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Saturday, April 30, 2011
Kaci's First Holy Communion
Posted by Andrea at 11:22 AM No comments:
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Dodgers take another WIN!!!
Something about this uniform...It just makes me smile!
Dodgers walked away with another win last night! What a team. They are really working together to make it work. This is one proud Mommy!
Posted by Andrea at 10:19 AM No comments:
Monday, April 25, 2011
All because of a popsicle...
On Thursday Kaci was supposed to receive the *reward* of extra recess and a popsicle for all of her hard work at 200 Club! I was devastated when I saw her come out after school with a HUGE frown on her face. I immediately knew something was wrong and when I asked her she began to cry.
She proceeded to tell me it was supposed to be the "Best Day EVER!" - as she had many things to look forward to that day. She had earned the *reward* of sitting at her teacher's desk all day. She was also excited to have Good Friday off the next day for Easter weekend...but most of all she was excited about making the 200 Club for the last time and earning her extra recess and popsicle.
When it was time to go outside- 2 of the 3rd grade student teachers were put in charge and took the children to the playscape. When Kaci got in line to get her popsicle, she informed one of the student teachers that she was going to have to go to the nurse's office to get her shot. When the student teacher questioned her she explained that she is diabetic and has to take a shot each time she eats. The student teacher told her she didn't think a popsicle was worth a shot, took the popsicle away from her and told her to go play!
So....did you just lose your breath??? Do you have a hard knot in the pit of your stomach?? Can you feel how out of place and defeated Kaci must have felt? My heart breaks....
We teach Kaci to advocate for herself. We tell her she must speak of for herself and let others know that she requires more than the average kid when it comes to eating meals or snacking. I am so proud of her for speaking up to the student teacher. For letting her know that she has diabetes and that she would need to go in to see the nurse and get a shot.
We have also taught Kaci to be respectful of authority. We have taught her to listen to adults and to respect what they say. It breaks my heart that that popsicle was taken away from her. That she was refused her *reward* that she had worked so hard for. That she had to watch while all the other children ran around the playground with purple, green and blue lips- while she had to wait for someone to play with until they had finished their treat.
At 9 years old she already had to daunting task of deciding if a snack is "good enough" to take a shot for. At 9 she has to endure 6-7 shots in a day. It is her decision ....and her decision alone to make. How DARE someone else step in to her shoes and make that decision for her....How DARE they!!!
One of the MANY things I HATE about diabetes is that fact that you can't see it. When you look at Kaci she looks healthy and happy- she looks like a normal kid. Not a kid that has to test her sugar BEFORE every meal, snack or in between bite. Not a kid who relies on insulin and shots to live. Not a kid who has to carry a medical bag with her every where she goes counting every morsel of food before it enters her mouth. Not a little girl who has to go the DR. every 3 months to have her A1C1 tested and every 6 months to have her blood drawn. Not a little girl who at age 7 had her WHOLE world turned upside down and inside out for the rest of her life......
So I ask that today you look at yourself and your life and ask.....Do you know how lucky you are?" I hope the student teacher questions herself and her actions today after talking to me....
If you never spent a week in the hospital learning to keep your child alive.
If you've don't have to poke your child's fingers everyday until they bleed.
If you don't have to count every carb that goes into your child's mouth and figure their carb to insulin ratio. (Carrying carb books in your purse and downloading carb aps on your phone)
If you can send your child to school without any extra care, notes for teachers, needles, medicines, glucose tabs etc.
If your child is not under a 504 Plan. (there's a whole other story....)
If you can let your child go off to play at a friends house without constant worry and extra explanation.
If you don't have to set your alarm for 2, 4 and 6 a.m to make sure your child is not going "low."
If the place you used to store the butter in your fridge is not filled with Novalog pen refills and Lantus pens.
If you don't visit the doctor every 3 months.
If you don't have an old plastic soda 3- liter bottle on your counter that serves as your sharps container.
If you don't visit a Lab every 6 months to have bloodwork done.
If you don't have a prescription for numbing cream.
If you don't worry when your child falls down when playing or falls asleep in the car that he or she is actually passed out from a hypoglycemia.
If you don't have to carry a bag full of medical supplies everywhere you go with extra batteries just incase the old ones run out- and juice boxes and glucose tabs.
If you don't know what normal blood sugar is. If you don't know what low blood sugar is. If you don't know what high blood sugar is.
If your life has never been divided into BEFORE and AFTER.
If you don't have to FIGHT so that your child can be like everyone else EVERYDAY!
If you don't know how to give a shot.
If you don't know what insulin smells like.
If you don't juggle carb counts, insulin to carb ratios, daily blood glucose averages, correction counts and A1C1 results.
If you have no idea what any of that means.
If you never had to learn how to give a shot.
If you've never had to answer your child when she asked, "Why me and when will it go away?"
If you don't feel lumps in your child's arm where you have given the shot one too many times.
If you don't stare death in the face every day.
If you don't really know anything about Type 1 diabetes.
If Type 1 Diabetes doesn't live in your house.....because it lives in mine and it NEVER sleeps.
Before July 28, 2009 - I didn't. I had no idea how lucky I was.
Going to bed at night with sweet dreams of the next day. Waking up and letting Kaci sleep in until she woke up on her own- not having to wake her to check her sugar. We could eat breakfast without thought...no counting or adding or dividing. We could go to the park with no "extra baggage." On a hot day we didn't need an ice pack to keep her insulin cold. She could run, swim, dance, and climb- with no worries of "going low." She go to her friends house on a whim.....But now....it has all changed.
And If I try really hard....I can find the good things in our new life...
I know how to count carbs and calculate insulin doses.
I know how to give a shot.
I have a great Endocrinologist to treat my child.
I have enough supplies to keep my child alive and healthy.
I have a school nurse and 3rd grade teacher who take care of my child like she is their own.
I have learned to ask for help, because the Lord knows I can't do it all.
I have learned to cry in the car, the closet, the bathroom, the grocery store and anywhere else I feel the need.
I have been humbled by something that I can not control.
I have learned to enjoy the moment.
I have learned how fragile life is.
I have learned that I am much stronger and braver than I ever thought.....but I still have my weak moments.
I have learned that I can't "kiss it" and make it go away....So we must make the best of it.
I will work hard everyday to make sure that Kaci is not left out, discriminated against or made to feel different. We will always hold HOPE in our hearts. HOPE for better understanding of this disease, Hope for better treatments and of course...HOPE for a CURE!
All because of a popsicle.....
Posted by Andrea at 10:47 AM 1 comment:
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Easter!
The kids decided that we should leave the Easter Bunny a treat (kind of like we do for Santa). They couldn't decide if we should leave him cookies, jelly beans or carrots.....so we left him all three~
Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right...
~Phillips Brooks, "An Easter Carol"
The joyful news that He is risen does not change the contemporary world.
Still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice.
But the fact of Easter gives us the spiritual power to do the work,
accept the discipline, and make the sacrifice.
~Henry Knox Sherrill
Posted by Andrea at 7:22 PM No comments:
Veggie Tales
Bailey has been working hard at writing time at school to create a story about Super Hero fruits and vegetables! This weekend, his homework assignment, was to build his story characters out of the real fruits and vegetables he writes about in his story.
So....6 peas, one celery stalk, an apple, 2 macaroni noodles and 6 toothpicks later.....TA' DAAAA!
So....6 peas, one celery stalk, an apple, 2 macaroni noodles and 6 toothpicks later.....TA' DAAAA!
Posted by Andrea at 7:17 PM No comments:
Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life. ~S.D. Gordon
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
"Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig."
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Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Why did the Easter egg hide? He was a little chicken!
Even though we just dyed a dozen at our house....Papa was still in need of some pretty Easter eggs. After Good Day Wednesday at the mall (with some Dippin' Dots and pictures with the Easter Bunny) we stopped by Papa and Grandma Dee's house to make sure that Papa had a dozen of his own eggs.
Grandma Dee had the eggs boiled and ready so it didn't take us long to make them pretty!
She bought the special glitter kit. Hard to see the glitter in this photo, but these were 12 of the sparkliest eggs I have ever seen! Ber Ber missed it again!
Papa is ready to make some tuna salad now!
Happy Easter!
She bought the special glitter kit. Hard to see the glitter in this photo, but these were 12 of the sparkliest eggs I have ever seen! Ber Ber missed it again!
Papa is ready to make some tuna salad now!
Happy Easter!
Posted by Andrea at 7:00 PM No comments:
Happy Easter!
Posted by Andrea at 5:44 PM No comments:
Good Day Wednesday....Mom's Choice!
Good Day Wednesday- Mom's Choice is finally here! Guess that means we will be making a trip to Lakeline Mall to take our picture with the Easter Bunny and enjoying a treat from the Food Court. Pictures to follow shortly!
Posted by Andrea at 5:19 AM No comments:
Monday, April 18, 2011
Hippity~ Hoppity! Easter's on it's way!!
Hard to believe it is that time again! Time to dye the eggs! This year I bought the marble kit. Not only do you drop the color pill in vinegar and water, but you also add some oil to each cup!
The kids had so much fun dying the eggs. Even Bailey took his time with each egg - mixing colors until he got each egg just the way he wanted it to be.
Posted by Andrea at 6:23 PM No comments:
Powell's Plunderers!
They are Mrs. Powell's Plunderer's!
to steal the loot or booty!
Posted by Andrea at 6:20 PM No comments:
ABC's of Diabetes
Here is my Diabetic Alphabet:
A 1c1
B olus
C ure
D umb
E ndocronologist
F inger prick
G lucose tabs
H igh
I nsulin
K etones
L ow
M eter
N utrition
O nset
P ancreas
not for Quitters
R estless nights
S ugar
T est strip
j U ice
fore V er
W alk to Cure
mY kaci
many Z ...sleepless nights!
I need some help with a couple of letters. Any suggestions?
Posted by Andrea at 2:27 PM No comments:
Saturday, April 16, 2011
After Bailey's baseball picture we headed over to Spring Fling at the kid's school! The weather was perfect! I left the camera in the car so that I could hold all the tickets, snacks and of course...prizes!
