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Unemployment improved a bit last month but it is still nearly nine percent and the trouble is job creation is so slow, it will be years before we get back the seven and a half million jobs lost in the Great Recession. American families have been falling out of the middle class in record numbers. The combination of lost jobs and millions of foreclosures means a lot of folks are homeless and hungry for the first time in their lives.
One of the consequences of the recession that you don't hear a lot about is the record number of children descending into poverty.
The government considers a family of four to be impoverished if they take in less than $22,000 a year. Based on that standard, and government projections of unemployment, it is estimated the poverty rate for kids in this country will soon hit 25 percent. Those children would be the largest American generation to be raised in hard times since the Great Depression.
In Seminole County, near Orlando, Fla., so many kids have lost their homes that school busses now stop at dozens of cheap motels where families crowd into rooms, living week to week.
Resources in Seminole County:
Families in Transition
Feeding America
The hidden America
It's hard to watch Scott Pelley's "60 Minutes" report on homeless kids without being moved. It was even harder, as Pelley and his producer explain, to stay composed as they reported this story.
Segment: The hard time generation
Extra: Hitting hard times
Extra: Finding strength while homeless
Destiny Corfee, 11, joined the line at one local motel a year ago. "I never really noticed what people were actually going through until now; until we're actually going through it too," she told "60 Minutes" correspondent Scott Pelley.
Destiny's parents David and Theresa never imagined their family homeless. Together they were making about $40 an hour detailing expensive cars. There was a three-bedroom home, vacations and extras for the kids. But both jobs went, and then the house. Evicted, they found that the homeless shelters wanted to split their family up - boys and girls.
"That was definitely something that I wasn't gonna have, was being separated at a time like this. I figured the time like this that we needed to be together more than anything," David Corfee said.
So David, Theresa, Destiny, Jorge and Chance, moved into their van.
"I was embarrassed that maybe one of my friends might see me. I don't want anybody to know that I was actually in there," Destiny told Pelley.
The van, according to Destiny, was parked at a WalMart.
"We would actually go in WalMart and clean our self up before we'd go to school," her brother Jorge remembered.
"How would you do that?" Pelley asked.
"I would like wash my face, and like, take a tissue and wash my arms and stuff," Jorge explained.
"We would bring the toothpaste and the toothbrush and the brushes so we'll go brush our hair in the mirror and people would see us," Destiny added. "And it would be kind of weird. But we worked through it."
"Tell me about the motel that you're living in now," Pelley said.
"Well, it's a lot better than the van!" Destiny replied.
But Jorge pointed out the living space is small: two rooms for the five of them. Their possessions, family photos - you name it - went into storage. And they lost it all, seized and sold, when they couldn't pay that bill.
"Most of my stuff was in there; my scooter, my game system, all my games, my clothes. So I lost most of my stuff," Jorge said.
"I had so many of my toys and things. My Barbie dolls, clothes, and it was just all gone," Destiny said.
The neighborhood around the motel is scary, she added. "You hear on the news all the time about shootings, and it's all right there."


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Color choice is a very important part of brands and logo design. When it comes to a brand, color choice in a logo can suggest very different things. Bright colors might suggest whimsy, whereas black and white might suggest strength or tradition. Let's analyze some famous brands to learn more.
UPS is an excellent example of color choice to communicate branding. UPS's dominant color in its branding is brown, which suggests a utilitarian, we get things done approach to their business. In addition, brown reflects the numerous boxes they move from sender to receiver every day. When UPS asks, "What can brown do for you?" it immediately reminds you of their delivery trucks, people, and parcels.
McDonald's has another instantly recognizable logo. Everyone knows the clown Ronald McDonald, and the red and the yellow reflect other parts of their business such as french fries, ketchup, and mustard. The brightness of the logo is inviting. The arches are even reminiscent of fries, again reminding a customer of McDonald's quality product.
Nickelodeon's flamboyant colors and the bright orange are perfect for a children's network. Visible from anywhere when scrolling through on TV, Nickelodeon's bright orange slime logo with the white text on top illustrates fun and whimsy.
As illustrated above, carefully choosing colors can benefit your brand. What colors will you choose to create your brand? Our team can help you choose the best color for your logo.

subset: commoncrawl


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2018.06.28 - Coming Soon!! 2018 Neighborhood Walkthrough
By Board, Jul 1 2018 05:04PM
Later in July, the Wescott Woods Board of Directors will be completing our annual Architectural and Landscaping Neighborhood Walkthrough. The purpose of this walkthrough is to identify any items or situations that fall outside our cluster standards, and notify homeowners of items requiring their attention.
Items that often need a little (or a lot of) attention include plants, bushes, or trees that might not have survived the winter or need a little TLC; repair or replacement of driveways, fences, or playground equipment; lawn overgrowth; siding, paint, trim, roofing, and gutters; and items stored outside in plain view (including trash cans and recycling bins).
As a reminder, your home and all items around your home that are visible from the street (front and side angles) should be maintained to the cluster standard.
Following this walkthrough, in the case of any issues, the board will send a letter to the affected homeowner(s). In most cases, the board will simply send a friendly reminder to identify the issue and request the homeowner fix minor issues at the earliest opportunity. In the case of a more serious issue, the board will send a letter to the homeowners notifying them of the violation of our agreed upon cluster standards, and asking them to address the issue within a reasonable timeframe. In rare cases, if no action is taken after a reasonable timeframe, the board may be required to act on behalf of the neighborhood and file a formal complaint with Reston Association. RA would then follow up and take appropriate action. Please note: the Board will not contact RA without first notifying the homeowner.
As a reminder, all homeowners are required to obtain approval from Reston Association's Design Review Board (DRB) PRIOR to making most changes to the exterior of your home or property. Standards serve to sustain the consistency of design and the attractiveness of the neighborhood.
Even when you are making a change that has an approved standard for our cluster, contacting the RA covenants advisor to confirm the current approval status is strongly advised (especially for big ticket items including siding, paint, roofing, fencing, and decks).
Following the DRB process protects you and your investment. You can find more details here:
Additional RA Cluster Guidelines for Wescott Woods Association
The best way to get started on any change is to contact the Reston Association Covenants Administration office at (703) 435-6530. Wescott Woods' Covenants Advisor is Trevor Wright.


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Each week we like to offer our guests a tour of the place we call home by featuring the cuisine of a different city in Italy. Our chefs prepare masterful dishes that will give you a true look into the old world style of cooking that's hard to find in the states.
This week enjoy the cuisine of Roma, Lazio | Mar.16th-22nd


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Board video games are an effective way for the entire household to have some fun together. Tabletop gamers like to debate the merits of Eurogames (all about mechanics) vs. so-called Ameritrash games (all about theme, luck and conflict). Cherry- help younger gamers establish colors, count areas, and even develop hand-eye coordination and dexterity in moving cards and items around the board.
Ranked by users at , it is a listing of the perfect seventy six board games ever made. Many of those games are child pleasant, and a number of other have enlargement packs to accommodate more gamers or to add complexity. Cultural info, akin to the place the sport was played, can also be recorded to assist consider the plausibility of latest rulesets.
Maybe we must always rename it from board games to non-stop enjoyable video games. WolframAlpha is a good supply of knowledge on these beloved video games, from their histories to how they're performed, and can be utilized to compare and contrast totally different games or to discover video games that have particular attributes.
Whereas I absolutely admire a easy and elegantly constructed game like Vye , I take sadistic glee in board video games which can be packed with widgets. Determining precisely what the phrase reads, nevertheless, will be fairly tricky and the player who knows find out how to use enunciation expertise the very best will do nicely in this sport.
Beer & Board Video games Stein DFTBA
Board video games are a great way to spend time together during Ramadan or any time. Enjoying items are seeds, beans, stones, cowry shells, half-marbles or different small undifferentiated counters which can be positioned in and transferred concerning the holes during play. It is believed every participant had six recreation items that had been moved around the factors of a square recreation board that had a particular, symmetrical pattern.
The stack of blocks seems uniform, but the careful Jenga participant finds and feels for the more free fitting pieces and likewise generally risks removing more cussed becoming pieces strategically to confound the opponent. Data can be refreshed once a try Prime Board Video games Youtube Channels checklist for Top videos on Board Video games.
There are a selection of board video games obtainable to the general public that focus much consideration on each words and vocabulary. Though it was fun as soon as our eight players understood tips on how to play, we additionally dismissed this sport because of its probably offensive theme. The sport duties players with settling the island of Catan by securing the assets to construct roads and settlements. Ludus latrunculorum was a two-participant technique board sport performed throughout the Roman Empire.


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UX Rule: Notification of Completion
- February 19, 2009 5:29 AM
- User Interface Design
- Comments (3)
So, as I move into exploring the realm of user experience(UX), I'm going to work on building a collection of rules for creating good user experiences. These rules are fast, but they aren't hard: every situation is different, and although these rules will be starting points, some negotiation may be required.
Rule One: All processing must display a notification to the user.
Read more to see my thoughts on when and how to do this.
Why Notifications?
Without a visual notification that the user's action was accomplished, the user may not realize that the desired action was completed. They might also not know that they caused something to happen unintentionally. For example, if you have a list of articles and a link to delete the article, the user might not notice that they accidentally hit the link.
When and What to Notify
Every display page that appears after some kind of processing is complete should display a notification to the user that the processing was accomplished. If the processing is accomplished via Ajax, then the notification should display in real time on the current page.
Notifications generally come in one of four flavors:
- Success – The user completed an action, such as saving, updating, or deleting a record.
- Failure – An action failed to complete due to an error, such as missing information or an actual error like failing to connect to a database.
- Warning – An action could not be completed due to something within the scope of the application, such as insufficient privileges to complete the action.
- Information – The user needs to be made aware of some information about the action.
How to Display a Notification
Notifications should be displayed at the top of the standard content area, below any normal headers or navigation. They should be made to stand out from the normal design by means of margins and spacing, but should still blend with the visual design of the site. Commonly these messages should be marked up with the standard color scheme listed below, but that does not prove to be sufficient for color blind users. In these cases, an icon and text notification should be used as well.
- Success – Green is the predominate color. Common icons are check marks.
- Failure – Red is the predominate color. Common icons are X's.
- Warning – Yellow or orange are used most often. Common icons are exclamation points.
- Information – Blue or gray work well for information. Common icons would be I's, or question marks.
If an action caused the creation of a record, or changes to a record, that record should be highlighted on the page as well. This will further help to indicate to the user which record was created or changed. Also, all notification messages should be a specific as possible. For example, rather then just saying "Record Deleted", you should say "User record for Jon Hartmann has been deleted."


