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Here's a few stories of how my little words of encouragement have made an impact on others.
I have a coworker who is the most helpful and positive person I have ever had the pleasure of working with. He tells everyone they're doing a good job and that he appreciates that they are there. Sometimes he said it so much I thought he was being sarcastic but no. He is a genuinely nice and kind person. I tried to keep up with him and letting people know how much I appreciated them being there helping with whatever project we had to complete. Some just smiled and said thank you and some were completely surprised that someone noticed the hard work they put into their tasks.
I wrote six thank you letters. Yes, wrote them. I used a pen, bought some thank you cads, and even snail mailed the envelope. Emails are great but nothing says appreciation like a handwritten note. Four out of those six called me to express their gratitude, and that was an awesome feeling.
So, I wrote on here to give a homeless man some food and water but I kind of went a different route because he already had his coffee in front of him. My friend and I went to a local coffee car orders and sat down, this man over heard us talking and joined in on the conversation. After talking for a bit, he told us he was homeless. We sat there for a minute because it was such an abrupt comment, and we had never encountered that situation before. We moved onto his travels as a homeless man and he was very knowledgeable of survival techniques, hitch hiking, and loving his life to get where he needed to be. After a while, we needed to leave so we thanked him for talking to us and he seemed so grateful to have a conversation with someone willing to talk. We didn't need to give him anything except for a little bit of our time.
As promised, I have a few more to add onto your list of acts of kindness.
Day 16: Bring treats to the office for everyone to share
Day 17: Call your grandpa or aunt; someone you haven't spoken with in a while.
Day 18: Go out of your way to make a new friend. (i.e. Sit with them at lunch)
Day 19: Tip your server... Generously.
Day 20: Babysit or petsit for no charge
Day 21: Donate to a good cause.
Day 22: Compliment a stranger.
Day 23: Run an errand for someone or go with them.
Day 24: If you see some trash, pick it up. Don't want for someone else to do it.
Day 25: Help someone carry their bags
Day 26: Hug someone that looks like they need it.
Day 27: Put extra change in a meter or vending machine
Day 28: Donate blood or your hair.
Day 29: Clean off the counter


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The Eurostars Oasis Plaza is located right on the seafront, on the large beach of Figueira da Foz in the area known as Ponto do Galante. In front of the Oasis Plaza you will find the lake and circular oasis from which the hotel takes its name. Located 46 km from Coimbra and halfway between Porto and Lisbon, Figueira is the main tourist destination in the central area of Portugal.
During the summer period, Figueira attracts many visitors from Coimbra, from other areas of Portugal and nearby areas of Spain, especially Extremadura, Madrid and Castilla y León. The area of Figueira is the point where the River Mondego meets the Atlantic.

subset: commoncrawl


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The first impression of Punjab one gets is that of a land pulsating with prosperity. The plains of Punjab, with their fertile soil and abundant water supply, are naturally suited to be the breadbasket for India. The land of Punjab is a land of exciting culture, myriad images of swaying emerald green fields and hearty people whose robust rustic ways of camaraderie and bonhomie are very much a part of their heritage.
The state has achieved tremendous growth over the years due to the success of the Green Revolution in the early 70s. For a major period in the second half of the 20th century, Punjab led the other states in India to achieve self-sufficiency in crop production. The other major reason for the prosperity of the state are the great number of people who left their home for the countries in Europe and North America and, after long struggles, achieved successes there.
The people of the state are hard working and take life as it comes. Music and dance is in their blood and that is reflected in the Bhangra beats that are famous all over the world today.
Punjab is bounded on the west by Pakistan, on the north by Jammu and Kashmir, on the northeast by Himachal Pradesh and on the south by Haryana and Rajasthan. Punjab extends from the latitudes 29.30° North to 32.32° North and longitudes 73.55° East to 76.50° East.
Due to the presence of a large number of rivers, most of the Punjab is a fertile plain. Tributaries of the rivers Indus, Ravi, Sutlej, Beas, and Ghaggar flow towards the southeast crossing the entire state. There are many sub-tributaries of these rivers that provide a base for the most extensive canal system in India.
The southeast region of the state is semi-arid and gradually presents a desert landscape. A belt of undulating hills extends along the northeastern part of the state at the foot of the Himalayas.
The history of Punjab is as old as the history of the Indian Civilization. The land of five rivers, this state was known as Panchal when the Aryans came to India in the third millennium BC. before that, the whole region of the Sindhu (Indus) and its tributaries were inhibited by the Harappans or the people of Copper age who constructed great cities in this region. Ropar in modern Punjab is a great example of this civilization. The Harappan culture declined suddenly between 1800-1700 BC and its end is as puzzling as its beginning. After the decline of the Harappans, Aryans from Central Asia ventured into this land and made this their home.
Punjab was the first place on the Indian subcontinent where the Aryans actually decided to settle after a long period of grazing and fighting with the aboriginal communities. This was the place where later parts of the Rgveda and other Vedas were written. This was also the place where first war for the control of entire north India or Aryawart (as it was known in those days) was fought between the Aryans and non-Aryans, known as Dasragya War (war of 10 kings).
Draupadi, wife of the Pandava princes in Mahabharat, was the princess of Panchal though her father fought in the war of Mahabharat against the Pandavas. When the Aryans finally settled down in India, the region came under the rulers of Magadh kingdom in the last century BC.
Punjab always had a strategic importance due to its position on the famous Grand Trunk Road that connected the eastern parts of India to the extreme northwest point of Taxila (now in Afghanistan). This road was first constructed by Ashoka to have a better administration of the northwestern frontier, which was always a problem. After the decline of the Mauryan Empire, the Indo Greeks, Guptas, and Vardhans ruled this region in succession. After the coming of Muslims in the 9th-10th century AD, the region became an integral part of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire. It was also under the Maratha rule for some time.
After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the most prominent ruler in this land was Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19th century. After the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikhs could not hold on to their territory for long and the British controlled most of the region either directly or through the princely states.
The Partition of India in 1947 was a turning point for this state. Most of the Muslim dominated areas went out with Pakistan; while the Sikh and Hindu dominated areas remained with India. Lakhs of people were killed in the mayhem that engulfed in this region in the wake of the Partition. After independence, a new state of Punjab was created with modern day Haryana and Himachal Pradesh being a part of this state.
Fairs & Festivals
The festivals in Punjab have always been celebrated with much exuberance and fanfare. For the masses these festivals are popular occasions for social interaction and enjoyment.
Punjab being a predominantly agricultural state that prides itself on its food grain production, it is little wonder that its most significant festival is Baisakhi, which marks the arrival of the harvesting season. For the Sikhs, Baisakhi has a special significance because on this day in 1699, their tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh organized the Order of the Khalsa.
The Gurpurab festival is celebrated by the Sikhs to express their reverence for their gurus. Two major Gurpurabs are celebrated during the year. The first in the month of Kartik (Oct-Nov) to celebrate the teachings of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, and the second in the month of Pausa (December-January) to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Govind Singh. On all Gurpurabs, non-stop recital of the granth sahib and religious discourses are held. Langars (free meals) are served to all without distinction of caste or creed.
A day after Holi, the Sikh community in Punjab observes Holla Mohalla with thousands of devout Sikhs gathering at Anandpur Sahib-where Guru Gobind Singh was baptized-to participate in the grand fair of Holla Mohalla. The whole place wears a festive look and processions are taken out and the people participate in the festivities with gaiety and fervor.
Tika is celebrated in the month of Kartik (Oct-Nov.) one day after Diwali. Women put a tika of saffron and rice grains on the foreheads of their brothers, to protect them from evil.
Like most other festivals of Punjab, Lohri too is a festival related to the seasons. Celebrated in the month of Pausa (December-January), it marks the end of the winter season. A huge bonfire is made in every house and the fire god is worshipped.
Teej heralds the onset of Sawan (monsoon), which is essential for the agricultural prosperity of the state. Dressed in all their finery, with menndi on their hands, the womenfolk converge to welcome the rains and pray for the long life of their husbands.
Best Time to Visit
The state has three major seasons i.e. summer, monsoon, and winter. Summer remains in the state from April to June and the heat is unbearable at that time. Monsoon touches this state in the month of July and remain in action till September. Most of the rainfall in the state occurs during this season only. The annual average rainfall is 770 mm. winter comes in October and remains till March and extreme cold can be experienced at this time.
How to Reach
BY AIR -Chandigarh and Amritsar both have airports are connected to other cities in India by regular flights. Indian airlines do have regular flights from Chandigarh to Delhi, Lucknow, Leh, and Amritsar. Jet air also has regular flights to Chandigarh.
BY RAIL -Punjab is extensively linked to the other parts of the country by rail. Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Pathankot, and Jalandhar are the major railway hubs in the state from where one can take trains for most parts of the country.
BY ROAD -The entire state is connected through an extensive network of medalled roads. State Highways connect major cities to the state capital. NH 1 or the Grand Trunk Road connects the state with most of the north as well as east India. Other National Highways that pass through the state are NH 15, 19, 20, 21, and 1A.
Tourist Attractions
The most important tourist center in the state is Amritsar with its Golden Temple. This temple is considered to be the holiest of all the pilgrimages of Sikhism and houses Akal Takht, the supreme governing body of Sikhism. The Jalianwallah Bagh is a small park in the city where many pilgrims were massacred by the British police in the year 1919.
Wagah is the only open land point between India and Pakistan. The Changing of Guards and the ceremonial lowering of the flags ceremony at sundown are great tourist attractions and have their own symbolic importance.
Ludhiana is famous for its hosiery and woolen goods and products from Ludhiana are exported all over the world. For its production of hosiery, Ludhiana is also known as the Manchester of India. It also boasts of the world famous Punjab Agricultural University, which organizes the Kisan Mela every Year. Nearby is Killa Raipur, which is famous for its Rural Olympics.
Patiala is famous for its healthy food, loving people, wonderful parandaas, exciting Patiala peg and jootis. Easily accessible and well maintained, Patiala is a place that would give one the much-needed tranquility far from urban chaos. The Sports School and the Moti Bagh Palace are some of the places that one must visit to get a clear picture of the past of the state.
If Varanasi symbolizes the spirit of ancient India, then Chandigarh is its city of 'today'. It is the capital of both Punjab and Haryana. The city is considered to be a Mecca of modern architecture and planning all over the world. What makes Chandigarh extraordinary is the fact that within four decades, a barren landscape has been transformed into a modern and model human habitation. The making of a new city is like inventing a new tomorrow. And Chandigarh succeeds in ushering in a new dawn. The major attractions of this city are the Capitol Complex, Secretariat, Assembly, High Court, Open Hand, City Beautiful, Garden City, Piazza, Tower of Shadows, Geometric Hill, Martyr's Memorial, Sukhna Lake, Rock Garden, Leisure Valley, Rose Garden, Garden of Tranquility, Garden of Rare Plants, Garden of Annuals, Bougainvillea Garden, Botanical Garden, Garden of Aromatic Plants, Government Museum and Art Gallery, Museum of Evolution of Life, and International Dolls Museum.
Jalandhar is an ancient city but not much of its evidence is left now. Today, it is a major rail and road junction and an army cantonment.
The Yadavendra Gardens 24 kilometers on the Shimla road at Pinjore has charming Mughal style terraced lawns, flower beds, fountains, water channels and airy pavilions enclosed by high walls swathed in the mauve and magenta bougainvillea.
An ancient Indus Valley settlement was found near Ropar, which was also the meeting place of Punjab's legendary Maharajah Ranjit Singh and Lord William Bentick on October 31, 1831.