*so this is the only picture I got*
Kaci won two 2- liter bottles of soda by playing ring toss! She had to ring 5 out of 6 soda bottles! WOW~ She can't wait to drink them just as soon as Lent is over - since she gave up soda. She choose a Diet Coke for herself and a Dr Pepper for Bailey. So sweet!
Posted by Andrea at 2:52 PM No comments:
Baseball is a fun game. It beats working for a living. ~Phil Linz
Bailey had baseball pictures at Town and Country this morning. I can't wait to see the team pictures and the trading cards are always my favorite! I love my Dodger!!
Posted by Andrea at 2:50 PM No comments:
Friday, April 15, 2011
A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz.- Humphrey Bogart
Today was Scouts Day at the UT Longhorns baseball game. Any Scout that attended the game got a special "Game Day Patch" Clint is still in Dallas for work - so he had to miss out on the fun. Papa was happy to join us and even took charge of getting our tickets....Thanks, Papa!
In order to get a patch- the kids had to wear a piece of their scout uniform. Kaci decided to wear her vest. Here is a cute picture of her and Papa walking to the stadium. Bailey wore his Cub bandana.
This was Bailey's favorite billboard at the game! LOL! Too bad they didn't hit it while we were there.
The weather was perfect and the Horns ended up winning the game! It was a great night and we can't wait to go back again with Clint.
The highlight of the game was this game ball that Kaci received from one of the stadium workers! HOOK 'EM!
Posted by Andrea at 2:53 PM No comments:
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Good Day Wednesday!
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Monday, April 11, 2011
Peg- Legged Parrots!
Field Day is almost here! This year the them is "Pirates" Each class is asked to pick a name for thier class that goes with the theme. Kaci's 3rd grade class is, "Mrs. Peterson's Peg-Legged Parrot. Kaci volunteered me to make their flag for them and I was so glad she did.
I love drawing and painting and don't get to do it near enough anymore. I think it turned out really nice! Now I have to get to work on Bailey's class flag. They are "Mrs. Powell's Plunderers"
Posted by Andrea at 6:15 PM No comments:
Sunday, April 10, 2011
We will be FREE / 12th Annual JDRF Hope Ball
Today Kaci and I spent a little part of our day volunteering our time and talent for the JDRF Austin Chapter at Painting With A Twist. So much fun and for such a great cause.
The 12th Annual Hope Ball is coming up in May. Each year they hold a silent auction to raise money to find a cure for Juvenile Diabetes. This year one of the items they will auction will be this large collection of butterfly canvas paintings all painted by children with Type 1 Diabetes. When attached all together it is expected to make a 8 by 6 wall painting.
I would give my right arm to win this at auction time. It is going to be BEAUTIFUL- and PRICELE$$~ I just can't wait to see it all together.
When we arrived, Kaci was able to choose the butterfly with the design that she liked best. Then she was set free to paint it however she wanted to. It got more and more beautiful with each color stroke she added.
First came the blue.... Then the pink came in next.... After she finished her first canvas- she was offered another one by Ms. Amy.
So cute with the smock on all splattered in paint.
Posted by Andrea at 4:54 PM No comments:
Friday, April 8, 2011
210, 88, 320, 76, 56, 101......
We had a Girl Scout meeting tonight and the girls earned their try it badge for "Math Fun" So we talked about all the ways we use numbers everyday. We use them to tell the time, to complete our school work, to know which building to go to for our doctor's appointment. We use them so that people can call us on the phone, find our house, or bake us a cake! Got me to thinking about my numbers post from a few months back. In case you missed it, here it is..... "If you know me....you know I hate math. Welcome to my world of numbers..... Wake up and check Kaci's sugar at 6 a.m. Her meter reads 108. Perfect...no correction! A great morning reading is between 80 and 130. She wants a smoothie for breakfast. Weigh the banana on the carb scale....it is 23 carbs. Add 1/2 cup of milk...that is 5 carbs. Add a yogurt cup .....that is 13 carbs. Put 3 strawberries in...they are 4 carbs. Add that all up and the total is 45 carbs. Breakfast insulin coverage is 1 unit for every 8 carbs, so I divide 45 by 8 and that is 5.625- Round up and that is 6 units of insulin. She is taking her lunch today, so I have to write all the carbs down for the school nurse. I am making her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Each piece of bread is 10 carbs, a tablespoon of peanut butter is 7 carbs and 1 tablespoon of sugar free jelly is 5 carbs. She wants to have pringles...they are 12 carbs. A pickle pack is 0 carbs. She is having water with sugar free add in and one cookie for dessert...it is 15 carbs. So add all those together....59 carbs. Her insulin coverage for lunch is 1 unit for every 12 carbs. So divide 59 by 12 and you get 4.916. She checks her sugar for lunch at about 11:37 (** When the nurse checks her sugar at lunch it is 188. So to figure her correction you have to take her current blood sugar and subtract 130, then divide by 40) So 188 - 130= 58.....divide 58 by 40 and you get 1.45 for correction. Add that to her meal coverage of 4.916 and you get 6.366... Since her sugar was a litte high at lunch I will round that up to 6.5 units of insulin. Now I have to pack her snack. To avoid having to get a shot at school for snack, Kaci usually takes a FREE snack. This means a food that contains no carbs: pickles, cheese, pepperoni, ham, or sugar free jello. Today I pack pickles. When she takes her blood sugar at 9:55, if it is above 129 she must eat her FREE snack. If it is above 130- she can eat her carb snack and her FREE snack. Today I will pack 3 carbs of crackers...Much more than that will require a shot. For 6 carbs she gets to have 3 Ritz crackers. When she checks her blood sugar today at snack it was 201. She eats the FREE snack. When she comes home from school she is hungry. We check her blood sugar at 3:00 and it is 110- We pop a bag of popcorn and add a few M&M's for fun! The popcorn is 17 carbs and the M&M's are about 7 ....Add those together and her total carbs for snack are 24. At snack her insulin to carb ratio is 1 unit for every 15 carbs. Her blood sugar was 110, so there is no correction. I divide 24 by 15 and get 1.6. I will round that to 2 units for snack. I start cooking dinner and Kaci comes to me and says her legs feel shaky. This usally means that her sugar is below 70 and she needs sugar to raise her to a safer level.We check her sugar and it is 64. Guess I should have rounded down the insulin at snack. OOPS! She is excited to get to drink a juice box to raise her sugar to a safer level. It is 7 carbs and should do the trick. We wait 15 minutes and recheck with another finger poke. Her blood sugar went up to 164. That did the trick!Dinner is ready in the next 20 minutes- so we don't take her sugar again. We just use the last reading. For dinner we are having fettuccine, peas and butter bread. I boil her noodles separate because the box gives me the carbs for 56 grams of uncooked pasta. I weigh them on the food scale and they are 42 carbs. Add the sauce- and I make my best guess and say it is about 8 carbs. Bread with butter is 10 carbs. Peas are about 6 carbs. Add this all together and this meal is 60 carbs. Dinner ratio is 1 unit of insulin for every 10 carbs. So this one is easy....no correction since she was low before dinner, so I divide 60 by 10 and she gets 6 units of insulin. We usually do her shot as soon as she is done eating (just to make sure she eats everything or doesn't want more...since that will change her carbs up or down) but pasta and pizza take longer to digest. So, we wait about 30 or 40 minutes after she finishes to give her the shot. Getting close to bed and her sugar must be above 120. We check it at 8:00 and it is 110. She needs some carbs to raise her sugar. She has a sugar free ice cream bar that is 13 carbs and 1/2 a cup of milk that is 5. We don't give her a shot for this snack, because we are trying to raise her sugar- but we still have to give her her night shot. It is called Lantus and it is her long lasting shot. It lasts for 24 hours along with her meal coverage shots. She takes 18 units. We check her sugar again at 9, just to make sure it has raised above 120 and discover that even after eating 18 carbs her blood sugar has only raised to 111. Sure that the food will continue to cause a rise in her blood sugar we send her to bed and set the alarm to check her at 2 a.m. 2 a.m. rolls around and the alarm goes off. I check her and she is 88. We have now poked her finger 10 times and she has taken5 shots .With 4 and 1/2 hours more of sleep- I fear if I don't have her eat or drink something she will continue to drop and go below 70 (this is when she needs fast acting sugar) So, I decide to wake her and have her eat 3 vanilla wafers, they are 2 carbs a piece and a 1/2 cup of milk....it is 5 carbs. That is a total of 11 carbs....again with no shot....as I am trying to raise her sugar. When the alarm goes off at 6 a.m. I rush to her room to wake her for the day - and of course, check her blood sugar. The meter beeps and it is 112...... And the day begins again....."
Posted by Andrea at 9:01 AM No comments:
Thursday, April 7, 2011
The Dodgers pull out another win! They beat the Mariners tonight with a 15 to 3 BIG WIN! I wasn't able to make the game (Kaci and I had GirlScouts)- but Bailey still had a great cheering section- Clint, Papa and our next door neighbors (Chris and Holly) made it to the ballpark to cheer the Dodgers to Victory! Way to Go!
Posted by Andrea at 7:05 PM No comments:
A mother's treasure is her daughter. ~Catherine Pulsifer
Posted by Andrea at 6:10 AM 1 comment:
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Let's Race For A Cure!
JDRF and the Ford Customer Service Division are partnering again for the 4th annual JDRF Design Your Own Race Car Contest! Children between the ages of 5-18 are invited to enter for a chance to have their design displayed on NASCAR team, Wood Brother Racing's car! Deadline to submit entries to your local chapter is April 11, 2011. The top 5 designs that raise the most money will be reviewed by a committee to choose the final winner. The four finalists will receive $500 towards their Walk team and the winner will win a trip to the car unveiling ceremony at Ford World Headquarters in Detroit, Michigan and the opportunity to attend the NASCAR Sprint Cup race on August 19 and 21st!
Stay tuned for how you can help Kaci win by voting online for her car.
Posted by Andrea at 3:35 PM No comments:
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food Hotel style book weekends Windsor Arms
talking a mile a minute
Spent a lovely Saturday last weekend catching up with my fav girl Rob. We sipped on some tea and nibbled on fresh scones, as we talked for 3 hours straight. This usually is the agenda for us when we get together because we always commit verbal diarrhea with each other! lol!
This outfit for our outing was put together from sheer laziness. Reason being that I did not have the courage to put on heels to walk 6 blocks to the Windsor Arms...I know I can be lazy sometimes...hehehe
P.S. Sorry for the fuzzy pics as I recently got an iPhone and wanted to try out the camera.
Outfit: Fur Coat (Michael Kors), Shirt (Joe Fresh), Jeggings (J Brand), Boots (Salvatore Ferragamo), Purse (Prada), Belt (Vintage), Necklace (Top Shop), Sunglasses (Chole)