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Whew! So the update is out after a few hours of slaving over Photoshop (on my Linux Mint install might I add) and fidgeting with Android's packaging process. I'm pleased to see that Play Store approved my update pretty much instantly. Anyway, here are the new promotional assets in their full glory. Download the app!
And I did not forget about freedom, check out the source on GitHub.


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Explaining Physics to Zen Buddhists
In meditation group the other day, the leader did a brief reading from a book that included an aside about how the philosophy could be exemplified by particle physics. He chose to omit that aside from his reading but later passed the book around so we could take a look. Of course, someone eventually remembered that I am a physicist, so that's how I ended up, in half-lotus on a zafu, explaining pions to a group of Zen Buddhists.
As a physicist and a meditator and yogini, I've encountered my fair share of non-scientists who like to try to use physics, particularly quantum and particle physics, to advance their spiritual worldview. In yoga, any time I mentioned quantum physics, I was told to see the film What the Bleep Do We Know?, which was generally described as life-changing among my yoga friends and utterly ludicrous among my physics friends. The idea is that the principles of quantum mechanics prove that we are all interconnected and our intentions send energy out into the universe and affect things. It's very woo.
So I was nervous, sitting here in front of a group of people with cushions and incense and talking about interactions among sub-atomic particles. But Zen seems a little more grounded in their understanding of physics. They were very smug about the discovery of sub-atomic particles because their cosmology states that the world can be divided into ever-smeller pieces. And that's not untrue. It's also true that, at the sub-atomic level, our bodies have little difference from any other matter in the world. And when we die, we just go back to that bank of raw material that the universe uses to build things. Except we don't even have to die, really. No matter what state we are in, we are just particles.
But where the pions come in are when you talk about observation and interactions. The idea in the Zen reading was that we don't ever observe a thing; we observe how it interacts with the world. Personally, I like to think of color, which isn't an inherent property as much as a way of seeing the light an object doesn't absorb. When you put green cellophane over a plant, it dies because the green light is the light it reflects, not the light it absorbs for photosynthesis. But the reading talked about the interactions between the constituent particles of protons, how they gain mass from these interactions. And it's true. If you take two free up quarks and a free down quark, their masses don't add up to the mass of a proton. However, quarks can interact and form two-quark mediating particles, and these could give the proton its mass. This is a rough explanation because I'm not a particle physicist, but I was glad that I happened to remember this from a college class I took.
When it comes down to it, I sit with a very educated, science-minded, intelligent group of people. I don't know if the Zen conversations seem more grounded because there are a lot of scientists, or if Zen attracts scientists because it seems to have a more grounded cosmology. But talking about physics to the "layperson" is not always about classroom demonstrations and family gatherings.


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Samantha confirms next with Vijay Sethupathi
The gorgeous bombshell Samantha has been vigorously lining up biggies in the forthcoming months that include untitled film with Sivakarthikeyan-Ponram, 'Irumbu Thirai' starring Vishal in lead role and few more lined up. The latest news is that the actress has been approached to play the female lead in Vijay Sethupathi's untitled next, directed by Thiagarajan Kumararaja of Aaranya Kaandam fame. During last week, there was sensational news that either Fahadh Faasil or Nivin Pauly – The superstars from God's own country would be seen playing the lead roles alongside Vijay Sethupathi is yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, Samantha getting onboard has been intensifying the depth of expectations for this project.


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The 5:2 Diet and me!
I never thought I'd write a diet book… or two recipe book…. or a guide to being happier and healthier! And yet, now I've done all four.
The 5:2 Diet Book – originally published in November 2012 – has gone onto be published in more than 20 different languages – while The Ultimate 5:2 Recipe Book, which came out in Spring 2013, includes dozens of delicious menu ideas, plus the stories of some of the most successful dieters who have helped spread the word about this lifestyle. 5:2 Your Life, combines a six-week eating plan, with a complete guide to applying this easy, flexible approach to everything that matters in your life – from family, relationships and friends, to work, fitness and living your dreams. In 2015, I published 5:2 Good Food Kitchen, with more mouth-watering ideas for Fast and non-fasting days, and more amazing stories.
To discover more about the books, go to the dedicated site: www.the5-2dietbook.com – and I have a free, informative podcast you can listen to and subscribe to, but here's a personal insight into how I came to write the books.
From yoyo dieter to diet author… the most unlikely transformation of my life
In some ways I am a diet expert. I've tried – and failed at – more than my share of miracle weight loss cures over the years. But earlier this year I accepted that I lacked he willpower to keep the weight off, even though I knew it was putting me at increased risk of cancer and Type II diabetes, both of which have blighted my family…
And then I discovered 5:2 dieting – sticking to a strict diet for two days a week, and being free to eat the foods I love the rest of the time. I watched the BBC's Horizon programme in August 2012, where presenter Michael Mosley tried out different approaches to fasting. The one that really appealed to me was the intermittent version he tried after speaking to researcher Krista Varady in Chicago. It seemed too good to be true, promising not just weight loss but also reduced risk of the diseases that scared me most, and even positive effects on the brain.
I looked for a book about the approach, but all I could find seemed to be written by body builders, or Paleo dieters, who follow a stone age style regime involving a lot of meat – as a long-term vegetarian, that didn't seem relevant.
Despite my doubts, I decided I had nothing to lose except my muffin top and followed my instincts. Within days, I sensed it would work for me. After six months, I'd lost 28 pounds – two stone – and was a healthy weight. But, much more significantly, it transformed my attitude to food and hunger, and now, three years on, I'm 31lbs lighter than when I started.
I wanted to spread the word – so The 5:2 Diet Book was born…
When I started the diet, I had dozens of questions – about the incredible science behind the diet, about how much to eat on 'Fasting' days, and whether it was really true that I could eat whatever foods I liked on my Feasting Days. It was pretty time-consuming trying to find out the truth – I went online to read original research studies, and also set up a Facebook group with a few friends I knew were doing the same thing. That same group encouraged me to put the findings – and their own tips, recipes and approaches to what people started calling 5:2 (or 5/2, 5-2 or five-two) – into a book. And that's how The 5:2 Diet Book came about! Oh, and that group that began with six members, now has over 40,000… (you can join in the fun here).
To find out more, visit the dedicated 5:2 Diet Book site, join our Facebook group, or follow @the52diet on Twitter.


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Check out Own It (Ted Smooth Remix), the latest from Mack Wilds which features a guest appearance from Jadakiss on the assist. The track was released on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013. Mack Wilds's chances in this game are improving with each new release, and Own It (Ted Smooth Remix) is no exception - quite the opposite, in fact. It's a nice addition to the impressive catalogue Mack Wilds has been building over the years. We're definitely anticipating the next move.
Hear more of Mack Wilds on Henny (Remix), featuring French Montana & Mobb Deep. If your interest is piqued, hit up Mack Wilds's profile for more info, news, songs, and mixtapes. Follow Mack Wilds on Twitter, if you aren't already.
What do you think of the features on this track? How do you feel about the production here?


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Hi pleased to meet you, my name is Therese and my significant other is Graeme, better known as Woolly. We are both in our sixties, but still have plenty of energy to live life, love people and enjoy what this wonderful world has to offer. We have two wonderful children, who are both married and have blessed us with five grandchildren, aged 12 to 2. We love them to bits and like to share a weekend with them.
A professional wedding, portrait, landscape and children's photographer for many years, I love everything about photography. I love taking photos, looking at great shots and appreciating fine art, laughing at crazy stupid images and generally appreciating a beautiful art form. I started in the days of medium format film ( hey! a long time ago, I know), I taught myself by reading everything I could, practicing whenever I could and eventually I made a business from my hobby.
I have just retired from twenty years as a wedding photographer and videographer. Where I met some amazing brides, their husbands and guests and my motto was "What other job do your go to where you are going to a party every weekend." Still now you will very rarely see me without a camera and I have now turned my attention to documenting our travels and sharing them through our blog, far'n'wide travel.
Now I want to share my knowledge and appreciate the journey that my experience allows others to take.
I wanted to give something back to this wonderful industry and decided the best way to achieve this goal was to offer tutorials and transfer my knowledge to those of you who are interested in what I have to give.
Above all have fun.


