text: No longer requiring the aid of the Coen brothers to realize his grand literary ambitions of giving Javier Bardem funny wigs, Cormac McCarthy makes the leap to writing original screenplays with the Ridley Scott-directed The Counselor, due November 15. This first teaser, as bluntly tense as the bwaaaaaamps that outnumber actual lines of dialogue, mostly serves to establish the esteemed novelist's first straight-to-screen universe—a universe that looks a lot like No Country For Old Men, actually, except here Bardem's coiffure is patterned after Brian Grazer and everyone in general is much better-looking. Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz are among those orbiting the world's prettiest drug ring, while Michael Fassbender plays a Southwestern lawyer who finds himself drawn into its seductive milieu of fast motorcycles, sexy ladies in cheetah dresses, and even sexier actual cheetahs. Top that, books.


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Thursday, August 18, 2016
Evil Eye
7 comments:
- eileeninmd said...
Hello, I am not so sure about the touch me time. The last shot is awesome, love it! Enjoy your day and the weekend ahead!
- August 18, 2016 at 7:51 AM
- Sandra said...
My favorite good fence for today. Of course it's not just the fence it's what's behind the fence and I sure would like some face time with those cows myself
- August 18, 2016 at 8:30 AM
- Susie said...
JP, I think animals are just as curious about us as we are of them. :):) The farmer picked up his cattle from down the road , so I do not get to see them on my way to town. :( Blessings to you, xoxo, Susie
- August 18, 2016 at 12:26 PM
- Buttons Thoughts said...
They need some hats:) Hug B
- August 18, 2016 at 3:03 PM
- Ann said...
Love it. I guess they all must of been a bit jealous of the first cows touch me time :)
- August 18, 2016 at 4:57 PM
- TexWisGirl said...
aren't they sweet? i love the dutch belted. they always look extra plump, wearing white around their middle...
- August 19, 2016 at 7:37 AM
- Ida said...
You were brave to approach with Mr. Bull giving you the "eye" - Nice looking animals and a great fence, I like the curved bar on it.
- August 22, 2016 at 3:24 PM

subset: commoncrawl


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10 items are filed under this topic.
(1+z+z^2)^2 and (p^2-pq+q^2)^2
I partially understand the second line which would be 1+z^2+z^4+2z+2z^2+2z^3 but I don't understand where the 2 comes from in the second half of that line.
p.s.(^2 means squared or cubed etc.)
Please help me out A.S.A.P.! I have a quiz on this tomorrow! Thank-you, A.R.


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The Proverbs 31 Man
For all that has been said about the Proverbs 31 Woman over the years, not nearly as much has been said about her husband. We celebrate her commitment to being a great wife and ensuring that the needs of her husband were met, but who was the blessed beneficiary on the receiving end of her generosity?
Who was the Proverbs 31 Man? Although he's only mentioned in a few of the verses, a closer look at the passage gives us some clues about who he was and the integral role he played in the overall success of their lives.
The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. – Proverbs 31:11-12
The Proverbs 31 Man trusted his wife implicitly. In order to trust another person at that level, one must be completely comfortable with vulnerability. The ability to remain unguarded in a marriage proves to be a struggle for many men and women. Fear of rejection, heartbreak, betrayal, and being made to look weak can hinder someone from fully opening up his/her heart to the person that God has blessed them with. However, for the level of intimacy and oneness that God has called husbands and wives to walk in, full exposure of each individual is required. Only from that fully exposed place can an honest and accurate assessment of each person's strengths and weaknesses be conducted–not for the purposes of judgment, but rather to help each other grow. Remaining guarded and leery of the other person only aids in creating an environment where distrust is the norm and growth is stunted.
That said, it's important to point out that The Proverbs 31 Man didn't just put his trust in any woman. He apparently had enough discernment to seek out and find a woman with "noble character" and integrity. Together, they were able to cultivate an atmosphere of trust, and as a result of that he lacked nothing and was the happy recipient of her love and dedication to him.
Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. – Proverbs 31:23
Not only did the Proverbs 31 Man help to cultivate an atmosphere of trust in his home, clearly he managed to do the same thing in his community, evidenced by the stellar reputation that he had amongst his peers. As Christians, God calls us to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of respect, both publicly and privately. He has not called us to be public successes and private failures. We've all heard the stories of leaders with a reputation for having a high moral code of ethics, only to later discover that their personal lives reflect otherwise. Clearly this was not the case for the Proverbs 31 Man. With the full support of his wife, he was walking in his God-given call as a leader in their community, worthy of the respect and admiration of his colleagues.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." – Proverbs 31:28-29
The Proverbs 31 Man further showed himself to be an honorable man in the way that he honored his wife. He regarded her with so much love and respect that he even modeled it for his children who followed suit in their admiration for their mother. Verse 29 says that he essentially told her that she was the greatest woman ever, comparable to none. What woman doesn't like to be on the receiving end of that sort of compliment? He was intentional about encouraging his wife and making her feel appreciated and valued. He knew it was more mutually beneficial to use his words to build his wife up verses tear her down. If the Proverbs 31 Woman was anything like most other women, that sort of encouragement made her all the more willing and enthusiastic about her commitment to her husband and family.
In just a few verses, there's much for men and women alike to learn from the Proverbs 31 Man. The respectable man that he was, along with the trust he had in his wife and the love he showed her certainly played an indispensable part in the Proverbs 31 Woman being the applauded example that she is to this day. As great of an example as he is, he ultimately serves simply as a guidepost pointing back to the ultimate example for Christian men and women and that is Jesus Christ.
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."- Ephesians 5:25-27
As husbands and wives grow to imitate the beautiful example modeled by Christ and the church, like the Proverbs 31 Man and Woman, their marriages will be a reflection of trust, honor, and God's great love for us.
Kimberly Vandiver is a follower of Jesus Christ, wife to her wonderful husband, step-mom to their beautiful daughter, soon-to-be mommy to their new baby boy, daughter to wonderful parents, sister to four really cool siblings, and friend to some amazing people. She is passionate about living "a life worthy of the calling" (Eph. 4:1) and encouraging others to do the same in Christ. She blogs at ThertyOne where the goal is to inspire women to love fearlessly, build wisely, give freely, and excel virtuously!


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"Swotting Words" is a good title for this activity, though some of you won't understand the word "swot", which is British English for "to study assiduously"; assiduous is hardly the easiest of words in itself. Anyway, you need some flash cards with pictures on one side and words on the other. I have chosen to use the flash cards (CW3 Fash Cards Set 1) which go with the workbook Concepts Worksheets 3 and you can download them freely, as a PDF, from here. There are 64 cards supporting the graphemes /th/(voiced and unvoiced), /ph/ and /wh/, which covers all the related vocabulary in the workbook and some extra.
Let me try and describe how to play the game with a small group of four students. Scatter all the cards which you want to use face down (word up) on your playing surface, give three children a flyswatter each (the child without cannot play). The teacher calls out the first word "whisk" and one of the children reads and swats the word and that card is turned over and remains in place. The child who hit the word now gives the flyswatter to the student without. Keep the pace up, so that your faster students are kept busy passing the flyswatter, so giving your slower students more time to slam. When you get near the end of the game, sometimes call out words which are not on the table and if their child makes a mistake you can have a penalty, such as the student must forfeit a card or pass the flyswatter to another student, you can even take a flyswatter out of the game at this stage.
All the cards are now face up and we are ready for the second stage of the game, this stage will give you a clear indication of your group's vocabulary knowledge. The child without a flyswatter calls out five cards one by one and the other children hit the cards and repeat the words, the student who does this first gets to keep the card, which is now turned face down in front of that student to take the card out of the game, but if two students swat the card at the same time then they can jan-ken for the game. I usually have them jan-ken using a short sentence or a phrase, something like "She's my mother.", "rainy weather" and so on. Eventually you will get to a stage where a student doesn't recognise any more for items and that students can now "pass". If all the students "pass", then the teacher may decide to do some work with the vocabulary on the table by playing some other games with the remaining cards or we can just continue, as we will here.
We are now going to do a spelling activity and either a student or the teacher can choose which set of cards to work with, here you can see that this student, by hitting the card with the sticky ball, has chosen the unvoiced /th/ cards. I will leave the "/th/ I'm thinking." card on the board to assist the students. I have chosen to play Read Spell Do for this activity. The students will need a notebook and pencil and you will need a RSD playing board which you can download freely from here or you can purchase an XL board from ETJ Book Service. You can either use some of your own "Read" and "Do" cards or purchase them online. I've included the rules, which can be played around with, with the board so I won't go into detail (another day perhaps), suffice to say that when a word is to be spelled all the children participate in the spelling, but the reading and the action are individual activities.


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Exmoor National Park comprises 267 square miles of which two thirds lies in West Somerset and one third in North Devon. Our walking holidays will give you the opportunity to explore the contrasting countryside with its deep wooded coombs,farmland, grass and heather moors as well as the magnificent coastline.
The walks take you along parts of the South West Coastal Path and the Two Moors Way. We look for Red Deer and Exmoor ponies that roam the moors. We visit the magnificent Valley of the Rocks and Woody Bay with wonderful views across the Bristol Channel to the Welsh coast.
Your accommodation for these holidays will be at the Simonsbath House Hotel in the tranquil village of Simonsbath, 10 miles from Lynmouth and an ideal location for walkers.
From Lynton the path takes you along the coast to Lee Abbey and then we follow through woodland before visiting Lee Bay and the scenic wonder of the Valley of the Rocks. We then make our way back to Lynton.
This circular walk starts from the Hotel at Simonsbath and takes you through Birchcleave Wood across pasture land and onto open moorland before dropping down to follow the beautiful River Barle back to Simonsbath passing prehistoric earthworks and the ruins of a 19C copper mine.
A walk which starts at Heddon Valley and takes you to Heddons Mouth and then along the coastal path with magnificent views out to sea. The coastal path then takes you through woodland close to Woody Bay and You return along the old carriageway again with wonderful viewsback to Heddon Valley.
This walk takes you along the banks of a most attractive stretch of the Exe Valley to the south of the village of Exford. The first half of the route climbs over Road Hill and Room Hill, high above the valley, before descending to cross the river at Nethercote and back to Exford.


