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How to Find Fun in Everything
Explore this Article Making Joy a Priority Enjoying the Little Things Modifying Your Perspective Ask a Question Related Articles References
There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to have fun when what you are doing really isn't fun at all. Luckily, your life can be much more fun if you only just change your perspective. With just a few tools, you can learn how to have fun doing virtually anything.
Making Joy a Priority
1Play.[1] Adults often assume their lives should be serious, filled with work and family commitments. However, playtime is just as important when you're older as it is when you're a kid. Adults play to learn and expand their horizons, to feel challenged, to have fun, and to get lost in a pleasurable activity. You can't expect fun to find you. You must actively incorporate fun activities that you enjoy into your daily and/or weekly schedule.
- Examples for incorporating more play into your life might be picking up a new artistic hobby, spending more time with kids, or starting a regular game or movie night for you and some friends.
2Look on the bright side. You can learn to have fun in most any activity by looking for the silver linings. Even grueling tasks offer you something worthwhile; you just have to look for the positives and embrace them.[2]
- Practice finding silver linings each day with the following activity. Set aside 10 minutes daily for 3 weeks. Start by listing 5 things you enjoy about your life (e.g. "watching the sun rise each morning" or "hearing your significant other laugh"). Now, think about a time when things didn't go so well. Describe the situation. Then, look for three ways you can look on the bright side of the ordeal.
- For example, your car breaks down on your way to work. You're frustrated and impatient waiting for the mechanic. But, the wait time gives you the opportunity to read over the poetry your best friend asked you to read over. You also have a few minutes to call and check in on your mother. Finally, the waiting allows you to collect your thoughts before heading into a new work day. Noticing the silver linings helps you to see that there are often positives during negative situations.
3Celebrate, everything. You may not be having fun in life because you don't take advantage of the little wonders and successes. Have you reached an accomplishment lately? Celebrate it. Has your friend just gotten a new job or dropped those unwanted pounds? Celebrate it. Search for ways to rejoice in the little victories of life.[3]
- Get a calendar that lists weird holidays and make an effort to participate in the celebration of as many as you can.[4]
4Renovate your environment. At work, at school, or at home, bring more fun into your surroundings. Redecorate your office or bedroom in exciting, bright colors that make you smile. Get some plants to care for. Change your environment with different lighting, fabrics, colors, and other decor, such as books, that brighten your mood.[5]
- The colors you choose for your environment can positively impact your mood and outlook on life. One study showed that individuals in a green room were much less likely to feel stressed as those in a red one.[6]
- In general, people feel happier around yellows and greens.[7] If these colors seem too much for your walls, select artwork, decorative elements, or even flowers that bring in these springtime hues. You can also bring in fun toys, such as slinkies or stress balls to lift your mood in your home environment.
Enjoying the Little Things
1Relish in good sounds. No matter what activity you're doing, sound can have a drastic impact on how much you're enjoying it. For instance, maybe you have to clean your bedroom or the kitchen. The chore is a drag, but turn on some of your favorite tunes and it becomes a cleaning concert of fun.
- Identify sounds that make you happy or relaxed. Music. Children laughing. Rolling ocean waves. Birds chirping in the trees. Aim to surround yourself with these sounds more. If you can't get to them naturally, listen to them from YouTube.
- Identify sounds that make you upset, sad, or angry. Honking traffic. A phone ringing off the hook. Aim to avoid these sounds, if possible. If you can't, counteract them with sounds you like, such as listening to soothing music through earbuds to cover up the nonstop phone calls. Or, maybe you never get quiet time, and a good dose of silence can help you enjoy your tasks more.[8]
2Notice delightful physical touch. Humans crave the warmth and touch of others as it is our primary expression of compassion. In this increasingly digital age, touch has become even more important for you to thrive. Touch boosts safety and security, enhances overall well-being, builds trust, increases team bonding, and reduces risk of disease.
- Engage in activities and surround yourself with people whose touch brings you joy. Doing so can bring contentment to more areas of your life.
3Savor the foods you love. Even eating can be fun when you are doing it mindfully. Many people associate food with guilty feelings. Maybe you should be saying "no" to that slice of chocolate cake at the office party or extra buttery popcorn at the movies. However, when you practice mindful eating, rather than eating mindlessly, you can enjoy more foods you love without the guilt.
- To practice mindful eating, select a food such as a bite-size chocolate or small bite of fruit. Observe the food - shape, smell, size, texture. What is your reaction to looking at the food (i.e. salivation, impatience, etc.)? Place the food in your mouth for 30 seconds without chewing. Once 30 seconds have elapsed begin chewing. Afterwards, compare your understanding of the taste and texture of the food before and after eating. Then, compare this experience with your usual experience of eating.[9]
- Begin practicing mindful eating at nearly every meal. Remove distractions such as TV or books and focus wholly on the foods you are eating.
4Smile. If you have been stressed out lately, you may need to plaster on a smile to counteract the negative side-effects of stress. Research from the Greater Good Project at Berkeley shows that smiling (even fake smiling) has positive benefits on physical health. It helps the heart recover sooner from stressful experiences.[10]
- To boost your mood and physical well-being, smile when you're doing tasks you don't like much. You'll feel better for it.
Modifying Your Perspective
1Spend the day as a tourist. When we live in a place for months or years, we stop seeing it as extraordinary or exciting. Reinvigorate your passion for your local area by playing tourist for the day.[11]
- Visit museums, parks, and art galleries in your area. Take pictures and try to experience these locations as a tourist would. Try a restaurant you've never gone to, or order a new choice from the menu at your favorite place. Experience your life from an outsider's perspective - you just might rediscover what you love about it.
2Practice meditation. When you think of meditation, you might envision work rather than play. Although it requires quiet and concentration, meditation can be a fun activity for you. In fact, it allows you to connect with your inner self and your outer environment, meaning you can become more conscious of all the outlets for fun around you.[12]
- To make meditation fun, seek out a partner who can do the activity with you. Change up your environment, which can prove challenging and exciting. You can also find guided meditations with interesting sounds and prompts.
3Hush your negative self-talk. If the voice inside your head is constantly complaining or criticizing, it can be hard to enjoy life. Overcome negative self-talk to invite more positive vibes into your days. To stop negative self-talk, follow this four-step process.[13]
- Pay more attention to your thoughts.
- Decide if your thoughts are helpful or unhelpful (i.e. do they improve or worsen your situation)?
- Stop negative thinking in its tracks. Choose not to engage or entertain negative thoughts.
- Transform negative self-talk into positive thoughts. For example, "I will never have time to spend with my friends because of all these assignments" can be positively reframed to "If I work really hard on these assignments and avoid putting them off, I can take a break halfway through and hang out with my friends".
4Cultivate a grateful heart. Being thankful can help you see more activities as enjoyable rather than unsatisfying. There are many ways you can demonstrate gratitude, such as expressing thanks and starting a gratitude journal.[14] However, one of the most effective methods for changing your perspective is to change your language.
- For example, we often complain or nag about all the things we have to do. One suggestions is to change your language to describe all the things you get to do. Changing "have to" to "get to" can have a tremendously positive spin on the way you look at and enjoy your life.[15]
Community Q&A
- ↑ http://www.helpguide.org/articles/emotional-health/benefits-of-play-for-adults.htm
- ↑ http://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/finding_silver_linings#data-tab-how
- ↑ http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/5-simple-ways-celebrate-the-everyday.html
- ↑ https://www.daysoftheyear.com/
- ↑ http://www.oprah.com/home/Mood-Boosting-Home-Decor/3
- ↑ http://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1172&context=jur
- ↑ http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20411073,00.html
- ↑ http://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/theunlockedlife/2010/07/the-power-of-sound-and-its-affects-on-our-health/
- ↑ http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/030413p42.shtml
- ↑ http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/smile_its_good_for_your_heart
- ↑ http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/03/06/3-simple-ways-to-see-the-bright-side-today/
- ↑ http://www.artofliving.org/us-en/meditation/meditation-for-you/ways-to-make-meditation-more-fun
- ↑ https://www.canyons.edu/Offices/Health/Documents/SelfTalk.pdf
- ↑ http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/11/19/12-ways-to-be-thankful/
- ↑ http://jamesclear.com/how-to-be-thankful
Article Info
Categories: Fun Activities | Optimism
In other languages:
Español: divertirte en todo, Bahasa Indonesia: Menemukan Kebahagiaan dalam Setiap Keadaan, Português: Encontrar a Diversão em Tudo, Русский: находить радость во всем, العربية: الاستمتاع بكل شيء, Nederlands: Alles plezierig kunnen maken, Français: s'amuser plus dans la vie, Italiano: Trovare il Lato Divertente in Ogni Cosa, Tiếng Việt: Tìm kiếm niềm vui trong mọi việc, 한국어: 모든 것에서 재미 찾는 법, ไทย: สนุกไปกับทุกสิ่ง