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Join Now
Focus Pointe Global is a company which helps researchers listen to and access people's opinions. Focus Pointe Global is a member of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (www.casro.org) and complies with research industry standards, best practices, and relevant laws. We believe that legitimate research is a vital part of society because when people give their opinions, they can help shape, improve, and create products, services, programs, and policies that impact people, society, and the world we live in.
When you register via this website to take part in paid marketing research opportunities, your contact information is entered into our panel of participants. Based on the information you provide by filling out your Personal Profile, you will receive email invitations that contain a screener link to determine your eligibility for that particular research study. If you complete the screener successfully, you may receive a phone call from one of our marketing research recruiters, who will ask you some more questions. If you complete the screener but are not called, this means that the research segment you fall into, called a "quota," has already been filled.
Sometimes, you may be called directly by a recruiter even though you did not receive an email or complete a screener. This can happen when timing is an issue, or if you have already participated in a similar study and we feel you are a good fit for the current research we are conducting. In these cases, you will be screened over the phone to determine whether you are a match for the research study.
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Homemade Peanut Brittle
Our famous Homemade Peanut Brittle combines crunchy farm fresh Virginia peanuts with sweet, crunchy brittle for a marriage made in heaven.
Gluten-Free Ingredients
(Not Available July-August)
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Gluten-Free Ingredients
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Service Cost Estimated Delivery Time Regular Ground FREE 2-7 business days ** 2nd Day Air Based on location and weight * 2-3 business days Next Day Air Based on location and weight * 1-2 business days
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Ingredients & Nutrition
Serving Size: 4 pieces (45 g), Calories: 190, Calories from fat: 70, Total Fat (DV%): 8 g (13%), Saturated Fat (DV%): 1 g (6%), Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol (DV%): 0 mg (0%), Sodium (DV%): 50 mg (2%), Total Carbohydrate (DV%): 27 g (9%), Dietary Fiber (DV%): 1 g (5%), Sugars: 18 g, Protein: 4 g, Vitamin A: 0%, Vitamin C: 0%, Calcium: 2%, Iron: 2%
Ingredients: Peanuts, Sugar, Dark Corn Syrup (Corn Syrup, Refiners Syrup, Caramel Flavor, Salt, Sodium Benzoate (used to protect quality), Caramel Color), Water, Sodium Bicarbonate.
Contains: Peanuts
Write a reviewcustomer- By Marguerite Wilson on Dec 17, 2012Just like the way it was made in my mom's day and that had to b e at least 80 yrs. ago. We wouldn't purchase it from any other company!!Best Peanut Brittle Ever!- By L. on Dec 12, 2011Whitley's Peanut Brittle is awesome...if you like peanut brittle with a lot of peanuts this is the perfect recipe.


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He would have been very proud of her career. She is an amazing woman who has done a huge amount of work in her life time. If he didn't agree with her or her cause, he would not have married her. She was a trailblazing feminist who led the way for countless people in the future.
Steinman's former husband would probably be proud of her, and honestly probably was, considering she married so late in life - her career had almost completely run its course at the time. I don't remember his name (Christian Bale's dad, though), but they had been close for a long time before.
Gloria Steinem's successful career would make anyone proud, even her ex-husband. Steinem affected women for an entire generation and helped start the feminist movement in the 1970s. Her ex-husband should be proud because anyone with a long career that spans decades is successful. Plus, many people have followed Steinem's ideals to further the cause of women in contemporary society.
Yes,I think that Gloria Steinem's former husband would be proud of her career.She has come a long way since she began her career in journalism.She started Ms magazine which was a major influence on several generations of feminists as well as others who were encouraged to explore their own point of view.
No, I do not think that Gloria Steinem's former husband would be proud of her career, because she uses bullying tactics to threaten other people into doing what she wants, even if it isn't the right thing to do. Steinem's views on feminist issues are quite extreme, and she is not tolerant of other viewpoints.


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Teen Indicted for Burglary
<bt>A Fairfax County grand jury has indicted a Centreville teen for burglary. Accused of breaking into a Sully Station home last fall is Tavares Winston, 19, of 14711 Wycombe St. in London Towne.
Besides burglary, police initially charged him, Sept. 26, 2003, with the Sept. 8 grand larceny of a $3,000 laptop computer and five T-shirts from the home. But this charge was later dropped. Meanwhile, the burglary offense went to the grand jury and, on March 15, Winston was indicted.
He pleaded guilty, last Wednesday March 31, in Circuit Court. Judge Michael McWeeny then set his sentencing for June 4. At that time, Winston could receive as much as five years in prison.
<sh>Chantilly Community Coalition
<bt>The Chantilly Community Coalition will meet Monday, April 12, at 4 p.m. in the conference room of the Chantilly Regional Library. Call John Hanyok at 703-262-2475.
<sh>Westfield Community Coalition
<bt>The next meeting of the Westfield Community Coalition will be Monday, April 12, at 7 p.m. Call Nancy Bennett at 703-266-2370 for location and further information.
<sh>Park Authority to Meet
<bt>The Fairfax County Park Authority will meet Wednesday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. in the Herrity Building, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 900, in Fairfax. Call Judy Pedersen at 703-324-8662.
<sh>Westfields Interchange Groundbreaking
<bt>Groundbreaking for the Westfields Interchange will be held Thursday, April 15, at 1:30 p.m. The location is the intersection of Westfields Boulevard and Route 28 in Chantilly.
The full-cloverleaf interchange is one of six interchanges being constructed along Route 28 via a public/private partnership agreement between Shirley Contracting Corp. and The Clark Construction Group and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
Planned is a four-lane bridge to carry Westfields Boulevard traffic across Route 28, plus two auxiliary lanes, with a trail on one side and a sidewalk on the other. The project is designed to accommodate 10 lanes total, in case they're someday approved.
Work will begin with construction of a detour interchange, which should take four or five months, weather depending, and be completed by fall. Then the bridge will be built, with completion estimated for fall 2005.
<sh>Regional, County Park Needs
<b>The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, in cooperation with the Fairfax County Park Authority, will meet with the public to discuss regional and county park needs for 2005 through 2009 in a series of public hearings in Fairfax County's nine magisterial districts.
Citizens are invited to comment, share ideas and consider the Regional Authority's proposed five-year Capital Improvement Program. The local meeting is Thursday, April 15, at 7 p.m. at the Sully District Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly.
<sh>Clifton Candidates Forum Set
<bt>A candidates forum for next month's Town of Clifton elections is slated for Sunday, April 18, at 7 p.m., at the Clifton Town Meeting Hall. It's at 12641 Chapel Road in Clifton, and the event is sponsored by the Clifton Betterment Association (CBA).
Candidates for mayor are incumbent Jim Chesley and challengers Wayne Nickum and Judy McNamara. Town Council candidates are incumbents Mac Arnold and Margo Buckley, plus challengers Brant Baber, Lev Buller, Deb Dillard, Trisha Robertson and Bill Watts.
<sh>Crime Solvers
<bt>Fairfax County Crime Solvers is asking for the public's assistance identifying the person responsible for severely beating a man in the 3300 block of Kinfolk Court, in the Franklin Farms area. On Friday, March 19, at approximately 10:17 p.m., a 45-year-old Manassas area man, employed as a food delivery driver, was attempting to deliver a food order. A short time later, residents called 911 to report a man who rang several doorbells asking for help. When police officers arrived, they found the man seated in his car. He had been beaten. The victim was medevaced to Inova Fairfax Hospital.
Anyone with information on this malicious wounding or the person involved is asked to call Fairfax County Crime Solvers at 1-800-673-2777 or 703-691-8888. A $1,000 cash reward will be paid for information which leads to an arrest and indictment. As always, callers never give their names or appear in court.
<sh>Blood Is Urgently Needed
<bt>The Inova Blood Donor Center in the Centremed I Building on Route 29 in Centreville (across from the Centreville Multiplex Cinemas) is in urgent need of blood donations — especially O positive or negative, as well as A and B. They're accepted Tuesday-Friday, noon-8 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. For an appointment to give blood, call 703-322-1970, or drop in at your own convenience.


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We have a purpose built communal kitchen area handcrafted from trees grown on our farm. The kitchen has a cooking area, a dining table and a cosy sofa space where you can gather round the chimnea and keep warm on cold nights. There are gas rings to cook on, a toaster, fridges, a BBQ, pots, pans, cutlery, mugs, lanterns and an electric point where you can charge your phone. You can also BBQ open air on our central firepit or have a bonfire under the stars. Firewood can be collected from the woods behind the yurts. There is a shower and toilet block with plenty of hot water.
Se our separate pages for each accommodation type:


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BSN Adds Disc Golf
The Beach Sports Network announced today a partnership with the Professional Disc Golf Association that will increase their television presence to 20 shows, as well as expand their future distribution to a dedicated online portal that will stream live events during the year and provide their dedicated community of fans video-on-demand access to past shows.
"We have been watching the popularity of disc golf grow steadily over the last few years," explained AJ Handler, the Director of UWP-IJSBA National Tour (http://www.uwpinc.com/ - watercross racing). "At the same time, Brian Graham, Executive Director of the PDGA has been attending many of the sports tourism conferences, and it didn't take long to recognize that their events and tour are top-notch. After discussing the concept of partnering with disc golf with our partners, it became clear this was really a no brainer to merge the sports."
The Beach Sports Network will now consist of Handler's UWP-IJSBA Watercross National Tour, beach volleyball's EVP® Tour, and the new addition, PDGA disc golf tour. A total of 20 half-hour shows will be produced for distribution across as many as 23 regional sports networks beginning in April and concluding in October. The EVP and UWP-IJSBA National tours will each produce eight shows, while the PDGA will broadcast four shows that will reach an estimated 60-80 million households per episode.
"The Beach Sports Network is excited to introduce disc golf to our athletes and TV fans. Many of the BSN host cities would like to include disc golf in their schedule of events," smiled Ross Balling, CEO of the EVP Tour (http://www.evptour.com - beach volleyball). "This is clearly a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Television has been our bread and butter for more than a few years now, but with disc golf's experience in live Internet broadcasting, this partnership gives all three of our sports great media leverage. Our fans too are excited about the increased exposure we will gain from the Internet side."
The EVP Tour has established the largest national pro-am volleyball attraction in America. The tour travels to twenty key markets across the country from March to October. The EVP will produce eight, 30 minute TV shows that reach over 40 states. Its grassroots efforts assist regional and local athletes. Our local EVP Network Members assist the grassroots efforts by establishing young adult relationships that drives the 50 percent of the participation in our events.
Disc golf too has found a dedicated global audience on the ground, as well as online. During its first three years of live Internet broadcasting, their shows average 27-35,000 unique viewers from 133-147 nations. In 2012, disc golf's four anchoring broadcasts served up nearly 12,000,000 minutes of viewing from 443,000 streams, with as many as 26% of those viewers being new to each broadcast. This type of growth will only be enhanced as the three emerging sports now aggregate their content through one dedicated online portal, which is currently in development.
"The interesting thing about this relationship is that, just as Ross and AJ were looking for a way to do their events live on the Internet, we were looking for greater exposure on TV," said Brian Graham, Executive Director of the PDGA (http://www.pdga.com - disc golf). "This is a win-win for all three sports, as all our strengths will definitely complement each other. The other advantage to joining the Beach Sports Network is that we can now create powerful new combined events that will appeal to sports tourism bureaus throughout the nation."
The Beach Sports Network will launch their 2013 television broadcast season in April with the airing of disc golf's first national tour event from Arizona, The Memorial. Things will then really heat up in May, as the beach volleyball and water-cross tours go into full swing, occupying each weekend throughout the month. Limited sponsorship and advertising opportunities are still available from the Beach Sports Network's TV and Internet broadcast inventories. For the complete broadcast schedule or for more information about the Beach Sports Network, contact BSN Media Administrator, John Duesler at 215-913-0569 or [email protected].
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A member of Bond It staff is set to take on his first ever marathon, overcoming his own disabilities to support the Different Strokes charity.
Jeremy Helm, who works in the manufacturer's warehouse administration office, is to set off from the start line on 4 October, aiming to complete the 26.2-mile Chester Marathon.
Mr Helm is running the marathon in support of Different Strokes. This charity helps younger stroke survivors to optimise their recovery by offering rehabilitative services, information and advice. It is run by stroke survivors for stroke survivors.
He is backing this particular charity because it focuses on a cause close to his own and his family's heart. At the age of just four, Mr Helm suffered a haemorrhagic stroke with life-changing consequences.
After many months in hospital and a gruelling programme of physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and speech therapy, he has regained both the ability to walk and the ability to speak.
However, at the age of 31, he is still affected by many of the physical and mental disabilities commonly associated with stroke survivors. This includes right-sided hemiplegia, epilepsy, depression, concentration/memory loss, and fatigue.
Mr Helm said: "Running has long been a major passion in my life and I have previously represented Yorkshire as a disabled athlete. I'm also a longstanding member of Holmfirth Harriers Athletics Club.
"This is the first time I've run a marathon, however. I'm looking forward to the race with a mix of anticipation and excitement. It's going to be great to be able raise not only funds for Different Strokes but also awareness of the issues and effects of head injuries."
Mr Helm has already received sponsorship from the team at Bond It, but, in order to raise as much money as possible for his chosen charity, continues to seek additional support.
Donations can be made by visiting www.justgiving.com


