Birchip-Watchem.
"We obviously remember what happened last year and we've really strived hard all season to make sure we don't have that feeling again," Demons coach Julian Bull said this week.
"We know the mistakes we made last year and we'll be working hard to make sure we don't make the same ones again."
Bull conceded after last year's grand final the Demons had peaked too early in the season and hadn't been able to produce their best footy when it counted.
They won their first 13 games last year before splitting their last six 3-3, which included losses to Charlton in both the second semi-final and grand final.
This year the Demons ended the home and away season with a 14-1-1 record and 14 points clear on top of the ladder, before again falling short in the second semi-final, going down to Birchip-Watchem by 42 points.
The Demons bounced back last week with a 21-point victory over Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers in the preliminary final.
"This year, besides from the game against Birchip a couple of weeks ago, I feel we've been more consistent leading into Saturday," Bull said.
"We were back to our best last week playing some really good contested footy, which is the way we like to play.
"I'm confident we're going into the grand final in better form than last year."
Saturday's grand final team will feature 16 players who were part of last year's defeat – skipper Boe Bish, Rolly White, Benjamin Brennan, Spencer Allan, Matt Riordan, Tim Holobowski, Dane McLennan, Andrew Mead-Harding, Adrian Pappin, James Coatsworth, Corey Jones, Kieran Prestidge, Chris Howgate, Ricky Allan, Conner Burge and Joel Turner, while Bull was non-playing coach.
"The great thing about our team is we have a lot of locals and we're very minimal when it comes to the player points," Bull said.
"We know we've got to capitalise on our opportunity while we have this team together. We're fortunate that we have a lot of big-game and finals experience and I've got no doubt we will turn up with the right mindset on Saturday."
The Demons' grand final team of 21 will feature 19 one-point players, with the only exceptions being Toby Sheahan and Tim Holobowski, who are both two-pointers.
The Demons' average of 23.3 player points per game is the lowest in the AFL Central Victoria region.
Wycheproof-Narraport won its last premiership in 2010 when Demon Matt Dillon was best on ground in their 44-point win over Boort.
Bish, Brennan, Turner and Prestidge are 2010 premiership players who have a chance to also add a 2017 medallion on Saturday.
There's no shortage of leadership in the Demons' grand final team, with Bish, Allan and Coatsworth all previous coaches of the club, while there's also the 157 games AFL experience of veteran Jones, who at the age of 36 still looms as one of Saturday's biggest grand final X-factors, be it playing forward, midfield or half-back.
Saturday's grand final between the Demons and Bulls starts at 2.30pm.
Number in brackets is calculated off club best players each week – six votes for the player named best, five votes for the second best and so on.
B: 8. Spencer Allan (5), 14. Robert Binks (11),34. Trevor Rumbold (0)
HB: 19. Boe Bish (27), 44. Julian Bull (6), 2. Corey Jones (38)
C: 13. Adrian Pappin (13),26. Tim Holobowski (14),25. Conner Burge (15)
HF: 15. Kieran Prestidge (1), 7. Matt Riordan (18),16. Joel Turner (11)
F: 33. Benjamin Brennan (0), 5. Andrew Mead-Harding (17), 18. James Coatsworth (21)
FOLL: 21. Chris Howgate (21), 20. Toby Sheahan (14), 1. Ricky Allan (43)
INTER: 41. Rolly White (1), 47. Jordan Bish (0), 53. Dane McLennan (2)
Record – 15-2-1
Average for – 110
Average against – 52
Percentage – 211.7%
Quarters won – 54 of 72
Time in front – 79.2%
Corey Jones – 70
Andrew Mead-Harding – 55
Matt Riordan – 33
James Coatsworth – 31


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Catherine Nuebling
Real Estate Professional with BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors Brigantine
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About Me
We are "The Tom-Cat Team" specializing in residential, commercial, land, investment and rental properties. The areas we cover are Atlantic, Gloucester, Burlington, Camden, & Salem counties. We have combined real estate and mortgage financing experience of 20+ years.


text: The Chronicle of Higher Education examined several of higher education's perpetual problems and imagined solutions. Here is what they came up with. Muhammad Saleem would like to share this infographic with our readers, take a look at some of the most common and persistent problems in higher education and possible solutions for reinventing the college experience. It was first published on OnlineUniversities.com.


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The shareholders of the country's second largest cement maker PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa (INTP) approved plan by its management to seek to refinance its debt. The shareholders in a meeting on Wednesday approved a plan to sell part of the debt of the publicly listed company to HeidelbergCement Finance BV, Corporate Secretary of INTP, Ria Sjahroni said. The management of the company proposed to refinance a debt of Rp150 million, which was a loan from Heidlberg Cement Finance B.V., a subsidiary of its majority shareholder HeidelbergCement of Germany. INTP has a total debt of US$496m.
Published under Cement News


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Thursday, November 1, 2007
Our war crimes
All in a day's "enhanced interrogation" at Abu Ghraib.
Halloween's over, but the scary stuff is just beginning. The New York Times today has an intriguing analysis of the Attorney General nominee's tortured statements on torture: he's clearly angling to somehow absolve the Bush administration of its war crimes. But even if we Americans remain "Good Germans," as Frank Rich so aptly put it, the rest of the world probably won't follow suit. Already Donald Rumsfeld has been charged with torture in France. Similar actions against Rumsfeld, Alberto Gonzalez and George Tenet are underway in Germany (of all places - that Jehovah dude, what an ironist!). The possibility exists that eventually, even President Bush will be charged.
Can David Hare's sequel to Stuff Happens - perhaps titled Shit Hits the Fan - be too far behind? And are we ready to play the villain's role in our own Judgment at Nuremberg?
Posted by Thomas Garvey at 8:59 AM
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Senate debate
Just got back home from the senate debate in Stamford. I'll bring a full report including the usual video highlights and photographs soon...
Real quick thoughts:
Alan Schlesinger: BY FAR the big winner!
Joe Lieberman: angry, bitter and was completely blindsided by Schlesinger. Unlike Lamont and Schlesinger who hung around to answer questions from everyone, Lieberman and his crew answered a VERY small amount of questions and literally ran out of the room...very strange.
Ned Lamont: did what he had to do. Kept on the message of change and labeled Lieberman as part of the problem in Washington.


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Since I posted the tri shutter card, I've had lots of requests for the measurements and instructions on how to make them.
If you want to use 12" x 12" cardstock, Splitcoast Stampers is the place to go. They have an amazing website, with Resources, Techniques, a great Forum and an amazing Gallery. I pretty much live there most of the day lol.
But I wanted the measurements for our, Australian, Stampin' Up size paper. I'm not sure why, but SU paper from America is a different size to our Australian paper... very strange!!
So, for everyone who has been asking... here it is:
1) First you need a piece of card stock that measures 10 1/2" x 5 1/2".
2) Next score downwards at 1 3/4", 3 1/2", 7" and 8 3/4".
3) Next, cut from 1 3/4" scored line to the 8 3/4" line. 1 3/4" in on both sides. (Hope this makes sense!!)
4) Next, fold the score lines... This is a bit hard to explain so hope the next two photos show you how it works.
And thats about it. Now all you need to do is add your coloured cardstock, patterned papers and embellishments and Voila.... It's honestly really simple and you'll be hooked. I know I am!!!
Have Fun,
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Tri-fold Shutter measurements
Labels: Tri Fold shutter Measurements
4 comments :
thanks for the tutorial! might have to make oneReplyDelete
Thanks Chloe! Will have to go and make one now!ReplyDelete
Your card is gorgeous! Thank you for the tutorial.ReplyDelete
**I am having a couple of give-aways on my blog. Feel free to stop by if you are interested.**
- Anonymous11 May 2012 at 05:38
Thanks for the tutorial, your card is beautiful!ReplyDelete
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Breznik Hotel Hotel
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From the New Era, we read more of what is included in the report.
According to the just released second MDG Report 2008, the country achieved goals of reducing the number of severely poor households, the survival rate in Grade 8, the ratio of females to men in secondary education, the literacy rate of women compared to their male counterparts, HIV/AIDS prevalence rate amongst the 15 to 19 year age group and incidences of malaria.
These targets fall under MDGs relating to eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
But Prime Minister Nahas Angula said unless the country focuses on education, agriculture and health, it is unlikely to make progress in other goals as well. He singled out primary health care, under nutrition,
sanitation and maternal health as being critical issues that should be addressed by the relevant ministries.
Infant mortality deaths have dropped from 57 per 1 000 live birth in 1993 to 49 per 1 000 live births currently, but with the target put at 38 deaths per 1 000 live births by 2012, the country is unlikely to achieve the goal.
The country is also unlikely to meet the under five mortality rate target of 45 deaths per 1 000 live births. Currently 69 deaths per 1 000 live births are reported.
Infant mortality and under five mortality, which are under the reduce child mortality goal have increased because of the HIV/AIDS and under nutrition, while maternal deaths have almost doubled from 225 deaths per 100 000 live births in 1993 449 deaths per 100 000 live births to date. The target for 2012 is 337 deaths per 100 000 live births.