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From test tube to installation
Sport Group has transformed the industry by creating the only fully integrated global supply chain.
This game-changing capability ensures a level of quality control, customization and innovation never achieved in the industry. We invest cohesively in every step of the process and combine the knowledge of industry leading organizations Melos, APT, Polytex, Polytan and AstroTurf.
By owning the supply chain and investing in the best brands we have created a leadership position from which to launch further innovation, keep quality high and costs affordable.
A strong heartbeat
Our industry has too many stories of low quality products and poor installations which leave communities with a legacy of second-rate facilities. Sport and recreation is the heartbeat of a healthy society and is too important to be compromised.
Our customers can Trust the Chain and their communities, clubs, athletes and children can look forward to many years of superior sports experience.
Growth and transformation
This model and vision is leading to dynamic growth. As the world's largest business dedicated to sport surfaces we invest heavily in new markets, technologies, product innovations and the future.
'Future Proofing' requires future thinking
The future requires businesses who understand the relationship between sport and space is changing; physical play must match the appeal of digital play; a sports space must be as alluring as a virtual space.
We are ready for the future where non-traditional sport will be played in surprising spaces. Sport Group transforms how athletes, administrators, installers and owners think about sport and space.
We are focussed on:
- Transforming the athlete experience with beautiful products
- Transforming future sport and recreation spaces with new ideas and concepts
- Transforming usability with longer lasting, multi-dimensional spaces
- Transforming products to reduce environmental impact
- Transforming engagement with integrated tech
- Transforming knowledge with global collaboration