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After six years, I am moving from Mirabile Dictu to Thornfield Hall, my new book blog. I have written the first post and look forward to your visits. Here is the link:
Author: Kat
The Frenetic Life of a Netgalley Reviewer & Favorite Writers' Bags
If you read blogs or Goodreads reviews, you often see this odd last line: "Thank you to Netgalley [and X Publisher] for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review."
And you may ask, What the heck is Netgalley? Well, it is a website where critics, bloggers, and consumer reviewers can request e-galleys from publishers.
Netgalley is a mixed blessing. I have read the best Netgalley books; I have read the worst Netgalley books. The biggest temptation: requesting too many books. I've been lucky lately. Three of my favorite books this year are from Netgalley: Alice Mattison's counterculture classic, Conscience (which I posted about here), Laura van den Berg's surreal The Third Hotel (here), and Pat Barker's retelling of the Iliad, The Silence of the Girls (here).
But what if you dislike a book? Yes, we're doing it "in exchange for an honest review" (theoretically), but I only trash books I have paid for! I put aside The Splintering of the American Mind (a controversial book about identity politics) and Zachary Mason's Metamorphica (a collection of retold myths) because they "were not for me."
Since professional reviewers do not indulge in public expressions of gratitude–the reverse is far more likely–I email my thanks to publishers. (Yes, I have manners.) Though it is lovely to get new books, it is unnecessary to write a thank-you note in the actual review.
My rule: don't let Negalley take over my life. I don't want to be that person who allows Netgalley to dictate my reading. Nope, I've got to read classics.
Here's a typical day in the life of a Netgalley reviewer.
- Turn off your phone and finish Bloodmoon, Peter Tremayne's entertaining new Sister Fidelma mystery, only to discover Negalley had archived the book before the publication date –which means I'm too late with my review!
- My husband has a broken collarbone so I suggested he write some consumer reviews. He reads widely, but he refused: he wants to read what he wants to read. ( N.B. He recommends Richard Powers's The Overstory, which is on the Booker shortlist.)
- One e-book was so crazily formatted that I gave up: the letters "fi" were inadvertently omitted from words so that I had to puzzle out that "rm" meant "firm," "nd" meant "find," etc.
And now I think I'll read a classic, because I need a break.
DO YOU SHOP FOR AUTHORS' TOTE BAGS? Here are my favorites.
1 I was tempted by this "I heart Mr. Darcy" bag at Barnes and Noble, but I actually "heart" Captain Wentworth.
2 Here is Catullus's popular two-line poem (85). And here is my literal translation: "I hate and I love. You probably ask why I do so./ I do not know, but I feel myself suffer and am tortured."
3. I doubt Doris Lessing would appreciate this.
4. This bag shows the title of Robert Heinlein's 1960s cult classic, Stranger in a Strange Land. Loved this book!
5. Who doesn't want this cute Mrs. Dalloway bag?
6, I can't resist this Dickens knock-off: A Tale of Two Kitties
Do let me know your favorite literary tote bags!
Empowering Women & Three Literary Links
In the last two years, women have boasted about victimhood.
Yes, I know. It's very sad. But we are powerful women now, aren't we? And it's time to tune into that.
I was a victim of statutory rape. And I pitied the lesbian teacher who seduced me, because she manipulated me with stories of how difficult it was to be gay because people constantly rejected her. When I wrote about it here a few years ago, readers misinterpreted it as "a gay thing." That's because I wrote about it from my perspective as a teenager, not as a Woman of a Certain Age. The worst things at age 16 were the bad sex and boredom.
Women need to rediscover their strength and self-reliance! Lightening up is the only way I keep from gnashing my teeth! The Iowa state govenment, under the auspices of Governor Kim Reynolds (a woman), has defunded Planned Parenthood and shut down five clinics with devastating repercussions for women's health. And, remember, we've got to vote for the Democrats in November to refund Planned Parenthood.
1. Patti Smith writes brilliantly at The Paris Review about Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. (It is actually the foreward to the Penguin Deluxe edition of Little Women. Here's the first paragraph.
Perhaps no other book provided a greater guide, as I set out on my youthful path, than Louisa May Alcott's most beloved novel, Little Women. I was a wiry daydreamer, just ten years old. Life was already presenting challenges for an awkward tomboy growing up in the gender-defined 1950s. Uninterested in preordained activities, I would take off on my blue bicycle, to a secluded place in the woods, and read the books I had checked out, often over and over again, from the local library. I could hardly be found without book in hand and sacrificed sleep and hours at play to enter wholeheartedly each of their unique worlds.
2. Philip Styrt writes a stellar piece at Tor about epigraphs: "Always Read the Epigraph: A Lesson for Fantasy Readers."
Begin at the beginning," the King said gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop."— Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
see you there, with that novel in your hand. Turning to page 1 (or, given the vagaries of publishers, maybe page 3), are you? Starting with the prologue, or the preface, or good old Chapter 1? Well, I'm here to tell you to turn that page back in the other direction and take a look at what you might find lurking in the front matter of the book. No, I'm not talking about the publication information (though I'm sure the Library of Congress would love to feel appreciated) and not even the acknowledgements and the dedication (though while you're here, why not find out who the author loves?). I'm talking about the epigraph. The little (often italicized) sayings or quotations nestled in the very beginning, right before the action starts: right ahead of that opening paragraph on page 1 you were about to read.
3. Jon Meacham writes at the New York Times that "Henry Adams's 1880 Novel, 'Democracy,' Resonates Now More Than Ever."
Meacham wrties,
The enduring relevance of "Democracy" is a tribute to the gifts of Henry Brooks Adams, whose identity as the author was revealed by the publisher after Adams died in 1918. Few people in the midst of the post-Civil War Gilded Age had a better feel for American democracy than Adams. Great-grandson and grandson of presidents, historian, professor and journalist, Adams had left Boston in 1877 for Washington. "I gravitate to a capital as a primary law of nature," Adams wrote a friend. "This is the only place in America where society amuses me, or where life offers variety."'
As he worked on his monumental histories of the early Republic, Adams took time to write "Democracy," a novel that one might have expected if Anthony Trollope and Ward Just had somehow managed to collaborate across time and space. Mrs. Lee, a widow and an idealist about public life, is a desirable catch. Two suitors are especially drawn to her: John Carrington, an aristocratic young Virginian, and the practical and ambitious Senator Silas Ratcliffe, a rising man from Illinois.
Shopping with My Husband & Stella Gibbons's "Bassett"
Do you feel overwhelmed? And stiff!
Here's my latest exercise challenge: shopping with my husband.
Although I bicycle, nothing prepared me for this shopping trip. Usually I make the list and he shops (because I distract him with my extravagant love of name-brand canned tomatoes). But now he has his arm in a sling, so I went with him.
He picked the fruit, I the vegetables. He made me put them back because they were organic. Too expensive.
He also taught me to arrange the cart properly. I wondered, WHY CAN'T THE PIZZA CRUST GO IN THE BACK OF THE CART? WHY DOES IT GO IN THE FRONT? AND WHY DOES THE MILK GO BENEATH THE CART? AND WHY DOESN'T THE CAT LITTER GO UNDERNEATH?
This is why we seldom go grocery shopping together.
The most taxing part: pushing the full shopping cart up the hill to the top of the parking lot. He tried to pull it from the front, but I would not allow this.
P.S. He is healing, and that's what I care about!
Stella Gibbons, best-known for her satiric first novel, Cold Comfort Farm, the winner of the Femina Vie Heureuse Prize in 1933, wrote over 30 novels and collections of short stories.
And I have enjoyed her realistic novels thoroughly–even more than Cold Comfort Farm, if truth be told. (See my posts on The Charmers and Westwood.)
Over the summer I read Bassett, a charming novel published in 1934. Time flies–I meant to post on it earlier–but I'm just getting around to it (and am a little vague on it by now.) In this delightful novel, Gibbons cleverly explores the worlds of two loosely-connected sets of characters: a couple of middle-aged women who go into business together, and a mismatched young couple down the road who fall in love–but will it last?
This witty novel begins with Gibbons's description of the eccentric Miss Hilda Baker, a Londoner who works in a pattern-cutting office. "Museums and galleries, dens and historic haunts of peace lay all around Miss Baker, yet she lived as narrowly as a mouse in its hole; and went backwards and forwards between her lodgings and the offices in Reubens Place, for 21 years without much change being made in her dark ordinary house."
In the opening scene, Miss Baker is speculating on how she should invest her savings of 300 pounds. She doesn't want a car, or to travel. She doesn't want to fritter away the money. And so she is intrigued by an ad in Town and Country: Miss Padsoe, a spinster in a country town, needs a partner in the conversion of her house into a rooming house. Miss Baker checks it out: she has a long, uncomfortable trip to the country and is not at all crazy about it. But when her boss sacks her (he is downsizing), she accepts Miss Padsoe's offer. And the adventures of Miss Baker and Miss Padsoe–which begin with Miss Padsoe being locked out by the bullying servants–are great fun to read.
Less amusing are the adventures of the aristocratic Shelling family down the road. Queenie Catton, a naive young woman with no job skills, takes a job as Mrs. Shelling's companion. George, the sophisticated son of the house, falls in love with Queenie, though his sister Bell warns him Queenie is not their kind and that it would be wrong to seduce her. If only Queenie had realized that he was a little too close to his sister Bell–but Queenie doesn't understand their near-incestuous relationship.
I loved the parts about Miss Baker and Miss Padsoe. A lively novel–so much fun! even though it is uneven.
The Planner Notebook & Elizabeth Gaskell vs. Kathy Acker
I recently bought a Planner notebook. On facing pages we have a Daily Agenda section and To Do List–which are exactly the same thing, but I like writing everything twice.
I bought the Planner to track daily appointments. My husband was hit by a car while riding his bike in the bike lane; he was hospitalized with a broken collarbone and a collapsed lung. Appointment with trauma doctor–check. Appointment with orthopedic surgeon–check. Pick up Extra Strength Tylenol for pain and the cat's meds–check. Everyone in this house is on meds now!
Checking items off a list is calming. And then I realized I could eke out my tranquil planner time by scheduling my reading for book clubs.
I have two book clubs in October. I calculate the number of pages I need to read per day. Soon the Planner is a jumble of dates, numbers, and arrows pointing back and forth. Do I really need to read 200 pages of Wives and Daughters and 57 pages of Pussy, King of the Pirates on the same day? That can't be right– and I'm not even talking about the miscalculation. Elizabeth Gaskell and Kathy Acker do not go together!
Of course any inattention to the schedule will wreak havoc. I will be over-prepared for the Gaskell discussion at the Victober (Victorians in October) group at Goodreads, though I may not even participate, and know zip for the FTF group Acker discussion. But since I dislike Acker's book, who cares?
Here's the thing: it doesn't feel right to stick to a strict reading schedule. I prefer a flow in reading: it's a natural thing, not a forced activity. And yet Kerri Jarema and other Millennial bloggers often complain about feeling overwhelmed by reading goals. Is the frantic worrying about numbers and goals a result of social media?
In a slightly frenetic essay at Bustle, "5 Reasons A Seasonal TBR Will Help You Smash Your End Of Year Reading Goals," Jarema wrote,
It happens to me every year: September rolls around and I start to panic about my reading goals. For some, their yearly reading challenge is the most important part of their bookish life. These readers make strict numbered goals, and write extensive year-long TBR lists that they want to complete by the time Dec. 31 rolls around. And even though I made my own goals less harsh this year — choosing to focus instead on reading mindfully — I've still got to read 16 new-to-me books before the end of the year to fulfill my own challenge.
I have a glimmer of her feelings now that I have a Planner notebook. I know exactly what I should read when. I look at my planner and think, "I should reread Colette so I can go to the Colette movie tomorrow." Merde! That is insane! I've reread Colette many times!
So, much as I love the Planner, I must take it less seriously. I'll calculate the number of pages of one book I'd like to read next month and leave the rest to chance.
Is Anne the Neglected Bronte? And Some Gorgeous Bronte Sets
As a child I did not read Anne Bronte. Neither the library nor local bookstores carried her two novels. It's a shame, because I would have enjoyed them. I was a fanatical Bronte-ite: I devoured Charlotte's Jane Eyre, Villette, and Shirley, and Emily's Wuthering Heights. I needed a t-shirt that said: I AM JANE EYRE, LUCY SNOWE, CAROLINE HELSTONE, AND CATHERINE EARNSHAW!
Anne's books must be second-rate, I thought, since the gods of booksellers and librarians didn't sanction them. When I finally found an old Everyman's hardback copy of Anne's two novels, I thoroughly enjoyed it. And I was incredulous that they were so hard to find.
Is Anne the neglected Bronte?
These days her books are widely available; Barnes and Noble even publishes Agnes Grey in their B&N classics series. Anne has her fans. Bloggers and vloggers adore her. A few years ago Nick Holland published a biography of Anne and Samantha Ellis a bibliomemoir about her reading relationship with Anne. (And there will be more books soon: her 200th birthday is in 2020!)
That said, I enjoy Anne's novels but she lacks her sisters' poeticism. And there isn't much narrative drive to Agnes Grey, a worthy autobiographical first novel about a governess. But brace yourself: reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is an electrifying experience. It is a hybrid of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights–if you can make it through the first 130 pages.
The structure is like that of Wuthering Heights, with a double narrative. And the first narrator, Gilbert Markham, tells his story in the form of a letter which is based on other letters and journals. It centers on his love affair with Helen Graham, a mysterious widow who moved into a dilapidated house in the country with her son and his nurse. He is drawn to her, because she is smart, fiery, and strong. And as a farmer, he finds excuses to work near her house and meet her.
Soon there is gossip in the village about Helen: Gilbert's former girlfriend is one of a group who spreads the lie that Helen is having an affair with her landlord (who we learn later is her brother, not her lover). Gilbert confronts her, and Helen, who needs to protect her identity, lends him her journal so he will understand who she really is.
Helen's journal, the second narrative, makes this novel worth reading. The writing immediately fires up: Anne is obviously meant to write about women. Helen is the wife of an abusive alcoholic who has all the worst characteristics of Mr. Rochester and Heathcliff. He not only descends into debauchery but thinks it funny to encourage their four-year-old son to drink wine. Eventually she escapes with her son and his nurse and lives under an assumed name. She paints and sells her work in London.
Love the journal, and there are many secrets and much action, but eventually we revert to Gilbert. My heart sank. Still, Helen's journal is SO GOOD that I strongly recommend this book.
Juniper Books sells a gorgeous set of hardcover Bronte books with " custom purple jackets, a design modeled after the antique leather bindings that were commonly seen in the Brontë's time." The books are Everyman's Library hardbacks with new covers.
I am a fan of Penguin hardcover classics. I admire Coralie Bickford's cover designs.
This design of this set of three Vintage Bronte paperbacks is abstractly nature-inspired.
The Folio Society has reissued these stunning editions of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. The illustrations are lovely.
Aren't these White Books editions fabulous? They came up on Google…
Wordsworth paperbacks are inexpensive. I'm not sure the boxed set is available in the U.S., but you can acquire the individual novels very cheaply.
How Old Are You? Aging in Literature
How old are you? Rude question, isn't it? Tempus fugit.
The seasons go faster and faster. Yes, it's fall–again! There are pumpkins at the grocery store and the homemade ice cream stand has closed for the season.
And since I seem to get older every year, I ponder on aging in literature. Is it harder for men or women? And isn't it odd that the two women's novels above, Fear of Dying and The Summer Before the Dark, have dark covers and titles, while the men's novels about aging, The Old Devils and An After-Dinner's Sleep, have light green on the covers?
Aging women in literature face the challenge of losing the power of their sexuality. In Erica Jong's Fear of Dying, a brilliant novel about aging, sex, and death, sixty-year-old Vanessa, a retired actress who played a villainess in a soap opera, hates the thought of being past her prime. She has had plastic surgery, but misses the days when men ogled her. Her rich husband, Asher, is in the hospital after an aneurism. When she is not at the hospital, she is visiting her parents, who are in their nineties and not always cognizant of who she is. They have 24-hour caregivers and are dying in their apartment when they are not ill in the hospital.
You know what Vanessa badly needs? Sex. Who can blame her for looking at Zipless.com? But does it turn out well? Of course not. Still. she comes to terms with what she wants from life.
In Doris Lessing's The Summer Before the Dark, the forties prove just as difficult as the sixties. The 45-year-old heroine Kate comes to term with middle age. Her husband is away in America for the summer (and having an affair), and she had planned to stay home with their son. When her son takes off on a trip, she accepts a summer job as an interpreter at a food conference. She has bought beautiful clothes and is newly attractive; she has an affair, which is nice, but ephemeral. Later, after the conference, she has a kind of controlled breakdown in a rented room in a young drug-taking hippie's house. Kate lets her hair go and experiments with walking in front of construction workers in different outfits. Naturally, they whistle when she looks young, and ignore her when she wears baggy clothes. By the end of the summer she knows herself and returns to her family. She stays the same for her family–except for her hair, which she stops cutting and dying. This is a beautifully-written short book, one of Lessing's best.
Is aging easier for men? Well, no, judging from literature. In Kingsley Amis's Booker Prize-winning novel The Old Devils, one of the aging characters has a difficult time dressing himself but he still imbibes an incredible quantity of alcohol with his friends. In Stanley Middleton's brilliant novel, An After-Hour's Sleep, the 65-year-old protagonist, Alistair, is mature: he feels that he is getting old, mainly because he is retired and feels stiff after walking several miles. He he not only meditates on the past, but embarks on a friendship with an ex-girlfriend. And he finds a new purpose through writing. Like Jong's Vanessa and Lessing's Kate, he comes to term with aging.
I wonder if I can count E. F. Benson's Lucia books as novels about aging? Probably not, but the characters are not young.
What are your favorite novels about aging?