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Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Reformation Day!
Anyway, my sister-in-law sent me this youtube video about Luther. Click on this link to watch your official Reformation Day entertainment.
The Reformation Polka
The especially funny part is what Elise said. She came up and sat on my lap just as the video was starting. If you have already watched it, you know that it starts with a cartoon drawing of the exterior door of a church and an organ playing "A Mighty Fortress." Elise has never actually been to a church service - she just goes in the backdoor and down the stairs to the nursery and yet, when she saw the cartoon drawing and heard the music she said, "That's church!" I'd say Reformed is in her blood!
Enjoy your Reformation Day!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Another birthday post
And just so there's a picture in this post:
We always put up streamers in the hallway on someone's birthday. Even Sarah still enjoys it.
Happy 5th Birthday, Rebecca!
Becca was born at 4:45 p.m. on October 28, 2003 and she weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces. She was 20 inches long. The funniest thing about her birth is that the umbilical cord was wrapped around her in several very odd ways, around her neck, through her legs, around her waist, over her shoulder, and on and on. Ed says the doctor put Becca down on the table, grabbed the loose end of the cord and yanked. Ed says Becca just flopped around on the table like a little fish until the cord was all unwound. I didn't see it, but it sounds very funny to me...a little horrible for a newborn, but also very funny.
She was also born with a strange birth mark. I had noticed that there was something in her hair, which was pretty dark even then. There was this spot of hair on her head that had something white in it and I kept trying to scrub it out. I finally took a closer look and discovered that all the hairs coming out of the nickel-sized spot on her head were completely white hairs! The doctor said that it's basically the "opposite of a birth mark" - no pigmentation there, so all the hairs are white. My mom calls it "natural highlights". But, now her hair is so thick, you don't see the white strands very often - you really have to look for them all in there, but they are still there!
Her name...Rebecca was Ed's favorite girl name of all time. I was absolutely dead-set against it for both Sarah & Bethany and until about 3 weeks before Becca was born. We were all set to go with another name, but then I suddenly couldn't handle that name any more, so I told Ed that we could go with Rebecca if he REALLY wanted to and if we spelled it the American way and if we called her Becca and not Becky. (The reason I didn't want the name was because when I was teaching I had a student named Rebekah who was absolutely one of the most difficult children I had ever met. I eventually realized that I couldn't remember what she looked like anymore and that my new association with that name would change all my feelings.) Anyway, Ed said YES! and that's where her first name came from. Her middle name, Lily, is from Matthew 6 where it talks about the lilies of the field in the "do not worry" passage. While I was pregnant with Becca, Ed's mom became sick with brain cancer and it was a very stressful time in our lives. I'm sure that's part of why my pregnancy was so difficult - I was so stressed. Anyway, Matthew 6 had become a regular part of my Bible reading, so I wanted a constant reminder of that and so we used Lily as Becca's middle name.
We kind of wanted Lily as her first name originally, but if you shorten Lily, it becomes Lil' and then her name would be Lil' Ball. Yeah. Not so good.
Becca was a good baby, yet always made sure that her presence was known. From a very early age she was the drama queen, always making everyone laugh with her expressions - both of word and of face - and loving all the attention. Here are a couple of my favorite Becca stories:
When Becca was about 2 1/2, she was being very mean to her sisters and taunting them. I told her that she needed to be nice to her sisters and that Jesus wants us to be nice and he loves it when we're nice to each other. She promptly replied, "Is JESUS gonna spank me?"
When Becca was almost 3, she was not quite potty-trained. I was trying every method in the book to get that child to use the potty. It was frustrating because I knew she COULD, she just WOULDN'T. So, one time she was sitting on the potty and she wasn't going, even though I knew she had to go and so I tried reverse-psychology. I went on and on about how I didn't really care if she ever used the potty and it didn't really matter and I just went about cleaning the bathroom while we were in there, not really paying any attention to her at all. She just looked at me matter-of-factly, my not-caring having made no difference to her - and said, "Well, why don't you get me off of here then?"
Hm. Why don't I?
She potty-trained the day she turned 3. She said, "It's my birthday and I'm 3 now?" I said, "Yep, you sure are!" and she said, "Okay, then I'll use the potty" and promptly went and did it all by herself and was completely trained from there on out. Let that be a lesson to me as I attempt to "train" Elise...
Oh boy, I know there are many, many more stories...I'm sure a lot of you could even share one yourself! So, if you have a Becca story to share, go ahead and write a comment and share the story that you remember about Becca! Thanks!
You may also view pictures of Becca as she grew up at this web album: Becca through the Years. Enjoy!
Here are a few pictures from the family party this past Sunday. Click here to go to the web album with those photos.
Today is also my Grandma DeJong's 86th birthday! Happy Birthday, Michigan Grandma! It is also my dear friend Tami Rouw Nelson's birthday, so Happy Birthday to you! I tried to call you, but hopefully you were out celebrating!
So, enjoy your October 28 and if you know Becca (or my Grandma or my friend Tami), give thanks for their lives and what they mean to all of us!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Saturday is Family Fun Day!
On Saturday, after chores and instrumental practicing were again completed, we went and took some pictures by the few leaves we have in our yard (yay! no raking here!) and then headed to...
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Caterpillars and Cleaning
Aren't they so cute? I'm talking about my girls here... ;)
Becca & Elise found two of those black & orange fuzzy caterpillars and we spent quite a lot of time letting them crawl around on our hands and curl up whenever they got scared...which, for Elise's caterpillar, was most of the time. She kept trying to unstretch it whenever it curled up, which just made it curl up more. But watching Becca be calm and gentle with her caterpillar gave her some ideas and she finally was able to hold still long enough to let her caterpillar walk around freely on her hand too.
Eventually I made them put the caterpillars into the field behind our house. I promised them God would take care of those caterpillars and that made it OK to leave the caterpillars there. It was a fun afternoon outside, that's for sure!
I've finally finished reading The House That Cleans Itself and I have to say, the woman that wrote the book is a very good writer. She's a novelist, apparently...she writes fiction novels...and I think this book has a bit of fiction in it also. ;) I do think it has some good tips, especially for those organizing-challenged people, but it certainly didn't cure me of my "I love a clean house, but I hate actually cleaning because it's just going to be dirty again" attitude. But you know, I think I need to learn to appreciate the dirt - it means that my house is full of our fabulous children and that we are all living life here together.
Life is dirty.
There. I said it.
(Not sure I can actually accept it, though.)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Interesting things I've read lately...
2. Margaret Wise Brown, author of "Good night Moon" (You know the book...goodnight moon, goodnight cow jumping over the moon, goodnight bears, goodnight chairs....goodnight noises everywhere"?) Anyway, Margaret Wise Brown, at age 42, after having an emergency appendectomy, kicked her leg to show her speedy recovery and consequently died from dislodging a blood clot from the surgery. Freaky. She also willed all the royalties of her books to a friend's son who has squandered almost the entire amount, over $5 million, and been arrested "dozens of times".
That'll teach me to read magazines in the dentist's office.
Oh, and Elise fell out of her toddler bed last night. I'm not sure how or where she landed, since Ed got up with her, but she surely was screaming! She's fine, though. She slept in until 7:30 today!
Sorry - no photos again today...I'll try to work on that for next time. Enjoy your day!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Freaking Out
Because by the time we get Elise through those years, I'm going to be very tired. And hopefully very proud.
Monday, October 20, 2008
My apologies...
But anyway,
for some reason I had it in my head that Ted Danson was a republican. And I was pretty sure I was right!
And Dee was pretty sure that Ted Danson had been married to Whoopi Goldberg.
Turns out we were both wrong...but I was MORE wrong. Ted Danson is not a republican. He supported Clinton...both of them, I think. Ted Danson was not married to Whoopi, but they were "romantically involved".
Anyway, now I have to apologize publically because Dee wrote a blog about all the things she learned at her scrapbooking weekend and she wrote that she learned that Ted Danson is a republican. All because of me.
Read Dee's post here and be sure to know that everything else on her blog is the truth.
At least, I think so. But I'm still pretty tired.
I'm not a baby, I'm a toddwer!
Here she is on her first night sleeping in the toddler bed:
She fell asleep immediately, didn't get up during the night, and slept in later than normal! And now she has done that for THREE nights in a row! We should have gotten her a toddler bed a long time ago, I guess.
We bought it on craigslist - for $20 right here in Everson! Love craigslist!
Now if only she would conquer all those other toddler accomplishments...like no more binky and potty-training...now that would be a celebration!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
And the winner is...
Why dear? Is something amiss?
I reminded him about my experiment (yes, he agreed to it before I started) and he kind of remembered talking about it at some point. So, he's the winner because he actually noticed and cared.
This past Friday - Saturday I had the pleasure of scrapbooking with a bunch of other scrapbooking moms in Bellingham. I left NO CHORES for anyone to do, other than homework and musical instrument practice time. You should have seen this place when I arrived home! I was not crabby about it, since it was part of the experiment and all...but I felt a teensy bit crabby about it. Supposedly Bethany had gotten sick of some of the mess and picked up a bit, and Sarah had decided to surprise me and straighten up Becca's room...but it was pretty much all disaster again by the time I got home.
So we had a little talk about how putting things away when we're done with them and putting things in their place will help everyone and how we must all work together. Then everyone willingly helped clean up the house, which was basically done in about 15 minutes, and we even had time to look at the scrapbook pages I did on my weekend away before the pizza was done baking in the oven. So now, with a new week beginning, I am praying that the little experiment will have at least some effect on how everyone deals with their own belongings...
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Pumpkins and Chalk
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Read the next post first
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The Sound of Music
My house does not, and I don't think it ever will, clean itself.
I think the title is just a gimmick to get people like me who hate to clean to buy the book.
Sure, it has some pretty interesting suggestions on organizing and scheduling your cleaning, but it's pretty much for totally organizing-challenged people...which I am not...at least not most of the time.
One interesting thing it asks the reader to do is to "prayer walk" through your house...kind of like the prayer walks through neighborhoods that some churches do. You're supposed to pray about the room and ask for guidance when organizing and pray for the people that use that room, etc. I haven't tried it yet, but I might.
The author of the book makes another suggestion that I am implementing...and that is to not clean for 3 days.
Can you imagine?
I'm not allowed to do anything cleaning-wise except putting food away and doing the dishes...and that's purely so that food doesn't rot and smell up my house. The author asks you to do this so you can identify "problem areas" in the house and then later figure out how to change the house so that putting things away is easier.
However, I'm doing this because I want to see how long it takes my family to notice. I'll be sure to let you know who notices first, if anyone...maybe I should have a prize for the first one to notice and care and do something about it! Anyone care to wager a guess which of the other four girls or guy in this house it will be?
But anyhoo, the real reason for this blog post is to show you some darn cute videos of my youngest two drama queens. Their favorite song of late is "Do, Re, Mi" from The Sound of Music. I gotta tell ya, Becca gives that cute little Gretl a run for her money. :) Hopefully you have much success watching the videos!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
An update...
Maybe I need to snap my fingers like Mary Poppins...
Or wiggle my nose like Samantha in Bewitched...
Or nod my head like the genie, Jeanie...
I'll let you know how that works out for me. Enjoy your sunny Sunday!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
The house that cleans itself...
Do you think I should read the book now? I suppose then I'd have to do what it says...
Friday, October 10, 2008
Sm' Apples
This morning it is cold and sunny and I am drinking coffee with a turtleneck sweater on...Ed lit the pilot light in the fireplace last night and we had it on for a bit...hmmm...it's all just yummy.
But anyway...apples! This past Tuesday a few friends & I headed out to our local *cheap* apple farm, S'm Apples. It's U-pick apples for 30 cents per pound! What a deal! Jonagolds are their main variety there, though apparently they do have Gala and they are raising Honeycrisp, which will be ready in a few years.
Becca's putting her apples into the bag on the wagon.
Becca & friend Sam running down the road next to the orchard.
And the mud puddles were made for stompin' in!
I picked about 60 pounds of apples in about a half hour - so big and plentiful on the trees! What am I going to do with all those apples you ask? Well, with just a bit of prep, some sugar, cinnamon and heat...I can turn this:
into this
and then this.
Come on over! I'll make you some coffee and if you stay for dinner, you can have some yummy applesauce!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Pumpkins at the Pumpkin Patch
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
School Days
Proud of her artwork!
Last week Bethany was the "VIP" in her classroom. She got to bring pictures and fill out this poster all about herself. She even played a violin solo for her class! The picture is of her doing the "presentation" to her class...telling about all the pictures and reading what she filled out on the poster. She did a great job, but after her presentation her class gets to ask questions and afterwards she was giggling and said to me, "Mom, I was sweating!"
We're so proud of our 5th grader and 3rd grader!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Strong at 60!
We added up all their approximate weights: Elise is 32 + Becca is 47 + Bethany is 60 + Sarah is 85 = 224 pounds! Not bad for 60, Dad! I'm sure I couldn't do it!