subset: commoncrawl


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Angels Among Us
Ever wonder what an angel looks like? Rosie Cepero, who can communicate with angels, explains how they appear to her. For more, visit http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/angels-am...
Rosie Cepero communicates with guardian angels. In this Q&A, find out how she passes their messages along - For more, visithttp://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/angels-am...
9/9 (Sept. 9th) Full Moon
Your future is in YOUR own hands! On September 9th, the moon will be full, opening a door to possibilities for health, happiness and personal growth that you've only ever dreamed about. The Full Moon will deliver more opportunity than ever to repair old wounds and create potential for your personal happiness.
Don't squander this gift from the heavens.
Now is your chance to use the energy of 9/9 (Sept. 9th) to change any area of your life! Its light will shine brightly on everything from career, to complicated family relationships, to old heartache, to lawsuits. The psychic energy is so strong with this event that everyone will feel its pull to mend and move towards a better life. It's time to have tough talks and explore new paths with unexpected ease. This moon will act as a sort of safety net, cushioning these challenging encounters, while allowing a brilliant, bright light to flood the hearts of those around you.
Remember, your future is in your own hands! Don't just sit there and watch this moment pass you by. This is a once-on-a-lifetime gift from the cosmos to bring peace and happiness.
The Moon has a huge influence on how we feel, as well as on our luck. While the Moon's power of attraction over tides is accepted, its impact on human beings has been hotly contested, although that impact is very real.
The Moon has an influence on your body
The night star is the main influence responsible for changes in sea-level all around the world. Since the human body is composed of 65% water, how can anyone deny that the Moon has an influence on us as well?
The gravitational force of the Moon is known to influence various earthly phenomena. Why, then, should human beings be immune to its effects?
The Moon has always been important in various cultures and religious traditions. Symbolically, it represents the female principle, the world of dreams and passivity.
How the Moon's phases affect us
Depending on what phase it's in, the Moon has a strong influence on your mind and body. You can learn to take advantage of the positive phases of the Moon to orient your life in the right direction:
- experience success
- attract luck, love, money and well-being…
The Moon can also elevate your mind to higher levels of consciousness.
The phases of the Moon, called 'lunations,' affect our behavior. Depending on the Moon's phase, the same person can be:
- aggressive or passive
- dynamic or lazy
- happy or sad
- dependable or frivolous
- self-confident or indecisive…
Each lunar phase has its own energy
Starting now, keep tabs on the phases of the Moon, and take them into account when you act or make decisions. If you're in synch with the Moon's lunations, you'll have a better chance of being effective. Then you can embark on the path to success in all areas of your life.
Below you'll find a description of each of the Moon's phases, and what you should and should not do during each period:
New Moon, also called the black moon.
This is the time to move forward with your plans and projects. Just be careful not to get overly enthusiastic. When it comes to attaining your ambitions, be logical and not emotional.
Waxing Crescent: During this phase, don't have any illusions about the people you meet, because the relationships you start probably won't last. This phase is favorable for investments and the sale of goods. Things should go well in your job or career, but be wary of promises made during this period because they probably won't be honored.
First Quarter: Encounters you make are marked by sincerity, and a real desire to live-up to promises and commitments. In terms of your love-life, the bonds you create should endure. The period also provides a lot of energy for advancing your professional plans and furthering your goals.
Waxing Gibbous: This phase favors a lot of self-confidence and creativity, which is why you should undertake things, or press forward with a project. This is also an ideal time to become emotionally involved with someone. The initiatives you take to earn money will be crowned with success.
Full Moon: This is the best phase for success in all areas of your life. The encounters you have with people should endure, and the bonds you create during this lunation should be stable and long-lasting. If you embark on any projects during this phase, they will have every chance of being successful.
Waning Gibbous: This isn't a good time to meet people or take the initiative. If you become emotionally involved with someone during this phase, you may need to make a lot of compromises and concessions if the relationship is to last.
Last Quarter: This isn't a good time to take the initiative.
You'll hesitate a lot in all areas of your life, and the projects you embark on may become very complicated. You'll need to be persevering if you want them to come to a positive conclusion.
Waning Crescent: This is a favorable period for resolving problems and conflicts in all areas.
As far as your love-life is concerned, the encounters you make could lead to lasting relationships. The practice of positive thinking is particularly beneficial during this phase.
Supermoon: August 10, 2014
A super full moon occurs when the moon's closest approach to the Earth (lunar perigee) coincides with the phase of full moon. When this happens the moon may seem bigger and brighter. However, for the ordinary star-gazer there will be no significant difference.
How To Celebrate a Summer Full Moon - Group Ceremony
In addition to -- or instead of -- holding a monthly Esbat rite, some Wiccan and Pagan groups prefer to have a season-specific full moon ceremony. During the warmer months, the summer season begins with the Strong Sun Moon in June, and continues through July's Blessing Moonand ends with the Corn Moon of August. If you'd like to celebrate one or more of these moon phases with a ritual specific to the summer, it's not hard. This rite is written for a group of four people or more, but if you needed to, you could easily adapt it for a solitary practitioner or a family coven.
Corn Moon
Have you ever had a dream that you can't really explain or interpret? You're not alone and you should know that dreams are very powerful. They all mean something very important to us. Take a look at how you can start analyzing your dreams today! What you find out may surprise you...
Mother Shipton's Visions
Mother Shipton was a Yorkshire witch who prophesied about future events in the form of poems.
Her prophecies predicted the fates of several rulers within and just after her lifetime - the invention of iron ships, Great Fire of London in 1666, the defeat of the Spanish Armada... and even the end of the world!
Janet Ursula Southiel (Southill), more popularly known as Mother Ursula Shipton, lived in Yorkshire England from 1488-1561. She became quite well known the accuracy of her visions with some pertaining to modern times including descriptions of the radio, television, airplanes, and World Wars, and even possibly World War III.
I Prophesy: Mother Shipton's Visions
The most famous claimed edition of Mother Shipton's prophecies foretells many modern events and phenomena. Widely quoted today as if it were the original, it contains over a hundred prophetic rhymed couplets in notably non-16th-century language and includes the now-famous lines:
The world to an end shall come
In eighteen hundred and eighty one.[6]
However, this version did not appear in print until 1862, and its true author, one Charles Hindley, subsequently admitted in print that he had invented it.[7] This invented prophecy has appeared over the years with different dates and in (or about) several countries (for example in the late 1970s many news articles about Mother Shipton appeared setting the date at 1981[citation needed]). The 1920s (subsequently much reprinted) booklet The Life and Prophecies of Ursula Sontheil better known as Mother Shipton[8] stated the date as 1991.[9][10]
Among other well-known lines from Hindley's fake version (often quoted as if they were original) are:
A Carriage without a horse shall go;
Disaster fill the world with woe...
In water iron then shall float,
As easy as a wooden boat.[6]
Totem Tuesday - Power Animals
In many modern Pagan traditions, animal symbolism -- and even actual animals -- are incorporated into magical belief and practice. Let's look at some of the ways people have welcomed animals into their magical practice throughout the ages, as well as specific animals and their folklore and legends.
1. Power Animals, Totem Animals and Spirit Animals
The use of a totem animal is not part of traditional Wiccan practice. However, as Wicca and other modern Pagan practices evolve and blend together, many people who follow non-mainstream spiritual paths find themselves working with a mix of many different belief systems. A power animal is a spiritual guardian that some people connect with. However, much like other spiritual entities, there's no rule or guideline that says you must have one.
2. Animal Familiars
In some traditions of modern Wicca and Paganism, the concept of an animal familiar is incorporated into practice. Today, a familiar is often defined as an animal with whom we have a magical connection, but in truth, the concept is a bit more complex than this.
The Magical Crystal Ball
The crystal ball glimmered with an iridescence of days of future past. The nearby flickering candles threw shadows of things yet to be upon the orbs crystalline matrix. The prophet, withered and aged, breathed deeply of the smokey air and continued to gaze deeply into the heart of the crystal. Deep within his brain, universal connections that bind us all in a web of wholeness are stimulated by the hypnotic shapes that danced faintly in the ball.
Time and space are one and all information contained within reality are available to those who can master their intellect and allow the stream of information to be downloaded directly into the brain -- bypassing the rational mind that would block anything received through such unconventional methods. The prophet sighs in contentment.
A crystal ball is a crystal or glass ball believed by some people to aid in the performance of clairvoyance. It is sometimes known as ashew stone (or show stone— "shew" is an archaic spelling of "show").
A body of water, either in a container or on the ground, used for this purpose, is called a scrying pool.
The Magical Crystal Ball
Use the magic of the crystal ball to predict your future.
Art of scrying
Main articles: Scrying and Crystal gazing
The art or process of "seeing" is known as "scrying", whereby images are claimed to be seen in crystals, or other media such as water, and are interpreted as meaningful information. The "information" gleaned then is used to make important decisions in one's life (i.e. love, marriage, finances, travel, business, etc.).[1]
By contrast, some professed seers say that they do not actually see images in the crystal itself, but rather that the featureless interior of the stone facilitates them in clearing their mind of distractions so that future truths or events will become known to them.[2]
When the technique of scrying is used with crystals, or any transparent body, it is known as crystallomancy or crystal gazing.
The Blessing Moon
July's full moon is known as the Blessing Moon, although it's also called the Meadow Moon. July was originally called Quintilus, but was later renamed in honor of Julius Caesar.
Also Known As: Meadow Moon
To celebrate the Blessing Moon, Willow's coven did a ritual invoking Venus.
Suggested Reading
Making a Living, Making a Life
Here we go again -- it's a crescendo of the ongoing cosmic big squeeze, and with very active, cardinal forces. The Full Moon is at 20 degrees Capricorn on July 12th at 7:25 am EDT.
There's raw, instigating Aries and Mars energy, but the tones belted out in this opera of change come from deep soulful repositories and concern the big questions. A peak of theCapricorn instinct, with the Full Moon, spins around themes of life's work and/or calling.
Full Moon in Capricorn Motif: Deep embodiment, celebrating the sensual, the power of the rooted, investing in what's worthy, demonstrating mastery, dignity, enduring and worldly. Light shines on areas of life's work, mentoring, authority, legacy, lineage, natural law, maturation, traditions. This is serious moonlight for epiphanies about the most longed-for aspirations, which are often ones that take time and effort over many years.
Grand Cross!
The angles to the luminaries (Sun and Moon) foretell a mortal struggle to persevere through the crisis of growth. All four elements are in full force. A grand cross is when the four (chart) corners are activated in a powerful tension.
There's agitating pressure from all sides. And huge rewards and leaps if you dig down deep, and find hidden reserves of strength . Your character is fortified by creatively adapting to the demands of the times. Full Moons are revelatory -- what will be revealed?
By being alert and active in the current ordeals of your life, there's light at the end of the Full Moon tunnel. The Capricorn Moon is imbued with Pluto's near-supernatural knowing, for potential clear seeing into the shadowy terrain. What's standing out here, is that it's one to lift out buried treasures within. And to unlock hidden pockets of pure creativity and vitality.
The overall forecast is for firming up resolve, and growing in your personal authenticity. In a time of flabby integrity, the one that is determined to live their values, knows true personal power.
Capricorn's ruler Saturn looms large in the Capricorn Full Moon chart with a trine to the Sun (Cancer). And there's a close-enough bouncing off to Jupiter, also in Cancer. All this hints at a cosmic conspiracy, to firm up your emotional authenticity factor, as a way of moving forward.
There's a whole lot going on here at the Full Moon. But one stand-out, is the support for those that put in sincere effort, and push through inner and outer resistance. And using your various intelligences, especially emotional and practical knowing of what's being experienced "on the ground."
Authority, Authorize, "To Grow"
Capricorn is a cardinal sign, making it all about inventiveness, high impact doings, and the drive to initiate. Capricorn is an earth sign, with an emphasis on the tangible, stable, secure; it inspires resourcefulness, ambition, conservation and patience.
Which house does Capricorn fall in your birth chart? Read your Capricorn Full Moon forecast by house (life sphere).
(Capricorn) is the sign of climbing mountains, and being dedicated to what matters deeply. At the Full Moon, we're drawn into the karma-heavy, rich, musty, earthy caves of the planetary past -- and can find the wisdom of the ages there.
The Cancer-Capricorn opposition blends two signs that draw in what they need, and fiercely resist what they don't want. Both can appear to brood and go deep within, only to end up surrounding themselves with emotional and material structures that are built to last.This Full Moon can root you in the home of the Self and surrounds, where you take stock of what you've got, and what you need. Capricorn is tough love personified, where no means no. And yes is deep commitment.
The Full Moon in this wise old sign takes us to the depths and the peaks. It's a particular kind of sight, one where you might get the thousand yard stare. You're watching with a knowing that includes the intellect, but is so much more.
What's Illuminated?: Earth moving; setting corner stones; plans to flourish; strategy for sustenance into the future; taking control; personal authority; honoring commitments; dedication to what's most valued.
With the Moon in a wide orb merging to Pluto in pre-historic Capricorn, there is a call of the ancients. The instincts of the indigenous soul beat strongly. Tune into something timeless -- deeper and more powerful than the overlay or virtual anxieties of our age. The Capricorn message is to find power in the rich archives of the human story.
A Light On
Mead Moon, Blessing Moon, Full Hay Moon, Lightning Moon, Full Thunder Moon (big storms). Also known as the Full Buck Moon, since it's when new antlers grow out on young bucks, with a coating of velvety fur.
When the Moon is full in Capricorn, the Sun is in the opposite sign of Cancer.
More on the Capricorn Full Moon http://astrology.about.com/od/themoon/a/FullMoonCap.htm
Benevolent Outcomes
I am so pleased to announce I have completed the first draft of my manuscript A Seeker's Quest - a guide to working witchy magick and preparing the submission letter to send to the Acquisition Editor for publication.
A Seeker's Quest is possibly the closest a reader will come to viewing my personal 'Book of Shadows'. A Book of Shadows or grimoire, is a handwritten collection of Witch's rites and practices that have been collected.
I like to sit under an oak tree that is at least 50 years old to take a moment and remember every step it took me to bring the book to reality.
I walk across the hay fields toward the oak tree in a remote part of the family farm to request the most benevolent outcome for my book 'A Seeker's Quest' - a guide to working witchy magick.
This is a request I say to my Spirit Guide for a desired outcome, and then I thank my Guide for their support. I have asked for benevolent outcomes for each of the three books with signed contracts, so I know it works.
Start requesting benevolent outcomes and experience situations going better than you can expect.
"May I have the most benevolent outcome for__________________, thank you."
But that's entirely up to you!
Smiles & Sunshine:)
Midsummer, Litha
MIDSUMMER, LITHA near June 21 – the Sun, stops its climb, is stationary, and then changes direction. This marks the point of year when the Sun is symbolically at the height of its powers. Summer Solstice earth experiences the longest day of the year.
OAK TREE – The oak tree is sacred to the Celts. They celebrated the eight pagan festivals among the knowing trees. They are said to have conducted their practices in the sacred groves, the most important being summer solstice.
THE APPLE – The fruit represents Apple Land, or Avalon, a place where women can learn from the Divine to be true to what's important in life. The skin of the apple represents earth's circle. Inside is a five-pointed star – a witch dancing in the cosmic force.
The apple is ruled by the love planet Venus, and can be used to predict matters of the heart.
Turn the stem of an apple requesting knowledge. With each turn recite the letters of the alphabet to know the initial of an intended suitor. Peel the skin off saying the abc, allowing the peel drop to reinforce the answer given.
Hold apple seeds in your left hand and recite the name of a suitor for each seed, and then toss them into the flames. The seed that pops the loudest is the suitor whose heart burned the most for them.
The answer given should either reinforce your choice or give you the knowledge that someone better suited would be coming in to your life.
PROPHETIC DREAMS – to foretell or foresee future events while sleeping
Dreams are a way the Divine Powers use to tell you what path to follow.
Perhaps the greatest gift a dream can give is to reveal where you need to heal so you can attain a healthier lifestyle, and certainly a healthier relationship. If you resolve and release the emotional issue, you'll lessen the chances of having to deal with it again in a future relationship.
I recommend writing down what you dream when you wake up first thing in the morning.
Gather mistletoe on Midsummer and sleep under your pillow to gain divine inspiration.
As long as mistletoe continues to grow at the foot of the mighty oak the tree will never die. The mistletoe is harvested at the exact moment of Summer Solstice, when the power of protection is at its fullest.
Lay two acorns out in the Sun's first light to be blessed. Around noon drop the acorns together into a bowl filled with fresh rain water. If the two acorns float together your mate is true to you. If the acorns drift apart there is someone more suited for you.
Thank you for coming to my site.
Wiccans and Pagans have an animal companion that they consider their familiar. A familiar is part of the family.
A familiar is often defined as an animal with whom we have a magical connection. If an animal has appeared in your life unexpectedly -- such as a stray cat that appears regularly, for instance -- it's possible that the animal may have been drawn to you magickally!
Paranormal, Magic & Realism -
*** If you would like to share your Altar photos, be sure to go to Pagan Altars Around the World! Post your photos and lend magickal inspiration to everyone!