subset: commoncrawl


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So, it's printed. The forms are filled out. It's done. I'm really, really a Ph.D. I feel a little like skookumchick. Now I don't really know what to do with myself. I'm not off to become a professor, but I do have several new irons in the fire. The world does indeed seem a little different.
In my formal acknowledgements, I thanked the usual people--my husband (though not for typing), my adviser and committee, other faculty members, various helpful colleagues. But I also thanked my blog readers. I told profgrrrrl a while back that I really didn't think I could have finished my Ph.D. without my readers. I felt supported by my readers and also felt accountable to them. I didn't want to let you all down--though I also knew you'd be there if I did fall down. Some of you even gave me specific comments and ideas. But also, I felt like blogging and reading all your blogs kept me intellectually active in a way that worked for me. Even though I didn't write specifically about my work here, you all made me think. And the practice of writing every day didn't hurt either (though I'm told my voice is not academic enough). I didn't feel isolated the way I'd felt years ago when I tried to finish the degree on my own.
So, thank you all for being there, virtually or otherwise. I am sincerely grateful.


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|Signing books with my author friends at our
Shanty along Hyannis Harbor...a 3 day event!
Then, this Wednesday, June 14th, I'll be participating in a Bingo Night Fundraiser in Falmouth. This is a monthly event, and I participated last month for the first time and had a blast! The suggested donation is $20 (proceeds to the March of Dimes ~ March for Babies [Team Noah and Chase] and Boston Children's Hospital Give a Smile campaign this month), and that gets you 20 games (wear purple for a bonus card!). Complimentary light appetizers, dinner and desserts available for order, and a cash bar too!
Where do I fit in? There are a whole bunch of local artists and vendors setting up for shopping before and in between the games, and we've all donated to the cause as well as offered prizes for raffles. The complete list of vendors is below, so if you're in the area, please consider stopping by!
Wednesday, June 14th
5:30 to 9:30 at the Holiday Inn Cape Cod
291 Jones Road Falmouth
Shop with local artists and vendors:
PartyLite, LuLaRoe by Brooke, Thirty One, The Pampered Chef, Arbonne, Athena's, Younique, Paparazzi Jewelry, Ruby Ribbon, Reine's Creations, Nanny's Knits, Pruvit, Tupperware, Dragonfly Dreams, Tastefully Simple, Cape and Island Candle Co., Kathryn Knight Books, Scentsy, It Works, Touchstone Crystal by Swarovski, Limelight by Alcone, Sophia's Crafts, Washashore Whimsy, Cape Cod Kettle Corn, LuLaRoe by Stacy, Chloe's Coastal Creations, Carole's Jewelry Design & MORE!
|Each Bingo Game winner scores a prize donated from one
of the vendors...what will my basket be this month?


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We were having fun and I was happy with my bike setup. I'd just put on the heaviest tires I've ever run, WTB Vigilante AM front and WTB Trail Boss "Tough" on the rear. They were hooking up great and it was nice not to worry as much about flats. We sessioned the rock garden a couple times but it was getting dark so we headed back to camp, and I fired up the grill for some shredded pork tacos!
Race morning we thew on our yellow and even though it was suppose to warm up, we both decided to go with the full face Giro Cypher for added protection in the tricky terrain. It has good ventilation and neither of us had a problem overheating all day. We rolled out at 9:30am, for about a 45 minute climb to the top for stage 1.
About half way down the stage, the trail dumped out onto a fire road traverse. As soon as I came out of the singletrack and got pointed the right way, I stood up to sprint but my thumb slipped and I clicked down too many gears... mashing!! I was already winded from the elevation and the stage to this point, but trying to sprint this short traverse gassed me even more. It didn't last long and raised the seat up for some seated hammering getting up to only 33mph before hitting the trail again. The last part of the stage got into the deeper powder turns but they were tight, and I seemed to stall out in each one loosing more and more time. I finished the stage feeling good that I was smooth, but those tight corners got to me and there were many, many more to come on stage two.
It was a very short transfer climb up to stage two, so Ryan and I hung out for a couple minutes to recover before getting in the gate. The timing crew had us do our own countdown to start each stage. I'm not sure what's less stressful, that or someone else counting down. "Five... Four... (more than a second passes)... Three... (a few more deep breaths)... TwoOneGo!!" I had it in the perfect gear and pedaled into the first righ hander and nailed it perfectly, then the next left, peftect as well... nice! They were more sweeping corners with flow, and that felt good. A couple small jumps over rocks, into and out of a small tree section, and back out into more slalom corners. I unclipped on a tight left hander, and couldn't get back into the pedal before the next corner, but you just have to ride it anyway. The middle of stage two had some deep powder corners in between some steeper rocky sections which were really fun. I was riding within myself, which I know isn't going to win the race. I'm focusing on technique right now and the speed will come the more I do this type of riding. Plus, it's a long series and consistently finishing instead of going bonzai and risking a dnf seems like a better plan for me. The bottom of the stage had the tightest and loosest corners of the day, and I just unclipped and slid into them moto style which seemed faster instead of staying in the pedals and stalling out.
After the 2nd stage we had to hang out at the bottom for at least a half an hour since there were still racers on the first stage that our next transfer would have to cross. So I kicked my feet up in the shade and killed a Clif bar and bottle of water.
With the fork in the low setting it was time to climb again, which helped ride the steeper climbs on this transfer that others had to walk.
Santa Cruz factory employee Scott Chapin and SC/Fox rep Ariel Lindsley set up an informal mini spint & slalom stage in the grassy meadow to pass the time. They set their times, but there weren't many takers. I guess everyone was conserving their energy. Just as I was about to give 'er a go, we got the word that stage 1 was clear for us to continue up the mountain. So on we went.
Stage 3 was the longest of the day, dropping the full length of the mountain, with a nice view of Huntington Lake from the top.
Down around the next corner and on the final rock chute (from Ryan's pre-ride video above) I got a little squirrely as the back end slipped off a rock. Sideways in the chute wasn't good so I let off the brakes and just held on. I made it through the next few drops and turns and really gained a lot of confidence out of that. I DO have the ability... I just need to mentally let go! And physically too... I'd been gripping the bars so tightly that I was getting some serious forearm pump. And after finishing out the stage I noticed that I hadn't bottomed out either my fork or shock, which means I need to run them a little softer and that will certainly give me more speed and flow over the rocks.
At the end of the day I finished 21st overall with very close times in the pro field. Ryan had a much better day and finished 10th and even got a little prize money! I know exactly where I leave the seconds out on the course... and I'll get 'em back. This race was a good confidence boost and I'm looking forward to the Sun Valley Super Enduro next week.
Hey at least I won "Stage 4," although nobody else knew about the optional pavement stage after the race.
Strava - 33.7mi 4,350ft - Huntington Lake Loop
Stick a fork in me...


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welcome to the jet set
Thank you for this great album, I love this series, and I was enthused to find this early issue here. Sorry that I didn't leave a comment when I downloaded it, which was back in May last year.But better late than never.
Post a Comment


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The guy behind this blog has problems talking about himself so he's doing it in 3rd person. He's always on a quest for good books, music, and wine.
Internet censorship drives him nuts and he is/was more or less involved with Herdict, TOR, GNI (Global Network Initiative), OpenNet Initiative. He inexplicably enjoys transltion between Arabic and English and will make creating Arabic content online his full-time activity (not to say job) at a point of time that is yet to come.
He's currently the Editor of Global Voices Arabic Lingua, and a Content Producer at Meedan.