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Yesterday was my sister's birthday so we went to a restaurant called 'Casa Bariachi'. This was actually the first time we've ever gone there and it was really fantastic! The decoration is so pretty and colorful, the food was delicious and the service is wonderful, too. And there's usually mariachi there too but we were a bit late so yeah lol… Very recommended if you ever come to Guadalajara! 😉
After that we went home to celebrate with cake but we didn't eat because we were so full from all the food we ate at the restaurant (okay, i ate a small slice but then i wasn't able to sleep all night XD).
You should definitely check out her Chictopia account she has a very cute style 😀
PS: Here's an extra photo of us ha!


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Saturday, November 28, 2009
Go Figure
Estonians have a curious relationship with rules. There are rules most respect (private property) and rules too few respect (traffic laws). Stop signs, yield signs, and traffic lights are all still optional, and entering any intersection you better check twice for the three maniacs who will risk their lives and yours for a chance to squeak through on red. Not yellow or pink. Red.
But there is one law all seem to follow: rail crossing regulations. There may be no train in sight, but Estonians will wait until that flashing red signal turns back to white before they'll cross those tracks. Often, they'll kill their engines, get out and lean against their car doors to enjoy a cigarette. I've sat fifteen minutes with no train in sight, and I've sat even longer when a locomotive was simply idling two hundred meters from the intersection. Since I've got better things to do, but mostly since locomotives can't manage zero to 100 kph in under five seconds, I pull my car out of the line, drive around the barrier, and go merrily on my way. You should see the looks I get.
In my country, at a crossing with visibility of two kilometers in either direction, almost no one would wait on a train which can't be seen. I think we Canadians understand that in a contest between train and car, the train always wins. So is that what's behind Estonians' god-like reverence for the railway crossing? While too few have respect for another car in an intersection, are all in awe of the overwhelming power of a locomotive? Theories, anyone?
Feed Vello at Amazon.com.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Chefs We Dig: Imre Kose
Given the all-consuming quiet caused by the recession, I thought I'd stumbled into a speakeasy in prohibition-era America. Vertigo is not a small restaurant, and conversation and laughter emanated from both of its large dining rooms.
And the chef was in the house. Imre Kose was dashing back and forth from kitchen to dining room, speaking with guests, holding hurried court as chefs do. And his English. Oh, his English. It's hard to pin down an Estonian accent. To me, it seems less an accent and more a brief pause on the way to having no accent whatsoever. But Kose's accent isn't even that. He's somehow made English his own. Perhaps due to a blend of natural charisma and having to be heard over chattering diners, something unique has emerged. Were I Estonia's dictator, I'd send language teachers and academics to study it.
Over a Jack on the rocks I watched a parade of violin-case-packing middle-aged women enter the restaurant. They were either visiting orchestra members with instruments too expensive to check, or they were about to shoot up the place. Later, halfway into a rack of lamb and Imre approached our table: "There's a Filipino woman, part of some orchestra, and I half-jokingly asked her if she wouldn't want to play a song..." And then there she was, violin unsheathed and under her chin, playing for our table. Playing for the restaurant. Playing for Imre.
Recommended (for those like me who seem to dine out once an eternity): Vertigo.
In the Lõõtsa Cathedral
I once read a magazine article instructing what to do if you were dining out wearing khaki pants and inadvertently dripped on your trousers while urinating. Those few drops, the author was convinced, would be spotted by everyone in the restaurant, and as you returned to your table all eyes would turn to you and your crotch. The solution? Turn on the bathroom faucet and throw water all over the front of your pants. Return confidently to your table and lay the blame on water pressure due to faulty plumbing.
This story came to mind recently when I was doing some freelance writing for a client in an office on Lõõtsa street. This is one of those Ülemiste Technopark buildings, beautifully renovated to impart both modern and warm feelings. There's a wonderful cafeteria in the building, too, which looks a lot like some expensive Old Town restaurants. It's an ideal place to grab a bowl of soup and do a little work on the laptop.
The cafeteria bathroom is behind transparent glass, a unisex wonder salon right out of the TV series, Ally McBeal. I always feel a bit uneasy entering these type bathrooms, mostly because I'm unsure of the etiquette. In the men's bathroom things are clear: When possible, put one empty urinal between you and the next guy, and always look straight ahead, as if there were something terribly fascinating on the wall-tiles in front of you. But in an Ally McBeal bathroom in a building clearly representing the best of e-stonia, did that rule hold true? What if I entered and saw a woman washing her hands at the sink? Should I nod hello? Or should I brush brusquely by her and attend to my business? And were the toilet stalls on one side of the room for men and those on the other for women? And if all the toilets were occupied, where should I stand to wait for someone to exit? Would the person exiting expect that subtle nod of recognition or and 'excuse me' muttered under the breath—like on a transatlantic flight—the tacit regulations for two people moving past each other in a crowded space? Or should I wait on the other side of the glass—it was indeed transparent—and wait until a stall became free?
The bathroom, however, was empty. I could hear my footsteps echo off the marble walls. One of the stall doors was open, and I moved quickly to occupy it and finish my business. Exiting the stall, a row of sinks stood in front of me. The place was as empty and peaceful as a church on a weekday, would have been ideal for quiet contemplation, and I paused a moment to appreciate the majesty of this Estonian bathroom. It was nicer even than those which I'd seen in the restaurant Pegasus. This was the cathedral of Estonian toilets.
I placed my hands underneath the faucet. Nothing. I moved them back and forth. Nothing. I moved them in a wider arc. Still nothing. Was the motion sensor broken? Or were the architects of the Lõõtsa toilets having a bit of fun with me? Had they built the most modern and beautiful bathroom in Europe with manual faucets? I reached up and tweaked a knob. No, that was the soap dispenser. But good, I needed soap. There was another strangely shaped object on the wall behind the faucet. Perhaps that was the sensor and I had not passed my hands close enough to it. I moved my hands in every conceivable motion around this silver object. Nothing.
At this point, I began to look around. Partly, it was a subtle cry for help—me hoping to find another human being at a faucet several paces away cheerfully washing her hands. Partly, I was looking around to see if anyone was watching. This was becoming embarrassing. I have a university education and am a member of one of the world's most technologically advanced cultures. How was it that I could not get water from a tap? Perhaps someone had turned off the building's water? But, then, the toilet had flushed.
This was not a completely new experience. Once, while traveling, I stayed in a hotel which had installed the most modern shower facility, and I could not figure out how to operate it. A phone call to the front desk had only complicated things, me having to run from the phone to the bathroom, each time trying to tug the little ring under the tub faucet that the clerk had described. Finally, the hotel dispatched its "engineer" to solve the problem via personal demonstration.
Standing in the Lõõtsa cathedral, there was no one to call. Ekspress Hotline did not deal with these affairs. I was too young to get away with dialing 911, not that they would help. I wondered if I wasn't going to have to leave, soap on my hands, and ask the soup server to show me how to extract water from the tap.
I began to explore the strange button on the wall. It was shaped like an oblong bar of soap, quite beautiful actually. It might have been a control aboard the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise, though there was no Mr. Sulu around to drive it. I pushed it left and right. Nothing. Frustrated, feeling as if I'd spent half the day in this bathroom with only soap on my hands to show for it, I slapped the device hard and water exploded from the tap. The high-pressure stream bounced off the shallow designer-sinks, and the front of my khaki pants were completely soaked with water.
My mind did not immediately revert to the previously mentioned magazine article concerning how to deal with wet pants. Had it, I would have seen that I had bypassed the problem and proceeded directly to the solution of being in the position to blame the faulty plumbing. Rather, I recalled a tasteless joke told after the tragic explosion of the American space shuttle: What were the last words heard aboard the Challenger? "Hey, what's this button for?"
But I'd been as careful as possible. I'd approached the problem from all angles, as methodically as one of the software engineers I was due to meet and write about that day. I felt cheated, the object of a joke. Had there been someone around to laugh at me, I might have even felt better. Instead, I suffered humiliation silently. I cursed the Ally McBeal bathrooms and e-stonia, a nation I deemed so eager to prove its modernity that it would buy any new fangled apparatus from a plumbing salesman in a sharkskin suit.
I removed my coat and folded it over my arm. Carried in front of me, it concealed all. I walked through the cafeteria and back to the office where I was to have my meeting. The software engineer was waiting. "I'll take your coat for you," he said, nodding to a closet.
It was then I thought of the magazine article. I confidently handed the man my coat. As he put it on a hanger I saw him look down. He politely looked away, but it was too late. "You probably need to have someone call the building management," I said with stentorian voice. "The bathroom plumbing downstairs exploded all over me."
"I guess so," he noted, my remark having given him permission to publicly acknowledge the spot covering my fly and half the rest of my trousers. "That happened to me once, too," he said. "Except my girlfriend spilled a drink on me."
"Well, uh, sure," I stammered, stunned by the engineer's perfect manners in putting me at ease, but more so by his explanation for wet trousers, which was far more plausible than what the magazine article offered. Without thinking too much, I lifted my briefcase from the floor, held it directly in front of me, and followed closely behind the man down the hall toward the conference room.
In the News:
Read Baltic news in English daily in The Livonian Chronicle.
Baltic Features reviews Inherit the Family: "Book Him, Vello."
And the end-all-be-all of Christmas gifts here.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