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Jeff Weaver has agreed to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a minor league deal that includes an invitation to spring training.
Weaver went 6-4 with a 3.65 ERA in 28 games for the Dodgers last year. The 33-year-old right-hander is 99-118 with a 4.67 ERA in 312 career games over 10 seasons.
Weaver was born in Northridge and played college ball at Fresno State. His brother, Jered, plays for the Los Angeles Angels.
The Dodgers would give Weaver an $800,000, one-year contract if he's added to the 40-man roster under the terms of Tuesday's deal, and he would be able to earn $100,000 in performance bonuses.


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Metaverse Law, a solo practice founded by Lily Li, focuses exclusively on privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity law. Based in the heart of Southern California, Metaverse Law assists companies in the high-tech, digital marketing, healthcare, and e-commerce industries with their privacy and data security obligations. Even while emerging technologies and new data protection laws increase the complexity of our clients' compliance obligations, Metaverse Law emphasizes practical solutions for today's online businesses.
- Call Us : (949) 329-3460
- Email Us: firstname.lastname@example.com
Practical Solutions for Protecting Your Privacy


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The last time I flew, in the summer to San Diego, there was a bunch of turbulence.
So while I'm having the panic attacks and near nervous break down, I drew goofy trees on the barf bags so it wasn't obvious that I might need them...the one on the bottom, which is hard to see I know, is an cool idea. A tree that's roots crawl down into the water and become tentacles like and octopus. Can't wait to design that one!


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Our Partners
Sail Scotland works with a number of partner organisations, funders, and sponsors in order to deliver marketing activities which grow the sailing and marine tourism sector in Scotland.
Funding Partners
HIE is the Scottish Government's economic and community development agency for the highlands & islands. HIE's role and responsibilities are focused on helping hHIE is the Scottish Government's economic and community development agency for the highlands & islands. HIE's role and responsibilities are focused on helping high growth businesses and improving regional competiteveness.igh growth businesses and improving regional competiteveness.
SDI's aim is to encourage growth of the Scottish economy by encouraging inward investment and helping Scottish companies to compete in overseas markets.
VisitScotland, the national tourism organisation for Scotland, has as its main aim to contribute significantly to the advancement of Scottish tourism by giving it a real presence in the global marketplace and benefiting the whole of Scotland.
Sponsor Partners
MalinWaters is the consumer brand of the Sail West Project. It is a unique marine leisure and tourism initiative, part financed by the European Union.
Scottish Canals look after the waterways and canals within Scotland, conserving them as part of our heritage, and transforming them to play a vital role in Scotland today.
Scotland's Boat Show is now regarded as the 3rd largest boat show in the UK, with over 12,000 visitors from all over the UK & Europe expected to attend in 2014.
Associate Parnters
PFM Pictures offers digital photography and multimedia solutions. Marc Turner specialises in Marine photography while maintaining a strong presence within the media industry.


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Books, CDs, Videos & more
Day1 host Peter Wallace's new book on the emotions of Jesus is, according to Marcus Borg, "An illuminating and powerful personal meditation." Ideal for personal or group study.
I had news recently of the death of a friend's brother-in-law. He was a 60-year old Viet Nam War vet, a man possessed by the demons of war, until he was finally released in death. The last several decades of his life were filled with midnight terrors and round-the-clock attempts at self-medication. As I wrote his family, I prayed that his wounded life might be resurrected in the healing of God's ultimate grace. There are increasing numbers of haunted souls like him, each in need of healing.Read full transcript...
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2018 Festival of Homiletics
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May 21-25, 2018
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Michael Bloodwell Pens New Murder Mystery, THE TRENCH COAT KILLER
In his engaging new thriller, "The Trench Coat Killer" (published by AuthorHouse), author Michael Bloodwell pens an engaging murder mystery about a ruthless serial killer disrupting a small town in Indiana.
Something is happening in the community of Blackford, Ind. that no one expected. Not just death, but brutal killings - and the criminals are still out there. At the same time, mysterious strangers renovate an old house and are welcomed to the neighborhood. Now the people of Blackford are beginning to wonder if there is a connection between all of these strange events. They wonder who will survive the Trench Coat Killer?
Written with a unique style, "The Trench Coat Killer" is sure to keep readers guessing about what might happen next.
An excerpt from "The Trench Coast Killer":
"Closer now, steps away from this thing; this walking blur of evil closes the distance. I could only make out a long cape or coat trailing behind. Like an explosion of pure energy, my body responds to what my brain was commanding it to do. I feel my feet pounding the street with the same tempo as my racing heart. Now I know I need to run harder and faster."
"The Trench Coat Killer"
By Michael Bloodwell
Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 108 pages | ISBN 9781477288658
Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 108 pages | ISBN 9781477288672
E-Book | 108 pages | ISBN 9781477288665
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Michael Bloodwell was born in Cincinnati, later moving to Indiana in 1985. Since that time he has been exploring the small towns as well as the rural areas that make up the Hoosier state. Writing is his lifelong passion and he finds excitement in developing new ideas as well as telling the story from a perspective he hopes is new and different for his readers.
AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industry's only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrated 15 years of service to authors in Sept. 2011.For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.com or call 1-888-519-5121. For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter.


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The Introduction to Java training course provides students with a foundational knowledge of the Java platform and Java language required to build stand-alone Java applications. This course assumes students have a background in another object-oriented programming language, such as SmallTalk, C++, or C#.
The Introduction to Java course prepares students to take the Oracle Certified Java Associate and Oracle Certified Java Programmer exams.
Course Summary
Hands-on training is customized, instructor-led training with an in-depth presentation of a technology and its concepts, featuring such topics as Java, OOAD, and Open Source.
- What is Java?
- Creating a stand-alone Java application
- Parsing and processing files using java.io and regular expressions
What You'll Learn
In the Introduction to Java training course, you'll learn:
- What is Java
- Understanding the Java platform (JRE)
- Understanding the Java Development Kit (JDK)
- Java the programming language
- Using Eclipse for Java development
- Introduction to OO in Java
- Creating well-formed objects
- Basic Java Syntax
- Class structure
- Data types
- Operators
- Flow control
- Arrays
- Variable argument methods
- Object Inheritance in Java
- Packages and access modifiers
- Subclasses
- Interfaces
- Functional interfaces
- Default methods
- Abstract classes
- Polymorphism
- Creating Enumerations
- Using Lambdas
- Static Class Design
- Understanding static (class) versus instance (object) design
- Creating static variables
- Creating static methods
- Creating static initializers
- Working with Java Exceptions
- What is an Exception?
- RunTime v. Application Exceptions
- Writing code to handle exceptions
- Creating your own Exception types
- Optional References
- Working with the Logging library
- What is the logging library
- Configuring the logger
- Using a logger
- Logging exceptions
- Working with Collections
- Understanding the collection types
- Choosing List, Set, or Map
- Creating type-safe collections with Generics
- Ordering, Searching, and Converting Collections
- Working with Text
- Processing with StringBuilder and StringBuffer
- Formatting with java.text
- Resource bundles and properties
- Internationalization
- Working with I/O
- Understanding the difference between java.io and java.nio
- Implementing File I/O using java.nio.file.File and java.nio.file.Path
- Advanced I/O with Serialization and data input/output streams
- Implications of using java.io on other operating systems
- Introduction to Java Platform APIs
- java.lang and java.math
- java.time
- java.net
- Threading with java.lang APIs
- What is a Thread
- Creating and controlling Threads
- Preventing data corruption
- Determining Thread's state
- Working with stack traces
- Advanced Java Threads
- Unit Testing and Automated Builds
- Working with Annotations
- Unit Testing with JUnit
- Automated builds with Ant and Maven
Meet Your Instructor
- Kelby Zorgdrager
Kelby Zorgdrager's expertise in Java, Open Source, and software development have allowed him to be a guest speaker at JavaOne, Java University, Comdex, IEEE Software Conference, and the Colorado Software Summit.
Kelby has also served as a guest author for both IBM and Sun/Oracle's developer sites. Furthering his passion to help people learn, Kelby served as a technical editor for the bestselling book, Advanced Java: How to Program,...Simon
Simon has over 15 years of experience defining, developing, and delivering software development training programs.
As a senior instructor and courseware developer for Sun Microsystems, Simon developed and delivered Java training courses for Sun Educational Services' internal and external customers. While at Sun, he was a guest presenter at JavaOne, Java University, and other software trade shows. Simon's most significant accolade was his work as the development lead in the design, development,...Michael
Michael is a practicing software developer, course developer, and trainer with DevelopIntelligence. For the majority of his career, Michael has designed and implemented large-scale, enterprise-grade, Java-based applications at major telecommunications and Internet companies, such as Level3 Communications, US West/Qwest/Century Link, Orbitz, and others.
Michael has a passion for learning new technologies, patterns, and paradigms (or, he has a tendency to get bored or disappointed with current ones)....Jeremy
Jeremy is a technology enthusiast who loves exploring, learning, and creating new technologies. One of his earliest programming feats – at eight years old – was modifying the game "Nibbles," written in Basic, to be multiplayer so he and his neighbor could play together. Since then, he has continually experimented with any interesting new technology, never backing down from a challenge.
He played an instrumental role in building CARad, a software listing tool that was...Daniel
Daniel has been a self-employed developer, teacher and speaker for private businesses, education and government entities since 1999. Daniel also actively teaches programming for the University of New Mexico Continuing Education.
Daniel is a Pomodoro Technique practitioner, and co-founder of the Albuquerque Java User's Group in Albuquerque, New Mexico. When he's not supporting other local Java developers, Daniel spends most of his waking hours developing in and around the Java ecosystem, encompassing...Jean
Jean brings years of development experience into her teaching, making the learning experience practical for her students. Originally a Smalltalk developer, Jean has an expansive knowledge of object-oriented (OO) development, analysis, and design. Jean has worked in every stage of the software development process for a variety of businesses – from small non-profits, to government agencies, to global enterprises.
Jean was also one of the top instructors at Sun Microsystems in North America and Europe....Anil
Anil is a seasoned software engineer with over 16 years of Java development experience.
Anil started his career as a Unix programmer, slinging C-code, writing shell scripts, and teaching others how to use Unix back when Unix was still a toddler. Anil's expertise in Unix, C, and C++ allowed him to become a member of Technical Staff at ATT / Bell labs. During his tenure at Bell Labs, Anil led the creation of software tools that simulated network traffic, in particular, cellular...Michael
Michael owns and operates Inkling Research, a consulting group of technical specialists. His work experience includes systems administration, application and operating system development, and the design and deployment of several network and storage-based systems. Michael is a seasoned instructor with 18 years experience in training, course development, mentoring, and practice management. His educational credentials include a B.A. from UC Davis, an M.A from Kent State University, and doctoral coursework at Claremont...Marnie
Marnie brings 15 years of experience delivering programming related training. During that time she has taught for top-technology companies including: Sun (and later Oracle) certified Java classes, RedHat Certified JBoss administration courses, Spring Source Certified Spring and Hibernate courses. Her classes have run the gamut from introduction to programming classes to Java EE web services and much of the Java EE stack in between.
She has a passion for teaching, which is evident in her presentations and...Peter
Peter is a Senior Java Developer / Architect / Manager with over 20 years of experience in the analysis, design, and development of computer systems, including 20 years of experience architecting and delivering web-based IT solutions. Peter manages and leads an experienced team of Java and object-oriented programming specialists that provide a wide range of technical services. Peter founded Java Enterprise Solutions in 1998 after working for Sun Microsystems advancing Java and Java technologies. While at...