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Beauty On The Inside As Well As The Outside
I draw from the wellspring of the source to fill my heart with love, joy, peace, beauty, and grace. As i fill myself, I have more than enough to nourish myself and others.
Jason and i were always active. We isolated ourselves outside of our home as much as possible, yet I still grew up overweight and self-conscious of my beauty and body. I didn't have any guidance in my food choices, so I just ate what was available. I ate what any 7 or 8 year old boy could prepare for himself, hotdogs, Kool-Aid, and left-over mac-n-cheese. The majority of the food I ate was processed, high in sugar and/or fat, and had virtually zero nutritional value.
Second, set an intention. Examples of an intention for the day might be, to notice and identify how you feel once an hour (happy, sad, rushed, peaceful), to be more loving to your partner or family members, to let go of anger as you observe it in yourself, to allow time to nurture yourself, to journal write, or to feel your inner, spiritual strength. If you need outside help to get started, randomly open an affirmation book, such as my Seed Thoughts book, and use that topic as your intention.
For her wedding this past Saturday, the Oscar winner, 35, wore a strapless, pale pink gown custom-designed by Monique Lhuillier as she exchanged vows at her ranch. She later changed into a white cocktail dress.
Upon opening the jar, I was immediately struck by the wonderful smell of the soak. I examined the back of the jar and saw that eucalyptus, juniper berry, manganese sulfate, rosemary, and seaweed were infused into the soak, giving it an amazing scent. The consistency of the soak is like a thick scrub, but it dissolves fairly quickly in hot water. Unlike other soaks, it dissolves and won't accumulate as grime on the bottom of your tub. As soon as I added the soak to my tub, my bathroom completely filled with the scent of the soak.
Some people have sensitive skin, which makes the selection of the right body care products even more important. Read the ingredients thoroughly before you use the product.
Two episodes of this show were very telling and prophetic, and they both dealt with how society viewed beauty and the expectations placed on women to be "beautiful".
Even though I accomplished many of the short term goals I set for myself, there were still some things that I did incorrectly. To this day I have muscle imbalances due to improper training. I knew the basics and that helped me reach the goals I wanted to reach, but I needed someone to teach me the process of working for proper muscle balance. Currently, the muscles in my chest are over developed when compared to the muscles in my upper back. It used to cause back pain in my mid to upper back, but I gradually corrected this muscle imbalance. Now my back pain is virtually non-existent! This is just one example of many ways you can do harm through exercise, so be sure you either consult with someone who knows about exercise, or hire a certified personal trainer before you begin an exercise program.


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By Craig Whatman - March 6, 2017
Stamp duty will be abolished for first home buyers purchasing new or established properties for a price less than $600,000, while a stamp duty concession will apply on a sliding scale for properties between $600,000 and $750,000. For a property with a purchase price of $595,000 the stamp duty saving will be approximately $15,300. Subject to the legislation passing through Parliament, the date of effect of this change will be 1 July 2017.
The government has also announced that off-the-plan stamp duty concession will only continue to be available for those buyers who intend to live in the property or who are eligible for the first home buyer stamp duty concession. This means that investors will no longer be able to benefit from the off-the-plan concession and the amount of stamp duty payable on investment properties purchased off-the-plan will therefore significantly increase.
Currently, the off-the-plan duty concession applies to both residential and non-residential property. It is unclear at this stage whether the off-the-plan concession will continue to be available to investors who purchase non-residential property (such as commercial buildings, hotels and motels) once the announced changes come into effect. However, given the rationale behind the government's changes is to increase housing affordability for first home buyers, we hope that the off-the-plan concession will remain for investors who purchase non-residential property.
For an investor buying an apartment off-the-plan for $650,000, the removal of the concession will increase the stamp duty cost by approximately $30,000. For domestic investors, it will cost approximately $10,000 more to buy the equivalent apartment in Victoria compared to New South Wales. In circumstances where the investor is a foreign purchaser, their total duty cost on the apartment will be approximately $80,000, which is approximately $30,000 more than the equivalent apartment in New South Wales and almost $40,000 more than the equivalent apartment in Queensland.
The date of effect of the off-the-plan concession change has not yet been announced by the government. It is also unclear whether it will be accompanied by transitional provisions that protect existing contracts that have not yet settled.
From 1 January 2018, a Vacant Residential Property Tax will be imposed on owners who leave their properties vacant for more than six months in any calendar year. The tax rate will be 1% of the capital improved value (CIV) of the property. Accordingly, the owner of a vacant apartment with a CIV value of $500,000 will pay an additional $5,000 tax per annum.
The government's stated purpose is to encourage owners of Melbourne's inner and middle suburbs to rent their properties to tenants. Exceptions to the Vacant Residential Property Tax will be available for holiday homes, deceased estates and circumstances where the owner is temporarily overseas.
The new vacancy tax appears to be based on a similar Empty Homes Tax recently introduced in Vancouver Canada, which is also imposed at the rate of 1%.
It is unclear how the State Revenue Office (SRO) will police the vacancy period for the purposes of administering the new vacancy tax but the starting point is likely to be a self-assessment form that needs to be lodged with the SRO each year.
The government will also introduce a $50 million pilot scheme, HomesVic, from January 2018.
The scheme will provide eligible first home buyers with an opportunity to co-purchase a home with the government, allowing them to enter the property market sooner. Eligible applicants will include singles earning up to $75,000 and couples jointly earning up to $95,000. The scheme is aimed at first home buyers who, due to increasing rents, have been unable to save a large enough deposit to purchase a home.
The government will take up to a 25% equity share in the property, which means home buyers are able to purchase less of the property, allowing them to provide a smaller deposit (buyers must have a 5% deposit) and make smaller loan repayments. The pilot will be tested across the state, and when the properties are sold, HomesVic will recover its share of the equity.
Developers of residential property in Victoria should consider the impact the removal of the off-the-plan stamp duty concession for investment properties will have on their business models. Investors should also confirm the total amount of stamp duty they will need to pay before they proceed with the next acquisition.
On a more positive note, the abolition of stamp duty for first home buyer purchases less than $600,000, combined with the doubling of the First Home Owners Grant for buyers in regional Victoria, will create further opportunities for developers, particularly in Melbourne's growth areas.
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Monopoly On The Money
If you're a fan of Monopoly, why not check out this online slot version of the classic board game? Keep your eyes peeled for some fantastic bonus features, and see if you can get your hands on a big win.
Not only may you stumble across some helpful Wild symbols, but there's also a
Big Bet feature with Respins and Community Chest Bonuses. If that's not enough
for you, there's a chance to get your hands on some Free Spins. It's all to
play for - so get on the starting line and go for it!
How to play
To set your stake per line, click the (-) and (+) buttons on the right-hand
side of your game panel. When you're ready to get going, click the SPIN button
in the middle, or click the AUTOPLAY button to the left of SPIN if you'd
rather let the reels spin automatically. To enter the Big Bet game, click the
'BB' button on the far-left of your game panel. Have fun!
Free Spins
If you're lucky enough to land 3 or more Scatter symbols (the 'Go' symbols) on
your reels, you'll activate the Free Spins bonus, which will award 10 Free
Spins for 3 'Go' symbols, 15 Free Spins for 4 'Go' symbols and 25 Free Spins
for 5 'Go' symbols.
Free Spins Gamble
At the start of your Free Spins bonus, a gamble is presented. Click GAMBLE to
play for more Free Spins, or tap COLLECT to continue to Free Spins. The
maximum number of Free Spins you can get from the gamble is 25, and there is
no limit to the number of gambles you can play. Good luck!
Mr Monopoly Symbol
Mr Monopoly only appears during Free Spins, and more than one Mr Monopoly
Symbol can appear per spin. He collects all cash multipliers in view, and if
more than one Mr Monopoly appears in a single spin, an extra prize will be
awarded. In the Big Bet game, the multipliers Mr Monopoly awards are all 1.00.
Mr Monopoly is also Wild and substitutes for all other symbols.
Big Bet Game
A Big Bet Game involves 5 linked spins of the reels, in which all wins are
accumulative and are paid at the end of the last spin. Advantages of the Big
Bet Game are:
- Respin: if 2 Scatter symbols are on the reels at the end of the Big Bet game, they remain in place while an extra spin occurs with only Scatter symbols present. If this awards a third symbol, Free Spins are awarded
- Chance Card Bonus: pick one of 8 cards to win the prize on the card
- Cash Prize: pays additional cash and ends Free Spins
- Extra Free Spins: continues Free Spins bonus
- Free Spins Over: ends Free Spins
- House Extension: the reels are extended by one position
- Hotel Extension: the reels are extended by two positions
- Extensions are available in 40.00 and 50.00 Big Bet game
Return to player
At stakes < £2.00, the expected return for this game is 94.00%, which means
that for every £100 wagered, the expected return would be £94.00. At stakes >
£2.00, the expected return for this game is 96.00%, which means that for every
£100 wagered, the expected return would be £96.00. The expected return for the
big bet game is 97.75%, which means that for every £100 wagered, the expected
return would be £97.75. Please note, bonus wagering is disabled on this game.