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My husband and I have rarely worked together (successfully) on projects around the house—for a couple of reasons: 1) He doesn't always want to "waste time" reading the instructions. 2) I, on the other hand, would read every instruction in the book if it weren't for the fact that most of the book is in Spanish, French, and some language that I don't even recognize. (God has such a sense of humor in how He pairs us, doesn't He?) Over the years, Earl and I really have tried to work together, but all we would accomplish would be getting into an argument or I would get my feelings hurt, so for the benefit of our marriage, we stopped trying years ago---until recently.
You've probably heard someone say something like, "We live in our kitchen," meaning that's where the family gathers and spends the most time. For us, we "live" in our study. There's a large desk there, a telephone, a CD player, a laptop for each of us, and quite a few books. (Okay, okay—so most of the books belong to me. I'll admit it: I've been a bibliophile all my life—love, love, love books and all the info they provide for me.) But—I digress! Our study is not a large room, and since we spend so much time there, it usually has that "lived-in" look. It's difficult to keep it under control (if you know what I mean) so that's been my project for a while now—cleaning, discarding, rearranging, etc. I ordered a new file cabinet—wood, cherry finish, very pretty—and a book case to match that and the other bookcases in the room. The only hitch was that they both came in relatively flat boxes—too flat to be the pieces of furniture that I ordered. You get my drift?
Yes—this furniture came unassembled, and I knew that when I placed the order, but we really needed the furniture, and it's a lot cheaper that way. So I had ordered our unassembled furniture. Now—if you read the first paragraph of this blog, you know where I'm headed with this, don't you?
Earl had had a rough day at the office, and I was rather tired myself, so it was not the most opportune time to collaborate on a project. But my wonderful husband, knowing that I was chomping at the bit to get that new furniture into the study, suggested that we put at least one piece of the furniture together that night. I have to admit to you that fear struck my heart! Oh, me of little faith! How often had we been at this very same kind of juncture, and it hadn't turned out well? But I said a quick prayer, and we began—by looking at the instructions? What? I wanted to put my hand on his forehead to check for fever but thought that might be misconstrued as a little tacky, so I resisted the urge, and we began. I couldn't believe it: we were so focused! And, fortunately, the instructions were pictures! We worked slowly, consistently for probably 40 or 45 minutes with great success. The frame of the bookcase had gone together rather easily even though it must have had a bazillion little nails and screws. We did not have to un-do and re-do one single thing. That is a record for us!
Then it happened. Earl heard a noise outside, and, being the kind of person who just can't miss anything even a little out of the ordinary, he opened the front door and stepped out onto the front porch, leaving the door ajar about 8-10 inches. Now, mind you, I'm still sitting on the floor with the book case when I notice movement on the top edge of the door. Only when I hear a light thump on the carpet beside the door do I realize that a lizard had ridden in on the top of the door only to plunge over the door to the floor and, I hoped, to his death. No such luck! (My apologies to all you critter-lovers!)
I yelled for Earl as the lizard skittered to the corner of the room (not far from me!) behind a large piece of furniture, but I was keeping an eye on that little rascal. Earl instructed me to get the broom, hoping that he could catch the little green guy down in the bristles of the broom long enough to get him out the front door. Long story short—we chased that poor critter back and forth into the corner, out of the corner, back into the corner, etc. for at least three or four minutes. That may not sound like a long time, but let me assure you it can be if you and the lizard are both scared silly. Somehow or the other, Earl finally got the critter close enough to the door to sweep him out, and as he did, we discovered that during the scuffle, the lizard had been de-tailed. And I don't mean like you have your car "detailed"; I mean--he lost his tail. Of course, Earl couldn't resist the temptation for a little humor (very little humor): he had to give the green critter a name. He said that since the poor little guy ended up with a bobbed tail, he should be given the name Bob---Bob, the lizard. Personally, I didn't care what he was called as long as I could call him gone!
Needless to say, we had lost our focus on the bookcase, and, unfortunately, in all the running around that Bob and I were doing, the instructions had disappeared. Earl and I looked all over the living room, to no avail. Since we had only the five shelves left to install, Earl figured we could handle that easily—"no problem." Again—fear struck my heart! Things had been going so well until Bob, but now-- well, I didn't even want to think about it. Long story short—it took us longer to install "just five shelves" than it did to put the entire frame of the case together. Even the simplest things were botched. For example, when we finally got the first shelf in and stood back to admire our work, we realized that we had put the shelf in backward. The finished edge of the shelf was toward the back of the case, and the edge that faced out (and would be seen) was raw and unfinished--our first (and only) un-do and re-do. We finally finished the bookcase in two hours and 15 minutes—not including the time for the scuffle with Bob.
Have you ever noticed that life is a lot like that? Everything will be going along great--(suspiciously) easy—so easy, in fact, that you might get just a little paranoid, wondering when the "other shoe will drop," so to speak. Then along comes a "Bob" that totally upends everything, and you struggle with all that's within you to get things back under control. Even when you finally start to see that the chaos is ebbing, things may still be difficult. It can be so irritating, and it is such a temptation to lose your temper over whatever "Bob" has happened that caused you to lose control. One of the really neat things that I learned from having cancer is that very few of the "Bobs" that happen in our lives are really worth the irritation, the aggravation, and the agitation that we allow to tie us in knots and probably ruin our day. Don't let a little "Bob" steal your happiness! When a "Bob" happens, just remind yourself that it isn't cancer and that "This, too, shall pass."
I must tell you that the bookcase looks beautiful in the study and is being put to good use. However, if you were to visit us today, you would see a large, heavy box (with a picture of a wooden, cherry filing cabinet on the side) still on the living room floor where the UPS man left it—a couple of months ago. I just haven't had the nerve to point that out to my husband!


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This weeks Colour Challenge was Pumpkin Pie, Orchid Opulence, Certainly Celery. Sort of an odd combination I thought...lol!! I combined it with the Sketch Challenge. The first card uses A Beautiful Thing stamp set. The second card is of Sophia from Paper Pretties.
Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you will come back soon!


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Greetings All!
Quick post today. This is the last TPC manicure of the month - stay tuned next month for more!
I used Barry M Gellys in Blueberry, Blue Grape and Key Lime.
Here's what I did!
This is my least favourite of the four! It's supposed to be 3D dots, but it's a bit of a fail! There's something about dots - I just can't seem to work with them!
Thursday, 25 July 2013
Tri Polish Challenge July 2013 - Manicure 4
4 comments:
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ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (KMOV) – A north St. Louis County man faces charges after police said he used a brick or landscaping stone to beat his drinking buddy to death.
Arthur Cooper, 64, was charged Monday with first-degree murder and armed criminal action.
According to police, Cooper was drinking with 58-year-old Harvey Raspberry Saturday at a home they shared in the 2100 block of Rountree Drive.
Police said they got into an altercation around 8:30 p.m. and went outside, where they began fighting near the intersection of Redman Avenue and Fox Hall Lane.
Officers arrived to the scene after witnesses called police. That's when they found Raspberry on the ground beaten to death. He was pronounced dead by paramedics at 9 p.m.
Police said Cooper, who was staggering away slowly from the scene, was arrested and taken into custody. His bail was set at $250,000.
It was not known what sparked the altercation.
Cooper, who did not talk to police about the incident, made an initial court appearance Monday morning.
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House Sitter in Toronto
Hi there! My name is Nicole and I am a recent undergrad from York's music program. Now that I am done school I am looking for extra work to pick up when I am not teaching music. I am an extremely responsible, reliable and honest person who would take perfect care of your home when you are away and I can provide great references from families I babysit for and homeowners I have housesat for. While taking care of your home when you are away, I will also be sure to collect your mail, take out your garbage, feed pets/plants and take care of any other needs you desire. I look forward to chatting with you and I hope to hear from you soon!
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It sure has been a bit of a tumultuous year so far, especially in the last month and time in the craft room has been snatched only here and there. Sometimes I just haven't even had the energy to go in there which is never a good sign. But it hasn't all been bad & I've made progress on a few projects over the weeks.
Last week I finished off the top of the floating block quilt I began a while ago (you can see the planning stages here) and today I found the time to snap a shot of it. I thought initially that the background colour was more than likely going to be a lime-y green, but much umming and ahrring in the fabric shop saw me leaving with a green that is more of a muted mossy sort of shade.
I took this photo looking into the sun, so the stained glass window effect that you see won't last once the batting and backing are added. The seam lines are very clear in the picture though, so it gives an idea of how I ended up piecing the background to the coloured floating 'windows' to make 6 smaller rectangles that then got sewn into 3 big strips that then were stitched together to give the full finished rectangle quilt top.
Still haven't made up my mind exactly how I'm going to quilt it...like the idea of straight line quilting but not sure if I'll manage to do that without making a dog's breakfast of the whole thing.... watch this space....


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So...speaking of that frustration I mentioned yesterday...well, I won't say that I actually did much, but I did do something. Profound, yes?
Anyways, I am expecting company in the next few days, and in an effort to not look like I had started a dust collection in my bedroom, I changed my air conditioner's air filter and decided to tackle the one-inch layer of dust which had taken up residence on every piece of art on my bedroom walls. Realizing that this dust was much bigger than my microfiber duster, I proceeded to take every single item off of the wall so that I could sweep it with a broom. While I was sweeping non-floor surfaces, I went ahead and swept my ceiling, creating a storm of dust and sheetrock, thanks to the very hip popcorn texture that I've yet to remove.
After dusting, and vacuuming, I didn't have the energy to put everything up, nor was I sure that I wanted to head in the same direction as this room had been for the last four years, so I decided to leave my walls mostly bare and put the rug in the wash. I swapped a pinstriped flat sheet for a dotted flat sheet and a solid set of pillowcases for a striped set of pillowcases, and borrowed a coral blanket from the guest room. I taped some of my race numbers above my bed with washi tape on a whim, and suprisingly, I like it.
No, its not complete, but for the time being, I am content with it while I take my time to dream up what my future bedroom will look like. I have a suspision that it will still be girly(because, HELLO, I'm single...and girly), but moody. I don't want to rush into anything, and it didn't cost me one cent to remove things from the room.
In fact, I think it is quite nice to be able to see this room with fresh eyes and no expectations.


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Four years ago, my newly wed husband and I boarded a plane to Sydney, not really knowing what to expect...except lots of sun and really hot days. While there sure were a lot of sunny days, the heat was a bit more than expected, being pregnant and all makes you feel like it's 10 degrees warmer!
Baby #1 was so much fun, we thought we'd go ahead and have another. Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy wine? Australian wines, especially. So, while we were here, in beautiful, sunny, Australia, I was pregnant for 18 out of 48 months, add the 15 months that I was breastfeeding, that left me with a whopping 15 months to enjoy the many, many seriously yummy wines of this great country. So, while I am overjoyed to have my two beautiful children and really would NEVER change that in a million years, I just think that maybe, just maybe, we should've gone somewhere else to have the babies...you know, somewhere that doesn't make such yummy wines.
On that note, I am having the very last sip of Australian wine (in Australia) and closing one chapter of my life and starting a new one. That is, after we survive the 14 hour flight to Vancouver...oh, and even before that actually get ourselves to the airport. Turns out, we have A LOT of baggage! Literally!! Looks like Momma might be in a cab on her own to the airport in the morning.
So if you don't hear from me for a while, it's not because I've dropped off the face of the planet...I may just be, you know, a little busy...MOVING MY FAMILY OF FOUR from one hemisphere to the other! Wish me luck!!!


text: I'm looking in to purchasing the Spider for my man. There aren't really enough reviews on this product for me to be sure it's worth the money! Anyone care to tell me the flaws of this toy? He loves his fleshlight, so I think it's a safe bet...but I want to be sure he'll love the surprise!