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Amazon rival 'jets' into gear
There's a new player in town (think a mix of Amazon and Costco). Jet.com is a brand new ecommerce site, which opened online to the public on Tuesday.
The website works with a one-time annual fee and boasts lower prices than Amazon. After a free three-month trial, a Jet membership will cost you $49.99 a year, half of the annual cost of Amazon Prime.
In an interview with CNBC, Jet co-founder and CEO Marc Lore explained the premise behind Jet.com:
Lore said that all the household essential products you will get in one to two days, and everything else you'll get in two to five days.
Like a wholesale club like Costco or BJs, Jet.com relies on the $49.99 per year membership fee to save you money. The site also uses its algorithms to recommend the right products to the right person, to get you more of the items you want. It also identifies some items as "smart," which means if the items are purchased together, it will save you even more money. The site is able to do this by shipping these items together.
Want to see exactly how the service works?
So we'd like to know, do you think you'll sign up for Jet.com?
More from AOL.com:
This may be the cutest miniature home in the world
This is what dreams are made of: giant ball pit opens in DC
Brooklyn bar serves up brew with a splash of equality


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There has been a lot of talk recently about HP's withdrawal from the laptop and netbook market. Hewlett Packard has already withdrawn from the tablet market and many are predicting a similar withdrawal from the laptop market. It seems strange to think that the company with the largest market share would consider leaving the marketplace.
Market commentators think that it is far more likely that HP will either continue in the marketplace or sell their brand to another suitor. Therefore it would seem that there is not going to be any let-up in the demand for HP laptop chargers and Compaq Presario laptop adapters.
Hewlett Packard, along with Dell, is one of the few brands that have been equally successful in both the retail and the corporate market. We don't see them going away any time soon. With hugely dominate positions in both the European and American markets, it is hard to see them justifying an exit, with their HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario series also commanding great consumer and brand loyalty. Laptop Power UK is still the on-stop shop for HP laptop screens and HP laptop batteries also.
This entry was posted on Saturday, February 11th, 2012 at 12:21 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed.


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I feel like my whole weekend has been a celebration of Mother's Day, because we've had so many fun things to do. Adam had a performance yesterday at the Conservatory, which was wonderful, and we all had a delicious dinner at my mom's house afterwards. Today we got to enjoy brunch at a French place in Berkeley and then Mom and I visited the Watershed Nursery to stock up on some new plants. I picked out a lot of things for the Woodland Garden, and for the fence that rings our property. Mom got a lot of things for her backyard, which is dominated by California Live Oak trees. Here's a list of what we bought:
Pretty fun, and honestly, the best gift I can imagine - picking out native plants with my mom!
This is going to be a picture heavy post, as I know you want to see the vegetable gardens, and I also have a lot of flowers to show you. I have pretty much completed the switch from winter garden to summer garden; the only thing left to plant is winter squashes, pumpkins, and gourds, and I won't do that for several more weeks. Oh, and sweet potatoes too, I just got my slips started the other day. Anyway, there isn't much yet to see in the veg gardens, as seeds have just been sown, but I'll take you on a virtual tour around the property anyway.
Let's start in front of the house in the Woodland Garden. This is a flower-heavy area, not a lot of food production here, as it's too shady. I did not get my new native plants in yet, but you'll see what's growing now.
From here we can move around to the Understory Garden, which is still fairly new. Every time I'm at a nursery that sells herbs, I buy more to add to these beds, and this is also where the rhubarb is coming up, as well as some annual herbs like cilantro and dill. I think I will put more artichoke plants around this area, in the mulch, next spring.
Next to the Understory Garden is the South Garden, mostly veg production, though we have blueberry bushes against the house where they get morning sun only (as you can see, today was on the cloudy side). This area has been planted with edamame, collards, orach, pole beans, both slicing and pickling cucumbers, romaine, watermelon, and cantaloupe. Strawberries here are in a pallet wall planter. This area is also home to one of our dedicated pollinator gardens, where I do not add mulch (many native bees nest in the soil) and I add seeds constantly.
From there we move East into the Water Feature garden. Our bubbling fountain is repaired, thanks to Tom, and the bees are doing wonderfully. We've had limited asparagus, and I think I may need to add more bare roots next year.
Then we move up to the North Garden, which is a little ahead of the South Garden because it was planted mostly with seedlings rather than seeds. The tomatoes and peppers are all doing wonderfully, the first planting of corn has started to peep up above the soil, there are still potatoes and garlic to harvest from winter, the shallots are still drying on top of the chicken coop, there is fruit on the peach, apple, and plum trees, the fig is growing up, the hops are starting to reach the top of their trellises, and the pollinator garden we have in this area is resplendent with native clarkias and borage.
From this area, you move out to our driveway, to the Parking Strip Garden (not the prettiest name, is it?) where we have blackberries, raspberries, various salvias, and a lot of herbs under the Valley Oak tree. This is also where the Little Free Library will be installed, as soon as we get our registration sign.
We have an intensely busy week coming up, as Kate is performing in the musical Seussical next weekend and this week is full of dress rehearsals, and I'm not sure I'll have much time in the garden - but I am working on a new strip of reclaimed earth between our garage and patio, so I hope to have an update for you about that (and a plan to trellis pumpkins). I am also expecting a shipment of five different kinds of seed potatoes (a pound of each) tomorrow, which I will be planting in extremely large containers. More on that later, as well! Oh, and Dad is making us a new front door! So I hope to have that to show you too.
Hope you're having a wonderful weekend, and getting plenty of time with your mom (or your kids) and maybe even some time outside!


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Ball Safety Systems
Ball Safety Systems – 10' up to 80' High. When you need to insure that no ball makes it out of the field, TFI helps you achieve that goal with our installation of Ball Safety Systems. TFI uses ground sleeves and aluminum uprights to install nets that can reach as high as 80'. We love a challenge, so if you have needs beyond our scope contact us for information.


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Today's Everyday Fashion: Celebrity Look for Less/
I love Alessandra's airport look and gave it a try with what I already have in my closet! Would you wear today's look?
Jacket: Banana Republic, $150
Top: Conversation Pieces c/o, $24
Jeans: AF c/o (similar, similar, similar)
Hat: Gap, $12 (similar, similar)
Boots: Chinese Laundry c/o (same)
Purse: Karen Millen, gift (similar, similar)
Approx. dates: Jacket is 4 years old. Top and purse are 2 years old. Hat is last summer, jeans and boots are this winter.