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This Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza Rolls recipe is so easy to make, saves you money when you make this instead of getting pizza delivery and the best part is the whole family will love them!
I'm always on the lookout for easy to make recipes that my family will love. That is kind of the point of The Best Blog Recipes. I search for recipes that I can change so that my picky kids and husband will eat them. When I saw 2 different recipes for Pepperoni Pizza Crescent Rolls (Damn Delicious and The Girl Who Ate Everything) I knew that this would be a real winner in our house. On the nights that I take off from cooking we often go and get pizza and trust me, that can get expensive after a while. That's why I'm loving that I can make a whole batch of these Crescent Pizza Rolls and not break the bank… and not make too big of a mess either so it's a win-win in my eyes!
I knew my family would probably just want plain pepperoni filled pizza rolls because that's just how they are. I wanted a little bit more so I broke out the olives and chives and made mine a little bit more grown up! You really could do anything with these and fill them with any of your favorite pizza toppings. I'm thinking I'll try some pre-cooked sausage next time. Yum, that will be good!
One thing I have to note about this recipe: The next time I make it again I'll opt to buy the block of mozzarella and shred it myself so that my cheese is all melty and oozy inside. The cheese sticks that I used were soft but not complete melty goodness like you see here and here. If you had true shredded mozzarella it would melt so nice and probably run out of the sides a little bit and that would make me happy. Yeah, melty cheese makes me smile. I'm a food blogger. Those kinds of things get me 😉
Find us on –> FACEBOOK | GOOGLE + | PINTEREST | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza Crescent Rolls
- 1 tube of Crescent Rolls
- Your Favorite Pizza Toppings: Mini Pepperoni Sausage, Olives, Diced Canadian Bacon, etc....
- 1 cup of shredded mozarella cheese the cheese sticks didn't really melt well so I'd use shredded instead
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chives
- Pre-heat your oven to 375°
- Separate your crescent rolls into individual triangles and lay on your baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper (not required but it helps them not burn on the bottom).
- Add your favorite toppings to the wide end and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Fold the ends inwards to keep your toppings in place and roll shut.
- Top w/ chives
- Bake at 375° for 10-14 minutes depending on your oven. Mine took about 14 minutes (just watch the tops of them. When they are golden brown they are done).
- Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle your garlic powder and salt over the top.
- Serve with your favorite marinara or ranch for dipping!


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The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a peer review assessment of the quality of research taking place at eligible UK Higher Education Institution's (HEIs). The next assessment will take place in 2021, covering the period 2014-2020. A timetable for REF 2021 is available to view.
The results will replace the outcomes of the REF 2014 which covered the assessment period 2008-2013.
More about REF 2021
Composition of REF 2021
REF 2021 will consist of a single unified framework across all subjects. The REF will be a process of expert review, informed by indicators where appropriate. Expert sub-panels for each of 34 Units of Assessments (UoAs) will carry out the assessment, working under the guidance of four broad main panels. Institutions will be invited to make submissions to each UOA, to be assessed. The REF assessment will comprise three elements: Research Outputs, Impact and Environment:
- Research Outputs (60%) which will be assessed by peer review, informed (where appropriate) by citation information
- Impact (25%) which will assess, via case studies, the effects of the research undertaken beyond academia, for example on the economy and society
- Environment (15%) which will consider the research strategy, infrastructure and environment, including research income and research student numbers
The outcomes of the overall assessment will be fine-grained enough to identify excellence wherever this may be found. Panels will produce a sub-profile for each element (outputs, impact and environment), to be combined into an overall excellence profile. The profiles will show the proportion of submitted work at each point on a five-point scale (1* to 4* plus Unclassified).
Key Differences to REF 2014
Staff and Outputs
Institutions are no longer able to select staff for submission to the REF on the basis of research quality. Instead all eligible staff with a 'significant responsibility for Research' must be submitted to the REF.
Outputs are no longer directly linked to individual staff members. Instead, the number of outputs required for each submission will be calculated by multiplying the total FTE of submitted staff by 2.5 and rounding. In general, a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 5 outputs must be attributed to each member of staff. Arrangements will be in place so that some staff can submit 0 outputs, but this will be much tighter than for REF 2014 and will only apply in exceptional cases. Data on the distribution of outputs across staff in the unit will inform the assessment of the environment section.
A transitional approach to non-portability of outputs in REF 2021 will be implemented, whereby outputs may be submitted by both the institution employing the staff member on the census date and the originating institution where the staff member was previously employed when the output was first made publicly available. Full non-portability is expected in later exercises (outputs were portable in REF 2014).
Any output submitted by a former member of staff needs to have first been first made publicly available in the REF output assessment period, at a date when the former staff member was employed as 'category A eligible' for the REF 2021.
Impact will have a heightened importance in REF 2021. The weighting for impact has increased from 20% to 25%, at the expense of the weighting for outputs which decreases from 65% to 60%. Impact will also be entirely assessed by case studies, with impact strategy moving to the environment section. This means that impact case studies will have increased significance in differentiating amongst submissions, particularly at the top-end.
The number of impact case studies required per staff submitted will be reduced, due to the expected overall increase in staff submitted across the sector. A change in the thresholds means that the reduction will be much more significant for larger submissions.
Each submission must include a total number of impact case studies as determined by the following table:
|FTE of Category A submitted staff
|Number of case studies
|Up to 19.99
|20 to 34.99
|35 to 49.99
|50 to 64.99
|65 to 79.99
|80 to 94.99
|95 to 109.99
|110 to 159.99
|160 or more
|10, plus one further case study per additional 50 FTE
Re-submission of impact case studies submitted in REF 2014 will be permitted. These will need to be explicitly identified, with evidence of additionality of impact since REF 2014.
Further work on the definition of 'impact additionality' is being undertaken by the sector to establish general principles, appropriately tailored by discipline area by the panels and including consideration of where the continuation of impact within the new assessment period may itself represent additionality.
Further guidance is also expected on:
- The criteria for impact of 'reach and significance'.
- Impact arising from public engagement.
- The widening of impacts on teaching to include impacts within, as well as beyond, the submitting institution.
- A broadening of the relationship between the underpinning research and impact from individual outputs, to include a wider body of work or research activity.
Detailed guidance on submissions and assessment criteria will be published during 2018. Institutions will be invited to make submissions during 2020 and the assessment will take place during 2021.
Consequences of REF 2021
The REF will:
- provide accountability for public investment in research and produce evidence of the benefits of this investment.
- provide benchmarking information and establish reputational yardsticks, for use within the HE sector and for public information.
- inform the selective allocation of funding for research.
- provide a rich evidence base to inform strategic decisions about national research priorities.
Equality and Diversity
A sector Equality and Diversity Advisory Panel has been established to advise on the implementation of equality measures in the REF 2014.
Interdisciplinary Research
A Sector Interdisciplinary Research Advisory Panel (IDAP) has been established to advise on the approach to support the submission and assessment of interdisciplinary research in the REF.
To support interdisciplinary research further in REF 2021 the following will be in place:
- Each sub-panel will have at least one appointed member to oversee and participate in the assessment of interdisciplinary research submitted in that UOA, with a specific role to ensure its equitable assessment. This role will include liaison with corresponding members on other sub-panels.
- To enable better identification of interdisciplinary research that falls within the oversight of the appointed members described above, an optional 'interdisciplinary identifier' for outputs will be retained in the submission system.
- There will be a discrete section in the environment template on the submitting unit's structures in support of interdisciplinary research.
Open Access
Outputs submitted to REF 2021 must comply with Open Access Policy requirements.
Units of Assessment
Institutions will be invited to make submissions to 34 Units of Assessments.
Development of REF 2021
Lord Stern's Review
The Stern Review looked at the purpose and benefits of the REF and examined the issues with the current system.
Its recommendations (published on 28 July 2016) informed a subsequent technical consultation with HEIs and UK funding agencies, which took place during 2017.
This led to a set of decisions on the format of the REF 2021, published in two tranches: a set of initial decisions, published in September 2017 and a second set of decisions on staff and outputs, published in November 2017.
The College has responded to the following consultations:
- College's response to Lord Stern's review of the REF March 2016 (pdf)
- REF 2021 Consultation March 2017 (pdf)
Further Information
Further information can be found on the REF 2021 website.


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I recently spent a week with my grandmother.
She is old. She wobbles when she walks. And her hands are losing strength more quickly than she would like. Consequently, she ends up eating a lot of frozen foods, forgoing health for convenience.
Not that I can blame her. Sometimes I have trouble making toast in the morning, let alone a meal that incorporates every possible food group (wine counts, right?). So when I offered to go spend a week with her and cook her some healthy meals, I naively assumed that she would actually LET me do the cooking. I ate so much processed cheese that now I'm even avoiding oranges. Let's hope it's a temporary aversion.
The one thing I did manage to make for her was a tourtière. Originally, I used this recipe from the Food Network, but I've tweaked it to meet my personal preferences. I generally like heavily spiced foods and I found the Food Network recipe to be too mild for my tastes.
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup cold butter, chopped into bits
- 1/2–1 cup cold water
Combine dry ingredients and add chopped butter. Mix butter into dry mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Large chunks of butter are ok (and even encouraged!). Add water 1 tbsp at a time until mixture holds together in a ball. Cut in half and refrigerate. Makes enough for 1 double-crust pie.
- 1–1 1/2 cup mashed potatoes, sans butter
- 2 onions, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lbs extra lean ground beef, pork, or combination
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup apple cider or beef stock*
- 1/2 cup water, if needed
- 1 egg for glazing (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook potatoes until well done. Mash roughly and set aside.
Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add enough butter to grease the bottom and sauté onions and garlic until translucent and fragrant. Add ground meat and cook until no pink remains.
Once the meat has cooked, add the peas, the mushrooms, and all the spices at once. Stir until well combined and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the cider or beef stock and water (if needed) and the bay leaves and let sit until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the mashed potatoes to soak up the remaining liquid and set aside to cool.
While mixture is cooling, roll out pastry dough. Fill a 9-inch pie pan or springform pan with the filling and top with pastry and brush with egg. Make sure to cut steam holes in the top.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-60 minutes or until pastry is a golden brown. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
*One time, I was out of beef stock and apple cider, so I decided to use rum. It was delicious, but lacked in salt. If you use a low-sodium liquid, make sure to up the salt quotient.