There are periods in a summer's day when entire Old Town cafes are taken over by Americans. As if Baghdad isn't enough, they have to have Tallinn, too. I was there—there being the second floor of the Viru Street Apollo bookstore—one rainy afternoon, when a group of seven American cruiseboat tourists held us all briefly hostage. It might have ended peacefully, but then one of them couldn't find a letter on Apollo's internet keyboard:
"There's no 'W'!" he proclaimed. "How can you have a keyboard with no 'W'?"
The girl working behind the counter kept her cool. She'd clearly been in this situation before.
"Don't you have a 'W' in your language?"
"We have a 'W.' It's there on the keyboard where the 'W' is usually kept."
"Where? I don't see it. And there's no 'at' sign, either!"
"We have both symbols, sir."
From a woman at table nearby: "Hey, I've got 36 pictures on my camera so far!"
A man in a cowboy hat: "Does it rain all the time here?"
"Oh, hell, I give up." The old man at the computer sounded near tears. "This just isn't worth it."
"Let me try, dad." A man in his fifties wearing bright white tennis shoes, crowded in at the keyboard. "Watch me work, pop. It'll be like watching a painter paint."
"Do you take American credit cards?" asked 36 Photos.
An obese man in a baseball cap and Bermuda shorts roamed the café photographing plants. "Hotitye smotrit?" he asked an Estonian, thrusting the camera's display in the man's face. The man worked hard to not look up from his book.
"I like books, too," the photographer said in English. "I've learned a lot from books, believe it or not. And not just technical things." He moved on to another plant and the shutter clicked away.
"Hey, I've got a hundred emails!" announced the white-shoed son. "And they're not all for penis enlargements."
"Have you seen my lens cap?" 36 Photos asked the room. "I was just holding it."
"I've got the exact same telephone you have," said the roaming photographer to a pretty Estonian girl, her mouth full of cake. She nodded in acknowledgement. He moved in to photograph another plant. How many plants were there in this café? I wondered. "Hotitye smotrit?" He held the camera in front of the girl. "No thank you," she replied in English, choking down her cake.
"There it is!" shouted 36 Photos. "It's under that chair."
By this time, every Estonian customer in the café had found a book and all were concentrating deeply on their reading. One elegant elderly man—he could have been Endel Lippmaa's doppelganger—studied Women with unusual intensity. Another pretended to be asleep when the photographer turned toward him. Another pulled his legs to his chest, assuming the fetal position. I wrinkled my brow and squinted deep into my computer screen. The photographer circled, feigned a move into the bookstore, and then pounced.
"Hotitye smotrit?"
He was upon me, and so I gave him my best Borat: "Me little English."
"That wasn't English, little buddy. I was speaking Russian."
"I no understand." This ruse had worked in the past.
"Where you from, pal?"
"Ontario," I fumbled.
"Well, I like your country" he answered. "Seems to rain a lot here, though. See the quality of this camera? That's eight megapixels."
I nodded politely at the camera's resolution. I could see photography was his social icebreaker, much like a Russian might ask for spichki. All around me Estonian eyes peered over the tops of books, not attempting to conceal delight that they hadn't been selected.
"Whaddya do here?" He spoke in a Midwestern vernacular.
"I read."
"Yes, I can see that. What do you do professionally speaking?"
"Me little English," I repeated.
"Look, little buddy, I can see you're reading English on your computer screen. So you must understand something."
I was tempted to break cover and ask him in perfect English if he considered me his little buddy because he weighed three times what I did, or if it was some genetic, hegemonic tendency. But that would have led to me explaining to him where Ontario was, and making a speech about how speaking Russian to Estonians wasn't the most culturally sensitive gesture. Instead, I looked to the Estonians as a model: speak little, be polite. "Yes, me read much good." I put about four 'Rs' in the word read. "Very nice camera. You are rich man."
"Well, photography is just one of my hobbies." There was clear pride in his voice.
"Hey, Dave, now here's a photograph!" called Whiteshoes from the computer. The photographer must have been Dave, because he raced to the terminal.
"Now I've got it!" came the voice of 36 Photos.
To be fair, most Americans who visit Tallinn do not terrorize the local population. The cruisers, in fact, are the top of the tourist food chain, generally highly-educated, wealthy individuals who have often done their reading on the countries they're visiting. They're the kind of tourists Estonia should want to return and spend real time, in a five-star hotel instead of on a cruise boat. But this group who had wandered into Apollo to get out of the rain behaved like certified morons—even if one did know some Russian—and I wondered if they weren't stowaways on the cruise boat, living unobserved on the lower decks where they played dice games and danced on tables with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Fortunately, before I had a chance to ask, they became silent and rose as one, as if pulled by some lunar force, and began to exit the café. Perhaps the stowaways were performing a large-scale Dine and Dash, the time-honored American teenage prank of ordering a big meal and slipping out of the restaurant without paying. But I looked at my watch and it was close to five, so they were more likely slipping out so as not to miss their boat. Despite Dave's obvious knack for plant photography, he probably had a real job waiting for him somewhere in America.
The retreat of the Americans, however, did not bring silence. English was immediately replaced by German. The group of four krauts at a neighboring table easily matched the Americans for volume, but their conversation was limited to their own party, and they made no humanitarian forays to other tables. Since I speak no German, I could only imagine what they were saying:
"I've always thought Euclid was more math journalist than mathematician."
"Ah, yes, but Archimedes, he was the real thing!"
"You both read too much Stephen Hawking. Let me tell you about math…"
Then they all laughed their sophisticated European laughs.
I know it's discriminatory to place Europeans on a higher intellectual plane than Americans. There are dumbasses on every continent and making generalizations will inevitably bite you in the ass. One time, dining with French friends in Paris, an entire restaurant became silent to eavesdrop on one family's conversation. "What's so interesting?" I whispered to my friend. "Does the father work for Sarkozy?" My friend shushed me. Later she explained that the father had chosen the restaurant to announce that he'd been sleeping with his secretary and his wife didn't quite react the way he'd expected, treating the entire dining room to dinner theatre.
I know plenty of bright Americans, genuine intellectuals who can name the countries that border their own, who know that Mexicans don't speak Mexican, and even a few who can credibly hold forth on the Lisbon Treaty. Sadly, this group of cruisers was not the country's greatest ambassadors. It would take years of PR to make up for their damage.
As the Americans neared the exit, the photographer turned to the room once more. "Hey, little buddy!" he shouted. There was no doubt he was talking to me. "You're okay with me, pal. Your country is A-okay."
What do you say to that, a reader may wonder? But I knew exactly what to say. "George Bush!" And I thrust a thumbs-up high into the air. "Hooray, America."
Several of their party returned the thumbs up. The photographer locked his bare, tree-trunk legs, snapped to attention, and threw me a crisp, almost military salute.
As the Americans disappeared down the staircase, the Estonians slowly put down their books. Each looked around and rare eye contact was made. No words were spoken, but it was clear we were now all connected in a special way by the experience. Like those who walk away from a plane crash or successfully flee a burning building, we were bound together for life. We had lived through the Americans. We were survivors.
Read "Ellujääjed" in Postimees. Feed Vello here.
Labels: brand estonia, survivors, tourism, Vello Vikerkaar
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Live Trapping
I don't know if it's because she's a vegetarian, but Liina loves all God's critters. Mice included. Having recently rid ourselves of the cat, we have a mouse who audibly chews paper behind the kitchen garbage can. Liina sent me out to get traps.
It turns out that hiirepüüdmisemasin is not Estonian for mousetrap, but I still got what I needed--and in the process learned that the Russian is мышеловка, a cute little word which sounds very much like what the Russkies would name their nastiest bomb.
But Selver didn't stock the live traps available in Canada (for those who either want to release the mouse elsewhere or not damage his fur for better coat quality), and I brought home the standard wooden traps. Liina refused to allow me to bait them. "But these are 'universe-friendly' traps," I argued, and retreated to my desk to doll them up with a new brand name and slogan, Meet your ancestors.
But Liina still wasn't buying it, and we can still hear the little guy behind the trashcan, making as much noise as a teenager with a bag of Doritos.
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M's Quilting InspirationsJul 25th, 2013 | By admin | Category: Sewing Circle News
If you are ever near Wickenburg Arizona make sure to stop at the cutest Quilt shop… M's Quilting Inspirations. And if you can't get to Arizona you can always shop their online store.
Marilyn Williams owns this magnificent quilt shop, organizes the best classes and somehow still finds time to keep the online store going as well. Her daughter made some of my quilt patterns as store samples and I just had to show them off.
Look at Romancing Red! This is so great!
Ahhhh The Quilters. Probably still my favorite.
Chicken A La Carte. One of my very top sellers ever.
I loved painting this and it is so wonderful to see it as a quilt.
I love donkeys. This painting was so fun to do. Love the quilt as it really looks just like the painting.
3 comments
Leave a comment »
Jeannie Nation
April 13th, 2015 9:43 pm
Hi Debi, I just bought 2 yards of your Marinated Chicken for a curtain in front of my sink. It's beautiful and my son loved it. He lives with me so I had to make sure he liked it. He did!!!
I bought it at JoAnns fabric store. Do you have other designs there?
April 18th, 2015 10:01 am
Hi Jeannie,
I will send you a link for some options to buy that fabric. It is in quilt shops all over as well as JoAnns. I'd love to see a picture of your curtain!
Sherry Tannert
June 6th, 2019 10:40 pm
I just saw Blackbird Jubilee in an old (April 2008) Quilting magazine. I was wondering if you knew where I could find any of this fabric. I was busy working 12 hrs a day so I missed this fabric! And a quilt pattern to, I believe. If you have any idea who would have either one I would be grateful. I am retired now and ready for some quilting! I checked the quilt magazine publisher and could not find anything. Have also looked on ebay. There was one auction that had the particular issue, but you had to buy about 12 or 13 other magazines to get it. Any help would be appreciated. I love your chickens also!!