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Squirrel Steals Man's GoPro To Film Its Life In The Trees
Fact: wild squirrels are extremely fidgety filmmakers. Thanks to some clever trickery by YouTube user Viva Frei, who attached a piece of bread to a GoPro as bait, a hungry squirrel was convinced to make off with the lightweight action camera, where it then shot an impromptu video of its squirrelly adventures among the trees.
While this cute little rodent eventually dropped the camera from the tree to the ground after eating the bread, Viva Frei was not quite as lucky when he tried to pull off the same stunt a few days later with another squirrel that decided to leave his camera on the tree, forcing him to get his friend Warren to retrieve it by climbing the darn tree. Squirrels sure learn fast!
More info: Viva Frei (h/t: kotaku, tastefullyoffensive)
Squirrel strutting near GoPro
What is this? Squirrel seems very interested in GoPro
Squirrel takes the GoPro and runs off to the tree. Such a view!
Watch the full videos below:
58KviewsShare on Facebook


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Jharoka Cafe
URBN Headquaters, 1501 S 16th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146
parking »
Hosted By: Joe Scorese
Event Features:
Business Networking
Come out and join the Philly Biz Connects meetings that are designed to help all types of business professionals meet other professionals to exchange information and warm leads to assist in growing their businesses. The focus of the HAPCO Connects meeting is NETWORKING to meet other like-minded professionals in all types of businesses. Our intention is that you create and build relationships which could give you the potential increase your business and the business of others. Jharoka Caf? (Navy Yard ? South Philadelphia) Located in Building 543, Jharoka serves great food and beverages to the Navy Yard. #networking #networkingphiladelphia #businessphiladelphia #philadelphiaprofessionals
More Info:
Search For: Parking, Banks/ATM, Gas, Other
You must Login or Create an Account to View/Participate in MixerChat™.


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MERIAN Berlin
Wonderful courtyard - The entrance is to fly: Owner Ulf Acksel has turned an ordinary entrance gate into a stylish entrance with chandeliers and fish tanks in the side wall. [...] Also the rooms are a surprise: They are all different and appealingly decorated. Many rooms have a kitchen and a dining table which is perfect for longer stays. Most definitely my favorite hotel in the capital. (page 162)


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2015 has been a crazy big year for me. I feel like I've accomplished so much in such a short amount of time and it actually blows my mind. Has 2015 gone by really quickly for anyone else or was it just me?
A lot of major life changing things happened to me over the past year so I thought I would break down my top ten best memories of 2015.
1. Seeing my dad
I've seen my dad twice in the past 15 years and this past summer I got to spend two weeks with him and my step mom. It was so lovely getting to show them around where I grew up in Nova Scotia and share these special bonding moments with them both. They're two of my favourite people and having proper family with me for that amount of time made me feel whole.
2. Watching my brother get married
The reason I got to see my dad was because my brother married his fiancé Elizabeth. I got to be a witness at the wedding and it was such a beautiful ceremony. One of my favourite parts was just the amount of happiness that filled the area that day.
3. Moving to British Columbia
This was probably the biggest moment of the year for me. I decided I needed a change so I moved to BC. I've always thought of BC as a dream destination and a goal, so achieving that was really big for me. I packed up my car and my cat and drove three days to get to Kelowna, and I'm so happy I came out here.
4. Spending time with Lori
As most of you know Lori is a mother to me and I love her with all my heart. She flew out to Kelowna to help me get set up. Spending a few days with her decorating my place and adventuring around my new home was so much fun.
5. Christmas 2015
These past few days have been really amazing. I spent Christmas with my friends Anita and Kristie and it was high five worthy. We drank a lot, ate a lot, laughed a lot, and just had some really great friendship bonding moments. Plus Anita gave me a beautiful meditation pillow that I'm obsessed with.
6. Camping with Achilles
This past summer I spent some time camping in the wilderness with my friend Achilles. This was one of the highlights of my summer and it was such a nice time to get away from Thompson where I was living. The time we spent out there was a nice refresher of how we should live our lives and who should be included in it.
Achilles and I woke up super early one morning to watch the sun rise and it was one of the most magical moments of my life. It started a burning desire in my soul to see more things and more places.
7. Starting this blog
This space on the internet has become a second home for me. I feel safe and comfortable when I write here and it's what I look forward to after a long week of work. This blog has become such an important part of my life and it's opening so many doors for me. I can't wait to see what the future holds!
8. I properly quit smoking
I've struggled on and off for years to quit smoking. I've gone months but as soon as stress came into my life I turned to smoking to calm me down. I've finally grown out of that habit and I couldn't be more proud of myself.
9. I've rid the negative in my life
For the past little while I have been really focusing on having positive people in my life that matter to me. I'm over having proximity friends, or friends that are not a good influence in my life. I've surrounded myself with people who have dreams and desires and who can talk about life. These people inspire me to be a better person and to live my life to the best of my ability. It's empowering to surround yourself with only good people.
10. I found myself
This year I spent a lot of time alone thinking about what I want in my life. Being single has really shown me what I want in life and in a future relationship. This year I grew as a person inside and I've started to find who I really am. The person I am becoming makes me excited and scared at the same time.
I have so many goals I want to achieve and dreams I want to turn into reality. I'm finally proud of myself and who I am and for the longest time during an extreme emotionless time of my life I never thought I would get here.
2015 has been a huge year and probably one of the best years of my life. I know next year there will be some ups and some downs. I will falter but I will not fall. 2016 will be my year and I can't wait to write another list of 10 things in a years time to see how different they are.
What was your favourite moment of 2015?
We didn't realize we were making memories, we were just having fun.


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Listing ID: k195
Bedrooms: 8
Size: 400 sqm
Land/Garden: 3 Hectares
Annex: Outbuilding
Electricity: Yes
Water: Yes
Gas: No
Condition: Partially restored
This partially restored house with private church has had the major structural work completed, including reconstruction of all walls, underpinning, reroofing with insulation, concrete interior and exterior flooring, new stairways and doorways. .
There is room for 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms on the first floor, together with a further guest double bedroom apartment downstairs
There is also an outbuilding providing more potential living area.
There is over 3 hectares of land with the house, including a good area of reasonably flat land to allow for easy installation of a pool and ample garden. The land has a few olive trees, but further landscaping with mature plants would also be possible.
Electricity and water are on site.


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It's summer. And I'm a college student. And because of this combination, my brain has automatically been programmed to believe that I have a free pass to do whatever I want. Sure, I work 40 hours a week and take a night class, but everyday when I get home from work I get to reward myself with the next 8 hours of anything I think sounds good, right? Trust me, it sounds a lot more logical after a day of placating angry customers and repeatedly running up 3 flights of stairs in a pencil skirt and heels (not recommended) in order to serve people who open their door half dressed (I suppose that just comes with working at a hotel… but really.)
Well, this is essentially the mindset that I've gotten into this summer and I'm going to give you a wild guess at how well this has turned out for me. On a positive note – I found out that I don't have Lymes disease or low iron – but on the other side of that, I guess I have nothing to blame my crabbiness on now. Darn it. I feel like a lot of young college students can get into that habit of seeing summer as a "time off" from the normal responsibilities of life. College is a unique time in life and one that I know will never come again, but I've realized that summer is not a "time off" from working on my spiritual life, or my intellectual life, or my emotional or physical health. Yet, that is what I have found myself doing.
As an introverted phlegmatic, I've found that a particular weakness of mine is slothfulness. I can seriously be downright lazy sometimes. Also, it probably doesn't help that I've now perfected my "sloth (as in the animal) pose". It's quite comfy. I've noticed though that being lazy doesn't only affect me and my personal goals for my life, but it affects the people around me. When I want to be lazy I'm not thinking about other people, I'm thinking about myself and my petty worldly desires.
Ultimately, this isn't what I want my summer to be about. I don't want it to be about me, because if I am focused on myself then I lose a ton of ground in my spiritual growth. Instead of remembering my ultimate goal of living a holy life in order to spend eternity with Christ, I get sidetracked and focus on other selfish desires, such as having an (outwardly) put-together life in order to impress other people or seeing how much I can shirk on my responsibilities in order to get the most leisure out of summer. The problem with chasing those selfish desires is that they are easy. And that's why I unfortunately chase them so much of my life. It's easy, but it doesn't make me happy. Good thing I found that out only 11 weeks into summer…
I know college is a time to figure out who I am and who I want to be, and because of that I tend to place the focus on myself a lot. But if I do that, I forget to love. I forget to love Christ. I forget to love those around me. I think I'm loving myself, but the choices I make, if they are done out of laziness or selfish desire, are really hurting me in the long run.
What do you love? Do you love sacrificing your time and energy to make someone else's day? Do you love to stop into Adoration for a few moments to cultivate an intimate friendship with God? Do you love to get home from work, forget about other people and your goal of exercising and eating well and instead watch a movie and eat way more than one serving of chocolate covered acai blueberries)? For me, it depends on the day, but I hope with the few weeks of summer that I have left, I will be able to focus more on Christ and other people and choose love instead of laziness.
Also, for the record, I found out that these so called "blueberries" aren't actual blueberries at all. They're "fruit juice pieces". That shot my whole "attempt-to-convince-myself-that-they-were-actually-healthy" to the ground.
Today, something that I love:


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Leanne's father-daughter first look| A Walnut Grove Wedding, Moorpark, CA
I love it when brides plan beautiful weddings. But any wedding can be beautiful. What makes a bride's wedding truly special are the meaningful details they add to reflect their story. Leanne had such a terrific wedding day. It was a golden California day filled with beautiful dresses, dreamy flowers, rustic furniture, and cafe lights strung through the trees. Doesn't that sound pretty? But you know what's the best? Leanne planned these little moments in her day to express her gratitude to the people she loved most. Gifts, handwritten letters, and time. (Um, do you know how tough it can be to find time on a wedding day? Not easy!)
My favorite moment from Leanne's day was the sweetest first look I've ever seen. It was a beautiful father-daughter first look that had EVERYONE in tears. As Leanne's father waited expectantly in the Walnut Groves, he gasped out loud and began crying as she walked the garden trail to his open arms.
During their brief private time together, Leanne gave her father a (much needed!) hankie that she'd written him a thank you note on. He was beaming as he showed off her thoughtfulness to his friends and family the rest of the day. "She gets it from her mom!" he kept joking as he teared up again. He was deeply touched, which I think was exactly what Leanne wanted.
There was something really special that I was reminded of that day. No matter how busy you are, there's something truly special about letting your loved ones know just how they've impacted your life. It doesn't have to be a father-daughter first look, but when you think of something that tells them how you love them, that's when your wedding day becomes truly beautiful!