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Gift Cards now available
If you are having difficulties and need a safe, non-judgmental and confidential space to share and talk freely, counselling may well be the support you need.
You may have concerns about your life, your hopes, fears, and dreams. Counselling may help you to understand yourself better and provide you with the 'tools' to handle life's stresses in a more positive way.
Can you provide counselling for children?
Yes. We provide counselling for adults, teenagers and children.
Examples of the areas we cover are:-
- General counselling
- Domestic violence
- Eating disorders
- Bereavement, loss & grief
- Anger management
- Anxiety & stress
- Health issues to include menopause, fibromyalgia & chronic fatigue
- Child related issues ie. working with teenagers/young learners
- Men's issues
- Mental health ie. OCD, obsessions & trauma
- Self esteem & self harm
- Women's issues
- Work related issues
How much is a counselling session?
Contact us
Call 01892 610 928 to book your first session and get the support you need.


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Composer's Kitchen 2007: Call for Composers
Bozzini Quartet is presenting the third edition of the Composer's Kitchen from April 21st to April 28th 2006 in Montréal/Canada. The event will be comprised of readings, discussions, coaching, presentations and a final concert. The Composer's Kitchen is focused on string quartets and writing for strings. Participating composers are invited to show pieces, ideas, concepts, ask questions and listen to their own and their colleague's music. Bozzini Quartet and two mentor-composers (Éric Morin, Québec / Linda Catlin Smith, Toronto) will work with the participants in an informal yet intensive atmosphere.
Bozzini Quartet is dedicated to the emerging generation of Canadian composers, and the Composer's Kitchen is open to Canadian composers and composers living in Canada. A participation fee of CAN $300 is required if chosen upon confirmation of participation. Travel and lodging have to be organized by the participant.
Applications should be postmarked by February 9th, 2007
Material to submit
- Presentation letter
- Musical examples: 2 scores + recordings (if available)
Bozzini Quartet reserves the right to choose the participating composers.
For more information, contact us by email or regular mail.


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The Edible Impatiens
Beautiful and Tasty, Too.
Impatiens, one of the most popular bedding plants in the Northern Hemphisphere, is also a tasty edible flower. Use it's sweet petals to flavor desserts, salads, and drinks.
Although one of the most uncommonly-used edible flower, impatiens are probably the handiest edible flower. Most of us have them growing in some shady location in our yard, adorning our shaded porches, or decorating our northern-facing windows.
Besides impatiens, try The Edible Marigold or The Edible Begonia.
With more than 850 different varieties, and more being cultivated every year, impatiens are so popular they are becoming a victim of their own popularity. Many "master" gardeners are refusing to plant them just because they are so popular. Not me. Well, I'm not a master gardener, so that may explain a lot. But I love impatiens. I love their look and ease of growing. I have many shady places that make them perfect for my yard and porches. And I love to use their petals to decorate my cooking and entertaining.
So read on to find fun and beautiful ways to use edible impatiens in your own culinary endeavors.
Make Flower Butter
Oh, how tasty!
Enjoy a beautiful and tasty accent for your next luncheon, brunch, or party. Or treat your family to a special occasion!
How To Make Flower Butter:
- 1/2 to 1 cup chopped fresh or dried petals
- 1 pound sweet unsalted butter, room temperature
- Finely chop flower petals and mix into softened butter. Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature overnight to allow the flavors to fuse.
- Chill for a couple of weeks or freeze for several months.
More Great Ways to Use Edible Impatiens
For some pretty ways to add impatiens blossoms to your desserts try looking at these recipes:
And here's a great book just chock full of recipes and other ways to use edible flowers.
Word of Caution
Always make sure the petals you choose are free of pesticides, chemicals, bugs, etc.
Make Your Own Flower Jelly with Edible Impatiens
Yummy on toast or bisquits
2 1/2 cups apple juice OR white wine
1 cup fresh impatiens petals, or other sweet-flavored petals
4 cups sugar
1/4 lemon juice
1 - 2 drops food coloring (optional)
3 ounces of liquid pectin
fresh flower petals (optional)
Bring juice or wine to a boil and pour over petals. Cover and steep until liquid has cooled, then strain out flowers leaving only liquid. Combine 2 cups of this flower infusion with sugar, lemon juice and food coloring. Bring to a boil over high heat and as soon as the sugar has dissolved, stir in the pectin. Return to a rolling boil, stirring, and boiling for exactly 1 minute. Remove the jelly from the heat and skim off any foam. Let jelly cool slightly and add more flower petals (if desired), then pour into sterilized jars. If petals do not stay suspended, stir jelly as it cools until petals stay in place. Process in hot water bath or seal with paraffin. Yields: 4 - 5 half pints.
Candied Flowers
Great for Decorating Cakes!
Crystallized/Candy Edible Flowers:
Candied flowers and petals can be used in a variety of imaginative ways - to decorate cakes large and small - all kinds of sweet things, such as ice cream, sherbet, crèmes and fruit salads, cocktails.
1 egg white or powdered egg whites
Superfine granulated sugar (either purchased or made in a blender or food processor - just blend regular sugar until extra-fine)
Thin paintbrush
Impatiens Flowers (or any sweet edible flower)
Wire rack covered with wax paper
Carefully clean and completely dry the flowers or petals.
Beat the egg white in the small bowl until slightly foamy, if necessary add a few drops of water to make the white easy to spread.
Paint each flower individually with beaten egg white using the small paintbrush. When thoroughly coated with egg white, sprinkle with superfine sugar.
Place the coated flowers or petals on wax paper on a wire rack. Let dry at room temperature (this could take 12 to 36 hours). To test for dryness, check the base of the bloom and the heart of the flower to make sure they have no moisture. Flowers are completely dry when stiff and brittle to the touch. NOTE: To hasten drying, you may place the candied flowers in an oven with a pilot light overnight, or in an oven set at 150 degrees to 200 degrees F with the door ajar for a few hours.
Store the flowers in layers, separated by tissue paper, in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.
Find Out More About Impatiens and Edible Flowers
- Impatiens Flowers
Photo (CC)
- Impatiens
Impatiens - how to grow and use them in the landscape. Uses, problem solving, borders, etc.
- Edible Flower Recipes
Tips and recipes for using edible flowers
All About Impatiens
Time to Blossom with a Comment - What do you like most about Edible Impatiens?
I've known about some edible flowers like pansies but not about impatiens and your butter had me licking my lips already....how uniquely delicious...and congratulations on your sweet purple star too!
Wow! I had no idea you could eat impatiens! I've always included them in my garden since they are so easy to grow, now I will be eating them too! Thanks for sharing!
Great lens. I wouldn't have guessed you could eat them...
flower and wine jelly - now that sounds GOOD! I'll have a chew on a flower tomorrow before dashing out to buy the (now vital) vino.
I have always grown impatiens but never knew that they are edible. Hmm, what do I like most about impatiens? I like the fact that in the Southeast, the seeds that are sometimes spread by the seed pods of this plant will often come back and surprise you in the summer. Putting a link to this page on my impatiens page. Blessed.
I've always liked impatiens, and I'm also amazed to know that they're edible. Thanks for the info.
I had no idea that impatiens were edible. Very interesting. Blessed.
Totally cool, I didn't realize it either. Blessed by a Squidoo Angel!
we do not have these flowers but if we did... I would try your recipe :)
Awesome lens! Blessed by a Squidoo Angel on 3/4/2011. Have a great day! I had no idea impatiens were edible.
Yum yum! Giving this lens an Angel blessing and I will feature it on my SquidAngel At Your Service lens.
I always grow Inpatiens and had no idea they were edible. This is so very interesting and your products are gorgeous.
Wow I never knew Impatiens were edible! great informative lens...thanks for sharing!
I knew you could eat impatiens in salad, but I never thought about jelly or candy. wonderful lens.
Many things I never knew. Nice lens!
Lovely lens and great ideas. *-*Blessed*-* and featured on Sprinkled with Stardust - Flowers and also on my awards lens Charity Lenses for Summer Sunshine Giveaway
LOve impatiens, love the lens!
What a great idea! I have impatiens growing and don't use any chemicals on it! I can't wait to use them - at least to start as a garnish! What fun for summer picnics!


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I got it from the Two faces from the Revolution free face boosters . I chose two purples.
Ah, my mistake.
Ah, my mistake.
(Mar. 28, 2015 4:17 PM)Kai-V Wrote: Damn, really ? I cannot remember if those Hasbro prizes are part of those that were sent to Arupaeo and that we did not really hear from afterwards, but your username is striked out in the first post, as if your prize was taken care of ... Hopefully Kei sees this, but private messages definitely work if you send new messages instead of replying.i donot know why my username is striked (but it was done by a admin idk y ), the post was modified in 2013, but i am contacting by PM and my last post here was on 2014 too.
If you got told your prize was shipped though, then unfortunately it must have gotten lost, which often happens with shipments to India.


text:
Time management is always a hot topic among entrepreneurs. How do you get more done in a day? Do you need more hours? More hands? Or do you just need to know what to focus on and how to complete those things more efficiently?
But the reality is that when it comes to time management and efficiency, there's no one size fits all. If you're like Samantha you like to hear from others about what works for them so you can get ideas of what you might try for yourself in your own day-to-day life. Well this week's Fempire LIVE was just such an opportunity!
Catch the replay as Samantha King talks with Sara Louise Clarke of Sara L. Clarke, serial entrepreneur, about Sara's never before heard of time management hacks. Sara's got A LOT on her plate from multiple business and roles in her life, but that doesn't stop her from taking her To-Do List to a To-Done List. It's one of the many things we know and love her for! This was a CAN'T-MISS episode!!
Key takeaways include:
- Why multi-tasking is a myth and how to really balance multiple businesses
- The importance of completing a daily audit to analyze where you are spending your time.
How to build "urgent care" for clients in your day
- A reminder to NOT compare yourself to others and their systems. What works for you works for you. Own it.
- The revelation that there is no such thing as balance – we live on a teeter totter
EDITORS NOTE: Due to some technical difficulties, this episode of Fempire LIVE was recorded on an iPhone and may not exhibit the same recording standards as other episodes. Good thing the information contained in the video MORE THAN makes up for up ?