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I've heard justifications for the argument that boil down to "just in case" -- we must force healthy 20-somethings to buy private health insurance (or be fined) just in case they later get sick and cost taxpayers money. So, then, wouldn't it be just as justifiable to force poor pre-menopausal women to buy birth control (or be fined) just in case they later have a baby they can't afford, and cost taxpayers money? Force the low-income obese to lose weight (or pay a fine) just in case they develop diabetes on the taxpayers' dime?
This all sounds asinine, I know, but so does the idea that it's illegal for a farmer to grow his own wheat to feed to his own livestock. But -- as I pointed out last March -- I'm certain the bureaucrats charged with enforcing compliance will act with all the compassion and humanity that has made the American government so universally beloved and admired, these past ten years and more.


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(click the picture to enlarge)
1. First click start and select control panel.
2. Click on Hardwar and sound
4. Then select the Speakers - click on set as default - then press ok.
This tutorial created base on Compaq Presario F700 audio problems in Windows 7, and you may also apply for any model. If you have something to ask leave your comments.


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–noun Rhetoric .
1. the use of a word in different senses or the use of words similar in sound to achieve a specific effect, as humour or a dual meaning; punning.
2. a pun.
How do I relish paronomasia
And other such rhetoric delights
Hunting games.
21st July 2018
19 hours ago


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(855) 520-6806
If you have an idea for a book, but just can't get it together, this is the class for you. Steve Alcorn gives you the tools and the confidence to pull your ideas together and give them structure. Before you know it, you are inspired and writing. What a class! Steve Alcorn is a gifted instructor."
I have taken both Write Like a Pro and Steve's Mystery Writing course. I have now published three of the stories I worked on in Write Fiction Like a Pro, as a result of the course. Thank you, Steve, for offering it."
Can you see me? I'm giving you a standing ovation! Haven't done this much thinking, rethinking, breaking pencils, and eventually cheering since I graduated from college. Thank you for an inspiring and brilliant class!"
I don't know how much more I can rave about this course and the invaluable lessons and inspiration it has provided me. The thing that shocks me most is that I am only a new starter to this writing business and to have stumbled upon such a gem of a course so early in my learning makes me feel very lucky indeed. This course has given me a story, a passion and a dream. It has sparked a creativity I had no way of finding before. I am going to write this book and love doing it."
I let four people read my course work. I was overwhelmed with their comments. All four people said they would buy my book. What a compliment! Steve, thank you for your great lessons and for the confidence you have helped me to discover. I recommend this class to anyone who wants to learn to write successfully."
It was nice to have an instructor who wasn't afraid to have fun right along with the students. For me, it created a relaxed environment where even the smallest question never felt out of place or foolish."
I've told people that this class was life-changing when it comes to my ability to structure and complete a work of fiction. I always became blocked and wondered how people knew where their story was going next and how to make sure they were headed in the right direction. This answered all my questions and forced me to get to work on my idea. All around fantastic - worth every penny!"
I was given this course as a Christmas present from my husband. It has turned out to be the best gift ever. The course is incredibly well structured and well presented. Being a person of great ideas, but little completion, this course forced me to start and FINISH an idea. I truly appreciated instructor feedback, as I've never been able to previously allow myself the vulnerability of sharing any work. Thank you for this opportunity."
If you want to write a novel, you MUST take this course. It will set you on the right foot and save you all kinds of time you might spend floundering around on your own. Thanks, Steve, and I highly recommend this course."
Wow! This has been an amazing six weeks! My story started literally as a lark in response to Steve's question in the first lesson. I have watched it grow and develop almost on its own, an entire world of my imagination being born before my eyes. That's the most astonishing part, it came from inside ME somewhere! And I never knew I had it in me. Remarkable!"
Course Code: wlp
Explore the idea of story structure and discover that nearly every successful piece of fiction follows the same fundamental rules. You will also learn the difference between story and plot. Then, learn about the dramatic elements at the heart of every story: passion, theme, character, and premise.
Discover the importance of character development in fiction writing and why the best characters are flawed. You will focus on developing a protagonist, antagonist, and other characters that round out a story. Then, learn how to construct a story outline, act by act.
Examine how your protagonist develops through Act 2, finally discovering the source of emotional distress and how to overcome it. Then, discover the best way to arrange the defeat of your antagonist and prepare for the ending of your story.
Learn to apply the concepts of narrative structure to the development of a real novel. Then, expand the story idea for a novel into the nine checkpoints of a three-act outline.
Learn how to expand your outline into the long form and begin to materialize an actual novel. Then, explore the three most common viewpoints and examine their advantages and disadvantages. Discover techniques for developing characters and establishing a convincing logic for your story.
Learn techniques for refining your plot and controlling its pace by unraveling the internal structure of every piece of fiction you've ever read! Finally, examine some techniques for making your writing sparkle, including tips on dialogue and imagery and how to use them to show, not tell. You will learn to establish your own unique voice, paying special attention to the aspects of cadence and musicality.
Steve Alcorn is the published author of a wide range of fiction and nonfiction works. During the past decade he has helped more than 30,000 students turn their story ideas into reality, and many of his students have published novels they developed in his classes. His novels include the mystery A Matter of Justice, the historical novel Everything in Its Path, and the picture storybook Molly Builds a Theme Park. He is the author of the non-fiction books How to Fix Your Novel, Theme Park Design, and Write Your Life Story. When he isn't writing and teaching, Steve is the CEO of Alcorn McBride Inc., a leading theme park design company.
There are no prerequisites to take this course.
Hardware Requirements:
Software Requirements:
Instructional material requirements:
A new session of each course opens each month, allowing you to enroll whenever your busy schedule permits!
Once a session starts, two lessons will be released each week, for the six-week duration of your course. You will have access to all previously released lessons until the course ends.
The interactive discussion area for each lesson automatically closes 2 weeks after each lesson is released, so you're encouraged to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The Final Exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the Final Exam has been released, you will have 2 weeks plus 10 days to complete the Final and finish any remaining lessons in your course. No further extensions can be provided beyond these 10 days.