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Peggy Pearson: Remembering Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
Artistic Director Peggy Pearson was a longtime friend and colleague of the late, great mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. In 1996, she invited Ms. Lieberson to perform Bach's Cantata BWV 170 ("Vergnügte Ruh', beliebte Seelenlust") with the Greenleaf Chamber Players. The performance was recorded, but that recording was never released to the public. Ms. Lieberson passed away in 2006 at the too-young age of 52, and this year, with permission from the Lieberson estate, Ms. Pearson decided to release the private recording from 1996. The estate and the Greenleaf musicians are graciously allowing us to donate all proceeds from sales of this recording to the Winsor Music education program. We will be releasing the recording at our Thanksgiving Concert on November 30th, when Young Artist Rebecca Printz will be performing the same Cantata BWV 170 with Peggy Pearson, Gabriela Diaz, Shaw Pong Liu, Shira Majoni, Rafael Popper-Keizer, Tony D'Amico, and Peter Sykes. The recording will also be available for digital download on our website.
Peggy shared stories, memories and photographs of Lorraine and this project with us this past week, and it's our privilege to be able to share them with you today.
Tell me about the Greenleaf Chamber Players.
The Greenleaf Chamber Players was a group I started at SUNY Purchase back in the '80s. I had been playing in the Mozart operas that Peter Sellars directed at SUNY Purchase; I was the orchestra manager, and I hired musicians from both Boston and New York to play in the orchestra. I became friends with the assistant director of that festival, who later became the executive director at the Performing Arts Center at SUNY Purchase, and he asked me to form a chamber group. I ran it for about five years, and it was great! I got to hire a good mixture of New York and Boston players: Daniel Phillips and Anna Lim, violins, Lois Martin, viola, Fred Sherry, cello, Jordan Frazier, bass, and Ed Brewer, harpsichord.
Tell me about the circumstances that led to this recording.
It was part of the chamber series there at Purchase in 1997. This was one of two programs that I also performed at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. They were both built around Bach; the first was with Dawn Upshaw, and the second one was with Lorraine. This program had a piece by John Harbison, the Bach cantata BWV 170, a Bach trio sonata, and a piece by Mario Davidovsky. There are two versions of this cantata: the first features the organ, which is more commonly performed. The other, which you hear on our recording, features the oboe d'amore, which I chose because the 92nd Street Y program was an oboe recital.
How did Lorraine get involved with this concert?
I knew her from Emmanuel. She started there as a violist, sang there for a number of years, and she was in Don Giovanni during the festival at SUNY Purchase. I knew her from weekly cantatas at Emmanuel, and I had been on tour with her; we did a production that Craig Smith (Founding Artistic Director of Emmanuel Music) and Peter Sellars put together based on Bach arias and Little Mahagonny by Kurt Weill [The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny]. Lorraine was always incredibly well-prepared; it was exciting, intense, and always a joy working with her.
You said in your liner notes that you feel that this cantata was written for Lorraine's voice and that she's in her element here. Can you elaborate?
This cantata is about sin and our need to renounce sin in order to be at peace with the world. As Ryan Turner (current Artistic Director of Emmanuel Music) says: "The journey begins in a place of true concord, evolving through a statement renouncing the sins against the word of God, and eventually concluding with the believer's desire to die and thus be free of all sin." The cantata is full of repose, anxiety and exuberance — perfect for Lorraine!
What other memories do you have of Lorraine?
There was another tour that we did of two Bach cantatas, 82 and 199 — there were actually two tours of that program. During the second one, she was very sick, and clearly in pain on stage and off. It was heartbreaking to watch. She had to cancel the last few performances because she was in so much pain. I remember going to her hotel and sitting in the lobby for hours, trying to figure out what to write in a note to her, just to tell her how much it meant to have had the opportunity to play with her.
I'm sure that many of Lorraine's fans will be so grateful that you are sharing your memories of her with us as well as this incredible recording. You also shared this picture of you and Lorraine rafting with a group of friends. Could you tell us some of the story behind that photo?
This was from a day trip organized by a friend of Lorraine's, Roger Kaza. He was playing horn in the Boston Symphony at the time, so most of the people in that picture are horn players from the BSO. We could have wiped out the entire horn section on that trip, and we nearly did, too, we tipped over at one point! Roger was sitting in the front of the raft, and he had rigged up a waterproof camera and a wire with a clicker so he could take pictures as we went through the rapids. Of course he aimed for every big hole. When the water goes over a rock there's a "hole" or hydraulic downstream of it — a good place to lose control! Roger was looking for an exciting ride, but it was a little too exciting for my taste: you can see that in all of our faces.
What do you want us to take away from hearing this recording? How do you want Lorraine to be remembered?
A lot of people have an image of Lorraine as being very intense — she worked incredibly hard, and I always had the feeling that she spent most of the day of a performance just getting in the zone and preparing herself, especially once she was sick — but I also remember her as fun loving and exuberant. She had a cackle of a laugh that you could hear four blocks away. I took her to our house at the end of Duxbury beach one September, and I have a lasting image of her body-surfing in the ocean after a storm — I like to remember her glee and laughter as we went crashing into the shore.


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Rug Care
Rug care and the maintenance is one of the essential things that every rug owner should value. Always inspect your rug for the obvious wear and tear that storage, moths, sunlight, padding, vacuuming, and sweeping your rug cause. Inspect your rug as you would anything else. If you see discoloration perhaps it's the over exposure to light or your rug is in a damp place. If you see loose fibers or holes, simply give us a call (972)733-0400, and we will inspect it further.
So what does this all mean exactly?
Wear and Tear
As you use your Persian rug, wear and tear is inevitable. You can greatly reduce the amount of wear and tear your rug receives, though. Rotate your rug on a periodic basis, especially if it is in an area that receives a high amount of foot traffic. It is recommended that you rotate the position of your rug every one to two tears.
Your rug may also have indentations in its pile from being placed underneath furniture for long periods of time. To fix this, try the following: brush any indentation (crushed pile) in the same direction as that of your rugs' pile using a soft-bristled brush. Use a spray bottle to lightly moisten the area with distilled water and brush the pile again in the opposite direction. In time, the pile should return to its original shape. Ensure the area is completely dry before placing any objects on top of your rug.
Never store your rug in a damp, non-ventilated space. Dampness will cause mildew and dry rot in Persian/Oriental rugs. To store your rug, vacuum it well on both sides, then roll it up in the direction of the pile. Your rug has a smooth pile direction (light side) and a rough pile direction (dark side). You should roll the rug from the dark side into the rough. This way, you will have no crushed pile ridges in the rug when you take it out of storage. Next, wrap the rug in a breathable cover (an old bed sheet works well). Never use cellophane or plastic. Better still, call us at (972) 733-0400 and we will be happy to prepare your rugs for shipment or a long, safe storage.
Moths will lay their eggs in the pile of a rug and larvae will eat away at the beauty of your investment. Look for small, golden colored flying moths about a third of an inch in length. These moths, known as webbing or cloth moths, are the most dangerous to your rugs and other items made of natural fibers (especially wool!). They like dark, undisturbed areas, such as areas behind sofas and large furniture. These areas are the most vulnerable and should frequently be checked on for moth growth. For information on preventing moths in your home, read our moth prevention blog post. If you believe your rug is showing signs of moth damage, please call us.
Long-term direct sunlight will permanently fade the dyes used in your Oriental rug. If direct sunlight cannot be helped, rotate your rug frequently or consider a window tint or shades to limit the amount of direct sunlight that your rug receives. Sunlight is most damaging when air humidity is low. In Texas, because our humidity is relatively high, the most damaging time of year for rugs that are in areas that receive direct sunlight is in early spring and early winter. Simply remember to regularly rotate those rugs in heavy sunlight areas to prevent permanent damage.
Rug Pads
At Behnam Rugs, we simply cannot say enough about the crucial need for proper rug pads. Rug padding should be under all of your handmade rugs, whether they lay upon hard surfaces or on carpeting. First and foremost, proper padding will prevent the rug from slipping, which can easily result in injury. For your own sake, it is safer to take this precaution. Additionally, proper rug pads will add many years of life to your rug by eliminating those waves and wrinkles that in time will turn into tears and splits. Each floor requires a different rug pad. At Behnam Rugs we can show you the different rug pads that goes with different floor types.
Over the years, we have used and evaluated dozens of different rug padding materials. We can assure our customers that we carry the best padding for their needs. The cost is nominal and your rugs will thank you. For information on rug padding installation, take a look at our rug installation services or call us for more information.
Vacuuming and Sweeping
Sweeping your rug with a broom, in the direction of the pile, loosens ingrained dirt and residue. It also grooms your rug by removing shed wool fibers from the pile. Do not be alarmed as a wool, hand knotted rug will shed, especially when it is new. This is simply the nature of the rug. We recommend sweeping your rug regularly over vacuuming, as sweeping is an excellent way to maintain the cleanliness of your rug without risking accidental damage.
At Behnam Rugs, we do not suggest vacuuming Persian Rugs using your average vacuum. These vacuums are a little too strong for Persian rugs, and could potentially damage the fibers of your rug. Instead, we recommend using a lightweight vacuum. A light vacuuming, once over is plenty. Take extra care not to vacuum your rug's fringes and side binding, as these parts may get caught in the brush's mechanism and get torn. We recommend that you use a hand brush to groom the fringes. The original fringe of a rug is the most vulnerable area for damage. If your rug's fringe has been damaged, we can certainly repair it, however, prevention is the best form of rug care.