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LETTING NEWS: Boom in Staycations means more business for holiday homes
Two new reports into the leisure industry provide a boost for owners of holiday homes in this country, or those considering buying one in the near future. For in addition to being able to enjoy the home yourself, there looks set to be an increase in demand for homes let out in popular holiday locations such as the south west.
- Around 20 per cent more Britons are considering a 'staycation' holiday in the UK than in 2016 according to a survey of 2,000 people by rental firm HomeAway;
- The same survey puts Devon in the top five destinations for staycationers;
- Meanwhile business consultancy PwC says that although the Pound's exchange rate is relatively steady now, the value of Sterling has dropped 16 per cent since last summer, therefore making domestic holidays in 2017 even more attractive.
Some of East Devon's most attractive locations such as Woodbury, Lympstone and Topsham are covered by East of Exe, and we are very experienced at advising those wanting to buy a holiday home on the best locations, property types and lettings policies.


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1. Paragraphs 474 and 475 refer to questions
regarding the statement in the PSO submission that the accident
rate in 1999 was 30 per cent of the accident rate in 1969.
2. The answer given in paragraph 475 should
clarify what that that percentage meant and that that comparison
is valid and correct for those two years.
3. In answering the question in paragraph
474, I said that in 1971 one in four dock workers suffered a serious
personal injury (ie an injury reportable to HSE).
4. In paragraph 477 the Chairman asked whether
the 30 per cent reduction meant that the comparable figure was
now one in 12 and I said "something of that order".
5. Whilst the application of 30 per cent
to one in four would result in one in 13, that is not the correct
comparison for that particular year.
6. The accident rate for 1971 was the highest
that has been recorded for the industry. To use the HSE's terminology
(see its evidence), it equated to 26,500 per 100,000. HSE says
that the industry's rate for 1999 was 3,000 per 100,000 and that
it is the best measure of the degree of improvement the industry
has made.
7. Whilst it is accepted that much more
needs to be done, we do believe that considerable improvements
have already been made and that the above-mentioned facts show
this to be so.
Mike Compton
Director, Ports' Safety Organisation
3 April 2001


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The Hoss
I hope you like my food and travel blog.
Oh my goodness that burger looks awesome!! We are definitely going to have to find this truck!! Thanks for letting us know about it!
Check out Hoss' Loaded Burgers location in Nashville.
Also map other food trucks timetable in Nashville and surrounding areas at http://www.nashville.com/foodtrucks/hoss-loaded-burgers


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Ugh. This is a post that I am not necessarily excited to post. It is bare bones, raw and real. There are a lot of not-so-easy things that I have been willing to admit to you, my real-life friends and interweb friends. But, this one... this one is one of the hardest. This little blogpost has been sitting here almost finished for awhile now. And at the prompting of a dear friend today, I'm (finally) hitting the "publish" button.
Deep breath . . . here goes nothing . . .
I struggle with insecurity. In otherwords, I'm insecure.
That is a scary thing to type: I'm insecure. Shhhhh . . . It is a dirty word in today's society, one that we don't want to mention except for maybe in a whisper. To our closest friends. Every fiber of my being screams at me, "don't admit it! don't let anyone know!" I want you to think I'm confident, sure of myself and secure in who I am. What are you going to think of me if you know I'm insecure? Really, ladies . . . Who wants to say those words out loud: I.Am.Insecure.?
[Ironically, it is my insecurity that has prevented me from putting these words out into cyberspace earlier. Partially because, sometimes, I care too much about what you (whoever you are) think of me. And, ugh, I don't want anyone to know I'm insecure. But, I also don't want you to think that everything I do comes from my insecurity. Not everything I do is rooted in that part of me!]
I know the adage - that I need find my security in Jesus. The "answer" to fixing insecurity. And this is where some of the shame sets in. Christian women's books say it in a hundred different ways: Be secure in Jesus. My head hears those words. My heart hears them too. Thankfully I can give praise to Jesus that He has me as a work-in-progress, slowly giving me more and more true security in Him - the only security that is really secure. Sometimes, though, I get stuck. I struggle with how to get there on a practical level? How do I go from insecure to secure in Jesus? Why can't I just BE secure in Jesus with the flip of a switch?
My insecurity sneaks up on me. Sometimes it is almost nonexistent. Other times it is stifling. For a long time, I didn't know what it was. I remember seeing Beth Moore's book, So Long Insecurity, on a bookstore shelf. And I thought, what is that? Insecurity? But it shows up. It's one of those "you'll know it when you see it" kind of things. In retrospect, it took root when I was really young. And then showed up during my super awkward middle school years. I felt it with the sting of high school girls' cruelty. And it evolves. When the scale doesn't say the exact number I wish it did. When other moms get together to do something that I was a part of one year, but only found out about through photos on Facebook the next. When I walk into a group of (public school) moms who are utterly adorable. When my marriage fell apart. When people close to me question my life choices and my motives. And, I wonder if there is something wrong with who I am. Am I flawed? Is there something in my core that is just not up to par?
So, I have searched for security. It has evolved with me as I have grown up. I have looked for security everywhere and in everything. In leadership at Bible study. In my education. In food. And then, ironically, in a number on the scale. In being in the right sorority. In law school, in my grades. In relationships. In my career. In skinny jeans and boots. In hair color and the right make-up. Being the perfect wife. Searching Christian women's books for a formula on how I "should" live as a wife and mom. In having well-behaved children. In friendships. In my marriage. In homeschool. Searching for the right path that will fit like a key unlocking the door to finally just being secure in who I am.
Talking with a good friend last week, she described it as manifesting itself in being like a chameleon. Such a perfect description. Finding myself changing, sometimes a little and sometimes more than I'd like to admit, in order to "fit in." Wanting you to like me. Wanting to be validated in who I am and what I'm doing.
Wasn't this supposed to be left behind with the angst of teenage-dom? By 35, shouldn't I be comfortable in my skin?
But I'm not. And, I'm beginning to realize that a lot of other women aren't either. Providentially, I've had several similar conversations in the last few weeks with other women. Women who are beautiful and smart and seem to have it all together. Women you'd never pick out of a crowd as women who feel less than secure. But, we've dared to admit to one another that we are ... wait for it ... insecure. That it has a hold on us. It can strangle the life out of us. It steals our joy. It steals our true selves. It steals what Jesus wants for us. Just when we think we have it under control, it pops up again when we least expect it.
So I'm starting the conversation with you, friends. Right here, right now. Out in the open, in a public way. Putting myself out there because I know I'm not the only one. I can't be. Nothing new under the sun, right? And I've learned that identifying stuff in my heart, and dealing with it, and being honest with others about it is good and healing and builds friendships and community and tears down shame. So, there it is. Take it or leave it. But, my door is open, ladies.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
3 comments:
- Christy said...
I have a turkey neck, don't have cute brown boots for fall, I've had 2 nose jobs (1 in high school & the other cause I'm clumsy and ran my new nose into a door), even when the scale says the right number after 3 kids.....it's not the same, I inhale when I laugh and it isn't cute or contagious, I have tons of blackheads and blotchy skin, I don't know how to put eye make up on, I still get zits,
- November 15, 2013 at 12:59 AM
- Christy said...
My last comment got cut off or I fell asleep.
But I wanted to end it with that I know I'm redeemed, I'm God's daughter and that I'm Beloved. I can share all these insecurities because I'm secure in the love that God has for me.
- November 26, 2013 at 11:12 PM
- Jocelyn said...
Christy! I LOVE this! Our security in the Lord is really the only true security. :)
- November 26, 2013 at 11:25 PM
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Our Sponsors
We are very grateful to our sponsors. Without their continued and generous support, our conference would not be possible.
We would like to thank the Faculty of Philosophy at Oxford for their administrative and financial support.
Oriel College has kindly agreed to provide the necessary facilities to host our conference.
The Mind Association has consistently supported us through major conference grants, without which this conference would be very difficult to organise.
And we are very thankful for the support of The Aristotelian Society, The Analysis Trust, Wiley-Blackwell, and Duke University Press, who all support us strongly, and have often done so in the past.
We are also grateful for the support we receive from Oxford University Press and Brill Publishing.
Oriel College
Mind Association
The Aristotelian Society
The Analysis Trust
Duke University Press


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The Washington Redskins' offseason has quickly gone from the sound of crickets, to a sonic boom. First came the surprise signing of Josh Norman—now the highest paid cornerback in the league.
Less than a week later, the team selected a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft. The consensus among football analysts and mock drafts everywhere was for Washington to address a position of need; specifically, defensive tackle. Their wide receiver depth is considered strong, with DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, and Jamison Crowder headlining the group. Not surprising, the 22nd overall pick received some backlash among fans, pondering why their team added another receiver—in the first round, that is.
Then, on Cinco de Mayo, the team generated more buzz with the signing of tight end Jordan Reed to a multi-year extension. Reed's deal is a whopping five-year, $50 million extension, which keeps the athletic 25-year-old in burgundy and gold through the 2021 season.
"Honestly, I don't want to be anywhere else than here," Reed said, per ESPN. "I love it here. I love playing for the Redskins. I love all my coaches and all my teammates. I love this area, man. They gave me that deal, and I took it. It was a solid deal, and I'm just happy to be a Redskin." Reed continued, "I'm going to show them that they made a good investment, and I'm going to prove them right in making me one of the highest-paid [tight ends]."
Firing on all cylinders with quarterback Kirk Cousins last season, Reed amassed 87 receptions for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns. Opposing defenses began realizing the 6 foot 3 game-changer was a matchup nightmare who could not be stopped.
Durability, though, has been a concern with Reed, having yet to play an entire season. He appeared in 14 games in 2015, but only 20 games combined his first two seasons. Concussions have plagued him since his college days at the University of Florida.
Overlooking past injuries, the Redskins' decision to lock down a player of his caliber was a no-brainer. In fact, head coach Jay Gruden believes his star tight end will get bigger and have more of an impact on the run game. "He can get a lot better, that's the scary part," Gruden said.
Reed's emergence last season easily solidified his name among the top five tight ends, and now he is certainly paid like one.