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Friday, November 7, 2008
Uh-Oh Corvo: 'Canes 2, Sens 1
You've made a cuckold out of me for the last time, Joe Corvo. It was bad enough when you scored a hat trick against the Senators last year, but Friday night's performance--in which Corvo had an assist and scored the game-winning goal--was the last straw. As if demanding a trade wasn't bad enough, you had to go and break my heart.
Despite a strong first period, the Sens didn't capitalize on enough of their chances--including three powerplays in the first alone. Although Mike Fisher gave the Sens a 1-0 lead late in the second, the Sens just couldn't withstand the pressure that Carolina put on them in the second and third periods. Ottawa was outshot 21-11 in the final two frames, and really wasn't playing as well as they had been in the past few games.
Fisher's line with Jesse Winchester and Daniel Alfredsson was the only one to get sustained pressure on the Hurricanes. Winchester looked a lot more confident after getting his first goal out of the way, was skating very fast, and finished with three shots on net. Alfie had three shots, too, and Fisher had two of them along with five hits on the night. Unfortunately the streak of wins-in-games-that-Fisher-had-a-point ends at two.
The one roster change from the last few games was in nets, as Martin Gerber drew in to give Alex Auld the night off. Gerber made some solid saves, and this loss certainly can't be pegged on him--the team just didn't play well enough in front of Darth Gerber. I'm not sure if it's because the team was tired after playing last night (Carolina did, too, so it's not much of an excuse) or whether they are subconsciously afraid when Gerber's in nets, but they're going to have to get over it because he will play at least a few more games this year.
I'm going to partially peg this loss on not properly utilizing the fourth line. Thursday night's win had a very minor ice time disparity, and the lowest was Shean Donovan with over nine minutes. In Friday's loss, however, Donovan had only 3:34 of ice time, and his linemates had little more than that. It probably had a lot to do with all the special teams play, but they could have used a few more shifts--and if they had, the other lines (notably the Jason Spezza-Dany Heatley-Antoine Vermette line) might have had a bit more steam in the third period. Rolling the lines to keep the tempo up against an injury-riddled team like Carolina could really have exposed some weaknesses--especially since both teams had played the night before. Or maybe I'm just talking out of my ass.
And it's a Senators-free weekend, since the next game isn't until Tuesday in Montreal. Which means I don't know what the hell I'm going to do to pass the time.
Posted by Peter Raaymakers at 10:50 PM


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me :: it's kind of nice that the public station in vermont plays these classical music videos late at night.
dom :: you realise this is the only time we ever watch vermont public television?
me :: at least it's not the bosnian scream-singing.
dom :: is this song called "i love muff"???
me :: what? no! it's a traditional scottish song.
dom :: yes, so?
me :: it's called "loch lomond"
dom :: then why does it say "i love muff"?
me :: where in the name of god do you see that?
dom :: on the video! "i love muff"!!
me :: will you stop shouting that? it's bad enough i wake the neighbours up screaming nonsense, now they're going to hear you yelling about how you love muff in the middle of the night.
dom :: that's not what it says!
me :: i know!!! that's what i'm saying!
dom :: i did not say "i love muff"- not this time. just look at the video and tell me what it says.
me :: [squinting] oh for crying out loud.
dom :: well?
me :: mull. isle. of. mull. it's where the video was shot.
dom :: could've sworn it said "isle of muff".
me :: no, the isle of mull is a place in scotland. there is no isle of muff.
dom :: more's the pity.
dear tourism bureau for the isle of mull,
we have a foolproof idea for how you can increase visits to your lovely homeland that involves advertising when people are very tired and feeling silly and using small, slightly blurry print.
yours sincerely,
dom and kate


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DAVID MOYES finally hopes to land Marouane Fellaini after crisis talks with
Roberto Martinez.
Fellaini is desperate to link up with his old boss at Manchester United.
But his hopes stalled when Everton knocked back two combined bids for him and
team-mate Leighton Baines.
When a £36million offer was rejected earlier this week, the giant Belgian must
have thought his chance was slipping away.
The attacking midfielder has told Martinez he wants to go but agreed to play
yesterday at Cardiff.
Now he is confident Everton will agree to him going and conclude a deal
ultimately rising to £25m.
Moyes is also keen to land Baines. But the left-back will not ask for a
Everton boss Martinez said: "Baines and Fellaini are top players and I want to
keep them.
"But when you're in the transfer window you're not always in control of what
will happen."


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(CNN) — Mitt Romney told reporters Saturday, Nov. 19, he and President-elect Donald Trump had a "far-reaching" conversation about foreign affairs, but the 2012 GOP presidential nominee did not give any hints about whether he was offered or would accept a role in Trump's administration.
Romney, who met with Trump in Bedminster, New Jersey, has been floated as a potential choice for secretary of state.
"We had a far-reaching conversation with regards to the various theaters in the world where there are interests of the United States of real significance. We discussed those areas and exchanged our views on those topics," Romney said in brief remarks after the meeting. "A very thorough and in-depth discussion in the time we had, and I appreciate the chance to speak with the President-elect and look forward to the coming administration."


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From someone who was born on Father's Day many suns ago, let me wish a Happy Father's Day to all the fathers (of all kinds), grandfathers, mentors and father-figures (the benevolent, non-patriarchal sorts, that is) out there. I used to be skeptical of what I considered to be manufactured holidays that were basically fronts to encourage consumerism (which is now all of them), but now that I'm older, I'm a lot more willing to concede that it is important to have days when we can devote some time and space to honor those who've loved us and helped shape us for the better.
I've been in a bit of a hollow of late as I've been trying to reset my compass, so the intermittent posts. I haven't "gone fishing," as Bernie describes his own hiatus, but I also heven't been anywhere near as quick off the mark as I'd hoped. My summer motto remains: there's always tomorrow....
Whereas I once read the the New York Times from cover to cover, I usually skim it nowadays, including the sections that I once gravitated towards, like the Arts section, and the Magazine. I did read much of last week's money-focused issue, but this week, I was back to skimming. One short piece that caught my eye was Erica Goode's Idea Lab piece, "Home Alone," which explores Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam's controversial findings that, at least initially, a person may experience greater feelings of social isolation and anomie living in a more racially and ethnically diverse neighborhood than in one that is more homogeneous. Goode cites some scholarship that challenges Putnam's view, suggesting that he just might not be accounting for some unknown factor, but I found the findings provocative, and hope to return to the article and add more thoughts about it down the road. Readers, what do you think?
Jack Chang reports in McClatchy News that Black Brazilians, who may number up to 90 million people, have gotten fed up with the country's racism and longstanding Black subordination, and are increasingly speaking out. The article's title suggests that Black Brazilians' response is new, but really it dates back to the 17th century. Chang explores some of the most recent public attempts to address the issue and effects of racism, including a national push for affirmative action in higher education (though some of Brazil's elite state institutions, including the flagship federal universities in Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, and Bahia, for example, do now have affirmative action plans in place), and greater enforcement of laws that penalize overt racism. He also discusses the differences between the general view of Brazilian race relations as harmonious ("a racial democracy," to quote the infamous phrase) and the reality, with comparisons to the United States. He notes that the current president, Lula da Silva, deserves some recognition for bringing the issue of race to the front of public discourse, but he also points out that some observers wonder whether the temporary changes will have any effect. It's clear, however, that there's widespread acknowledgement of the problem; it's always the solutions that pose the greatest difficulty.
I keep wondering if I'm being had by the following article, so perhaps some J's Theater readers can clarify either way. But here goes: are you familiar with "Gingerism"? If not, read this. Then please read the comments if your doubt meter is triggered. Mine was. (Singling out any group of people for oppression is abhorrent and wrong.) Then there's this case. While I'm aware of taunts, my personal experience has been that people like, or love, redheads, at least in those parts of the country where I've lived. According to these articles, the situation is quite different in the UK.
Yes, I hear and read all the time how monolithically "socially conservative" Black people, especially Southern Black people, are (and yes, I know that there's some truth there), but it's interesting that in the recent Dallas mayoral race, the openly gay candidate, City Councilperson Ed Oakley, appeared to have won many (most?) of the city precincts with predominant or large Black populations. He nevertheless lost to businessperson Tom Leppert, who will more than enough to deal with.
In two weeks, Michael Moore's critically acclaimed documentary Sicko will be out. It's the one summer film I can't wait to see. (I completely missed the entire New Fest....)
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Father's Day & Jetsam
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Archived Jun 5 2009
Ethanol Summit 2009 and President Clinton
The conference's main attraction was former US president Bill Clinton's speech. The security associated with his presence was impressive and there was an atmosphere of expectation as we gathered in the lecture theatre. His entry onto the stage reminded me of that of a pop-star and at the beginning of the speech we were told that this was his 6th trip to Brazil. When he made his first trip, Brazil was a poor nation that needed to borrow money from its wealthy brother. Today the roles are reversed. The USA now borrows money from the entire world while Brazil has money in its "piggybank". The decisive change is that Brazil is on the way to becoming self-sufficient in oil and that they export ethanol, while the USA is becoming increasingly dependent on imported energy. Access to energy is decisive for a nation's future.
The main theme in President Clinton's speech was "Climate Change". He noted that it was not his and Al Gore's fault that the USA said no to Kyoto. It was the elected politicians in the Senate and the House of Representatives that said no. Now afterwards that explanation does not seem believable. It reminded me of a certain football [soccer] coach's explanation for why his star-studded team did not win against a little nation like Sweden.
As a Swede one could still be proud. On four occasions President Clinton asserted that Sweden was top of the league when it comes to "Climate Change" and he called us "hyper-efficient". He was impressed that Sweden, according to the Kyoto Protocol, could even increase its emissions. Now we know that the government's ambition is rather that we will reduce our emissions. In all honesty we must confess that it is not the current government that laid the foundation to the cause of Bill Clinton's admiration. They inherited that groundwork but their ambition is to maintain it.
When President Clinton looked into his crystal ball he saw three challenges for the future:
- That "Business as Usual, BAU" is not a possibility
- That the financial crisis is a threat to the future
- That economic inequality must be combated.
Those of you who have followed my blog know that these questions have been central for me during the previous 12 months. It is great that President Clinton is on the same wavelength. One problem is that President Clinton said only a few breaths earlier that the world must have economic growth exceeding anything we have previously experienced. It is completely apparent and a little terrifying that he does not understand how significant increased use of oil has been for economic growth.
We have just submitted an article to Energy Policy in which we discuss economic growth and increased use of oil. Before I left Uppsala the plan was that I would give a copy of the article to President Clinton, but the security barrier prevented this. When I complained about this to the organisers they promised to give him the report. The answer from Bill Clinton was that he would read our article with interest and we will see if it has any influence on him.
Points 2 and 3 are fairly obvious but, in my view he missed the most important point of all:
"In a future with contracting oil resources, how will we produce the food that the world's growing population needs?"
For the USA's future, President Clinton noted again and again that CCS [carbon capture and storage], i.e. separating out carbon dioxide from emissions and storing it under ground, would be part of the future. If one studies the real numbers one realises that this is an enormous task. Just now it seems as if CCS is a life-line that the politicians need to justify why they are not getting to grips with the core of the energy problem which is, according to my definition, that "too many people in the world have access to too little energy". At the moment politicians around the world are casting out the life-line called CCS and hoping that we will grab hold of it and shape an alternative future.
For Brazil there is doubt as to what extent the inspiring growth that we now see is ecologically sustainable. President Clinton is not alone in asking this question. For several years we have made large investments in ethanol use in Sweden, but the connection between ethanol and food has made many doubtful. Ethanol is a manufactured product and we need to look at the ingredients that contribute to the manufacturing process. The relationship between the energy produced and the fossil energy inputs is decisive. For ethanol from maize and wheat there is little net energy produced, but when we discuss ethanol from sugar cane there is 9 times the energy produced compared to that put in.
The largest emissions footprint in production of ethanol from sugar cane is from the diesel that the machines need to process the sugar cane at different stages. The Swedish company Scania has developed a new diesel motor that uses 100% ethanol as fuel. Today there are a large number of busses in Stockholm that use this fuel. If Brazil's ethanol industry invests in this solution they can have a fossil fuel-free industry. Despite this the most important thing remains that we must be fed. It is time to place our farmers on the high pedestal they deserve.
The presentation and question time were over. As an old Elvis fan one can remember how it was announced that "Elvis has left the building!" The translation of the concluding words in Portugese by my translating machine were "President Clinton has left the building".
(An article by Reuters about President Clinton's speech, http://www.reuters.com/article/mnGreenAutos/idUS267341701020090603)
Kjell Aleklett is Professor of Physics
Global Energy Systems, Uppsala University, www.fysast.uu.se/ges
He is also President of ASPO International, the International Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas, www.peakoil.net, and a regular contributor to Energy Bulletin.