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|Article number:
|In stock
Our wonderful lip balm contains no paraffin, mineral oils or parabens and does not dry out your lips. This nurturing and protective lip balm with coconut flavour also has cocoa butter, jojoba oil, shea butter and beeswax added as active ingredients. Just lovely lips!
Apply Greenland lip balm to both lips. Spread evenly and apply whenever needed.
Ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Octyldodecanol, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Candelilla Cera (Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax), Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Butter, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Aroma (Flavor), Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Isopropyl Myristate, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Benzyl Benzoate. 98% ingredients of natural origin.
Suitable for vegetarians.
Free of (negative) parabens, paraffin, colorants, gluten, lactose, SLS/SLES, silicons, mineral oils, PEG, phthalates, propylene glycol, formaldehyde, alcohol, microplastics, GMO.


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Batman: Toys, Clothing & More(110)
- Show all
Batman Merchandise
Out of the shadows a Dark Knight rises ? billionaire socialite by day, Caped Crusader by night. He's Batman, and Kohl's is your source for Batman apparel. The whole family can find cool Batman shirts, hats, and much more for that special touch of superhero style. And don't forget to add some cool gadgets to your utility belt with Batman accessories to give that perfect final touch.
And now to the Batcave, Alfred! You may not have a butler or a Batmobile to command, but your home can become your own version of Wayne Manor with Batman decorations. From Batman bedding and linens to kitchen and bath accessories, Kohl's can help make your pad a superhero hangout.
Young Caped Crusaders too can get ready for school with Batman backpacks and school supplies. And when the homework's done and playtime begins, our amazing selection of Batman toys and games will spur their imagination. When the Bat-Signal lights up the Gotham City sky, let your kids answer the call alongside the Dynamic Duo! Batman Funko POPs and action figures are great additions to any adult enthusiast?s collection, too.
Don't tell The Joker or The Penguin, but Kohl's is the place to find all your Batman merchandise. Our prices and selection are the talk of Gotham City. Grab your shopping cart and let the caped crime-fighting adventure begin!


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Sunday, November 13, 2011
BB Dakota Holly Dress $80 from Lori's Shoes!
simple shift dress in a striking color is all you need to dress up a pair of opaque tights and sky-high pumps! Perfect for the holiday season, you can wear it with a little blazer or cardigan, and a small clutch purse for evening. It's $80.00 from Lori's Shoes.


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Raw, adjective: 11. unprocessed or unevaluated: raw data.
Just two more weeks of Tuesdays and Thursdays at Urban Flow before my sweet little September there is over. That would make, um, four classes.
Are you coming? That setting sun in the northwest corner of the studio's gonna be out of control.
Just sayin'.


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Do I Need To Cut Weight For Competition?
Picture by UAEJJF You may have looked at the weight categories for a competition, thinking whether to cut weight or not. Is it really worth it to suffer, or should you just not bother at all? When does a weightcut… Continue Reading


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Hacked Typewriter
Graphic designer Paul Bailey is a recent graduate of Kingston University in London and his portfolio is filled with lots of fun projects including beautifully designed infographics, these fun biscuit stamps, and even an idea for a tribute bell installed outside recently closed pubs. Most interesting to me though was his hacked typewriter. Beginning with the statement, "the beauty of the typewriter is that, unlike its modern counterpart, it cannot be hacked" (which I couldn't locate a source, but sure, I'll roll with it) he set out to redefine the fundamental mechanics of the typewriter resulting in a new interpretation of its core function. Is it useful? Not really. But I find the idea of hacking non-electronic devices to create bizarre new machines really intriguing.


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Specialised Project and Logistics Services
So, you want to ship your commercial goods, out of gauge, difficult oversize equipment or heavy machinery overseas or into Australia?
You can be assured of our professional and reliable service to have your shipments happen on time, on budget and with no hassles!
Questions you can ask us at Specialised Project and Logistics Services…
So what do you look for when hiring a good Freight Forwarder, especially one who specialises in haulage and shipping of machinery and equipment for the mining, agricultural and industrial sectors?
The following are simple guidelines to help you along:
1. What is the Freight Forwarder's experience? Inquire about past clients, what sort of oversize cargo they have handled in the past, and how long they have been doing business. Are they able to handle your job from start to finish with a minimum of stress and maximum efficiency.
2. What size and type of projects is your Freight Forwarder or Project Logistics Services company, comfortable handling? Is your job too small or large for the firm? Freight Forwarders will often have a core business that they are comfortable handling, although some like Specialised Project & Logstics Services have a wealth of experience handling freight of all kinds as well as specialty freight such as oversize cargo for the mining, agricultural and industrial sectors or handling factory installations and removals – whether by road or rail haulage, sea freight or air freight.
3. What services do they offer? This could include ocean freight, air freight, trans shipment services, FCL and LCL cargo, insurance, permits, rolling stock, haulage – can they arrange customs clearance services for you or recommend a reliable customs broker. With regard to transporting heavy machinery and equipment – can they take care of all the details for you with minimum fuss and maximum care.
4. Can the Forwarder arrange insurance and permits for you, if necessary? Insurance is an integral part of shipping freight – especially oversize freight – you need this to protect you and your precious cargo every step of the journey.
5. Does the forwarder have the ability to offer you a range of different solutions for you freight needs? The forwarder should be able to guide you on what routes or specialised services are the best to use for your particular job. If they have the experience you require, you will know that your job is in safe hands.
6. What are their costs and can they work with your budget? Rates will vary among freight forwarders. When dealing with oversize cargo and heavy equipment in particular – it is always wise to remember – you get what you pay for.
When importing or exporting or moving oversize cargo within and to and from Australia, you want everything to run as smoothly as possible. It is vital that the forwarder understands your specific requirements and tailors a logistics service to your own particular needs.
Within Australia, we service all states, New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (Qld), Western Australia (WA), South Australia (SA), Victoria (Vic), Tasmania (Tas), Northern Terrritory (NT) and the ACT. We can run freight services to and from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide, Rockhampton, Geelong, Mackay, Wollongong, Darwin, Gladstone, Townsville, Mt. Isa, Kalgoorlie, Olympic Dam, Port Hedland, Dampier, Parkes and Newcastle to name a few. Please enquire if you have another destination, we service most places within Australia.
Sea and air freight is our specialty. We can arrange the importing or exporting of your cargo to or from the following countries or areas – please enquire if the country you are shipping to or from is not listed below in the footer.


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While Sony is fully into the PlayStation 4 hardware generation, it doesn't mean that the PlayStation 3 isn't getting any love. The Japanese hardware maker just released PS3 system update 4.82 for their last-gen home console. The newly released update is said to improve "the quality of the system performance." That's the same thing the last three patches have said to improve, so it's not exactly the most detailed notes from PlayStation.
Regardless, here are the full PS3 system update 4.82 notes from Sony's official website. Just don't be shocked if you find them underwhelming, as they aren't going into any technical details, or adding any exciting new features (which is to be expected at such a late stage in a console's lifespan):
About PlayStation®3 system software update version 4.82 (including 4.80 and 4.81)
PS3™ system software version 4.82 was released on November 14, 2017. Version 4.82 adds or updates the following features.
New for 4.82
This system software update improves the quality of the system performance.
New for 4.81
This system software update improves the quality of the system performance.
New for 4.80
This system software update improves system performance.
Well, that's certainly not the most detailed patch notes, but it is certainly something. If you come across any new issues or additions thanks to PS3 system update 4.82, make sure to let us know in the comments about them. We'd love to hear what you think about the latest firmware update, and if your PlayStation 3 is running any differently.
Happy with PS3 system update 4.82? Let us know in the comment section below!
[Source: PlayStation]


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Our tour starts with trash...
and moves on to birds. We come across a Blue Footed Booby. These tropical birds got their name because when English Sailors came up to them they showed no fear of humans, making an easy catch. Many a booby ended up in the pot.
We can't seem to escape the presence of trash on this isolated beach.
Plastic is for the birds, literally.
We also managed to husk some coconuts.
Toby scaled a tree.
Ultimately, Henderson Island was amazing.