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The Decorated School. Essays on the Visual Culture of Schooling is soon to be published by Black Dog.
see http://blackdogonline.com/all-books/the-decorated-school.html
Contributors have been participants in the research network. The book is beautifully illustrated and contains chapters with examples from England, Scotland, Norther Ireland, France, the USA, Japan and Kyrgystan. It has been funded with help from the Arts and Humanities Research Council and a generous grant from the Henry Moore Institute. Order your copies now !
Subjects include: the 'Art at School' movement in France; sculpture in Japanese schools, the Chicago mural movement; the Edinburgh 'Schools Beautiful' programme; the art-curriculum relationships of post-war British primary schools; London County Council's educational commissions; Asger Jorn's Decorations for Århus Statsgymnasium; abstraction and modern schooling in New York; Soviet and Post-Soviet school decoration in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; and children's art projects in Belfast.


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On 6 July at its extraordinary meeting, RA National Assembly adopted the bill on additional water outlets out of Lake Sevan with a volume of 100 million cum to the existing 170 million cum. 74 MPs from 'Republican Party of Armenia', 'Tsarukyan', 'Armenian Revolutionary Federation' voted for the bill, while 4 MPs from 'Yelq' Faction – Nikol Pashinyan, Artak Zeynalyan, Lena Nazaryan and Sasun Mikayelyan voted against the bill.
The main presenter, Arsen Harutyunyan – Chairman of the State Committee on Water Industry, said before the voting that the bill and the temporary program attached to the bill were amended and supplemented. 'The main observation to the bill was whether the additional water intake referred only to 2017, or it had continuous nature for other years as well. The text of the article has been corrected and outlined that it refers to 2017 only. The temporary program has been amended in terms of the estimates of the level of Lake Sevan taking into consideration the specification of Baltic Sea level,' Arsen Harutyunyan reported.
The Economic Department of Staff of RA National Assembly had proposed to amend Article 4 of the bill, which says, 'This law enters into force on the next day after publication and is valid till the exhaustion of extrabudgetary means (if nothing else is envisaged by the budget).'
The opinion of the Economic Department says, 'a) by this law it has been proposed to reserve a right to the competent body in regard to more outlet out of Lake Sevan, so the validity term of this right can be connected with the elimination of the core reason for water intake, and not with the exhaustion of extrabudgetary means formed as a result of the realization of additional electricity produced due to letting out additional water (in this regard, we propose to define fixed term of law validity and not relate it to the use of extrabudgetary means), b) after the adoption of this bill it can't exist separately and after incorporation it will an integral part of the main law text, so 'This law...is valid till the exhaustion of extrabudgetary means' in Article 4 of the bill will refer not to the proposed amendment, but the main law (in this regard, we propose to add a new passage at the end of this article to clearly define the term of the proposed amendments and validity term of Appendix 5).' This proposal hasn't been accepted.
13:45 July 06, 2017


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Attributes of God
God is Holy
Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?
Psalm 77:13
Harvey - my Grandpa :)
Austin - my wonderful, handsome husband
Happy laughter
Holding my hubby
What hits your "H" list?
Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
Psalm 106:47


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Yesterday while editing photos for posting, I decided to work some more with one of the photos to see what I could come up with. I've done this before when the artistic mood struck, such as working with shots in black and white and other options. This shot shows the stove top and one of the kitchen counters. I'll show the actual photo in another post coming up very soon (all the related photos are ready for posting) but have a close look at this one and comment if the mood strikes.
Now that the sun has made an appearance and I've decided to go for a walk (with my camera along, of course). I'll likely head down to the Fraser River at Sapperton Landing and take some shots there. Then I'll stop at the grocery store for fruit on the way back. When I return home, I'll be busy in the kitchen again. Its soup night, a mix of onion, potato, carrots, celery, green beans, sausage, herbs, sea salt and water. And its all very good stuff! Meantime, enjoy the remainder of your weekend and have an awesome week!!! - V
Our 10 Under 30 Naked Favorites! MEGA POST!!! - [image: thumb]You might call them twinks…or twunks..or hunks! Regardless, these super sexy actors have years of nude scenes to give us in the futures an...
1 hour ago


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So, here goes nothing and everything, the best ever chapati I have tasted (and accompanying dips and curries as well) belongs to Restoran Santa Sweet House @ Jalan Sarikei, next to Tawakal Hospital.
Chapati is such a simple thing, how to be the best? One, straight off the pan piping hot, pick your chapati straight from the pan. Two, its the thinnest chapati ever, really really thin, I don't know how the guy does it. Three, sufficiently crispy on the outside and because its thin you don't get the doughy feel at all.
You can have it with their famous dhal or their even more famous sardine curry. The sardine curry has the right touch of spices and sweated onions that kinda pops in your mouth in a refreshing way.
The mutton curry is very very good as well.
But you know what was the best discovery ... its their teh tarik ... I can verify its the most pleasant one I ever had because they use fresh cow's milk..... OMG its that good.
I guess when the owner is a hands on guy, ultimate nice guy .... and you taste the chapati, .... if one can ensure that the simplest thing on their menu is already so damn good, you can bet that the rest would be deserving of equal grand treatment under the auspices of the owner.
Must try everything, the gulab jamun and osen chicken sambal are divine as well.
Yes, too good to be true, so many wonderful stuff all under one roof. Plus its a very muhibbah place too, all Malaysians once having taken their seats nod knowingly to one another, ... that "hey, so we are dining at the best place money can buy of chapati and curries" look.
No 15, Jalan Sarikei, Off Jalan Pahang
53100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone: Joe- 0162648836; Gopi- 0149263052


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Delicatessen with Love: Portraits of Grandmas and Their Food
I just could not resist sharing this link! Gabriele Galimberti is an Italian photographer who profiled grandmothers from around the globe and their signature dishes. While I think I would pass on trying the caterpillars in tomato sauce, the stuffed aubergines look incredible! Like many before me, I have drawn inspiration from the mothers and grandmothers in my life who have instilled in me a love for food. This is an adorable homage to such women around the world.


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#6 hot chocolate and hot out of the oven chocolate chip cookies
I am thankful for homemade chocolate chip cookies.
I made these cookies with 6 little munchkins running around destroying the living room. But my reward was eating the cookies in front of them until they cleaned the room up.
heehee *insert evil laugh here**


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The Ultimate Air Dryer is a unique brush specially designed to dry hair 40% faster* for less heat damage and quicker prep time. Great for detangling right out of the shower with anti-tangle bristles that nurture the hair and scalp while brushing and styling for a smooth, shiny blowout.
The unique shape allows the Ultimate Air Dryer to work as a diffuser – allowing air to travel through the brush to create gorgeous, natural-looking waves and curls.
Quicker dry time means less heat damage and reduced electrity use for an even more earth-conscious morning routine!
I don't know whether or not the Complexion Collection or hair brush are available in-store yet at the drugstores, Ulta, etc. If you spot them in-store I would absolutely love to hear from you!
In the meantime, what do you think of these new EcoTools offerings?


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Definitions of recidivism in past studies have varied. Generally, recidivism
has been measured as arrest, conviction, or imprisonment during a specified
period of time following release from correctional custody. Variations in the
definition of recidivism affect the results. Re-arrests, for example, are more
likely to occur than re-conviction or re-imprisonment since rearrest may not
lead to re-conviction and re-conviction may not lead to re-imprisonment. Also,
rearrest and re-imprisonment can be due to technical violations, which will
increase their numbers in comparison with re-conviction for a new offense.
Traditionally researchers use a limited amount of post prison release follow-up
time, ranging from a few months to a number of years. Consistent with most
contemporary recidivism research, this study analyzes the length of time to
recidivism and the patterns in that time to failure for the treatment and control
Following the FDOC's recidivism measurements and rate analysis, this
study employs two recidivism measures, re-offense and re-imprisonment. Re-offense
is measured as the number of months from prison release to the first felony
offense. Re-imprisonment is measured as the number of months from prison release
to first re-admission to prison for an intervening offense. Both measures require
a conviction for a new offense to have occurred and that the conviction result
in either a prison or supervision sentence to the department.
The length of time to re-offense or re-imprisonment can be artificially long
for those inmates who return to prison for a technical violation of post-release
supervision. The FDOC accounts for this "not at risk time" by reducing
the follow-up time by the number of months spent back in prison for a technical
violation. Likewise, the recidivism measures used in this study are adjusted
to exclude not at risk time. For the subset of inmates who had post release
time in prison for technical violations, both the follow-up time and the time
to failure represent the true number of months at risk for recidivating.
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Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Fit Three, Page 21, Panel 2 … this snark is your snark, this snark is my snark
" 'But oh, beamish nephew, beware of the day,
If your Snark be a Boojum! For then
You will softly and suddenly vanish away,
And never be met with again!'
"It is this, it is this that oppresses my soul,
When I think of my uncle's last words:
And my heart is like nothing so much as a bowl
Brimming over with quivering curds!
The crossing of international frontiers whilst engaged in the hot pursuit of a Snark is no excuse for scofflawyery or other antisocialism. We see here a young Surrey fellaheen, a Baker-disguised-as-Lewis-Carroll by trade, who is preparing his claim for refugee status on the grounds of Boojum persecution. Rendered supine by his well-documented apprehension of meeting a Boojum through no fault of his own, he remains a-bed to conserve precious forensic evidence, ie. decervellage and involuntary dairy-product substitution of major organs. His parents bid him a tearful, wooden goodbye. His uncle, a Major General doubling in the role of Psychopomp-cum-coyote (thus saving this artist considerable ink and labor), carefully peruses a Customs and Border Protection Declaration Form …
1. Declare all fetishes, such as smiles, soap, forks, etc., that you might have on your person for the purpose of hunting Snarks. Please have them unpacked and ready for inspection upon your arrival. The time for observation is limited and we mustn't hold up others!
2. Notify the authorities if you are approached by anyone offering to distort the relative proportions of your surroundings. Any illicit trafficking in the amorous gigantism of the inanimate world, whether voluntary or not, may cause permanent semiotic confusion.
3. Please stay in line. Running into another line, or enjambment, might cause injury, disfigurement or even loss of life and limb. All lines should be end-stopped and masculine rhymed as befits true English nonsense.
And to where is our Baker emigrating, you might ask? Perhaps, like the late, great Hedly Lamarr, he is fleeing this poem for another, hailing a hansom cab (with ugly driver) and demanding to be taken out of this stanza to a less paranoid quatrain … where your wretched refuseniks of tired masses huddle to be free, tally ho!
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It's still dark here. What can't be seen moves deftly through the courier winds.
I take count of all the events that have brought me here
To this island, to this female native body that has now turned
It's steps toward death. We are all going somewhere, that's true
Or we dream we are—for a week now I have been both the dreamer of my dreams--and the watcher of my dreams, as now. And I don't
Know which is which, who is writing the song, who is singing it and who
Has decided to become the songs of these winds.
They are familiar, these winds. Called in English: trade winds. Called by
The watcher: the winds who always come during this season to delight or stun us with knowledge from the rest of the spin. Refresh us.
I want to know more than I know so I thank this lanky, weary body.
It's the observation post in a healing field.
The outline is the definition: it's a pre-dawn sky, a dark contemplative moon, the weave of the perfume of naupakapaka, and the wreck of unpacking.
So now, you're being too literal. This is how you were taught to negotiate
In the schools of the conquerors.
But how can you know the songs these winds bear if you know only
How to count in English, and know not the spirits of the numbers?
How they travel.