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- Worldwide Rank #49
- Follower/Following Ratio 42k
- Daily New Followers -28585
Alicia Keys Twitter Stats
@aliciakeys - Tracking Alicia Keys Twitter profile since May 5, 2009
Passionate about my work, in love with my family and dedicated to spreading light. It's contagious! ;-) https://t.co/Rkvayyp1La
New York City
Alicia Keys's story
Alicia Keys, also known as @aliciakeys has a pretty strong presence on Twitter and is ranked by us in the 60% percentile for account strength. Active on Twitter since April 2009, Alicia Keys made it to having a whopping 29,823,730 Twitter followers and to being ranked 49 for number of followers among all Twitter users.
As a matter of fact, @aliciakeys has the prominent #1 placing on the Musician/Band category.
Uh-oh... seems like someone has fallen asleep while on duty and is dropping in social relevance. The plot thickens when considering Alicia Keys's follower-to-following ratio, which is 42483.95. As you can probably gather, this metric places this account comfortably within celebrity status.
@aliciakeys doesn't tweet all that much, with an average of 1 tweet(s) per day in the past 30 days. However this seems to be a big change from a total of 7,703 since @aliciakeys joined Twitter.
It seems like Alicia Keys is heard on Twitter, with an audience attentiveness score of 28%, which stems from being tracked on 51,424 Twitter lists and normalized to their 29,823,730 followers.
This account is tracked by us for quite some time now, actually since May 2009. As of July 20 2018 we track 290307913 Twitter accounts, so feel free to search for other accounts you're interested in and reveal their Twitter story!
Alicia Keys Tweets
@aliciakeys has posted 0 tweets in the last 30 days, which translates to an average of 1 tweets per day.
Alicia Keys Twitter Followers
@aliciakeys has 29,823,730 followers on Twitter.
This account is #49 in the worldwide rank of the most popular Twitter users.
Alicia Keys Following on Twitter
@aliciakeys is following 702 Twitter accounts.
Last month this account followed no users.
Alicia Keys Predictions & Milestones
@aliciakeys will hit 27,251,094 followers in the next 3 months, and 19,390,263 in one year.
You are on Alicia Keys's Twitter stats page
We track these Twitter stats since May 5, 2009 . You can see how many followers Alicia Keys lost or gained and what the prediction is for tomorrow or the next 15 days, together with all kinds of other stats like rank compared to all Twitter users, tweets etc.
Why don't you give it a try and compare Alicia Keys to yourself ? Or if you are Alicia Keys get even more feature rich & up-to-date stats with our premium Twitter Stats.
Twitter Counter is the #1 Twitter stats site powered by Twitter. It all started in June 12, 2008 and we grew rather rapidly because of our Twitter Counter badge. The button is a nice small image that shows your visitors how many followers you have on Twitter. Within a year the button was on many many blogs around the world and we displayed more than 100 million buttons in one month. We track follower stats for over 290.307.913 users now.


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Nikki Bella, John Cena, Maryse, and The Miz have been orbiting each other for the past few weeks, and if plans hold up, it looks like they will all meet in a mixed tag match at WrestleMania 33. Maryse has bumped into Nikki twice now, once getting make-up all over herself and a second time getting knocked down as Nattie and Nikki brawled backstage during their feud. Cena has cost The Miz two title opportunities (Elimination Chamber match and last week's battle royal), while Miz returned the favor by eliminating Cena from the battle royal, after he was eliminated from the match.
Sound off with your thoughts in the "Comments" below and tomorrow we'll post a follow-up with the top quotes, along with any ideas that may have trended throughout your replies.
Got a news tip or correction? Send it to us by clicking here.