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January 3, 2017
Members present: Kerry Bumbaugh
Robert Gunder
Edward Wilson arrived at 7:30 pm
Solicitor: Linus Fenicle
1. Meeting of Quincy Township Board of Supervisors was called to order at 7:00 pm. by Supervisor Bumbaugh followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Eight residents, Record herald reporter, Corey Kaiser, Travis Schooley and Yeisson Rodriguez were in attendance.
2. A Gunder/Bumbaugh motion approved keeping the Chairman and Vice Chairman for 2017 the same as last year. Motion carried unanimously.
3. A Gunder/Bumbaugh motion approved Vicki Nunemaker as Secretary/Treasurer and keeping the Bond the same as 2016. Motion carried unanimously.
4. A Gunder/Bumbaugh motion approved Emily Moore as Chairman of the Vacancy Board. Motion carried unanimously.
5. A Gunder/Bumbaugh motion approved keeping the Solicitors the same as 2016. Linus Fenicle is the Township Solicitor, Ed Wine is the Planning Commissioner Solicitor, Jeffrey Evans is the Zoning Hearing Board and the Appeals Board Solicitor and David Rahauser is the Solicitor for the Sewer Authority. Motion carried unanimously.
6. A Gunder/Bumbaugh motion approved reappointing the same Township Engineers which are Martin & Martin for storm water, William F. Brindle Associates for water and Sewage Enforcement Officer which is Jim Maun from Brindle and Associates, Dwayne Delgrande for public sewer and CS Davidson as our Bridge engineer. Motion carried unanimously.
7. A Gunder/Bumbaugh motion approved our residents using Accredited Services and Commonwealth Code for building permits. Motion carried unanimously.
8. A Gunder/Bumbaugh motion approved Accredited Services as the Zoning and Code Enforcement Officials. Motion carried unanimously.
9. A Gunder/Bumbaugh motion approved F & M Trust, BB & T, M & T and PLGIT as the depositories for 2017. Motion carried unanimously.
10. A Gunder/Bumbaugh reaffirmed the employment of the Road master, Programs Coordinator, Road Crew, Sewer & Water Plant Operators, Office Staff and EMAs. Supervisor Bumbaugh and Supervisor Gunder voted yes and Supervisor Wilson abstained from vote due to just arriving at the meeting.
11. The following representatives were approved on a Gunder/Wilson motion to the appropriate Boards:
FCATB & TCC – Bob Gunder and Vicki Nunemaker as Alternate
Vision 2015 – Ed Wilson
COG – Bob Gunder & Kerry Bumbaugh alternate
WIDC – Kerry Bumbaugh & Travis Schooley or Bob Gunder as Alternates
EMA – Kerry with assistance from Shawn Adolini and Joel Oyler
Drug Task Force – Kerry Bumbaugh & Bob Gunder as alternate
Ag Advisory – Bob Gunder and Ed Wilson as Alternate
All Emergency (911, Emergency alliance, burn issues) – Kerry Bumbaugh & Corey Kaiser or Bob Gunder as alternate
Motion carried unanimously.
12. They reaffirmed the Tax Collector rate at 5% on a Gunder/Wilson motion. Motion carried unanimously.
13. A Gunder/Wilson motion approved using the Federal Mileage reimbursement rate for 2017 of 53.5 cents, keeping the same holidays, personal & vacation, Life Insurance & Health/Dental Insurance and reimbursement for expenses for attendance at the County and PSATS Convention (benefits per handbook). Motion carried unanimously.
14. A Gunder/Wilson motion approved our delegates of the Supervisor and Secretary/Treasurer attending the full PSATS conference and employees attending for one day. Also making Vicki Nunemaker the voting delegate and Bob Gunder the alternate for the annual conference. Motion carried unanimously.
15. The minutes of December 22, 2016 were approved as written and the prior month's bills except those paid to the Supervisors on a Gunder/Wilson motion. Supervisor Bumbaugh and Supervisor Gunder voted yes and Supervisor Wilson voted no. Motion carried
16. During the initial public comment, Gwen Gates asked who was preforming the road master duties, since Corey Kaiser's incident. She was informed that Kerry Bumbaugh is the acting road foreman.
17. An update was given on the TCE project. There have been 119 residents in the contaminated area connected by the end of the year. We are looking at being over the grant by approximately $263,775, which is mostly Township manpower and equipment for 2016. We will not have the test results for the well for 4 to 6 weeks. Supervisor Gunder commended Brady Moats for his outstanding job as a plumber and getting all the connections finished by the deadline and working for under the going rate that a plumber gets.
18. The rate of pay for the Township water operators was discussed at this time. Travis Schooley and Yeisson Rodriquez have both received their water license and we now need to set a rate of pay for water operators. A variety of rates were received from different Townships, boroughs and organizations. PSATS $21 to $28 , Washington Twp. $24, Mont Alto $21.85 to $27, Waynesboro Borough $ 21.04 to $24.65, Chambersburg Borough $20.48 to $24.33, Guilford Twp. $24 to $37, Website PA minimum wage $22.95 in 2015 a site for water & wastewater $22.95 in 2015 Occupational handbook $21.53. Supervisor Bumbaugh proposal for Travis Schooley is $22 to $22.50 and for Yeisson Rodriquez is $20 to$21. Supervisor Wilson stated that it needs to be discussed before bringing to a Board meeting and that a pay raise for the water operators is significant considering that they didn't put Corey Kaiser's pay in line with the wage surveys. Yeisson Rodriguez began stating that if they perform well, then he was interrupted by Supervisor Wilson. Supervisor Wilson told Mr. Rodriguez that you don't even want to go down that road. Yeisson Rodriguez said that you are only picking and choosing and Supervisor Wilson started to raise his voice and cut him off. Supervisor Gunder stated that it should be addressed in executive session. Supervisor Wilson believes that there needs to be a discussion before addressing their wages in public. Gwen Gates asked if Ed Wilson was running our water plant, but she was informed that he never was the water plant operator for Quincy Township. He received his license to be a water plant operator while working at the Township, but now works at Washington Township at their wastewater treatment plant. Solicitor believes that this should be discussed in an executive session. Chris Black a resident of the Township believes that we should make sure we have employees that are qualified to operate the water plant so wage is important. Harry Atherton also believed that it should have been placed on the agenda. Corey Kaiser asked if the water plant operators would be using a truck and he was informed that they will have the truck to take home when they are on call. The discussion on the water operator wages was tabled until executive session.
19. A motion for a 1% pay raise for the employees was made by Supervisor Gunder, but died for the lack of a second. A new motion made by Wilson and seconded by Gunder approved a 1.5% COLA for all employees Motion carried unanimously.
20. A Gunder/Wilson motion approved the meeting dates for 2017. Motion carried unanimously.
21. A Gunder/Wilson motion approved Resolution 2017-1, 2017 Fee Schedule with no changes from 2016. Motion carried unanimously.
22. A Gunder/Bumbaugh motion appointed James Bakner for a 4 year term on the Zoning Hearing Board. Motion Carried unanimously.
23. Steve Bakner was appointed for a 5 year term on the Sewer Authority on a Gunder/Bumbaugh motion. Supervisor Gunder and Supervisor Bumbaugh voted yes and Supervisor Wilson voted no. Motion carried.
24. A Gunder/Wilson motion reappointed Richmond Adkins to the Planning Commission. Motion carried unanimously.
25. A Gunder/Wilson motion approved constructing a public water main extension across the Township Park to serve three properties on Creager Road: Vicki Doyle, Matthew Hess's and James Kauffman. The property owners will have to pay to run their laterals and pay full tap fee. This emergency situation arose after the Doyle well went dry during December 2016. Motion carried unanimously.
26. A Gunder/Wilson motion approved The Penn Mar Youth League using the ball fields for practices. Motion carried unanimously.
27. A Gunder/Wilson motion approved the State Salt contract for 2017. Motion carried unanimously.
28. The Quincy Village agreement with the Township for the water softener was discussed. The softener went bad on Thanksgiving Day and the bill to have it repaired was $1400. Quincy Village believes that they should not be responsible for the bill. At the present time the Township provides for the operation and administration of the softener and Quincy Village purchases the salt. The Township water system does not require the softener; however, Quincy Village elected to keep it when the Township assumed operational control. A Wilson/Gunder motion approved having an addendum to the agreement with Quincy Village that we are not responsible for the maintenance on the softener. Motion carried unanimously.
29. During period of public comment, Tammy and Chris Black questioned Supervisor Wilson why he was so quick to give an extra 0.5 % COLA to the employees but not discuss the wage for a water operator. Discussion on the subject went back and forth and Supervisor Wilson told Mrs. Black to go write a letter to the editor like you always do. When questioned more about the amount that would be increased in the budget for raises, Supervisor Wilson stated he didn't know. When resident posed question about Supervisor Wilson wanting to give an additional 0.5 % pay raise to everyone, but opposed pay raise for water operators prior to this, he had no clue what that increase would amount to for the Township. Also other Supervisor informed Mr. Black that we would have to add all of the funds together, because payroll is broken down between different funds and 2% is added in to the budget each year for pay raises. Gwen Gates brought up that it seems like he has a personal conflict with the water operators. Supervisor Wilson commented that he can't say what he wants to say because it is personal. Supervisor Wilson stated that he would give up his salary for next year to pay for the COLA. Supervisor Wilson doesn't get an employee salary; only $2500 paid quarterly to attend to Board business as a Township Supervisor.
30. Lane Carbaugh representing the South Mountain Fire Company asked the Board whether they have looked at the fire contract for them yet. The Board informed Mr. Carbaugh that their meeting with Waynesboro Fire Dept. is later in February.
31. A Bumbaugh/Gunder motion approved an executive session on personnel matters at 8:05pm.
32. The Board reconvened at 8:30 pm stating that a discussion was held on operators and their wages. A Gunder/Wilson motion approved Travis Schooley wage at $22 an hour and Yeisson Rodriguez wage is $20 an hour. Motion carried unanimously.
33. Also the Board had an executive session on Tuesday at 12noon, December 27 on a personnel issue. No action was taken that required Board action.
34. During final public comment, Bill Wilhide asked about Baer Buses on Orphanage Road. He was informed that Mr. Baer has 120 days to liquidate buses. After that time frame, our code enforcement officer will handle the matter.
35. The meeting adjourned at 8:35 pm on a Gunder/Bumbaugh motion.
Home > Meeting Minutes > Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes >