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Dragon Ball Z - Rebirth of F
A fated clash!! A battle surpassing gods begins â !!!! After peace returned to Earth following the battle with God of Destruction Beerus, the surviving remnants of Friezaâs forces,Sorbet and Tagoma, approached, seeking the Dragon Balls. Their objective: to revive Frieza in order to bring his forces back to power. That worst wish in history is granted at last, and the resurrected Frieza plots his vengeance against Goku and the other Saiyans... And so, Friezaâs new army advances on Earth, and Gohan,Piccolo, and Krillin clash with a thousand soldiers. Goku and Vegeta challenge Frieza to a fated duel, but Frieza had attained an overwhelming power-up! âAllow me to show you⦠my further evolution!âNow, for warriors beyond their limits, the curtain was about to open on a battle like none before or since.
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Image via Wikipedia*MAGRATH, JOHN D.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company G, 85th Infantry, 10th Mountain Division. Place and date: Near Castel d'Aiano, Italy, 14 April 1945. Entered service at: East Norwalk, Conn. Birth: East Norwalk, Conn. G.O. No.: 71, 17 July 1946. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty when his company was pinned down by heavy artillery, mortar, and small arms fire, near Castel d'Aiano, Italy. Volunteering to act as a scout, armed with only a rifle, he charged headlong into withering fire, killing 2 Germans and wounding 3 in order to capture a machinegun. Carrying this enemy weapon across an open field through heavy fire, he neutralized 2 more machinegun nests; he then circled behind 4 other Germans, killing them with a burst as they were firing on his company. Spotting another dangerous enemy position to this right, he knelt with the machinegun in his arms and exchanged fire with the Germans until he had killed 2 and wounded 3. The enemy now poured increased mortar and artillery fire on the company's newly won position. Pfc. Magrath fearlessly volunteered again to brave the shelling in order to collect a report of casualties. Heroically carrying out this task, he made the supreme sacrifice--a climax to the valor and courage that are in keeping with highest traditions of the military service.


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Note: This is one in a series of five posts previewing the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's Very Important Parishes (VIP) event on Saturday, November 5th. To view the other preview posts and learn more about VIP, check out the first post in the series.
One of Milwaukee's oldest churches, but perhaps not as well known as some of its brethren Downtown, Our Lady of Guadalupe is worth a visit during VIP.
Mid 19th Century architecture, an old German parish, Milwaukee's Mother Hispanic parish, Our Lady of Guadalupe (formerly Holy Trinity) parish has plenty of designations. Over 150 years after its founding, it is still as important for its community as it was at the start.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church looks strikingly similar to Milwaukee's Old St. Mary's Catholic Church. This should come as little surprise, as they were designed by the same architect [1].
You too can toll the bell ropes at Our Lady of Guadalupe if you make a visit during the VIP event!
Special VIP Offerings:
- Beer! Beer! Beer! Not many church tours come with free alcohol! Use the coupon attached to the VIP Event Guide to get a free tour at nearby Brenner Brewing at 3 p.m., exclusive to VIP attendees.
- Milwaukee's first Spanish-language Mass was held in adjacent Holy Trinity School. Hear about the genesis of this important ministry in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
- Ring the bells! Guided and self-guided tours are open throughout the day, and ringing the church bells is allowed.
- Special dance and children's choir performances throughout the day.
- Mass at 4:30 p.m., Saturday, November 5th
The Holy Trinity School building was witness to the first Spanish Mass in Milwaukee and is open for tours during the VIP event.
Location: 605 S. 4th Street, Milwaukee, WI – Tucked away off the local main corridors, Our Lady of Guadalupe is effectively an anchor tenant of an anchor neighborhood in Walker's Point. Walker's Point is one of Milwaukee's original three settlements dating from the mid-19th Century. With the church building present on this site since 1849, it has seen waves of ethnic cultures come through its doors and shape the neighborhood [2]. Today, Our Lady of Guadalupe sits in the middle of a neighborhood that is revitalizing itself through a mix of business and housing developments.
Why is this Parish a VIP?
1. One of the Oldest Churches in Milwaukee: While Bobby Tanzillo's article at OnMilwaukee.com does a great job of sharing the early story of the Our Lady of Guadalupe church building, it is best to check it out in person at a Mass or this Saturday at VIP!
The variety of saints depicted on the altars here is astounding.
2. Bilingual Teachings of the Faith: Our Lady of Guadalupe offers religious education in both English and Spanish for its students. This year, the parish Confirmation classes are packed full of soon-to-be confirmed disciples of the Catholic faith.
3. One Parish, Two Histories: When Our Lady of Guadalupe and Holy Trinity merged in the 1960s, a precedent for many south side Milwaukee parishes was established. This neat essay comes from Our Lady of Guadalupe's website:
The Unification of Holy Trinity and Our Lady of Guadalupe Parishes
It's the summer of 1966. Not quite three years after the assassination of President Kennedy. Two hours south of Milwaukee, in Cicero, Illinois, Dr Martin Luther King Jr. is very active in community organizing. The British rock-n-roll band The Beatles is an international sensation. And the Packers stars are named Hornung, Nitschke, and Starr.
St. Therese of Lisieux
Six months have passed since the final gathering of Catholic bishops in Rome to conclude the Second Vatican Council. Until the 1960s, the priest has had his back to the congregation, and celebrates Mass in Latin - a language heard and spoken only in Church.
This artwork of St. Augustine was due to be repaired from water damage that impacted the church a decade ago.
Meanwhile, on the Near South Side of Milwaukee, a big change of its own is about to happen . . .
One parish needs more room. It's the only Spanish-speaking church on the South side, located on the southeast corner of 3rd and Washington. The other parish needs more members. It's located six blocks way at 4th and Bruce. Many of its German-and Slovenian-Americans members are passing away, and their children and grandchildren are moving to places like Cudahy and West Allis. Both churches are staffed members of the Franciscan Order-the friars of St. Francis.
Nuestra Señora de San Juan de los Lagos
Our Lady of St. John of the Lakes
The parishioners at Our Lady of Guadalupe have been told about the move a few weeks in advance by Fr. Bede Phelps, OFM Conv. At Holy Trinity, many people know what is going to happen-certainly the altar servers, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and the daily Mass goers - but also the parents of children at Holy Trinity School, where, since 1960s, the students enrollment has been at least one-third Hispanic.
But still, it is a surprise to some, when on Sunday, August 28, 1966, nearly 200 people arrive in procession to the front steps of Holy Trinity. They are from Our Lady of Guadalupe, and they carry banners with the likeness of La Morenita, Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, as she appeared to Saint Juan Diego in 1531 on the outskirts of Mexico City.
XI, Jesus is nailed to the Cross.
Some Holy Trinity members of Hispanic origin are on the steps waiting to greet the newcomers, encouraged to do so by the longest-standing service group at HT - the Christian Mothers. Everyone enters together for a Mass that starts shortly before 2 p.m.
The merger transformed the complexion of the parish. Indeed, as one former Milwaukee, "My marriages and baptisms are now of Mexicans and Puerto Ricans; my funerals are of Germans and Poles."
From 1966 until 2000, the parishes will be known as Trinity-Guadalupe, then simply as Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church
Weekend Mass Times
Sundays: 10 a.m.
Spanish Sunday Mass: 12 p.m.
Special thanks for Father Tim Manatt, S.J., Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, and Amy Grau for arranging my visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe!
Go see some Very Important Parishes in Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, or wherever you are!
Additional Sources:
The Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish website and my was a great source of information throughout the article-writing process.