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The Best Accelerator Program for Your Business
Being a good business owner is not easy and if it is your first time running a business, then you will have to face some serious issues along the way. The reason why you will have so many issues as a rookie is because you will not have experience what so ever about running a business. As a business owner, the most important thing that you can have experienced so when you first start up, it will be hard for you because this will be a huge test that will prove are you a good business owner or not. Some people just don't have what it takes to run a business and they realize that immediately after starting the business because they get overwhelmed with all the responsibilities that are a crucial part of being a business owner.
If you are not ready to take on some serious responsivities, then starting a business might not be the smartest decision that you can make. There are a lot of new business owners who fail after just a few months because they cannot take the pressure. There is no way you can really prepare for what is to come, but it is always an advantage if you know what to expect. Some people go into a business thinking it will be easy, they are usually the ones who fail because it is the complete opposite of what they imagined it to be.
Use Help
As a new business owner, we have one great advice for you and that is to use any type of help that you can get because you will need it. One of the best ways you can get help from is by using startup accelerator programs that are specially designed for rookie business owners who have no experience at all. These programs are perfect for beginners because they give you all that you really need for a successful start. The key to having a successful business is to have a successful start and that is the hardest part to achieve, but when you have a professional help such as this program, then it becomes a piece of cake.
All you really have to do is start using this program there is nothing complicated about that. Of course, you will have to pay in order to gain access to this program, but that is completely normal. After all, they are giving you a free ticket to success land and all you have to do is support them by paying for the software.
When you are searching for the best accelerator program for your business, there is one thing that you need to search for particularly and that is their reputation. This will give you a nice look at what are you getting when purchasing their software. This way you can avoid making a mistake and buying a software that actually doesn't work or has a low success rate. Just search for the reputation or the feedback of some of the previous users.


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What Material is a Top-Quality Shower Made Out Of?
If you're ready to replace your old shower with a new replacement shower or shower enclosure it is important to take notice of all of the options available to you. There are many low-budget options out there that will end up leading to serious moisture damage issues down the road. However, if you want to feel confident that you're receiving a beautiful shower pan that will last for years to come, make sure to choose a bathroom remodel company that offers products from the industry leading manufacturer, Luxury Bath.
Luxury Bath manufactures bathroom remodeling products that are assembled with a Lucite acrylic and infused with Microban® technology. This will create a strong and low-maintenance product that is resistant to the growth of mold and mildew. Not only will you be receiving a durable product but you will be spending less time cleaning your bathroom than ever before.
Reliable Shower Replacement and Installation Services from Bordner
Bordner has served homeowners in Blue Springs, Missouri, and the surrounding areas since our founding in 1987 by offering professional installations and top-tier showers and bathroom remodeling products. We proudly stand by the work we perform with a lifetime workmanship warranty in addition to any manufacturer warranties offered by Luxury Bath.
To learn more about the shower replacement services we offer to homeowners in Blue Springs, MO, and the surrounding communities, contact Bordner for more information. When you do, make sure to ask about the flexible financing options we offer to all qualifying homeowners.


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Hi everyone!!
Today I am sharing the Off the Page Project (OTP), created with Flying Unicorn's September Kit of the Month.
I'm showing you the side view first, so that you can see the layers of color more clearly. The first thing I did, was to remove the latch on the side of the box. Then I covered the entire piece with vintage book papers, and added a very light coat of gesso over top......I still wanted to be able see the text underneath. Then the fun....I pulled out some metallic paints from my stash, as well as the Pink Blush from the kit, and added each color on the piece in a very random way. I also layered some of the colors over each, to tone down or emphasize the color underneath. First I added the Pink Blush, then rust, bronze, russet and dark brown. To bring some cohesiveness to the piece, I added a very light layer of gold, over the entire piece.
Tip: Metallic paints, are more transparent than other acrylic paints. This allows them to be layered over each other, while still showing the under colors through. It also adds a luscious and elegant depth to the piece you are working on.
Once this was dry, I did a bit of stenciling with the kit stencil and the dark brown metallic paint. I added some Flying Unicorn Adornment feet on the base.....just to give it a bit more height. And as a replacement for the latch, I glued on the timepiece, but only to the top of the box.
I pulled out some flowers and leaves from past kits, and treated them to a bit of distressing. For the large 49th & Market Blooms, I dipped each one in a mixture of Tim Holtz Distress Reinker, and a bit of water. This toned down the color a bit, and I didn't need to use as much ink. The yellow flower received Fossilized Amber Ink, and the other, which was yellow when I started, was treated to Ground Espresso Ink. I chose this method, because I didn't want the flowers to be just one color. Once dry, I added a bit of the Pink Blush to the stamens, and the inner petals of the yellow flower. I used the same process for the larger leaves, except, I dipped the leaves in Victorian Velvet Ink, and once dry, I added more of the Pink Blush over top.
The vines are from Petaloo, and are also included in the kit. I started by cutting the vines apart, and removing the flowers from each piece. Then, I painted each leaf with the Pink Blush, Russet and Opal Magic Green Gold.....again in an haphazard way. I didn't want to completely cover the leaves. Once dry, I dipped each stem in the Ground Espresso mix and let dry. Once I had positioned the leaves and flowers, I added some of the Micro Glass Beads around the stem with Gel Medium.
That's all I have for today! Hope you enjoyed!!
- September Kit of the Month - Darice Wooden Box, Prima Acrylic Paint, Metallique Pink Blush, 13 Arts Micro Glass Beads, Prima Stencil, Petaloo Floradoodles Flowering Vines Pink, Flying Unicorn Adornment Clock Face
- Liquitex - Gesso
- 13 Arts - Matte Gel Medium
- Aleene's - Collage Pauge
- Jacquard - Lumiere Paint in Metallic Rust, Metallic Bronze and Metallic Russet
- Prima - Acrylic Paint in Opal Magic Green Gold
- DecoArt - Metallic Paints in Splendid Gold and Rich Espresso
- 49th & Market - Flowers in Rustic Barn Medium
- Prima - Leaves
- Tim Holtz - Distress Reinkers in Ground Espresso, Fossilized Amber and Victorian Velvet
- Flying Unicorn Adornment - Feet
- Vintage Book Papers


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Racine County, WIHome Menu
Business Directory
Welcome to the Racine County Business Directory! Racine businesses are encouraged to submit their business information to the directory below.
Approval of submissions can take 2-3 business days, so listings may not immediately appear in the Business Directory.
Please note that we are only accepting businesses from within Racine County at this time.
Have a Business? Submit Your Business Online
Fluegge Optical
- Address:920 East Main Street
Waterford, WI 53185
- Phone:(262) 534-6090 Website:http://flueggeoptical.com/
- Hours:M- F 9:00 am- 6:00 pm
Sat 9:00 am- 1:00 pm
- Address:920 East Main Street
Fonk's Home Center, Inc.
- Address:15941 Durand Ave.
Union Grove, WI 53182
- Phone:(262) 878-1350
- Fax:(262) 878-1806 Website:http://www.fonkshomecenter.com
- Hours:M-F 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Weekends and Evenings by appointment.
- Address:15941 Durand Ave.


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A very difficult pose pack to do...Took me ages to fisnish it T_T
Some Examples
All poses in order (2 poses in each picture)
All faces in order
•You need the Pose Player installed at your Mods folder and follow the instructions at the post to use them!
•This Object is highly recommended if you want to put the sims on other places (like sofa, tables, chairs...)
♥Credits♥ Cmomoney & orangemittens
•I can't upload very big pictures in Picasa, so you can (if you want) download the HQ pictures HERE.
The file only includes the pics from "All poses in order" section, because the other already are HQ, you just need to click on them to see ;)


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In the days leading up to taking the cast off I had one question. What the most interesting thing has been discovered inside a cast once it was removed?
People get itchy. And when you get itchy, you want to scratch. Until they make a touch sensitive cast that allows you the freedom to take care of the itchies, you have to get creative.
Lucky for me it is winter here in New England. So I only had a few times where my stitches bothered the crap out of me.
Though I imagined all the possibilities- powder, pencils, toothbrush, spoon, fork, chopstick, coat hangar, Legos, straws . Somehow I managed to refrain and keep my cast free of foreign objects.
But we did ask the doctor the strangest thing he's seen, a chicken bone. He also told us that the chicken bone caused a nasty infection.
The lesson should be don't shove anything in your cast, but the lesson might be, if you are going to put something in your cast, limit it to inanimate objects.


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Late last week I was interviewed about Trump and his incoming administration, and one of the things that came up was the practical issues involving government, as in, to what extent should the Democrats (or anyone) work with Trump and the GOP to make deals, pass laws and so on. My answer to this was that I was pragmatic about it and that if the Democrats could get something out of Trump and the GOP that they liked, then they should go ahead and take it. Not that they shouldn't fight (oh, they should), but to take what they can get through the normal processes of government.
Note this interview was on Friday, and over the weekend, among other things, Trump moved noted white nationalist and anti-Semite Steve Bannon into a formal White House adviser role, a move hailed by both the KKK and the American Nazi Party. In retrospect this isn't entirely surprising — Bannon was already on Trump's team and honestly it's not like Trump appears to know many people outside of his family and a small circle of either sycophants or ambitious leeches (Bannon's in the latter category) — but it is reminder that Trump's embrace of bigots during his candidacy was not just a cynical move to get into power, to be abandoned once in power. The Trump presidency is going to be dancing to the tune of white nationalism, and so for anyone actually doing business with them, there is a genuine question of moral hazard.
So the question is: How to address pragmatic governmental action an age of moral hazard? If Trump and the GOP, for example, introduce a well-funded infrastructure bill that will create jobs that will benefit Americans (as they certainly will, since the federal government only doesn't spend when a Democrat is in the White House), how do Democrats approach that? Do you oppose it because you don't want to be seen working with a white nationalist administration and its supporters? Do you press for things that you feel will make a difference (someone elsewhere suggested that Democrats should engage with an infrastructure bill only if they got things in it like Trump selling off his business interests and/or making it clear that no business of his could profit from the bill)? Do you go, "I'd support this bill from a Democrat," and then vote for it?
Each comes with risks: Oppose it, you get pilloried in the Trump-friendly propaganda machine. Embrace it, you get accused of normalizing white nationalism. Try to modify, and you get a bit of both. Pick your poison. On the flip side, it's entirely possible the GOP will just larder their bills with so much nonsense that the Democrats can just oppose them and not have to worry about the consequences. Remember: Clinton won the popular vote and Trump is coming in with low approval ratings. Despite the screaming of the Trump propaganda machine, and the fact of GOP majorities, he's not invulnerable. He's not even close.
And that's something else to think about with with regard to pragmatic action: Trump and many of his fellow travelers are still viewed with suspicion by other parts of the GOP. If Democrats want to be able to hold the line against some of Trump (or his fellow travelers') policies, then that might mean reaching across the aisle toward Republicans who, if they're not exactly moderate, at least understand that they have moral hazards of their own. These next four years will not be normal, folks. Alliances of opportunity will spring up with the enemies of one's enemies, and so on.
I'm having a hard time with the right answer here — or at least, I recognize that what I usually see as the right answer (take half a loaf when the whole loaf is out of reach) is going to be much more problematic over the next four years than it usually is. I want to believe pragmatic governmental action is still possible, because I think it will be needed. But I also know that that Trump, already a bigot, will spend the next four years with a white nationalist whispering in his ear. And that's not nothing.