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1. What's on your Ipod?
Steelman: I have mostly country on my ipod -- my current playlist has Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, Alison Kraus and Union Station, Toby Keith, Alan Jackson, George Strait , Johnny Cash, Trace Adkins and Patti Griffin. I also stick to my "old school favorites" – Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Jackson Browne. Dave Mathews Band is clearly in a class by itself and I am a huge fan.
2. What book are you currently reading?
Steelman: I just finished Joel Olsteen's How to be a Better You and am currently reading a novel called Thirteen Moons. I am also reading The Reagan Diaries a little bit at a time.
3. Your husband gets most annoyed at you when . . .
Steelman: I asked him and it was very hard to get an answer because he says he's too smart to lead with his chin. However, when pressed, he said my overzealous behavior at our son's football games.
4. What's the speech you've given that you are most proud of?
Steelman: It is always an absolute honor to speak at the Memorial Day Service at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Salem, Missouri, paying tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom – for their country.
5. Name a political figure who you idolize or highly respect.
Steelman: Ronald Reagan inspired me with his consistent and persistent belief in conservatism. When I was in college I organized a group of volunteers to work on his campaign in Iowa and still count that as one of the great experiences in my life. He still inspires me.
6. You've got a free weekend to do whatever you want in Missouri. Where do you go and what do you do?
Steelman: If I ever get a "free" weekend, I love to go fishing with my family on Sinking Creek in Shannon County, when there is enough water, or floating on the Current River – especially on a hot summer day.
7. Who's a friend in the political sphere you go to for advice and why?
Steelman: I always seek advice from my dad, John Hearne, and always sought advice from my father in law, Dorman Steelman, before he passed away a year ago. My dad, who has been active in grassroot politics all his life has a deep abiding faith and a strong sense of right and wrong. And he has an amazing ability to always incorporate love into everything he does. He never preaches at me but when asked always offers a reasoned approach to resolving problems and thinking through issues – he always taught me the importance of "Duty, Honor, and Country". Dorman had a keen sense of justice and was a seeker of the truth – sometimes giving me advice that I would rather not hear but always wanting the best for me and the people of this state.
8. What's the worst thing about living in Missouri?
Steelman: It's a love hate relationship with the weather.
9. What's a political issue you'd like to learn more about?
Steelman: I know brilliant men and women who were educated in one room school houses. We don't need layers of educational bureaucrats regulating how local school districts, teachers, and most importantly, parents, should educate our children. Dedicated teachers and motivated kids were enough to put the first man on the moon, so the question is why don't we cut the educational bureaucracy, quit just talking about local control and get back to an educational system that made this country great.
10. What political blogs or news websites do you click on first in the morning?
Steelman: I listen to the news while I'm making lunch and breakfast for my son and getting him to school and myself out the door so I don't have time to click on a blog first thing in the morning. Later in the day I usually hit johncombest.com, ky3 political notebook and Post-Dispatch political fix to see what's up.


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This is a real treat — a conversation with Your Best Face founder Darrell Owens. I first got to know Darrell in the early days of Truth In Aging and was intrigued to discover that he himself formulates his cutting-edge anti-aging products. In this video he explains how he goes about finding the best antioxidants and how he evolves the YBF line continuously — both adding to the line up and improving existing products. What I love is that he does this by listening intently to the Truth In Aging community. So much so, that he even knows your names — watch the video to see who gets a shout out and for the special surprise Darrell brought with him for us all.
Interview with YBF founder Darrell Owens (VIDEO)
This was so cool! I've never thought of the skincare & cosmetics industry as being so customer-friendly. Clearly, there are exceptions!
As I'm new to the TIA community (& happy to be here), I'm also new to YBF products. Marta, you made a recommend to me on one of their products that I hope to try very soon. If your stunning glow is any indication, I'll be on my way to lovely skin in no time! :)
Thanks to you & Darrell for this wonderful peek into YBF!
Wonderful interview, Marta! And I'll agree with others that you looked terrific. But it's especially nice to get to hear from Darrell. Not only are the YBF products great, but he has always been so wonderful to us all -- I can personally attest that over the years I've contacted them with a couple of questions and he has always responded personally. Kudos to YBF for the business they do, and the way they do it.
Look out for tomorrow (Friday's) newsletter and you'll find out how to get your YBF secret serum with purchase.
Interesting video. I have tried a number of different eye products, and while they may moisturize, nothing has worked for me as well as YBF Correct. I was thinking of purchasing more, but would like to wait until the new formula is available. When will that be?
I loved the interview - and being able to meet from you Darrell.
I echo Junko's plea - I would love to have one of those wonderful samples to experience Darrell's new potion!
Darn, darn, darn. I just ordered and received my latest of YBF, with no goody in my order. Not fair!!! Would have loved one of those YBF samples. Peptides are me!!!
Loved this Video!! Really great to be able to see and hear you talk about your products Darrell! YBF has a place in my heart and so do YOU! Excited to hear that you'll be rolling out some new formulations...BTW Marta ~ just WHAT will you be doing with that lovely box of YBF samples?? Knowing your generosity and there looks to be so many, I'm thinking a few might go out to the TIA community members? I normally don't beg, but in this instance I have to...I would be ecstatic to have one of those little tubes with the PEPTIDES!!!! PALEEZE!!!
Marta, I agree with Dennis - you look very rested and bright! Whatever you're doing, keep doing it! And what a lovely opportunity to actually see Darrell and hear him speak. His contribution to the TIA community is always welcome as he is a wealth of knowledge and always gives a unique perspective on any issue. Looking forward to trying some of the new formulations - I think I've finally tired every eye cream product that I can in my constant quest for the best and I'm coming back to Correct. Overall it out-performs any other! Thanks again!
Hi Darrell! How exciting to see this interview and "meet" you. I am over the moon to hear of any new products- you know I believe YBF is the best and sing the gospel wherever I go. Totally the best to you! Great job, Marta. ~jk
Thank you Dennis. I think having Kristen do my makeup for video helps a lot :) But I do have a good regimen going right now (with plenty of Ultra Renew, AQ and others) and plan to write about it later this week.
Marta, I hope you take this as a compliment, it's certainly meant as one. You are really looking a lot less tired and more youthful. Do you attribute this to anything specific? The ultra renew perhaps? will we be seeing a video on that in the future?


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|Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds
When these transactions occur, a scale is involved because the price in most instances is based on weight – and big money can be gained or lost if a scale is not adjusted properly. Consumers in Butler County should make sure before going ahead with any transaction that the scale being used is certified by the Auditor's Office.
Just last weekend, a business from Toledo set up a temporary space in downtown Hamilton to buy gold, silver and other precious metals. Their scales did not pass our inspection on Friday and Auditor Roger Reynolds pulled the scales out of service. The company acquired a new scale on Saturday and passed a new inspection.
"Consumers really must be wary of these businesses," Reynolds said. "This company did not notify us that they were coming into the county and the scales were off in favor of the business."
Reynolds suggests that potential sellers check the scales and make sure they are certified by the Auditor's Office. If they are not certified, contact the Weights & Measures Division of the Auditor's Office at 513-785-6318.
All businesses engaged in buying or selling precious metals must also have a commercial National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP) -approved scale to weigh these metals. Most of these devices are Class II scales, which are used in high precision weighing. It takes Class II weights to test these scales. Class II weights are so precise that the oils on a human hand can make those weights inaccurate. The inspector either has to pick the weights up by clean gloves or by tongs in order to use them.
The Butler County Auditor's Office just recently purchased a set of Class II weights, providing our inspectors the freedom to go to these businesses unannounced to check the accuracy of the devices. Our Weights and Measures Class II weight kit can accurately check as little as 1 milligram up to 1 kilogram of weight.
In the past, our inspectors would have to depend on a registered service agency that had Class II weights. The service agency would have to call the business and make an appointment with them and then test the scale with a weights and measures inspector present.
"As we saw on Friday, having these Class II weights allowed us to do a spot check and enabled us to take inaccurate scales out of service – protecting consumers," Reynolds said.
Inspectors from the Auditor's Office will continue to go around the county and conduct spot checks on behalf of the community, said Reynolds.