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Peoni and Peony were sisters who traveled across Nippon in Ōkami and Ōkamiden. Both of them had an important role to spread Konohana saplings throughout Nippon so that peace, fertility and tranquility may be restored. Peoni and Peony are also Camille's and Camellia's ancestors.
100 years before the events in Ōkami, Amaterasu and Issun traveled back in time trying to find Lika, Peoni and Peony can be found just next to Shakuya by the sapling of Konohana. They can be encountered in the same way as Camille and Camellia, just go around the torii.
They said that after they finished planting the sapling of Konohana into the ground, they meet Shakuya, and plays with her for a while. Mysteriously, Peoni and Peony lost sight of Shakuya when they talk with Amaterasu.
Peoni and Peony had a heavy similar appearance with their descendants, Camille and Camellia. While their attire is mostly ancient and out of date, they lead their lives to spread the Konohana saplings all across Nippon. Peoni is the past counterpart of Camellia, whereas Peony is the past counterpart of Camille.
Although not entirely expressed, Peoni and Peony can be classified as individuals with high faith. This can be proven during their explanation about playing with Shakuya for a while until she vanishes from their mortal eyes. They are also insistent enough to let Mr. Grapefruit take care of the Konohana sapling while they try to spread more all across Nippon.
- Both Peoni's and Peony's name are derived from the mythologically influenced plant, Paeonia or simply known as the "Peony flower". In the ancient Greek mythology, the Peony is somewhat based from Paean, the Greek god of healing and remedies. Paean was transformed by his mentor, Asclepius, because of jealousy, into a peony flower.
- Like Camille and Camellia, Peoni and Peony wear the same traditional wear and a flower on their hats. In Peoni and Peony's case, is the popular ancient flower, Peony.
- In Japan, Paeonia lactiflora used to be called ebisugusuri ("foreign medicine"). Pronunciation of 牡丹 (peony) in Japan is "botan". In kampo (the Japanese adaptation of Chinese medicine), its root was used as a treatment for convulsions. It is also cultivated as a garden plant. In Japan, Paeonia suffruticosa is called the "King of Flowers" and Paeonia lactiflora is called the "Prime Minister of Flowers".
- In popular and ancient culture in China, the Peony flower is often exaggerated exceedingly as 富贵花 (fùguìhuā) "flower of richness and nobleness" or 花王 (huawang) "king of the flowers", and is used symbolically in Chinese art. It is also among the longest and oldest used flowers in Eastern cultures, especially China.
- Due to the history and culture the peony flower has with China, the country may be the land Camille and Camellia are searching for. This may be also evident from Peoni and Peony's style of clothing.
- Peoni and Peony's Japanese names, "Shakuyaku and Botan", are two types of Paeonia plants, associating with the Chinese city of Luoyang. Shakuyaku means "tree peony" and is widely ornamental, while Botan means "herbaceous peony" and mostly used for medicine.


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West Maui Sustainability
about us
meeting minutes
contact & e-mail list
exchange forum
ho'opono farms
School Garden Blog
West Maui Sustainability meetings
are held the
monday of each month from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the wefarm @kapalua offices.
Next Meeting: monday 12/06 (napili)
Public Relations
Hawaiian Sovereignty
Ho'opono Farms Living Classroom Fundraiser
Take a sunny sunday, a couple of Grammy Award winners, some pahole fern salad, a pint sized spiderman chasing a fairy princess, lau lau with a little bit of sweet potato (yes, i said lau lau with sweet potato! yumminess!), a bag o tricks and three guys that just got a bunch of land to start a community supported farm and you've got one hell of a party!
Ho'opono Farm Fundraiser for the farms living classroom
Merrimans Restaurant
It was a good time!
Friends of the Farm Work Party
Saturday, July 17 8:30 a.
Grab your farm curious friends and family and join us for the first community work morning at weFarm@kapalua. Help us move the farm forward while meeting your neighbors and local farmers. Learn our vision for a more food secure maui, and find out ways to be engaged.
We will meet at the office at 8:30 and vanpool to the farm. Together we will work through farm tasks assigned by farmer Dan. Around 11:30 a.m. we will wrap-up in the field and head back to the office for a potluck lunch.
What: farm work party and potluck lunch
Where: 4900 Honoapi'ilani Hwy (corner of the hwy and Napili Hau st. across from Napili Plaza)
Date: Saturday, July 17th
Time: 8:30 - noonish
Bring: long pants, a protective top, gloves (if you have them!), sturday shoes, sun protection, a water bottle, a dish to share for lunch, and lots of energy!
RSVP: to firstname.lastname@example.com (reply as early as space is limited!)
Kaanapali Makai Watch "Talk Story" Meeting - Lahaina
What: Kaanapali Makai Watch "Talk Story" Meeting
When: Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 from 6-8 pm
Where: Lahaina Civic Center Social Hall (1840 Honoapiilani Hwy; Lahaina HI 96761)
Target Audience: All community members who would like to help shape the development of and get involved with the Kaanapali Makai Watch program.
Workshop Purpose: All are invited to join us to learn about what's going on and what's planned, and to provide their input. There is NO OBLIGATION to volunteer; we are simply seeking feedback and could use help in brainstorming approaches and methods for engaging the community and providing fun and interesting ways for people to volunteer in support of this area!
Workshop Presenters: Luna Kekoa & Darla White (Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources); Liz Foote (Project S.E.A.-Link and the Coral Reef Alliance); Tamara Paltin (Save Honolua Coalition) & Robin Knox (Aquanimity Now)
Part I: Take Action NOW: Update/Overview of Turbidity Task Force (Tamara Paltin & Robin Knox)
• How to help Honolua and all West Maui sites
• water quality issues, the basics...role of Citizen Science
• demo of materials
Part II: Introduction to the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA) (Darla White)
• overview and background rules, boundaries etc.
• supporting science & ongoing research
Part III: NOAA Coral Fellow Role & Responsibility (Luna Kekoa)
• overview of projects and how to get involved
Part IV: Kaanapali Makai Watch program --overview & brainstorming (Liz Foote)
• what is Makai Watch?
• why Kaanapali?
• existing and planned activities
• What do YOU want to do?
More on Makai Watch: The statewide Makai Watch program consists of three components: 1) education & outreach; 2) monitoring; and 3) observation/voluntary compliance.
The Kaanapali Makai Watch program seeks to integrate with and build upon existing efforts that encompass these components, such as the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary's education station at Whaler's Village, and the Division of Aquatic Resources' Herbivore Enhancement Area in-water survey protocols. In addition, the state is currently supporting the development of observation and compliance protocols for volunteers and will be coordinating DLNR-assisted trainings for current Makai Watch groups later in the year. In the meantime, we will focus efforts on education and outreach along with various types of community-based monitoring (including biological and human use protocols), while stakeholder coordination efforts are carried out in association with ongoing state and federal initiatives.
Attend this meeting to learn what's already underway, what's planned, how to get involved, and help us scope out other aspects of this program!
Refreshments will be served.
Please RSVP to Liz Foote,
(808) 669-9062
or email@example.com
'A'ali'i Planting at Honolua
saturday, may 22nd, 8-11 a.m.
meeting at lipoa pt. middle gate
bring covered shoes and water, gloves and shovel will be provided!
Maui Growing Local
Maui's agricultural future.
By: Melanie Stephens, Maui Weekly
Rob Parsons "Maui Growing Local"
Everyone's talking about sustainability. Maybe it's because Maui has never felt so dependent on resources—including food, fuel, energy and commodities — that all come from somewhere else. That must be why sustainability groups are forming in different regions of the island, engaging hundreds of citizens in educational and hands-on events that address renewable energy, water and waste management, local economics and agriculture. On May 15, three such groups—South Maui Sustainability (SMS), Upcountry Sustainability (US), and the new kid on the block, West Maui Sustainability (WSM)—will hold a joint event at Kīhei Charter School called "Maui Growing Local."
The Sustainable Living Institute of Maui (SLIM) is a partner in bringing this event to an island-wide audience. SLIM Interim Director Lehn Huff is enthusiastic about the three regional groups joining with SLIM to look at the island as a whole.
"Each area has its own specific local issues to work out," said Huff. "But our island and county need that big-picture perspective and the energetic people to help move us along."
From noon to 1 p.m., a Locavore's Potluck lunch will be held. Bring a dish made from local produce and ingredients. Maury King of SMS said these are very popular food events for his organization.
It is requested that attendees bring their own plates, cups and utensils so that this can be a trash-free event.
Maui Growing Local will focus on the island's agricultural future. Rob Parsons, who has researched and written frequently on the challenges Maui faces, will introduce his "Eleven Ideas for Fixing Agriculture on Maui." Parsons' ideas are Regional Composting, Rebuilding Depleted Soils, Edible Landscapes, Protection from Alien Species, Native Hardwoods Reforestation, Construction Grade Bamboo, Hemp, Government Incentives for Farming and Subsistence Agriculture, Restoration of Hawaiian Coastal Fish Ponds, Aquaponics and Fair Allocation of Water Resources. He has also added a 12th idea—Community & School Gardens.
From 1 to 1:30 p.m., Parsons will present his ideas, then from 1:30 to 4 p.m., there will be group discussions of the 12 concepts to identify potential solutions and action steps, and a group discussion to prioritize actions.
Steve Phillips of WMS looks forward to bringing the island-wide ideas back to his group, which meets on the first and third Monday of each month at the WeFarm in Nāpili.
Maui Growing Local is an opportunity for people to join the discussion and create action steps to address Maui's agricultural future, as well as network with others who share this island concern. Anyone with expertise on any of the 12 topics is especially encouraged to join in.
King hopes that everyone involved will share ideas and take action toward solutions that are inspired by Maui Growing Local.
All three organizations invite new members to join the groups and take part in these efforts. The groups also encourage dedicated people to pursue the outcome of the event in new ways. They know that great things come when concerned citizens get involved and take action.
Kīhei Charter School is located at 300 Ohukai Road, Suite 209. If you'd like further information about this event or about the three sustainability groups, visit
, or email Steve Phillips at
for WMS.
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Day 6 – Stress and meditation
1 litre of water(immediately after waking up) – Done (Trying to increase it to 1.5 litres but so far I couldn't do it. It is really difficult. I feel like I am going to throw up)
Drank more than 2.5 litres for the day
Had 4 almonds soaked overnight
Breakfast – oats with banana (didn't like it much 😦 )
Two servings of fruits per day – Banana for breakfast and Guava as evening snack.
Weight – 125.7 lb (57 kg)
I started with 57.9 kg and now I am 57 in just 6 days. I couldn't believe it. I am not dieting and exercising for just 15-20 mins per day. Then too, I am able to reduce my weight. I am sure it is fat loss as I am feeling energetic throughout the day and I am not cutting down on my food (in fact increased my food intake. Seems like I am eating all the time). I feel wonderful this week. I am going to check if there is a way to find out if I am losing fat or muscle (just to be assured that I am on the right path).
Okay, again I didn't get time to do exercise. It was a busy morning. My in-laws are coming tomorrow and leaving on sunday. I had to clean my house(toys/books everywhere) and the guest room. Also, I did the prep work for cooking as much as I can for the next two days. My mom-in-law will not be impressed if my house doesn't look neat and clean. I didn't clean to impress her, I am just trying to avoid a conflict. So it caused lot of stress in my body and mind. I could sense it because I started shouting my hubby for nothing. Poor guy!!
I finished all the work at 10 pm. Now, I felt very bad that I didn't even think of doing exercise today. My eyes were tired, so I just closed my eyes and started inhaling and exhaling deeply. I felt good and continued it for 15 mins. I was able to inhale only for 10 secs. I guess that it is very low. I should improve it. I think I could call it meditating because I started thinking of my favorite places and childhood happy memories and that really helped me to relax and concentrate while breathing. After this, I opened my eyes and felt so much relaxed and refreshed. I am sure I could do so much work again. My eyes are still tired but my body is brisk again.
So if I can call meditation as an exercise then yes I am back on my commitment 🙂