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DrKW CIO, blogger, social software enthusiast, and true subversive JP Rangaswami just put up a great post in which he lists the most common ways in which enterprises try to discount or distance themselves from Enterprise 2.0. One of them is the threat of dumbing down, which was the subject of my last post here.
JP, to my great relief, agrees with most of what I had to say. He also dissects the reasons that the 'dumbing down' reasoning is off base. Here are few of his thoughts:
"As the boundaries between different disciplines continue to blur, expertise has new connotations. At least one of which is Trusted Advisor, Recommender-Worth-Listening-To."
"While each subcommunity is characterised by having a core, a moderator, a 1000lb gorilla, don't make the mistake of believing that this core is incredibly tiny and therefore easy to manipulate. Just not true."
"Games and humour and satire are pretty normal ways of working out how new forms of communication work, how they can add value. But soon they grow up."
The whole post has much more good stuff, and is highly coherent. Give it a read.
JP's business-side colleague Darren Lennard, who I interviewed for my DrKW case studies, emailed to swap observations about how employees were using Enterprise 2.0 tools to collaborate. He liked the fact that I quoted Jefferson, talked about his fondness for Hume and Smith, and wrote:
The Rangaswami + Lennard combination helped me realize that transparency/disclosure is not just a necessary precondition to collaboration; it's a form of collaboration. I started this blog in order to get my ideas out there. It's done that, but more importantly it's also helped me learn what other ideas are out there, and who's having them. I've found things out via comments, trackbacks, referrals, introductions, and emails from out of the blue.
Some of this, I'm sure, was jumpstarted by my article in Sloan Management Review, but it takes nothing away from that publication to say that the article alone wouldn't have generated nearly as much interaction as article + blog has. Making thoughts more transparent by putting them up on an online platform has led directly to further thinking. And even though I haven't included an anyone-can-edit technology (like a wiki) on my platform, I definitely feel like it's been the base for a lot of my recent collaborations.
So we shouldn't get too upset if our companies' first wikis don't gain huge and immediate traction, or if the first employee blogs aren't swamped with comments. There are many ways for these technologies to be used, and to be valuable. If they do nothing else they'll contribute to the conversation, a tremendously important form of discourse that the British political philosopher Michael Oakeshott described perfectly as "an endless unrehearsed intellectual adventure in which, in imagination, we enter a variety of modes of understanding the world and ourselves and are not disconcerted by the differences or dismayed by the inconclusiveness of it all."
What could be better?


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"The Big Bang Theory," CBS's enormously successful sitcom, will finish its 12-season run in May, Warner Bros. announced on Wednesday.
The series will clock in at 279 episodes, a total that Warner Bros., which produces the show, said would make it the longest-running multicamera comedy in TV history. "Cheers" had 275 episodes when it ended its storied run on NBC in 1993.
The sitcom, created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady and starring Jim Parsons as one of the socially awkward scientists navigating life at a university, debuted in September 2007. Consistently one of the most watched television shows, it has been nominated for 52 Emmy Awards, winning 10. Mr. Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper, a brilliant, abrasive and hopelessly dorky physicist, has won the Emmy for best actor in a comedy four times.
The loss of "The Big Bang Theory" will be a major blow to CBS. The show has long been an anchor for the network and is, by far, its highest-rated series in the prized 18-to-49-year-old demographic. With the network's chief executive, Leslie Moonves, under an internal investigation for past workplace misconduct, the loss of a reliable viewer favorite will only add to the air of uncertainty at the network.
"'The Big Bang Theory' has been the defining comedy of its generation," Kelly Kahl, the president of CBS Entertainment, said in a statement on Wednesday.
In the most recent TV season, the series was the No. 3-rated entertainment network show among adults under 50, behind only "This Is Us" and "Roseanne."
The end-of-an-era feeling may be even more pronounced once "The Big Bang Theory" signs off. In recent years, few comedies have had the kind of blockbuster ratings success that the show has enjoyed, and many TV executives wonder if any show can ever come close to those heights again.
Newer comedy hits like FX's "Atlanta" or NBC's "The Good Place," while critically lauded and loved by their viewers, draw a fraction of the audience of "The Big Bang Theory." Last season, "The Big Bang Theory" averaged nearly 15 million viewers a week, compared with the 5.7 million who watched "The Good Place," according to Nielsen's delayed-viewing data.
CBS does air a successful spinoff, "Young Sheldon," about a younger version of the character played by Mr. Parsons growing up in East Texas in the 1980s. "Young Sheldon" rated among the top 10 entertainment shows this season and drew more than 13 million viewers an episode, according to Nielsen's delayed-viewing data.
But the end of "The Big Bang Theory" has been coming for some time. Shortly before "Young Sheldon" debuted last year, Mr. Parsons — who provides voice-over narration in the spinoff — said he was hopeful that the show would do well so he could keep Sheldon Cooper in his life.
"I know how hard it will be to end this job of playing this character, and this is going to be a nice way for me to deal with it," Mr. Parsons told The New York Times last year. "Hopefully it won't feel as much deathlike when that day comes."
The final season of "The Big Bang Theory" will begin on Sept. 24, a Monday. The show will then take over its regular 8 p.m. slot on Thursdays.


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Home > Campaigns and Our Work > Habitat Projects > Soft Rock Cliffs
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Life on the edge
Coastal soft rock cliffs are some of the most spectacular, but neglected, wildlife habitats in the UK. They are home to bees, butterflies and other incredible invertebrates such as the handsome Cliff tiger beetle (Cylindera germanica). Soft cliffs provide these small animals with food, shelter, and places to nest. They thrive in a place that's being constantly eroded by the sea and weather – they love living life on the edge.
What is a soft rock cliff?
Coastal soft cliffs are sea cliffs in rocks that are poorly resistant to the natural processes of erosion that shape our coasts. Britain has very varied geology along its coast. Soft cliffs are formed of relatively easily eroded rocks such as clays, friable sands, and glacial deposits, contrasting with much more resistant 'hard' rocks. The cliffs are subject to frequent slumps and landslips caused by erosion by the sea at the base, and erosion above by the rain, storms, and groundwater seeping through the cliff. Soft cliffs erode more quickly than hard cliffs and are often sloped or terraced rather than vertical like many hard rock cliffs. In the UK Soft cliffs are concentrated in England and Wales, and are among the best in Europe.
Why are soft cliffs important for invertebrates?
Coastal soft cliffs are some of the most natural habitats in the UK. The natural process of erosion helps to maintain ideal conditions for many rare insects and other invertebrates. At least 28 rare species are only found on coastal soft cliffs in the UK. In total there are at least 100 invertebrate species that are either wholly or partly dependent on this scarce habitat for their survival.The specialist invertebrates of soft cliffs are fascinating as they seem to thrive upon a habitat in constant state of flux. Continuous natural erosion creates bare ground which is colonised by wildflowers.
Solitary bees and wasps burrow into the bare soft cliff faces to make their nests in great numbers. Newly created bare ground provides ideal hunting grounds for some predatory ground beetles such as the Cliff comber beetle (Nebria livida). Warm basking areas allow some warmth-loving species to remain active on cooler days. The wildflowers that colonise bare ground provide nectar sources for bees and wasps.
Wetter parts of the cliff slope where freshwater seeps onto the cliff slope can support small ponds and reedbeds, these are home to animals with an aquatic stage in their life cycle such as water beetles, soldierflies, and craneflies. The wet areas also provide mud for some bees and wasps to construct nests.
The features that make soft cliffs so attractive for wildlife such as bare ground and rich diversity of wildflowers were once common in the wider countryside. Over time our changing management of the countryside has resulted in these wildlife-rich habitats being lost. Soft cliffs are some of the last refuges for animals such as the Long-horned mining bee (Eucera longicornis) which were once more common and widespread.
Soft cliffs under threat
Coastal soft cliffs have been a very neglected wildlife habitat, and much of the UK resource has already been altered or lost behind coastal protection schemes, or degraded through inappropriate management.
In their natural state soft cliffs do not require any management to maintain their wildlife riches. The natural processes of erosion that shape the soft cliffs and maintain the important habitats such as bare ground and pioneer plant communities must be allowed to continue to function naturally. If these processes are prevented or reduced through cliff protection then local extinctions of specialised invertebrates will follow.
Soft cliff habitat can also be damaged through insensitive cliff top management and artificial drainage. Climate change also poses a threat to soft cliffs and their invertebrate riches.
What are Buglife doing?
Buglife, funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, ran a three year project aiming to: discover just how important soft rock cliffs are for invertebrates in the UK and how to safeguard these rare habitats and their invertebrate inhabitants for the future.
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