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Sterling silver and silver plate (also spelled silverplate) are totally different. And to be quite honest, it's hard for most people to tell the difference. This often leads to scamming.
So let's keep it simple. Sterling silver is where the real value is. If you own a lot of sterling silver, that's a good thing financially speaking. Silverplate isn't bad – it's just a lot less valuable. Let's dive a little deeper into the real meaning of each.
Sterling Silver
Simply put, sterling silver is pretty close to the 'real deal'. Sterling silver is 92.5% (.925) silver. So what makes up the rest of the sterling silver? Other metals; usually copper or nickel. A real silver bar, a.k.a. fine silver, is .999 silver.
Sterling silver is used to make a variety of products, such as nice jewelry, plates, or even coins. So why not use fine silver? Why does it have to be mixed? Fine silver is quite soft and can be easily damaged. When combined with other metals, fine silver becomes much more durable.
When it comes to sterling silver, weight is important. Often times it's a strong selling/buying point for collectors. Any way you look at it, sterling silver is worth good money. It's an investment, and will hold its value over time.
Silver Plate
Silverplate is worth a lot less than sterling silver. Why? It contains much less pure silver. When you buy a product made of silverplate, you're buying something that's made mostly of fairly cheap metal – like copper, steel, or something similar. The pure silver is then fused on top of the metal, creating a very thin layer.
Fun fact: If you're like most people, you probably refer to your eating utensils as "silverware". In the old days, silverware was commonly made out of sterling silver. Nowadays, it rarely is. In fact, it's rarely even made of silverplate. Most "silverware" is actually made of only metal, such as stainless steel. It's commonly advertised as flatware. If you want a set of sterling silverware, it's definitely out there. You'll just have to spend at least $1,000.
So how do you spot the difference between sterling silver and silverplate? The simplest way to do so is look for a number 925 or the word sterling written somewhere. One of these will symbolize what should be an authentic sterling silver product. If the product has a manufacturer's name on it, it's most likely silverplate.
You can also run a second test with a magnet. If a magnet is attracted to the product, it's not sterling silver. The best way to tell, however, is taking the item you have in question to a specialist.
Gary Dyner is the owner of Great American Coin Company. Connect with him on Google+.


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In November, 2010, I watched HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" and saw the piece done on the hazing antics at several historically black colleges and fraternities and took to Twitter to share my thoughts on the issue.
In November, 2010, I watched HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" and saw the piece done on the hazing antics at several historically black colleges and fraternities and took to Twitter to share my thoughts on the issue.
Much of the report focused on Southern University, and man, did the floodgates open, as a number of students from the university angrily tweeted me back, cussing, yelling and screaming, with some defending hazing, while others were angry at the national attention focused on their university.
For hours, we went round and round and were joined in the discussion by members of several black fraternities, including my own Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. A number of these individuals actually supported hazing, or "pledging hard" and not becoming a "paper" member who "skated" into the fraternity.
Despite the anger and vitriol, I refused to back down, making it clear that being beaten for being in a band or fraternity was absolutely dumb.
One year later, when news of the death of Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion became public, I immediately thought of that discussion and how those folks who viewed hazing as a ritual worthy of continuing felt.
Here was a young man who went to college, planning to earn a college degree while leading one of the nation's most colorful and exciting bands, only to be returned home to his parents in Georgia in a coffin.
While hazing immediately was suspected, we could only speculate about the cause of the 26-year-old's death. That is, until the medical examiner released details of his autopsy, concluding that Champion "collapsed and died within an hour of a hazing incident during which he suffered multiple blunt trauma blows to his body."
News of the death has rocked the Florida A&M campus, angering its students and alumni; triggering multiple state investigations; leading Gov. Rick Scott to call for the firing of school president James Ammons, and that triggered FAMU students marching to the governor's mansion and camping out on his lawn, where they demanded he rescind the resignation call.
But Champion's death isn't the first time we have seen individuals in a band or fraternity die. It's unbelievable that some folks have given their lives — literally — for just being a part of a student group.
State laws have been passed, organizations have been kicked off of campuses and national fraternal and sorority groups have paid millions in settlements due to hazing, but we continue to see these stories continue.
"Why?" is a consistent question that is asked and at the end of the day, it boils down to power and a desire to insist that others kowtow to someone else's demands in order to gain acceptance.
A decision not to follow through means you can be ostracized, ignored and marginalized. That's the last thing any young person wants to experience when in an organization.
In every one of these organizations, there are adult leaders or advisers who are charged with overseeing them. But in truth, fellow students run the show. Normally in a band, a drum major sits at the top of the food chain, but in the case of Champion, he clearly had to bend to the band's culture in order to be accepted fully as a member of FAMU's Marching 100.
So what you have is a bunch of students between 18 and 22 who are calling the shots and making it clear who is accepted and who isn't, who gets in and who doesn't. You aim to please them and no one else. Often times, they are leading based on how they were led, and it has been indoctrinated into them that this is the way of life — take it or leave it.
These are powerful forces that can be changed only by peers.
Hazing will be brought to a close only when members of organizations make it clear that vile hazing traditions will not go forward. No one can be hazed if the student leaders today make it clear that it's unacceptable. Yet because of the natural turnover in student organizations, that mindset has to be created and passed on in order for it to succeed.
When I was about to pledge Alpha Phi Alpha in the spring of 1989, I met with my four pledge brothers and made it clear: I'm not getting hit, I will never use alcohol and I will not agree to be hazed.
Even though my older brother pledged two years earlier the same fraternity at Texas A&M without any nonsense, I was making it clear that such shenanigans were idiotic. All five of us agreed, and in the four weeks, two days, 16 hours, 38 minutes and 39 seconds I was on line (yeah, having to recite such specifics was part of our process), the behavior that we often heard was associated with pledging didn't exist.
But because of that, we weren't always as accepted by other fraternity members at other campuses. Our chapter was called soft, we were criticized as not "pledging the right way," and we had to constantly defend challenges to our manhood.
Me? I didn't care. I would look others in the eye and say, "In the history of our chapter, only one brother has failed to graduate, and we do nothing with him. Are you guys on the six- or seven-year plan, and can you match our graduate rate?"
From my perspective, we were supposed to be in college to graduate. And if my fraternity was founded as a study group at Cornell University on Dec. 4, 1906, why would we eschew academics?
Since those days, I've never wavered from my anti-hazing position. It is deplorable and shameful to think that you should beat another person in order for him to prove something. Prove what? That he can take a punch? No. I prefer to challenge his mind, his intellect.
Our goal as fraternity men is to take young men and mold and shape them to be better men. It is not our aim to take young men and train them to be collegiate mercenaries hell-bent on inflicting as much pain as they got onto the first person they have control over.
Is there tremendous value in fraternities, sororities, bands and student organizations? Absolutely. The leadership opportunities are remarkable, and the lifelong relationships are vital. But what has to be preached and preached and preached to every student, whether they are white, black, Asian, Latino, male or female, is that if they love that frat, sorority, drill team or band, they shouldn't do anything to jeopardize it for the next person.
Do we need tougher hazing laws? Yes. Do we need universities to take punitive action, including kicking students out who break the rules? Yes. Do we need national organizations to ban chapters for years for egregious behavior? Absolutely. Should fellow student leaders turn in others who break the rules and haze? Of course. There must be a zero-tolerance attitude from every state official, administrator, student leader and organizational member. The hell with tradition, rituals and "the way we do things." All of that must end. Now.
But we also must raise a generation of young people who have enough confidence in themselves to say, "I will not take a beating just to be accepted by you. I'd rather not have your affection or support if it means putting my life on the line."
And if that means other students calling you out or teasing you, fine. I'd rather you talk about me like a dog today than to be hazed and have my friends search to figure out what to say at my funeral.