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- Home
- Sleep Master®
- Sleep Master® Sleep Mask
Product Description
Buy Sleep Master® Exclusively Here. Made in the USA! Sleep Master ® Sleep Mask - Color Ocean Blue- One Size Fits All - An affordable $21.95 (plus $3.95 shipping and handling for customers within the U.S. - $8.95 to Canada - International shipping is slightly more). Sleep Master is a unique and revolutionary Sleep Mask. With its built-in sound muffling, Sleep Master is an all-in-one Sleep Mask that combines light elimination and sound reduction. Sleep Master's comfortable fit and relaxing effect quickly induces an amazingly deep and refreshing sleep or nap.
To easily purchase Sleep Master® for yourself or others, just enter your order in the shopping cart above, click on Add to Cart, and follow the easy checkout instructions. Thank You!
Please take a look at an informative video review posted by a satisfied customer on our Testimonials Page.
Sleep Master customer video review September 9, 2010
Product Reviews
Previous | Showing reviews 11-20 of 82 | Next
Love this product!
Posted by Unknown on 26th Jul 2018
Hi there - I ordered two of these masks, one each for my husband and myself. I love how it baffles out the sound and stays on the head very well - although I do have a very small head and long hair, it seems a bit slippery but really stays in place well. I just wish it came in other colours...
See You In The Morning!
Posted by Unknown on 21st Jul 2018
Outstanding! Keep up the good work!
Works very well
Posted by Pam on 28th Jun 2018
The Sleep Master Mask works as advertised. Very happy with this purchase.
Best Sleep Mask Ever
Posted by James on 24th Jun 2018
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Very comfortable
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The designers of this product did a great job. It's comfy and covers the light very well.
Posted by Debra on 28th Apr 2018
This product is amazing. Most masks have horrible straps that you are aware of the entire time they're on and can slide around, so it's easier just not to sue them. this one has a gorgeous silky feel is side enough that it also covers your ears, muffling sounds, a velcro strap so you can fit it to you persnally (and this doesn't need redoing after use, its just holds) and a place for your hose. Incredible. I buy them for my friends now.
The Real Deal
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The Sleep Master sleep mask is the real deal. It is very well made and fits on my face like a glove, It's very comfortable and keeps the bright sunlight out from my windows when I'm napping. Well worth the money. Buy it, you won't regret it.
One of my favorite products, period.
Posted by Chris Laumeyer on 5th Feb 2018
I have used this sleep mask for years. It's indestructible. Great design, blocks out all light, dampens sounds and feels great on the face. Occasionally if I get a tension headache, I intentionally velcro it very tight and it helps to ease the headache. I bought another one recently for a family member. If there is any downside I would only say....that I can't sleep without it!
Love it
Posted by Tia on 29th Jan 2018
I always go into a deeper sleep when I wear it. Totally recommend.
Does it's work well
Posted by Unknown on 21st Jan 2018
Good light reduction, good and comfortable sound reduction


text:
232 E Yacht Pond Lane, Watersound
With convenient proximity to Watersound, Rosemary, and Alys Beach, plus the privacy of gated neighborhood access, Pelican Pointe at Camp Creek is ideally situated on the bustling east end of 30A. Poised second tier from the Gulf with expansive Gulf views, the residence is perfectly designed to be sure your guests will experience the ultimate beach vacation: the exterior features a large, private heated pool and fire pit, community beach access less than 250 steps away, and ample parking. Enjoy a view of the Gulf from four of the spacious bedroom suites. With all these amenities, it's no wonder that the home has an established annual rental income history of $194,000, trending upwards to a projected gross of $270,000 from local rental management companies.When it's time for a break from the sun, use one of the home's two large entertainment rooms to watch a movie, play a game of pool, foosball, or ping pong, or just hang out on one of the home's three large shaded porches and balconies. You'll be wowed by the home's thoughtful design: it sleeps 30 people, while still offering the privacy of five bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, plus two bunk rooms outfitted with four queen beds each. The second-floor kitchen, which offers beautiful views of the Gulf across the street, boasts ample cabinet space, a 36-inch gas range, a large island plus a large dining table, two refrigerators, and two dishwashers, ensuring your guests have plenty of space to stay out of the chef's way. Lovely wood floors, granite kitchen counters and bathroom vanities, and tile shower enclosures offer style and durability. This home is offered fully furnished inside and out, making it a turn-key property that's ready to generate fantastic rental revenue or the perfect place for a private family retreat.
Beach, Deed Access, Fishing, Pets Allowed
Pool - Heated, Pool - In-Ground, Community, Private
Floor Hardwood, Floor Tile, Furnished - All, Owner's Closet, Pantry, Window Treatment All
Cooktop, Dryer, Microwave, Range Hood, Refrigerator W/IceMk, Smoke Detector, Stove/Oven Gas, Washer
AC - Central Elect, AC - 2 or More
Foundation Off Grade, Frame, Roof Metal, Siding CmntFbrHrdBrd
Deck Covered, Fenced Lot-Part, Patio Covered, Patio Open, Pool - Heated, Pool - In-Ground, Fireplace
Covenants, Survey Available, Within 1/2 Mile to Water
DISCLAIMER: Information Deemed Reliable but not guaranteed. The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
All listings are provided courtesy of the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors, Copyright2020, All rights reserved.
Listing information last updated on May 30th, 2020 at 3:48am CDT.