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Radiation Sensor. Simple Design 27
This circuit tells you how much radiation is coming from electric devices. It picks up the AC hum from the surroundings of electric equipment and electric wiring and blinks the LED to show the radiation level. You can also use this to assess the safe distance from Computer radiation.
Continue reading "Radiation Sensor. Simple Design 27"


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For whatever reason, you and your ex weren't destined to be together. Depending on who broke up with whom, your emotions can vary when you discover he's engaged. If you did the breaking up, you might feel relieved and happy that he's found someone with whom he can share his life. On the other hand, if he did the breaking up, you may feel shock and jealousy upon discovering his engagement. Regardless of how you feel, acknowledge the engagement in a way that feels comfortable to you.
Step 1
Think about your purpose in sending congratulations to your ex. Ask yourself if you sincerely want to congratulate him or if you have ulterior motives. Ask yourself if you only want to reopen the lines of communication because you believe he's engaged to the wrong person and you want him back -- particularly now that he's unavailable.
Step 2
Write a short and sweet handwritten note with a message, such as, "Wish you all the best on your pending nuptials. I'm truly happy for you." Or write, "Congratulations, I heard from a mutual friend that you are going to tie the knot. Wish you and your other half the best that life has to offer!" If you are engaged, mention your engagement.
Step 3
Send a greeting card that has congratulations printed on it. If the greeting card has words that express how you feel about the engagement, just sign your name at the bottom. If it's a blank greeting card, write "Congratulations! I wish you the best for the future." A greeting card is a good choice if you don't speak to your ex.
Step 4
Send a message through email or on a social media website. If your ex is on a social media website, just send a short message, such as, "Hey, I heard you are engaged! Congratulations!" If you haven't heard from your ex in a long time: "Hey, I haven't seen you around in awhile. I heard that you were engaged. Just wanted to say I'm happy for you and congratulations."
Step 5
Be prepared that your ex isn't going to respond to your message. He may have no interest in responding to someone from his past, he might feel uncomfortable if he broke up with you or he might still be holding a little grudge if you broke up with him.
Step 6
Congratulate your ex in person. If you are still friends with your ex and it wasn't a bad breakup, this is a good choice. Look your best for a little confidence boost, and if you are nervous, take a deep breath before approaching him to calm your nerves. Avoid showing any signs of jealousy or talking about your failed relationship with him. Tell him how happy you are for him and say congratulations.


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LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Police are investigating an overnight home invasion near UK's campus.
It happened around 2:30 Friday morning on East Maxwell near Rose Street.
The victims told police that a man threw a brick through their second-floor window and climbed up to the apartment.
They say they fought with the intruder before eventually pulling out a gun, which sent the man running.
Police say the victims were able to give them only a limited description of the suspect.


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3 blocks of cooking chocolate (I use Lindt 70%) 250g Pro-Active Margarine Spread 1 cup caster sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 4 large eggs
1 cup SUPER FINE MATZO MEAL
2 bags milk chocolate chips (I use Cadbury)
Preheat oven 160degrees Melt chocolate and margarine in a metal or glass bowl over a simmering pot of water until smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. It is very important you let this cool for 1hr. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Fold in SUPER FINE MATZO MEAL with a wooden spoon. Then add the chocolate chips. scoop into brownie pan – approx 20cm x 30cm – lined with baking paper. Bake for 1hr. Cool for at least 1hr so that the chocolate can solidify. Cut into 3cm cubes after the brownies have cooled. Makes approx 24.


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QuickTech Personal (QT) is a powerful yet easy to use diagnostic utility that allows you to quickly and accurately troubleshoot failures in a PC's major components. QuickTech Personal is a test tool for small office or home use for quick system troubleshooting. It is ideal for determining a course of action to take in resolving a problem. For example, you may have a simple hardware problem that can be repaired without calling a professional technician or taking your system in to your local shop. You can save yourself a lot of money in unnecessary repair cost and reduce system down time.
QuickTech Personal is Ultra-X's introductory level diagnostic package. This package is packed with our professional level testing routines. One of QT many advantages is that it is self-booting. To run the software, simply insert the QT diskette and turn on the computer. The program loads itself before any operating system (e.g., DOS, WIN 9x/ME/2000/XP etc.) is loaded. Thus, QT's tests are conducted without the interference of an operating system or any other programs (TSRs) that may be loaded into memory during the boot sequence (such as expanded/extended memory device drivers, network drivers, various operating system commands, etc.).
Once the program is loaded, you can run a quick system inventory. QuickTech Personal provides quick and accurate diagnostics for your system's motherboard, processor, memory, hard drives, floppy drives, IDE devices, keyboard, monitor and more. The package is designed for quick operation. Once the software is loaded, tests can be run from a pull down menu or run unattended using our automated Burn-In mode. Unlike our Professional package, QuickTech Personal provides a single screen for system inventory and simple scripting. It does not have all of the features that are built into QuickTech Pro such as file saving results capability, network testing, and SCSI support.
Unlike other end user software utilities, QT is a true diagnostic package. When running QT, you will be able to perform a quality level of testing for your system hardware. QT is not a performance measurement package or an optimization utility. It is a hardware testing package that will run your system hardware through vigorous routines to detect failing components. If you are having systems problems and you are not sure if it's your hardware, try QT for yourself. It is easy to use and the results are easy to understand.
This feature packed, easy to use software is an ideal tool for any SOHO (Small office/ home office). If you want to reduce your system troubleshooting costs and you're tired of waiting days to get your system back from your local computer shop, QT gives you all the power you need to perform and fix your own PC problems.
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Tuesday, July 10th @ 7PM - Admin. Council Meeting
Wednesday, July 11th @ 6PM - Zumba at Bellefonte Middle School
Friday, July 13th @ 7PM - International Cuisine Night/Campfire
Sunday, July 15th @ 10AM - Traditional Worship Service
Have a great week!
This week at New Hope UMC 7/9/12posted Jul 8, 2012, 9:43 AM by Google Sites


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Telenova build a telecommunication system of Vitaslim Ltd
On 01.02.2016 Telenova successfully completed the contract with Vitaslim Ltd. – the distributor for Eastern Europe of high quality natural products for health and beauty brand Vitaslim. In the modern newly constructed office of the company in Sofia, technical specialists of Telenova done structured cabling system; supplied and installed of active equipment (servers, routers, switches and WiFi access points); configure a custom server, PC, LAN, VPN and firewall; supplied and installed a modern IP PBX with phones located also in the Romanian office of the company, where also delivered and configured active equipment.
With the successful implementation of the project Telenova solidified their reputation as a leading systems integrator for Bulgaria that implements decisions and in neighboring countries.


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Sarafino, the company that distributes the Olearia San Giorgio Olive Oil that we sell here at Cochran's, is a small importing and distribution company that deals only in natural and uncompromised artisanal products which are true to their origins.
We carry the internationally renowned Olearia San Giorgio Virgin and Extra Virgin Olive Oils and the new Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Read all about the recent Gold Medals our Olive Oil took home.
These products are created on their own family estate.
"We have come to value traditional farming operations that offer personal responsibility for what they create. Our goal is to defend and promote such artisanal practices, and it is exclusively with these types of operations that we do business. We plan to continue on this path and build our reputation as an honest, hard working, genuine food provider with nothing to hide."
- from the Sarafino website
We carry the Olearia San Giorgio line of Olive Oil because we follow the 9 Guidelines for buying Good Olive Oil and want to bring the best quality Olive Oil with the greatest health benefits to our customers.
Today, the oils of Olearia San Giorgio are present in the best national and international restaurants, wine cellars and specialized shops. They have recently received national and international awards and recognition for the quality of their oils. Read more about the Fazari family, who created the award winning Olearia San Giorgio company in Italy 74 years ago.
Unfortunately, choosing a good Olive Oil is a very complex process and I would suggest doing some further reading. Check out more tips on buying great olive oil from Truth in Olive Oil.
And if you have any questions about authentic Olive Oil, I'd be happy to discuss this with you.
Everyone always looks for the terms Extra Virgin. Unfortunately you cannot trust the term Extra Virgin until you follow the guidelines below:
After identifying all of the above, you can then look for Extra Virgin or Virgin.
Extra Virgin is the highest quality of olive oil - it has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of no more than 0.8 grams per 100 grams (0.8%). Extra virgin olive oil accounts for less than 10% of oil in many producing countries. This oil is typically derived from an unripe olive.
Virgin olive oil which has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 2 grams per 100 grams (2.0%). These olives are more mature and offer more of a sweeter, full bodied taste.
This is a very complex subject and I would suggest doing some further reading.
We carry Olearia San Giorgio Olive Oil products here at Cochran's.
**Most commonly, it seems, extra virgin oil is mixed with a lower grade olive oil, often not from the same country. Sometimes, another vegetable oil such as colza or canola is used. The resulting blend is then chemically coloured, flavoured and deodorised, and sold as extra-virgin to a producer.
The Health Benefits of Olive Oil
So, after last week's newsletter on how to select good or "real" olive oil, I would like to give a brief overview of its health benefits. This is a big subject and I am not an expert. This overview is meant as a starting point. Please do your own follow up reading and research. There appears to be a lot of conclusive finding as well as some speculative conclusions.
Traditionally a low fat diet has been prescribed to prevent various diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. While studies have shown that high fat diets may increase the risk of certain diseases such as cancer and diabetes, it appears that it is the typeof fat that counts rather than the amount of fat. Fat is essential to your health because it supports a number of your body's functions such as cell growth, the regulation of your body temperature, nutrient absorption, energy levels & the production of important hormones. We need fats in our diet. The key is to focus on eating the healthy fats and avoid the unhealthy fats.
Many experts and nutritionists agree that a diet rich in monounsaturated fats such as the ones found in olive oil, nuts and seeds bolsters the immune system, protects against viruses and actually protects from many chronic diseases.
These include: CANCER, HEART DISEASE, OXIDATIVE STRESS, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, DIABETES, OBESITY, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND OSTEOPOROSIS.
Cancer: The phytonutrient in olive oil, oleocanthal, mimics the effect of ibuprofen in reducing inflammation, which can decrease the risk of breast cancer and its recurrence. Squalene and lignans are among the other olive oil components being studied for their possible effects on cancer.
Heart Disease: Olive oil helps lower levels of blood cholesterol leading to heart disease.
Oxidative Stress: Olive oil is rich in antioxidants, especially vitamin E, long thought to minimize cancer risk. Among plant oils, olive oil is the highest in monounsaturated fat, which doesn't oxidize in the body, and its low in polyunsaturated fat, the kind that does oxidize.
Blood Pressure: Recent studies indicate that regular consumption of olive oil can help decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Diabetes: Most popular research agrees that a" Mediterranean style" diet rich in olive oil , low in saturated fats, moderately rich in carbohydrates and high in soluble fiber from fruits, vegetables and grains is the most effective approach for diabetes. This diet reduces the risk of type II diabetes by almost 50 percent compared to a low fat diet. (Type II diabetes is the most common and preventable form of diabetes). Olive oil helps lower "bad" low-density lipoproteins while improving blood sugar control and enhances insulin sensitivity.
Obesity: Although high in calories, olive oil has shown to help reduce levels of obesity, as long as they are used in moderation. Choose monounsaturated rich foods such as olive oil in place of other fatty foods (particularly butter and margarine) — not in addition to them. And remember that you can't make unhealthy foods healthier simply by adding olive oil to them.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Although the reasons are still not fully clear, recent studies have proved that people with diets containing high levels of olive oil are less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoporosis: A high consumption of olive oil appears to improve bone mineralization and calcification. It helps calcium absorption and so plays an important role in aiding sufferers and in preventing the onset of Osteoporosis.
Other studies indicate that olive oil consumption can minimize depression, risk of stroke and the hardening of the arteries as you get older and even skin cancer. Olive oil has many positive health benefits. But like most "super foods" it is only one part of a healthy diet and life style.
Again, this is only a brief overview. There is a ton of good information out there….continue reading on this subject.
*Information from the Mayoclinic.org., Sarafino.com and Oliveoiltimes.com
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Rothesay, New Brunswick