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Interstellar Movie – Interstellar Novel Based On Book
Was an Interstellar novel used to create the movie? Many fans wonder if the movie Interstellar was based on a book. The idea for the sci fi movie was developed without having a book as the basis. Kip Thorne and Lydia Obst came up with the basis of the movie, the trailer for which is shown below.
Chris Nolan, Kip Thorne, Lydia Obst Interstellar
Chris Nolan, of Batman, Inception and The Prestige, also was the director for Interstellar.His next movie is scheduled to be released in July, 2017. It will be another Warner Bros film but the name has not yet been released.
The idea for the Interstellar movie was developed by Kip Thorne and Lydia Obst. They did not develop it based on a book that was already in existence. However, later on, Kip Thorne wrote a book which is a must read for fans of the Interstellar movie. Lydia worked as a co-producer on the movie.
Kip Thorne Interstellar Book
Kip Thorne is a theoretical physicist. His Interstellar book was initially published in November, 2014. It was written for people who want to know the science behind interstellar but who may not have an intense scientific background.
He worked as both the executive producer for the Interstellar movie and the scientific consultant. The film lasts for more than two hours and goes at a really fast pace. The Interstellar book by kip Thorne explores its concepts and makes the film even more interesting.
Greg Keyes Interstellar Novel
Greg Keyes Interstellar Novel is the official movie novelization and chronicles the use of the wormhole to pass through space in less time. Maybe one day that will be something we all can do on a regular basis.
The explorers are not just traveling through dangerous deep space for fun. Their mission is to save the planet Earth and its inhabitants. If you enjoyed experiencing the movie, the novel will make it easy to relive certain enjoyable scenes over and over again. Greg Keyes writes action scenes in a way that brings characters and visuals to life.
Chris Nolan co-wrote the script for Interstellar with his brother, Jonathan Nolan. This Interstellar book by Kip Thorne helps fans to further understand the thinking behind the movie and why things are the way they are in the film. Fans will also enjoy this Interstellar novel. The Interstellar novel is based on the movie. The Interstellar novel was written by Greg Keyes and is a good way to experience the drama of the movie all over again.
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I've been sugar free for many, many years. I fell off the wagon for a short while. It didn't take long to put on weight, start getting those afternoon blahs and start having all kinds of little aches and pains. However, getting off the stuff proved difficult.
I'd start, handle it for a few days, then my hubby would bring home a box of cookies or I'd go to my Mom's and she'd have made a caramel cake and there I'd go. If you could hear the thoughts that went through my head! "Just one bite, that's all I'll have". "I'll start tomorrow." "I can just cut back."
Sugar is highly addictive.
Why do you think they give junkies coming off drugs all the candy they want? The feelings may not be as strong, but they do enough to help. They trade one addiction for another. One is legal, the other isn't.
Why do you think you have such a hard time sticking to a diet? It's not just the fats, it's the sugar that's in almost everything you eat!
Why do you think they now put sugar in almost everything? My shocker of the week was the sweet potato fries I used to buy. I had a craving for sweet potatoes, reached into the freezer section at Publix to grab a bag and just on a whim looked at the ingredients. Sugar. Why do they need to add sugar to something that is already so naturally sweet? I wasn't looking for sugar, I was curious to see what kind of preservatives or additives they had.
I got back off sugar with ease when it finally clicked. I wasn't really intending to stop eating it, either. I went on a low carb diet with my son, which meant --> NO SUGAR. I didn't think about it as I was so busy counting carbs and trying to find things I could eat. Luckily I was working my butt off for the first five or six days so I really didn't have time to feel the cravings.
At the end of the time with my son I realized I was well on my way to cleansing my system of sugar and that I may as well stick with it. I'll be doing this the rest of my life. I see no reason in the world to go back on sugar. I have so much more energy, most of my aches and pains have vanished and I've lost over 30 pounds in just a few short months. I'm in for good. I had forgotten how good it felt to be free of sugar.
So, I'm now on a hunt. I'm going to share what I find about hidden sugars and the affects of sugar on our bodies.


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One thing that has really struck me since moving to South Africa 4 years ago, is the sense of social responsibility that most South Africans seem to have adopted. And the school setting is no exception. Most South African schools from more privileged areas adopt a school/s from less privileged areas and do various things to help. It ranges from fund-raising projects, to food collection drives, to soup kitchens and to donating warm blankets and clothing in the winter months.
But the one aspect that strikes me the most is how they get the children actively involved in the community projects. At my sons school, the boys are taken to the adopted school from Grade 3 onwards, and they do various activities with the school children from the under privileged school.
I had the pleasure of accompanying my son and his class mates on Thursday. Their community project this year is a nursery school in Ivory park. On Thursday, we took the boys to Ivory park, where they actively participated with the little children, helping them with some art activities, and then feeding them lunch and playing with them in the playground.
As part of the 67 minutes for Nelson Mandela's birthday, the entire boys prep school had made sandwiches, which we delivered to the nursery school in Ivory park. This meant that not only did the nursery children get a meal that day ( in many cases the only meal they eat every day) but they could also take home enough sandwiches to feed their family for that day.
Ir was such a great lesson for our boys - to really grasp how privileged they are, in a country with so many children living below the bread line. And it was heart warming to watch how the prep school boys helped the little children in the tasks that they had to do.
To end off the day, the boys planted a tree in the play-ground. This tree will be a symbol over the years - as the boys and children grow, so will the tree. It will be interesting to revisit the school in a few years time and see how the tree has grown, and how the work that the Prep school is doing has benefited the nursery school, and the Ivory park community as a whole.
Here are some picture collages of our exhausting, but very rewarding day spent at Ivory park:


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Tuesday, July 28, 2009
On its Way!
I'm finding out that sewing machines are like cars...everyone has their favorite make & model. But by far, I received the most positive feedback about Janome machines. Well, I finally purchased a new sewing machine, a Janome 1913. I will most likely be buying a bigger, more expensive machine in the next couple of months, but this one will be perfect for when I want to bring my sewing machine along with me (it only weighs 11 pounds!). Can't wait to get my hands on it.
3 comments:
- StitchinByTheLake said...
How cute is that Sarah! I've loved every one of my Janomes - sure hope you do too. blessings, marlene
- July 28, 2009 at 12:32 PM
- Tracey said...
My machine only weighs 12 lbs and can be taken to classes. I have the Platinum 760 and I love it. Your machine is so cute. Do you know what big machine you are thinking about?
- July 28, 2009 at 5:50 PM
Hi, did you get this machine yet? I'm looking at one on ebay but can't find any on line reviews. I keep being pointed to your blog. Do you like? Would you recommend this machine? I don't have a sewing machine yet, but would like to get one, but I want it to be cute. I see machines that look a bit more functional, but not as cute as this one. Please post an update about how you are liking/not liking this machine.
Thank you,
- August 20, 2009 at 10:35 PM
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Recently, I found Rabbi Moshe Feinstein's 1984 teshuva-letter on Ethiopian Jews stuck between two file folders. (You can click the thumbnail image for a larger, more readable image or download a PDF.) This letter was written in response to a question I asked through Rabbi Moshe Tendler, Rav Moshe's son-in-law. He referred the question to his son, Mordechai, who then served as Rav Moshe's secretary-assistant. What follows is a (rough) translation:
With the Help of HaShem
26 Sivan 5744
To the honored, my beloved grandson ha rav ha-gaon moreinu ha-rav Rabbi Mordechai Tendler, shlit"a, with blessings of peace and blessing and all good:
With my best regards,
Here as per your request, I reaffirm what you wrote in my name several years ago regarding the "Falashas," that it is known what is written in the responsa of the Radba"z, section seven, §9, that it is understood he considers them to be Jews; however for practical application of the law it is difficult to rely on this, for it is not clear if the Radba"z knew well the reality regarding them, nor is it clear whether up until our time their status has [remained the same and] not changed. But in regard to practical application of the law they are not mamzerim or the like, for the Radba"z mentions there that many many doubts apply to them. Review my responsa where I detail at length the qualifications of the rabbinical prohibitions regarding the legal status of 'an illegitimate child of unknown fatherhood' and 'a child found in the street whose parents are (both) unknown'.
Regarding their Judaism, we must consider it a safek [doubt], and one must require of them true conversion before we permit them to marry within the Jewish community. Yet even before their conversion it is an active precept to save them from being drawn into a non-Jewish creed and from danger as the law is for any Jew, for "safek nefashot l'hakel" ["a doubt involving saving lives is judged leniently"] even where here the doubt is in their very status as Jews.
One should also know that even if in practical application of the law they are not Jews, nevertheless since they think they are Jews and sacrifice their lives for their Judaism, we are obligated to save them.***
As you mentioned, they should not be brought to the Land of Israel* unless they have underdone a conversion**, in order to not increase the concern for assimilation [i.e., intermarriage with Jews who do not have a doubt regarding their Jewish status and also a weakening of the faith of Ethiopian Jews themselves]. But if they have legally converted, and as I have heard they are doing, we shall consider them like all Jews, and one must assist them and support them for all needs of livelyhood, both physically and spiritually. And I suffered great aguish because I have heard there are those in Israel who are not drawing them close in spiritual matters and are causing, G-d forbid, that they might be lost from Judaism. And it seems to me these people are behaving so only because the color of the Falashas' skin is black. It is obvious that one must draw them close, not only because they are no worse than the rest of the Jews – and because there is no distiction in practical application of the law because they are black – but also because one can say perhaps they are gerim [converts], and are therefore included in the mitzva "and you shall love the convert."
And I will conclude with the hope that the situation will improve, and in the merit in observing all the mitzvot, we should all soon merit to the ingathering of the exiles by our righteous messiah.
Your grandfather who loves you in heart and soul,
Moshe Feinstein
[All emphasis added.]
* Suggestions were made to bring Ethiopian Jews to Cyprus or Italy (or even the US or Canada) first to fulfill this request, but it proved impossible to do so. I told R. Mordechai Tendler this would not work. His answer based on conversations with his grandfather was to try anyway, which we did, and to note "safek nefashot l'hakel" in the teshuva. In other words, you have to save them no matter what. Rav Moshe wanted to give Baruch Tegegne and I brachot (blessings) to do so and asked us to come to the mountains, where he was vacationing, so he could bless us in person. Illness on our parts prevented this.
** Rav Moshe would later specify a giur l'humra, a form of pro forma conversion that allows conversion without first pushing away the potential converts and without first teaching them Jewish law. He would also later note that the Israeli Chief Rabbis' decision on these matters should be respected.
*** Rav Moshe had long before signed a public letter with non-Orthodox rabbis calling for the immediate aid for Ethiopian Jews and for rescue. It is linked here. Rabbi J. B. Soleveitchik signed the same letter. This is the campaign the late Lubavitcher Rebbe refused to join.