text:
Sometimes a Wild God
The background
This poem may well be the reason you're on my site. If you'd like to skip straight to the poem, click here.
I wrote it a few years ago now, after the first few lines had been going around my head for months. I thought they were someone else's lines - I kept looking for who'd written the poem and it seems that it didn't yet exist, so I thought I should finish the poem, see what happened after those lines.
The poem is now available as a book or as a poster from Hedgespoken Press, with beautiful black-and-white ink illustrations by my partner, Rima Staines.
You can also hear me reading it in the audiobook of the poem, of which the following is a lower-quality version:
The Lapwing Stars
This piece was written in 2017 and appeared in Fiddler's Green Peculiar Parish Magazine #4, Crown and Crossroads. It is now the first piece that you can find in Falconer's Joy, out from Hedgespoken Press in September 2018.
The Lapwing Stars
The lapwings have it, no doubt;
Seen across the field, their green-black
Backs are the measure of mystery
For every colour as yet unseen by the boy.
The thin seam of coal by the brook,
Beneath a humpbacked bridge
Of brick and moss over a slow lap
Of water: that has it;
He mines in tan clay with a spoon,
Slick with rain, as sure of riches
As an oil-baron or a king.
The coal has it, but it is not black.
The pheasant in the spinney has it;
Half-glimpsed, gold as a fairytale thread.
As the boy steps between the trees,
Time peels away like leaves of bark,
Century by century by century.
A fossil in the Suffolk flint has it.
The old figure in the bright field is it.
Cadair Idris magnifies it.
Forebears in calves' hides, they have it;
Their waterfall vigils make it afresh.
Finger-touch, breath-join, skin-meet,
That remembering kindles it.
A fire made of flesh and lightning.
The boy watches wheat-stubble burn;
A hawk chases a blackbird through the hedge;
The ground cracks open, endlessly.
Memory is this thing's echo,
The tip of its tail, the print of its
Fleet-foot, the fur in the bramble,
The musk of it on a gatepost in winter.
I know it through the bright star-belt,
Seen clearly in the night of my fast.
I am a vagabond, drifting from it
Like a rudderless boat, numbed,
Thick, graceless as a tripped foot.
But, in that moment of remembering:
Lapwing, coal, pheasant, fire;
Fossil, mountain, waterfall, wife...
I know its place in heaven.
I shake my head. Time colludes with the stars.
The centuries emerge and the lapwing calls:
Pee-wit! Pee-wit! Pee-wit!
I sight it through the gathering dark,
Push at the water with my idiot hands
And steer my clumsy craft towards it.
© Tom Hirons
All rights reserved.
The first draft of this piece was written in 2012 - it seems like distant times. The version here is the one that you can find in Falconer's Joy.
In the granite bed where I sleep,
There lies a bear whose breath is the rise
And fall of stars between these rough rows
Of stones.
The bear's mouth is the October sky,
As hungry as a cave in the mountains,
As black as the water in a dream
In which you fell and died, then lived
To tell the tale, remade from your remains.
I place the only copy of my dog-eared life
Into the broken kist of the Great Bear's mouth
And it leans out of the heaving night to
Eat the boy and man I've been,
Sleeps again with my dreams churning,
Hollow and restless in its ever-pregnant,
Ever-aching belly of the night.
Hail, Merrivale, my bed of stone and stars.
Here, I'll rest my memories and no other
Story will have the fast hold of me now.
Speak to me in the language of Moss and Stone:
The brook and fox-den know well my
Mother-tongue. Let us be clear:
This Moor-language sings sweeter in my ear
Than all the songs I ever heard from angels,
Clear and beautiful as they were.
I tell you no lie, not here. I could not,
For all my skill in falsity.
This peat-brown water,
These rain-stacked stones;
Oaks both mighty and small.
That stream-crouched May
Beneath which I sleep so deeply
And forget and remember my most
Noble and ignoble truths.
Here are granite avenues; here is the sky above Earth;
The stone-wrought lines in which the ages live,
Not forgotten, by me, tonight at least. Not quite.
This Bear has been stalking my life.
Sweet as a knife, warm as night,
Kind as a wounding and deadly as the hour
In which I dream my last great dream.
I bare my neck to the blades of
Remembering and forgetting.
Once or twice, when my spine was made of birch,
When the fire in my head was a fire in my belly,
I fell up into the sky of trees and there
Among the green leaves of oak and ash,
I found the runes and learned true speech.
Because of this good fortune, I know my rightful name,
Though the fortune was not easily won and the road
Towards my name is a path of hunger and sorrow.
But see, now, am I a bird or a song
Or a stone-bound dreamer?
Truly, I am a swallow in flight;
I am a dour man of England;
I am the river-stalker,
And I am both the blacksmith
And his chains.
I cannot read the Galaxy,
But I know the language of tree,
Leaf and the cross-branched sky.
I know the speech of secrets;
I know the stone-lined path and
I have taken the long way home.
My brow-star is only just beginning to rise.
Attend to the voice in which I spoke truly:
Show me who you are when
The Great Bear has eaten
All your words.
This, then, is the calling I ignored,
The enemy with whom I would not engage.
This is the place I remembered,
But to which I would not return.
Prodigal and penitent, I pray truly:
Hold me tight and close enough
That memory returns and stays
Right in my remembering.
My seven sisters wait, wiser
Than my brothers in star-Lore,
But not that of stream or tree
Or of the grey stones, now as
Fixed in my geography as a coast
Or a birthplace or a grave.
I was at the battle where the great shout was made;
I advised the army in that significant moment:
Help me recollect precisely
The weapons we employed then and
The banners to which we rallied.
How did we find hope enough
To take to the field
Though our enemies were myriad
And impervious to all our arms?
How did we face the dark
And our certain death and yet,
Somehow, prevail?
Hail, Merrivale, where I fought and
Fell that day and lived again.
Time, tide nor all the flooding sea
Will keep me from you now.
Young as I was in those giddy days,
I believed the fable of unending flight,
Fleet-footed, bright-winged,
Agile as a sprite or a swift,
Weightlessly becoming God.
I wrought havoc in the shadow
Of my hawk-shaped flight,
Became not light, but a bearer
Of insubstantial promises and the folly
Of those who lose the Earth
And forget the shape of their own
Feet in the darkness.
In lesser days than the great hours,
I writhed in the ties of this life,
As stubborn as a fly or a bolt stuck fast,
As graceless as a faltering foot.
When gravity claimed me,
I made a slower, sadder story:
An agent of the light-flecked,
Dark-cracked jackdaw.
A dappled servant of complexity,
One foot in the bright-shining heaven,
One foot in the King's stone of Dùn Ad,
No longer golden, but dark as
Silver in the ashes of the forge.
The Bear made a feast of all those I wronged,
All those I loved and all who stood by.
Each one in their time has trodden
That pathway of stone and stars.
Was I closer to God and love through
My mistakes or through my triumphs?
Who's to say? Not I, and the Bear
Is silent and no one else can know.
A hawk cries out in the dark hour,
Hungry and homeless as a saint.
The water in the thin leat sings
Its song of endless, hopeless hope.
The Bear splays its crooked claws and
Reaches out into the dense-tongued darkness
To deliver all our victories against deception.
It was a dark day, that Easter
And our child, unborn, our first.
We sat in your shadow,
Adrift in our distress.
We climbed King's Tor,
Knew the world was good,
Though we could not feel it.
Aged with grief,
Cut out of innocence,
We were bereft.
I don't know another place
That could have held us.
Hail, Merrivale.
This time, I will not forget.
Three horses,
A skewbald foal as fresh as dawn.
A score or so of sheep
Bleating in the hill-dew.
A wagtail on a finger of rock.
An immense Bear, asleep,
Stretching its arms in the stars.
The high moor is calling;
They have uncovered the queen
With the knotted hair,
And the king is sleeping
In the black-bird's eye.
Now is not the time for silence.
The chill wind cuts.
The hard ground bites;
The mist becomes rain and I,
A mortal man with
Aching legs and heavy arms,
Awaken to the thin daybreak light.
I will learn to speak with the bear's tongue;
I will tell my story from the stone-mouth of the kistvaen;
I will learn again to walk the long way home.
I rise and step towards my life,
Daring in this damp dawn to trust
That not all things worth loving are lost.
Another star is rising on the pale horizon
And the moon has yet to sing.
Hail, Merrivale;
I remember;
I believe;
I begin.
Black Mountain River
Autumn begins.
It doesn't take much;
One tug at my feet by
Autumn's grey strangers
And I'm away
Or rather, perhaps,
The Worship of Place
The first draft of this piece was recorded in the early summer of 2018. I had recently started carrying a small dictaphone around with me, finally admitting to myself that carrying a notebook out walking with me was just a drag. Recording words and thoughts and images, speaking them rather than writing them down: it seems altogether more sympathetic than putting my head down and scribbling. I have all manner of thoughts about the difference between silence and the blank page. I'll save them for a blog-post.
This is one of the first pieces that was written this way. I still write with pen and paper, and sitting at the computer, too, but I'm interested in what happens when I use my voice instead of my hand. Let me know what you think.
You can find The Worship of Place in the recently-published Falconer's Joy from Hedgespoken Press.
The Worship of Place
There is a temple I know whose roof is made of sky.
On its ceiling are painted clouds and stars
And the rooms and corridors are made of leaves and branches;
Its doors are open to all people, day and night.
Anyone may enter, whether or not they listen
To the wise words spoken within.
I know a synagogue through which a river flows
Against boulders inscribed with scriptures of moss,
Where salmon leap in exaltation and wild doves sing.
The rabbi has a beard of green-grey lichen and
His prayers are carried on the gurgling silver stream.
I know a mosque in which every direction is sacred.
Within that holy place, I see the face of the beloved
Beneath every stone and in the heart of every flower.
Fallen oak leaves are the flurries of the faithful, dancing;
The call to prayer is sung upon the whirling, wild wind.
The priestess of this shrine bars entry to no one;
She greets me in silence and in silence I depart.
Everyone is welcomed in for worship;
The congregation of all creatures give praise
And offerings to the hallowed sanctuary;
The object of their veneration is the world itself.
When I arrive in this boundless cathedral,
With my eyes unclouded by guile or cunning,
I know the presence of such exquisite beauty
And a joy so intense it's almost unbearable.
I fall over myself trying to find the best way to worship;
I press my back against the trunk of a broad tree
Or a tower of cracked, stacked stones;
I tell my confession to the twisted heather,
And bow down before the yellow-flowered gorse;
I renew my vows in the presence of the damsel fly
And receive the blessing of the magpie and the wren.
All the while, skylarks carry my prayers to heaven.
At the altar of this great temple,
There is a fountain, invisible to my eyes.
If my worship is whole-hearted, I am washed
Clean of sorrow and all my restless thirst
Is quenched.
Standing in this sublime sanctuary,
I am cracked in two and an old well
Bubbles in my heart once again.
The water is so clear and delicious,
I cannot keep it to myself.
Will you come with me to that fountain now
And fill your cup of longing from this endless, untamed spring?
The Dead Fathers
This was the last of the poems to be written for Falconer's Joy from Hedgespoken Press. The whole collection is dedicated to my father, Mike Hirons (1944-1987)
Today - 31st October 2018 - is the first time this poem has been seen outside the pages of the book. It seems fitting. Happy Samhuinn to you all.
The Dead Fathers
I will lie down with the bones of my dead fathers,
Hold tight the portion of wisdom they passed to me
And sleep the vital sleep in the black-watered river.
Their bones will make a ship so that I do not drown,
For all that it is hard to tell in the world of the dead.
I will hold fast to the memory of life and endure
All the certainty that I have become one of
The dead men. A tiny star guides me to land,
So faint sometimes I cannot make it out,
So walk towards where I last remembered
The light of it falling, repeating its shape in my eyes
In case I begin to believe I never saw it shine.
My dead fathers will begin to speak verses
In languages I once knew, but in which
I no longer have currency or grace.
Instead, I will hand over my fragile coins,
Make apology for my misdemeanours, all my
Terrible forgetting, every time I wandered
From the bone-road they built for me.
'I'm sorry,' I'll say. 'For all of the failings,
But most of all for not falling far enough
Into your bone-garden to listen to the songs
Your dead tongues sing. I was too quick
To believe what the living told me
And the star of the underworld
Was outshone by the daytime Sun.
My fathers, forgive me.'
The dead fathers will look with their hollow eyes
Full of crying and I'll bottle those tears to make
Salt for the meals at the long table at which
I serve my loved ones my life.
My heart is a cracked cup.
I fill it, and then it is empty.
I forget everything of worth.
Then remember and forget,
And remember again, and forget.
One day, when idiocy's mystique
Has rubbed off like lacquer from precious oak,
I'll forget so utterly or remember so well
That I will forget to not dance,
And I'll remember my way to that home
Beyond all memory and its loss –
The place where you are waiting
With your hands of milk and stars.
I'm too fascinated still
By the varieties of foolishness
To come home just yet from this carnival
Of perplexing wonder, light and dark.
But, I know the sun is shining there
And the air is sweet as only
Coming home can be.
One day, I'll walk up the white-stoned path
To that familiar door in the woodland
On the island at the edge of the world.
But, I will not be there to arrive.
Only my dancing, my memory, my echo:
The footsteps of fire on water,
The everlasting bird that flies
Through the blessed Earth.