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Day Three:
MERRY CHRISTMAS from Aruba! We went to mass at 10am at a local Catholic Church. They didn't speak English (nor Spanish) so we really didn't understand half of the mass. They did play some Christmas songs in English. The rest of the day we had a relaxing day at the beach and pool. Best way to spend Christmas if you ask me :). Nick and my Dad golfed in the afternoon.
Day Four:
If you were wondering about the weather, just the first two days weren't the best, but the rest of the week was gorgeous. Sunny with some clouds and windy like it is every day. On Wednesday morning, we went to the far west side of the Island where there is a lighthouse called California Lighthouse. It's inactive now. There was a beautiful view of the coast from the lighthouse, so I took plenty of pictures. After, we went to the pool the rest of the day. Lots of good tanning for sure! That night, my parents went out to eat together. Nick, Chris, and I went to an Italian restaurant. The pizza was delicious! We shopped around a little bit too that night.
|California Lighthouse
|Golf Course
|By the lighthouse. Awesome views!
That morning we went for a tour of the local Brewery: Balashi Beer. We arrived and they said we needed to have tennis shoes, which my Mom and I both weren't wearing, so we couldn't get in. Boo! We turned around and went to the beach the rest of the day. Another relaxing and sun-filled day!


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Madmaz2 Holmer formed the 10th Guild today at 11:23 am.
Madmaz2's Guild is called, "The Twilight Zone" and is a Second Generation ascension from the Alliance of Hera (Hera being the only First Generation) and takes a Top 10 ranking from the start.
I asked Madmaz2 if he had anything to tell the blog upon his ascension, he said he was too shy and that I should since I was his superior. Which is true, but I was only in that position for about an hour before his ascension. So Best wishes to Mad and his line, you were the best line one could ever have for an hour!


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The Baker Street Journal is published on a quarterly basis, with Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter issues. Each is released in the appropriate season (i.e. Spring between March 21 and June 20).
Subscriptions end on December 31 of every year after you receive your Winter and Christmas Annual issues. Please renew before the Spring issue is released for the best service.
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The masterpiece you see above is a perfect example of the luxurious French Country Style. This is House Plan HPG-2200C-1, one of our newest home plans.
Aside from the ever-appealing French cottage style, HPG-2200C-1 also provides all the amenities you would expect from a home this classy. Allow me to take you on a little tour of this cozy charmer.
While approaching this home from the street, you are immediately struck by the stately appearance that accompanies every "Old World" home design. But as you draw nearer, the sense of awe soon gives way to a very comfortable and cozy feeling. As soon as you begin climbing the steps of the porch, you notice that you feel right at home.
The 11' high foyer provides a royal welcome to all who enter, and it isn't too hard to imagine all of the great and happy gatherings that could take place in the formal dining room, which is just a few feet to your right. The great room offers such a sense of openness with its 12' tray ceiling and a great view of the backyard, but it also has a warm cozy feel as you walk by the fireplace.
Three large bedrooms on the left side of the home ensure that everyone has ample room to sleep, but it's really the master suite on the other side of the house that sets this home apart.
In addition to all this comfort and style, HPG-2200C-1 also provides a lot of storage space and a future bonus room. There is always something new to discover with this gem. You really ought to check it out!
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December 22 Prompt:
Christmas and Deceased Relatives-
Did your family visit the cemetery at Christmas? How did your family honor deceased family members at Christmas?
We didn't visit the cemetery, and I don't remember doing anything in particular to honor deceased family members at Christmas, but I know I think about family members who have passed on. For example, I think about my grandmothers, Nana and Nani, Elizabeth Massmann Pape and Sara Wolfe Guokas Archibald, when I make Streuselkuchen coffee cake and eat Christmas dinner respectively.
The photo above was taken at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, Illinois, by one of my Streff cousins before the graveside service for Nana on January 19, 2000. Nana passed away on January 13. I was fortunate enough to see her a few weeks before, around her 97th birthday on December 23. I was a single mom living in Washington state at the time while Nana lived near Tampa, Florida, and this trip would not have been possible without the assistance of my cousin Tom Streff who, as a pilot with American Airlines, was able to obtain a low-cost ticket for me both to see Nana and to go to her funeral in Chicago later.
This imposing monument is a result of my great-grandfather, Frederick Massmann, who at one point in his life was president of the National Tea Company and was rather wealthy. He is buried here along with my great-grandmother Elizabeth Dienes Massmann, son and daughter-in-law Alfred and Agatha Burke Massmann, Nana and Grandpa Paul Robert Pape, grandson Paul Robert "Bob" Pape Jr. and his wife Delores "Lorrie" Olker Pape, and granddaughter Rose Mary Pape Dietz and her husband Ronald Dietz.
(This is post #22 in the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories hosted by Geneabloggers.com. Originally published December 22, 2009; slight revisions were made in 2010.)
© Amanda Pape - 2011 - click here to e-mail me.


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Today marks the first day of the Chinese New Year.
It is the year of the Ox.
Every year, my family makes the trek into Philadelphia's China Town for Dim Sum. Afterwards, we huddle together outside in the cold to watch the dragon parade by. For us, it's a wonderful excuse to bring the family and close friends together again and visit with the people you missed seeing over the holidays.
(Apologies, but this was the best picture I could come up with. All my Chinese New Year pictures were taken before I received my new digital camera this year).
And because it would be unseemly to not present you with a gift on such a festive day, I present you with a free dishcloth knitting pattern. Enjoy!
The pattern may be downloaded from my website.
Gung Hay Fat Choy (Happy New Year!)
Monday, January 26, 2009
Gung Hay Fat Choy
Posted by Knitted Gems at 8:56 AM
Labels: dishcloth, EtsyKnitters, holiday. free. patterns
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BMW Oracle "discusses and dialogs" with potential teams in Cowes
[Source: BMW Oracle] Russell Coutts, CEO of BMW ORACLE Racing, came to Cowes, birthplace of the America's Cup, to update potential teams about plans for the 34th America's Cup, scheduled for 2013 or 2014.
He met skippers, sponsors and team owners competing in the Extreme Sailing Series for 40-foot catamarans.
"Since winning the 33rd America's Cup in February we have had ongoing dialogue with interested parties," commented Coutts.
Independent rule writers are currently simultaneously creating a new class of monohull and multihull boats. Though different in type, the two concepts share common characteristics: high speed and capability across the wind range; 22 meters overall length; logistical simplicity; and designed from the outset to incorporate innovative camera, audio and data systems to generate the best-ever television of America's Cup racing.
Coutts' briefing to the multihull meeting was warmly welcomed. "The multihull sailors, designers and team owners have a voice in this debate. So do the commercial partners and the venue candidates. And so does television. That's why we are talking and listening," he added.
Asked if the monohull or multihull choice would affect the number of teams in the next Cup, Coutts said, "I think there are solid potential teams who are intent on excelling no matter what type of boat is raced. The question is which choice will result in the best America's Cup? That is why we are holding these workshops with both monohull and multihull stakeholders."
Labels: 34th America's Cup, BMW Oracle, Extreme 40


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From RSLM to PMQs…
In May 2015, a local Glastonbury resident told me of his concerns about the amount of traffic on the town's High Street, and his thoughts on the pedestrianisation of the town centre – shortly after, he felt motivated to set up a Facebook group focused on the potential of pedestrianising Glastonbury High Street.
The Facebook group generated a lively debate involving the Mayor, Councillors, over 300 members, and some very strong feelings being posted for and against; it was clear that the subject of pedestrianisation was as contentious in 2015 as it had been 20 years before – when the issue prompted Glastonbury's first town poll "in living memory"…
Motivated to search for a more positive approach to the wider issues highlighted in the pedestrianisation group posts, a new Facebook group 'Revitalise Glastonbury!!!' was set up. In addition, Town Councillors Emma George and Gabriel Avalon volunteered to listen to local businesses on the High Street; using a set of questions that I developed with them based on the RSLM method used by Community Organisers.
Emma and Gabriel listened to the businesses, shops, and traders to find out what was important to them; their concerns and their thoughts about the future of the town. A network of people came together out of this process and formed the basis of a 'Future of the Town Centre Working Group'; meeting regularly, and contributing to the Town Council's Promoting Glastonbury forum.
In the autumn of 2015, it was announced that two of Glastonbury's four High Street banks would be closing their branches and leaving the town before Christmas, and that the other two would also be closing in the spring of 2016; leaving the town stranded without a bank! This prompted members of the Town Centre Working Group to action, and a petition to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Rt. Hon Sajid Javid MP – the "Last Bank Standing. Don't let communities lose their only Bank" – was devised by Paul Manning, working with Gabriel Avalon and Kevin Redpath.
A public meeting was arranged on 16th December 2015; it was extremely well attended, chaired by the Mayor of Glastonbury with both the current and ex-MP taking part. Helping to facilitate this meeting, I took the minutes and, at the end, compiled a list of people who volunteered to form a steering group for the further development of the Last Bank Standing campaign. One of the ideas that came out of this was to hold a Flash Mob protest and attract as much attention as possible.
On Saturday, 9th January 2016 – at midday – the Flash Mob was held in the centre of Glastonbury, with over 500 people gathering to sing a specially rewritten version of 'Jerusalem'! Conducted by Charles Hazlewood, the crowd was joined by Glastonbury Festival's Michael Eavis, James Heappey MP, and host of journalists including a film crew from the BBC.
The event was filmed for the campaign by Kevin Redpath and a local camera crew, all providing their services free of charge – the result posted on YouTube:
The protest generated a great deal of publicity – leading the BBC's local evening news, and making local and national papers.
On 20th January 2016, the Glastonbury bank closures were mentioned during Prime Minister's Questions in Parliament, when David Cameron said he "would make sure Glastonbury MP James Heappey met Treasury ministers to discuss how his constituency could save three banks faced with the chop in the near future."
The Last Bank Standing group is currently exploring the possibility of nominating the four closing banks' buildings on the Assets of Community Value register as part of the Community Rights.
The campaign continues…
DAILY MAIL: Glastonbury festival founder Michael Eavis joins demonstration over bank closures [11th January 2016]