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71% Fail Civic Literacy Test
If there is any presidential speech that has captured a place in popular culture, it is the Gettysburg Address, seemingly recited by school children for decades. The truth is, however, Lincoln's most memorable words are now remembered by very few.
Of the 2,508 Americans taking ISI's civic literacy test, 71% fail. Nationwide, the average score on the test is only 49%. The vast majority cannot recognize the language of Lincoln's famous speech.
The test contains 33 questions designed to measure knowledge of America's founding principles, political history, international relations, and market economy.LINK
Is anyone surprised?


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Below is my very favorite photo of Cara. I think this picture captures her beauty and essence. It also offers the tiniest hint of her playful and ethereal side. I was privileged to be a part of Cara and Eric's wedding. I promise you that day Cara floated in her own beauty. She was as elegant and effortless as a ballerina. It was almost as if she was from another time and another place. Her loveliness simply wasn't earthbound!
Below is a photo of Cara at David Leggett's loft (which I will chronicle in a later post). This was taken last weekend.Below is a photo of her husband participating in one of his favorite activities....Rock Star. Eric is in the green shirt. His brother Mark is on drums and Ricky (another old college friend) is the dude tearing up the guitar! Eric and I have also known each other for over 16 years. He and Cara started dating towards the end of our freshman year and they have been together ever since. Cara and Eric compliment each other beautifully! Where Cara is quiet and reserved, Eric is hilarious and the life of the party! Eric enjoys any excuse to throw a party! And when Eric hosts a function he leaves no stone unturned. Eric has always graciously hosted me in his home and I so appreciate the way he loves my dear friend Cara.
This is Cara and Eric's first "child" Buster! I love this dog just as much as I love Ciara and Ryan's dog, Toby. Buster is perhaps the most melancholy animal I have ever met. He seems most happy when he is left alone to rest on the guest bed. However, whereas Toby cuddles with me and allows me to be the human in the bed....Buster lays across the bed width-wise and does not appreciate my invasion of his sleep space! Sunday night's sleep was interesting.....I had about 1/10 of the bed to spread out on!
On March 31, 2007 Cara and Eric's family grew by one beautiful little lady. This is Josephine Elaine Holmes. She answers to JoJo......
JoJo enjoys riding in her little red fire truck......
She also loves when her Daddy turns her upside down.....JoJo has also seemed to develop an affinity for her Daddy's big gulp diet Cokes.....
She also very much enjoys having a leisurely ladies lunch with Mommy and Auntie Patty or Auntie P-Funk. (Eric is insistent all the important people in JoJo's life have a hip hop name. I could choose between P-Funk or P-Diddy. I decided to kick it old school and go with the George Clinton reference. Much more respect for his legacy! No disrespect Puffy.)
She also very much enjoys having a leisurely ladies lunch with Mommy and Auntie Patty or Auntie P-Funk. (Eric is insistent all the important people in JoJo's life have a hip hop name. I could choose between P-Funk or P-Diddy. I decided to kick it old school and go with the George Clinton reference. Much more respect for his legacy! No disrespect Puffy.)
Walking is a relatively new activity so landing on the floor sometimes happens. At this particular moment she didn't want to get up from the floor so Auntie P-Funk laid down next to her and took a few photos. Most of them were "fussy face" pictures...but this one has that tiny little grimace that she no doubt inherited from her Mommy! Cara and I edited these on iPhoto to get some interesting colors and images.
JoJo also enjoys pineapple, strawberries and grapes. She loves to sleep with her baby doll Beatrix and needs a "sound machine" to get a good night's rest. She enjoys going for a walk to the corner store in the morning. (She really enjoys bringing Auntie P-Funk some coffee in bed!) She loves to gingerly bend down to give Buster a hug. She likes to look at pictures of herself when she was a baby and say, "babbbybbybbyyy." She smiles when Mommy tells her, "No, JoJo isn't a baby anymore!" She enjoys playing with her cousins Baker and Lucy and she gently pats baby Lucy on the head. JoJo is an angel. I loved every moment I spent with her and her hugs made Auntie P-Funk feel all better!
Unbeknownst to JoJo...she likes to shop, too! Okay....maybe it is her Mommy that likes to shop for JoJo but she certainly is up for the spree! Cara took me to a children's boutique in Dallas. She had purchased a very special, one of a kind, dress from the owner/creator at a local Farmer's Market. Cara was excited to visit the shop and was eager to show me the one of a kind creations of Christine's.
If you dropped me in the middle of Dallas I would have no idea how to find Little Bean ever again! Thus I am providing you the link! Christine creates children's wear from vintage fabrics. JoJo has two of her dresses and one of her tees. They are so whimsical and sassy....much like the fabulous lady that gives life to these special creations. I very much enjoyed visiting with Christine and ACTUALLY convinced her to create a BIG GIRL tee just for me! Perhaps if we all bother her enough she will launch a line for the ladies who are just little girls at heart? I can not wait to receive my birdie tee shirt! She and her husband also have an online magazine dedicated to little ones and the parents of little people. Visit here to visit www.smallmagazine.com.
More of my Dallas visit to come. Heading out for family vacation tomorrow and MUST pack before my mother explodes. She must really wonder how it is at all possible she gave birth to me....they both must! They are such highly organized people....and I am just their terribly procrastinative (is that a word...I just made it one!) daughter!
Goodnight friends! I am going to continue to enjoy Pandora. It is a rough, gritty, woman time so I am listening to nothing but Patty Griffin, Lucinda Williams, June Carter Cash, Loretta Lynn. Feels good! Too bad I can't fit those vintage boots in my already overstuffed suitcase!


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It was a trip that could have gone horribly awry. At least according to initial indications. But it was me and Mel! It was the South of France! Of course it was going to be fabulous!
And it truly was. It was just my initial brain freezes that had me worried.
For example, when I booked my train ticket from Paris to Nice, I didn't realize that the TGV stopped in Cannes, where we were spending the first three nights. I suppose I could have hopped off in Cannes once this dawned on me… had I not arranged a rental car at the Nice train station. Bypassing Cannes on the train only to backtrack in the car ate three hours of my life that I'll never get back.
And when I got behind the wheel of the miniature Peugeot, I realized I left my glasses on the train. Oh.
And then on Friday, our first full day of vacation, well… we slept until 2 o'clock. 2 o'clock! I have never, ever done that in my life. Thank goodness we both responded with five minutes of full-body laughter and then got one with our brilliant vacation. Which included…
Amazing food (of course).
Beach time and museum visits.
Spectacular walks, charming villages, and breathtaking vistas.
A kick-ass suite at the Villa Garbo, complete with our very own top-shelf bar.
We survived crazy winds and even crazier drinks.
We walked and walked every day, up hills and down crooked streets.
And yes, we even danced on tables.
It was a trip that was everything it was supposed to be—including qt with my quality girl. Thanks, Mel!