text:
Dance studios are not created equal! Did you know that unfortunately, both opening a dance studio and teaching dance do not require any special licensing or certification? Your children are your most important investment, and they are your legacy, so as a parent, we encourage you to do your research and choose carefully.
Below you will find out why the Colby Center for Dance & Performing Arts has been the trusted choice and premier dance studio in the Maitland-Winter Park area for two decades.
Over the past twenty years of family ownership, we have become a part of the lives of nearly 2000 young dancers in Central Florida. We are certified by both Dance Masters of America and Dance Educators of America, and we specialize in young dancers ages 2.5-6 and offer classes combining Ballet, Tap, and Jazz in the morning, afternoon, evening, and even Saturday for these dancers. We also have classes in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Acrobatics for dancers age 7 and up. Although our classes and rehearsals are often informal, usually noisy, and ALWAYS FUN, we are very serious about helping each child become the absolute best dancer they can and want to be. Every child at the studio will learn that hard work produces achievement and will experience the genuine self-esteem that comes with accomplishment of difficult and challenging skills under the direction of a positive, encouraging, and professionally-trained teacher. We limit class sizes to emphasize personal attention to all students.
We value the opportunity to be part of each of our student's lives. Along with providing the best possible dance training for each student, we encourage positive traits such as high morale, high self esteem, self-pride, responsibility, self discipline, teamwork, concentration, perseverance, and most importantly... the realization that if they work hard, they can achieve. We believe that children are our future and our most precious resource. They should be exposed to high quality and excellence in all that they do, and should understand that success in anything lies in not always being the best, but in doing your best! We pride ourselves in bringing out the "very best" in each dancer.
We happily contribute to the development of not just good dancers, but of good citizens and caring people. We believe that when given the choice between excellence and mediocrity, students will choose excellence more times than not. We hope you will join us & become a part of our Dance Family! When you invest in dance at our school, you invest in your child's total education. We believe that a dance education is a wonderful asset to every child from the one-hour per week recreational student to the aspiring professional dancer. Some wonderful skills that dance develops are motor skills and coordination, builds self-esteem and confidence, socialization skills and teamwork, self-discipline, self-pride and responsibility, encourages concentration skills and many other benefits that last a lifetime.
The main focus of our school is our Recreational Dance Program, which comprises 75% of our school, and has been in careful development since 1997. However, if your dancer's interest in dance grows, the other 25% of our school's students are members of one of our two well-known teams - the Colby Dance Showstoppers, which perform throughout Central Florida, and the Jennifer Colby Dancers, a more intensive dance program, whose students and alumni have performed and competed all over the world. This program is for those wishing to study all forms of dance, have competitive opportunities, and increase their knowledge of the dance industry in general. While many schools produce "Competition Teams," we like to say that our Jennifer Colby Dancers are a team of Dancers that also compete - meaning that while we do a few competitions each year, those are not our primary focus. Our goal is to develop dancers that are ready for the professional dance world upon graduation if they decide to pursue careers in dance - and that takes careful training that goes beyond your typical competition team activities. It is a very exciting, close-knit team of dancers, and we invite you to learn more about this ever-changing program!
Check out what people have said about their experiences
We are proud to be DIFFERENT than a typical dance studio! Here are a few things that make the Colby Center a very unique & special place to bring your child to be educated in the art of dance:
* Our convenient Maitland school is located in a beautiful, safe, private building at 540 South Maitland Avenue in the city's Cultural Corridor. We are just across the street from the Maitland Civic Center, Lake Lily Park, and the Maitland Public Library. As safety and security are becoming even more of a concern in our lives every day, it is important to realize that typical dance studios operate in shopping center spaces where their students are exposed to unsafe traffic every time they attend class. Colby Center students are not exposed to any such traffic or passers-by, and our lobby, classrooms, and full exterior of the building are monitored by video security 24 hours a day. Observation is available through closed-circuit television in our private lobby, to limit the distractions that direct observation can cause to class progress. Passers-by cannot see into the dance studio, and we encourage our dance students to wear cover-ups when entering & exiting the building for their own safety.
* We have three dance rooms (the largest is 30' by 40') with appropriate raised "sprung" flooring and the latest sound equipment - plus a lobby, offices, workroom etc. We were the first studio in the area to install custom-built ladder/Swedish barres for advanced training, and have also made many other unparalleled investments into innovative equipment for Pilates and flexibility training. By the end of the 2017 season, our largest dance room will also be equipped with a full set of aerial apparatus, with the aerial silks already rigged at this time.
* We are well-known in the industry for being one of the most organized dance studios in the U.S., as well as having achieved an unsurpassed level of convenience for our busy dance families. Our dance families do not have to drive around to find dance wear, shoes and tights, they do not need to find their own music editors or costume designers, and they don't ever drive to fittings or pick up a needle and thread to alter or mend a costume. They can relax in the audience at Recitals and competitions knowing their children are supervised, cared for and prepared backstage, leaving them calm to enjoy the performances their children have worked so hard on. We also transport all costumes, accessories, props, and music to all competitions for our JCD team, which is unheard of in the industry.
* Dance education at our studio does not stop at actual dance technique. We have spent two decades developing a finely-tuned method of preparing dancers at appropriate age levels for professional work, college interviews, auditions, public speaking, choreography, and more, while also developing a knowledge of music theory, dance history, and dance-related fitness and notation.
* Our school uses state-of-the-art technology and equipment to provide our students with educational opportunities through videos and several private study websites for our team members.
* Our Studio Director qualified by examination for membership & certification in both Dance Masters of America and Dance Educators of America in 1998, and travels several times a year to teach, judge or choreograph for other dance studios, national organizations, or professional shows. She also owns and operates a custom costume design & construction company, Legacy Designs.
* We emphasize age-appropriate curriculum, costumes, and choreography taught by a trained, experienced, and certified staff. All Colby Center instructors work under the curriculum developed by our director which fits the guidelines set forth by both Dance Masters and Dance Educators of America. This ensures consistent terminology and class structure for every student at our school.
* We are strong in ALL forms of dance from Ballet to Tap, Jazz, Acrobatics, and Hip Hop. Our advanced dancers in the intensive/JCD program are also introduced at individually appropriate times to Modern, Lyrical, Contemporary, Stretch & Strength, Pilates-based Training, Musical Theatre and Pointe.
* Graduates of the JCD Competition Team are teaching dance, performing on college dance teams/companies, pursuing college degrees in the arts, and dancing professionally on cruise ships, for Disney in Florida and Japan, and in Las Vegas.
* In 2004, we were named one of America's Top 50 Dance Schools by the two leading national publications in our field, Dance Teacher and Dance Spirit. We were very honored to be the first school selected from the hundreds in Central Florida and have been on the Dance Teacher / Dance Spirit honor roll ever since.
* Over the years, our JCD Competition Team has won more regional and national championships than we can even remember at dance competitions that place priority on proper technique, age appropriate material, scholarship awards, and membership certification (competitions are not created equal either)! Each time, we return to the studio more motivated than ever to produce beautiful, exciting and technically proficient works of art, and to keep our focus on EDUCATION, and LONG TERM GOALS despite the successes of today!


text:
Low Water Mark
Rising from dark water;
spires climb,
the green trees of years
gone by. Now like
bannerless flag posts
rooted in the wetland soil.
Sentinels of the lake
silent, watching.
Reaching through gray.
blue and pink toward
the retreating sun.
Arms entreating dead
grasses to join in the dance.
Canoe bow splits
reflection's perfection.
Abandoned wood duck
house rocking slowly
to the rhythm of the
dead wind.
Redwing blackbird
calls from the cattails.
Beaver tail slaps to
the North. Pileated beak
strikes home and keeps
the beat, hidden in the
dark, jagged line of pines.
The colors deepen. No
one is home, or,
are they? Paddle pushes
us into the night.
© Timothy James Stouffer, 11/04/2015
All Rights Reserved


text:
In my angriest moments while writing about music I turn my fury on vacuous popular music that expresses nothing of value. However there are phases or moments when a pop song touches my strings and remains etched for – say longer than the usual 2 minutes. Jessie Ware has stuck with me for months now … Continue reading
Category Archives: PURE POP
Born To Die-LANA DEL REY-2012
At the outset let me put something very straight – I like what she is selling here. I like this album. I don't like this album in the way I like the classics, but I like this as much I can like any new music. People have criticised this album on the basis that "Lana … Continue reading
I'll have to admit: some songs on 21 are proof of the fact that Adele has an idea as to what makes a pop song not only listenable, but memorable. Somewhere on this manufactured pop princess record designed for mass consumption, there is a human touch, almost as if she lets something genuine shine through. … Continue reading