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Monday, September 27, 2010
A Quick Hello . . .
25 comments:
- James said...
Oh how I envy you! Tom B goes to the most amazing places. I have a fascination with old abandoned buildings but the last time I tried to get some photos of one I almost got arrested for trespassing. As usual both of these shots are top notch!
Bon Voyage and don't spare the sutter button. :)
- September 27, 2010 at 3:43 AM
- the fly in the web said...
Industrial sites..let me suggest one in the Maine et Loire when you return.
- September 27, 2010 at 3:54 AM
- Snowbrush said...
You obscure! Hardly. You're internationally famous.
- September 27, 2010 at 3:58 AM
- Vivian aka Deborah said...
Hi there, Owen! It's been awhile since I myself have been on here. Life has a way of keeping you from what you really love.
I love the shadows in your top photo here. And the second photo is of perfect design.
I travel to the northeast part of Pa, 3 times a year. My parents live there.
I pray to God for a hedge of protection around you as you travel.
Bon voyage!
- September 27, 2010 at 4:58 AM
- Lynne with an e said...
Souvenirs from the land of your mirth: wonderful! Bring them back alive (you and them).
- September 27, 2010 at 5:18 AM
- Anonymous said...
Houston here Owen!!! copy that!! so the mission has been successfull until now. I am glad to hear that. Hoping you can bring such souvenirs soon, in order to be properly analyzed here in Earth =)
Glad to hear from you dear friend,,you know we will always be here,,in this luminous blog of yours.
Enjoy and see you soon!! =) Looking forward to see all those images from homeland.
- September 27, 2010 at 9:04 AM
- Steve said...
Glad to hear inspiration is still striking you, Owen! Not that I doubted it for a second!
- September 27, 2010 at 9:10 AM
- Anonymous said...
Glad to hear that everything is OK. Have fun in Pennsylvania, and don't forget to send money to la Grenouille.
- September 27, 2010 at 12:21 PM
- CiCi said...
I checked out Tom B's blog. He finds some out of the way places and abandoned buildings doesn't he?
- September 27, 2010 at 1:45 PM
- Stickup Artist said...
Love the 3 leaves! Looks like autumn is upon you. Tom B looks to be the perfect tour guide! You two should have some amazing photo walks! Good to hear from you and looking forward to seeing and hearing about your adventures.
- September 27, 2010 at 3:44 PM
- Anonymous said...
Great photos as usual; especially the leaves. Have fun and stay well.
- September 27, 2010 at 4:02 PM
- Deborah said...
Owen, you seem to be having a very good time chasing pictures. Clearly you've had the go-ahead from the rest of the family to spend some time on your own, doing what you love. That's pretty wonderful. It's not just the women who need to have 'me time'. Look forward to more of your special photos.
- September 27, 2010 at 5:37 PM
- The Sagittarian said...
Good times ahead I reckon! Can't wait to see stuff from the land of your "mirth" (see Louciao's comment...)
- September 28, 2010 at 8:18 AM
- Anonymous said...
merveilleuses photos !! ... Comme toujours ! J'aime beaucoup la deuxiéme ! A Bientot !! :)
- September 28, 2010 at 7:24 PM
- James said...
"A simple twist of fate" brought me to your June 9th post. I know I'm very late but I'd like to venture a guess as to the location of the fountain in your photo.
Is it the fountain at Le Grand Palais?
- September 28, 2010 at 9:42 PM
- Owen said...
Hi everyone ! Good to hear from all of you... am writing now from the lobby of the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Tomorrow morning am off to see the Grand Canyon... of Pennsylvania. Having gangs of fun, and can't wait to share with you all some of the things seen in the past day or two... amazing what one can find if one looks a little... :-)
And yes, James, you are RIGHT ! It was indeed at le Grand Palais ! Now how on earth did you figure that out ?????
- September 29, 2010 at 2:25 AM
- Roxana said...
the leaves!!!!
and: we miss you
- September 30, 2010 at 12:50 AM
- Anonymous said...
Looking forware to seeing some fresh UE shots!
- September 30, 2010 at 11:21 PM
- Lydia said...
As Roxana wrote, we miss you. I must say that I am really anxious to see images you bring back from "the land of your birth" - and I hope you share some of your thoughts about the place, too. I'm wondering how long it has been since you've been back and what comparisons you might have to previous visits and old memories, and to the land your heart adopted.
Travel safely and happily.
- October 3, 2010 at 11:53 AM
- clo said...
a quick hello..et un gros bisou en passant Owen..:o)
- October 3, 2010 at 9:41 PM
- Nathalie H.D. said...
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!
We look forward to a spate of new and exciting posts when you return.
I wonder how many samples of your dream house you'll find along the way?
Take care,
- October 3, 2010 at 11:53 PM
- Owen said...
Hullo to one and all !
Am back from six days of wandering the back roads of Pennsylvania, or Penn's Woods, had a marvellous time, and now have the daunting task of sorting through some 1500 photos to find a few to share with you... they will start to appear here soon. There were no end of dream houses and dream cars, dream landscapes, and dream barns... can't wait to get a few up on the screen here for you, wish I could do it full time... but such is life...
Very best wishes to each and every one of you good people...
- October 4, 2010 at 12:58 AM
- :: Karine :: said...
love the three leaves of a tree: you, me and them :-)
miss you as well owen adoré
- October 4, 2010 at 11:34 AM
- Genie -- Paris and Beyond said...
Yay, Owen! I just popped over here to check on your whereabouts and voila you are back! Can't wait to hear about your adventures and to see your fabulous photos.
- October 4, 2010 at 3:37 PM
- mythopolis said...
The three leaves on the water is especially beautiful!
- October 4, 2010 at 8:19 PM


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In January of 2011 I received an email from a dear friend encouraging me to take some of the things I love and combine them into an online magazine. I looked at different options, different ways of publishing, researched the securest ways to offer subscriptions. I made long lists of things I would like to share, content that would be interesting, ways to make it interactive. After lots of planning and creating I have my magazine, Unweaving the Nest Weekly.
Here are just some of the things that we will be included in the image-rich issues:
- A feature story about something that I love that I think you might love, too.
- An inspirational essay, kind of like the things I've written about here on my blog since 2007.
- "The Last Straw" last-page essay from New York State Press Association award-winning writer, columnist Rick Ohler.
- Guest artists, poets, writers, photographers, chefs, and just plain old great people....
- Simple recipes that I have created. Fast, fresh and made with things you probably already have in your pantry and fridge.
- Candid interviews with interesting folks I'd like you to meet.
- Reviews of books I am reading that I believe are worth sharing.
- Poetry.
- Short-stories & memoir.
- Downloadable versions of my photographs that you can print or use as screensavers.
- Links to fabulous Web sites that I have discovered.
- Links to playlists I have created...music to discover and listen to, free, from your computer.
- Inspirational quotes to print & save
- and more!
It's kind of like a big love letter filled with things that inspire me, make me think, and that I want to share with you.
It takes time to put these things together, to create a beautiful presentation of them, to gather and write. Instead of putting ads on my blog, or filling the magazine with sponsor ads, I have decided to have a subscription rate and keep it to a minimal dollar amount. It's $4.00 per month, the cost of a fancy cup of coffee, and you get it once a week, for as long as you are a subscriber. It's easy to subscribe by clicking the link in the upper left corner of this page, and paying securely through Amazon.com. You will be billed automatically for $4.00 per month until you choose to unsubscribe. There is a link at the bottom of every magazine to easily unsubscribe.
If you would like to refer some subscribers to me, please send me an email at kateri.ewing at gmail.com. I have a special thank you gift for anyone who refers three friends that subscribe.
Unweaving the Nest Weekly is about to celebrate its two-year anniversary, and is now onto the third volume of 52 issues. Here is a link to the one-year anniversary issue, where many readers sent in their comments about the first 52 weekly issues: CLICK HERE.
I sure hope you'll join us.


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New to Yoga?
Anyone regardless of age, physical condition or experience can practice yoga. Flexibility, balance, strength, grace, and coordination are not required. But you will experience an improvement in all these areas with a dedicated practice.
We understand that walking into a new studio can be a little daunting. As soon as you walk through our doors, you find yourself in a peaceful, serene setting that will put you at ease. Our friendly staff will help you determine which class is right for you. It is our goal to meet you exactly where you are.
We also offer private sessions to address specific issues and/or prepare you for group classes.
Most importantly, relax and enjoy the experience.
"Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked."
~ Yoga Sutras