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We are working with UDP streaming. Can we use Codec Works for encoding this signal into ASI format for further broadcasting?
April 19, 2018Features 158 views
Yes, for this purpose you need an ASI signal conversion device. You may configure Codec Works settings so that this device will be used as an output Rendering filter.


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Digastric muscle
|Digastric muscle
|Muscles of the neck. Lateral view.
|Front view of neck.
|musculus digastricus
|subject #112 391
|anterior belly - digastric fossa (mandible); posterior belly - mastoid process of temporal bone
|Intermediate tendon (hyoid bone)
|anterior belly - mandibular division of the trigeminal (CN V) via the mylohyoid nerve; posterior belly - facial nerve (CN VII)
|Opens the jaw when the masseter and the temporalis are relaxed.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
The digastric muscle (named digastric as it has two bellies) is a small muscle located under the jaw.
It lies below the body of the mandible, and extends, in a curved form, from the mastoid process to the symphysis menti. It belongs to the suprahyoid muscles group.
A broad aponeurotic layer is given off from the tendon of the Digastricus on either side, to be attached to the body and greater cornu of the hyoid bone; this is termed the suprahyoid aponeurosis.
The Digastricus (Digastric muscle) consists of two fleshy bellies united by an intermediate rounded tendon.
The two bellies of the digastric muscle have different embryological origins, and are supplied by different cranial nerves.
Posterior belly
The posterior belly, longer than the anterior, arises on the inferior surface of the skull, from the medial surface of the mastoid process of the temporal bone and a deep groove between the mastoid process and the styloid process called the digastric groove.
The posterior belly is supplied by a branch of the facial nerve.
Anterior belly
The anterior belly arises from a depression on the inner side of the lower border of the mandible, close to the symphysis, and passes downward and backward.
The anterior body supplied by the trigeminal via the mylohyoid nerve.
Intermediate tendon
The two bellies end in an intermediate tendon which perforates the Stylohyoideus muscle, and is held in connection with the side of the body and the greater cornu of the hyoid bone by a fibrous loop, which is sometimes lined by a mucous sheath.
When the digastric muscle contracts, it acts to elevate the hyoid bone.
If the hyoid is being held in place (by the infrahyoid muscles), it will tend to depress the mandible (open the mouth).
Variations are numerous.
The posterior belly may arise partly or entirely from the styloid process, or be connected by a slip to the middle or inferior constrictor; the anterior belly may be double or extra slips from this belly may pass to the jaw or Mylohyoideus or decussate with a similar slip on opposite side; anterior belly may be absent and posterior belly inserted into the middle of the jaw or hyoid bone.
The tendon may pass in front, more rarely behind the Stylohoideus. The Mentohyoideus muscle passes from the body of hyoid bone to chin.
The Digastricus divides the anterior triangle of the neck into three smaller triangles.
- (1) the submaxillary triangle, bounded above by the lower border of the body of the mandible, and a line drawn from its angle to the Sternocleidomastoideus, below by the posterior belly of the Digastricus and the Stylohyoideus, in front by the anterior belly of the Diagastricus;
- (2) the carotid triangle, bounded above by the posterior belly of the Digastricus and Stylohyoideus, behind by the Sternocleidomastoideus, below by the Omohyoideus;
- (3) the suprahyoid or submental triangle, bounded laterally by the anterior belly of the Digastricus, medially by the middle line of the neck from the hyoid bone to the symphysis menti, and inferiorly by the body of the hyoid bone.
Additional images
External links
- -664076211 at GPnotebook
- LUC dig
- Frontal section
- SUNY Figs 34:02-02
- SUNY Labs 24:17-0101
- Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, at Elsevier 25420.000-1
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.


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IAVA Reacts to the Testimony of the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric ShinsekiCONTACT: Gretchen Andersen (212) 982-9699 or firstname.lastname@example.com
IAVA Reacts to the Testimony of the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki
Chief Policy Officer Tom Tarantino Says VA needs to be upfront, eradicate problems within the system
IAVA Chief Policy Officer Tom Tarantino released the following statement following the hearing:
"Today's testimony from Secretary Shinseki did not restore confidence that VA senior leadership is responding with action and not just concern. Our members are outraged. And we need to see a bold plan to address these allegations.
The Committee highlighted previous reports of scheduling failures and possible cover-ups. Yet still, the Secretary did not detail exactly how the VA holds its employees accountable when these concerns are raised. Today we heard plans to investigate, but few plans on how the VA will actually solve the problem in the coming critical days and weeks.
The evidence provided so far demands immediate action. The VA cannot simply wait for the conclusion of the Inspector General's review to overhaul its system of accountability."
Veterans and their families who have concerns about their treatment at the VA can go here.
Earlier today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) announced they are joining together to protect VA staff who come forward with information about agency wrongdoing.
As part of the effort, the organizations have launched a secure website, www.VAOversight.org, where VA employees can get in touch with POGO and IAVA. The effort combines IAVA's deep knowledge of the VA system with POGO's experience working with whistleblowers to expose federal wrongdoing.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the nation's first and largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization representing veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and has more than 270,000 Member Veterans and civilian supporters nationwide. Celebrating its 10th year anniversary, IAVA recently received the highest rating - four-stars - from Charity Navigator, America's largest charity evaluator.
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Since posting two posts concerning Karşıyaka SK, it seems only fitting that I also post a picture of one of their shirts. I have a few, but this is far and away the rarest of the Karşıyaka shirts I own. Karşıyaka—or Kaf Sin Kaf—as they are affectionately known by their fans (the names of the Arabic letters that spell out KSK—Karşıyaka Spor Külübü) are the team from the eponymous district of Izmir, located on the northern shore of the Izmir Bay. It is a traditionally western district of Izmir, not to mention the home of my family in Turkey. I have been a fan of the team since childhood; when a team's colors are red and green, the colors of Christmas, it makes it easier for an American kid to gravitate towards them I suppose.
This is a match worn example of a Karşıyaka shirt from what I can only assume to be the 1996-1997 season. It is a typical Adidas design from the era, and the heat pressed felt number "4" on the back also fits with the era's shirts. Aside from being a unique design for Karşıyaka (their shirts tend to emphasize the green and red instead of the white), the sponsor patch on this shirt is very interesting. The Yaşar Yatırım that we see here has actually been sewn on above another sponsorship. Interestingly, Yaşar Yatırım refers to a business pursuit of a wealthy Turkish businessman from Izmir, Selçuk Yaşar. He founded the Selçuk Yaşar Sports and Education Endowment and as such his name adorns many schools in Izmir, as well as the Yaşar University. He has been a major player in the Izmir sports scene, even serving as the honorary president of Karşıyaka SK. His current holding group, Yaşar Holding, was founded in 1945 and includes many famous Turkish brands including the foodstuff company Pinar and Dyo Paints.
This is all, of course, beside the real point here: The shirt. It is a typically thick fabric from Adidas, as shirts produced under the Adidas license in Turkey tended to be in that era. The thin Adidas stripes within the fabric prove it to be authentic, and the fact that the trademark three stripes on the shoulder alternate in red green and red add subtle detail to a truly unique Karşıyaka SK shirt.
As the fans would say . . . KAF KAF KAF, SIN SIN SIN, KAF SIN KAF SIN KAF!


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Lucky number #9!
Which was posted by
who said....
"One of the best compliments I've had lately came from someone I don't even know - the girl who checks me in at the rec center. She said I was "gorgeous." Since I haven't felt "gorgeous" in quite awhile - if ever - I was really touched by her compliment."
Congrats, Sandy! Thank you for sharing your comment. This cute little necklace is now yours. Please contact me at thenshemade (at) gmail (dot) com