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We are so excited to be back again! With this relaunch comes a new site, new logo and a BUNCH of new animal friends! Please take a few moments to look around the shop!
It's been a while (and by that I mean a baby, a house and a job have transpired). Don't worry though, I won't bore you with the details of my absence. In fact, while we considered starting fiveoeight up again, my biggest dread was this…the blog. Wah Wah. Because the world needs another blogger.
Sooooo, I am going my own way and I will be keeping my words to a minimum (unless there is a crazy demand to hear from me…which is totally possible…I am hilarious). I desire most to share images of the things we create and hopefully what comes out of all this is something we can share with you for your homes too.
We are starting small. For now we are not doing any furniture renovation. Although please have fun looking back at past blog posts if you have a hankering for furniture renos. Our animals are a more manageable way for us to have a small creative outlet without it taking over our family life.
Our barn wood, Lilla Vän, collection of animals did so well in the past, but I wanted to refresh the look of them. We are currently offering just the dala horse and whale silhouettes. There is a chance we got a little carried away with all the new color and style options so please check out our store to find your favorite color and design combo.
Aaaaand because we have never sold things on our site before, I am sure there will be some kinks that need to be worked out…so let us know if there are any problems!
I am SO looking forward to this new creative season, adding new animal silhouettes and hopefully new products too.
I will say this- I have learned one very important thing in my long absence. Everyone needs something that fills them up/refreshes/rejuvenates them. For me, this is it.
Enjoy our collection and help us pass the word along!
Xo sarah
p.s. If you want to read a little more about fiveoeight and our family, check out our about page.


text:
Ready. Set. Surprise! Whether you are feeling adventurous or simply love surprises, our chocolate mystery gift is the perfect treat! All you have to do is choose your preference, milk or dark chocolate, and we'll add a sweet mystery gift, valued at over $5, to your order. Your chocolate treat will arrive ready to delight, just like Christmas morning! In the eternal words of Forrest Gump, "life is like a box of chocolates… you never know what you're gonna get!"
OUT OF STOCK! This product is temporarily sold out, please check back soon or call 1-800-465-5909 if you have any questions.
Milk or Dark Chocolate Surprise Gift


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One of the best things about the US is that incredible diversity across the country. You don't have to go far to find a new geology, landscape, culture, and climate. And if it's adventure you crave, no matter how quirky, America has it; from odd roadside attractions to mountains, to beaches, to dessert and even icy lakes. To give you ideas for your next American adventure, here's a few that I've experienced ranging from traditional to adrenaline pumping, to odd. America has it all! (photo: VISITPHILADELPHIA)
Hut to Hut Hiking and Skiing in Colorado
Take off on a multi day adventure through the Rocky Mountains. And thanks to a whole series of mountain huts run by the 10th Division Mountain Huts, you won't even have to carry camping gear. The hut system consists of 34 backcountry huts connected by 350 miles of suggested routes/trails. Some have running water/plumbing and some don't, but they all have beds. You can rent a bed in a hut through the 10th Mountain Division website and then share the communal areas such as kitchen and living space with other hikers/skiers. Plan a hiking/skiing adventure and stay in different huts along the way as you pass through spectacular scenery in winter or summer. And if you feel more comfortable having a guide with you, you can hire an Aspen Alpine Guide to help you set up the trip, guide you on backcountry skiing or hiking, teach you about the area and environment, and they'll even bring food and cook for you!
More Info: 10th Mountain Division Huts – http://www.huts.org/index.php
Aspen Alpine Guides – http://www.aspenalpine.com/
Harry Gates Hut near Aspen Colorado
'Bike' Down a Volcano in Maui Hawaii
No, even though I was on a bicycle, I didn't bike down Haleakala Mountain in Maui, Hawaii – I braked down Haleakala mountain. There is very little peddling required when coasting down a 10,000 ft. mountain formed from a shield volcano. However my hands did get a workout as they squeezed the brakes all the way down. I took the Haleakala Express Tour via the Haleakala Bike Company. This unassisted morning ride – it was a perfect opportunity to do it your way – take as much time as you wanted and brake down the mountain. Stop and take pictures, have a coffee, stop for lunch and do what you want. Not only did it have spectacular views, but it was also a ride that ignited your senses. You started above the clouds and consequently rode through a number of clouds too. Due to the altitude and the descent, you experienced the change in temperature against your skin, and eventually when you got low enough the road wound through fragrant eucalyptus forests. Eventually you coast back on down to the town of Haiku where you started, turn in your bikes, and look back up at the mountain to marvel had how far you and your braking hand had come.
More Info: Haleakala Bike Company – https://www.bikemaui.com/haleakala-express/
Ready to ride the brakes to the bottom of Haleakala!
Buffalo Safari in South Dakota
We may not have elephants roaming freely in the US, but we have something even better – buffalo. Take an 'American safari' through Custer State Park in South Dakota which has herds of buffalo roaming the park freely in the prairie areas. We took off early in the morning and I strapped all of my cameras around my neck in the hopes of maybe seeing a buffalo. It didn't take long to spot one, a huge male buffalo was slowly walking across the grassland. After watching it lumber along I was pretty satisfied with our sighting – my goal was met. We continued on and went around the corner and to my surprise there was the rest of the herd – about 100 of them roaming freely along the road. . They were slowly on the move and we, along with a long backup of other cars, were in their way. I've never seen anything like it before, we were literally caught up in rush hour traffic, but the traffic had hoofs and was larger than most sedan size cars. And don't just expect to see buffalo, you'll see deer, prairie dogs, and plenty of birds on this American safari.
More Info: Custer State Park
Get caught in morning rush hour traffic at Custer State Park
Ride in an Indy Car in Indiana
Instead of simply watching the famous Indy 500, you can ride in your very own Indy car around the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Reach speeds of 200 mph as you ride as a passenger around IMS. Experience the Gforce while getting a feel for just how cramped those Indy cars are. This isn't a cheap adventure, but it sure is a once in a lifetime adventure! After your Indy car ride your Indianapolis adventure can continue along their Cultural Trail, an 8 mile trail biking and walking trail connecting all six of Indy's Cultural Districts. From Mass Ave to White River State Park and Fountain Square. As a visitor the best way to experience the trail is by utilizing the city bikeshare. Rent a bike for a day or for an hour and get around the whole city while enjoying parks and public art along the way at a bit slower pace than an Indy car.
More Info: Indy Racing Experience – http://indyracingexperience.com/
Speed around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway like a pro!
Take a plunge in Minnesota
On a recent trip to Minnesota I was able to experience one of the things that makes Minnesotans great – their love of the cold weather. I admire people who live in the Northern US; they have winter 5 months of the year; yet they don't hibernate, they embrace it. Even if it means jumping into an ice-cold lake. Each winter at Great Bear Lake in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, a square is cut in the ice, not for fishing, but for people!. Then people step from the warming tent and line up on the ice and plunge one by one. Some approach it with apprehension, some with gusto. Most all use the opportunity to dress up as if it were Halloween. Some of the costumes were outrageous, skimpy, and not very buoyant! Young and old participated, and no one chickened out.
More Info:
2016 Date will occur in mid to late January – More info here – http://www.plungemn.org/events/white-bear-lake/
Do you think you could take the plunge in White Bear Lake Minnesota?
Eat 72 oz.of Steak in Texas
If you are looking for an eating adventure, then head towards Amarillo Texas and look for the giant Las Vegas style cowboy sign; and be sure to go hungry. Stop at the Big Texan along Route 66 and try to make history by eating a 72oz steak in XX minutes. And we aren't just talking the steak – you also have to finish the entire meal including sides. When you order the 72oz steak prepare to be the center of attention as you'll get seated at the best table in the house, elevated up on a pedestal in the middle of the restaurant. This way everyone gets to watch you take on the eating adventure and cheer you on as you devour that last big bite. After all, Texas is all about being big.
More Info: Big Texan – https://www.bigtexan.com/
Take a big appetite with you to the Big Texan in Amarillo, TX
Hike Through Wall Street in Utah
No, not THAT Wall Street, the Wall Street hike in Bryce Canyon. This is a simple day hike that certainly makes you feel small as you hike among the steep orange colored slot canyon. It is actually reminiscent of walking through the skyscrapers of NYC. This is a great way to see the uniqueness of the hoodoos In Bryce National Park in Utah from a different perspective. The Wall Street section is a small part of the overall Navajo Trail that is graded medium difficulty.
More Info: Bryce National Park Wall Street Hike – https://www.nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/navajotrail.htm
Hike among the giants of Wall Street in Utah.
Sherry Ott is a contributor for InsureMyTrip.


text:
It's stated by a lot of that reclaimed wood is beautiful, eco-friendly, durable and many valuable wood readily available for contractors that already attached included in old building. Borrowers should bear in mind that there are two different kinds of mortgage points-discount points and origination points-and that lenders do not all charge the same amount for these different types of points. So perform a thorough research and discover the internet store.
Also, the grab bars should be placed inside bathtub as well as shower enclosures. With all of these new designs featuring the ottoman beds are becoming a lot more utilized by people everywhere. You will find many sellers who'd last using the kitchen home appliances with substantially inexpensive.
Fitted with wheels which make them easy to find and move anywhere in your house. With a little help, you can transform your outdated bathroom into a magnificent room that is contemporary and fresh. However with ongoing economic malaise, there is no telling the number of potential short sales and house foreclosures have been in the pipeline.
Awesome colors or awesome tones, however, would be best to make use of in designing rooms for that youthful. A perfect furniture you would like isn't available anywhere, whether you try to look for it available or online. And you're simply trying to fit your mattress using the right evening stand it local furniture store.
You want the legs of the chairs to stay on the rug when pulled out for someone to sit down. Note that ladders often cause a number of do-it-yourself accidents. Microwaves – I have here a real simple way to clean those spills and splatters and deodorize at the same time.


text:
In this episode of First Dates, Samantha tries to take her learnings from "The Guide" and apply them to her next online date. Unfortunately for Sam, it seems like her date is a little better at this game called dating than she is. Maybe she'll find love in the similarities as extremely straight-forward people. Maybe not.
To stay up on all things First Dates:
- Subscribe on YouTube: goo.gl/O4PnQM
- Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/firstdatestv
- Hit us up on Facebook: facebook.com/firstdatestv
- Subscribe to Newsletter: firstdates.tv/newsletter/


text:
Man Page
Manual Section... (1) - page: free
NAMEfree - Display amount of free and used memory in the system
SYNOPSISfree [-b | -k | -m | -g] [-o] [-s delay ] [-t] [-V]
DESCRIPTIONfree displays the total amount of free and used physical and swap memory in the system, as well as the buffers used by the kernel. The shared memory column should be ignored; it is obsolete.
OptionsThe -b switch displays the amount of memory in bytes; the -k switch (set by default) displays it in kilobytes; the -m switch displays it in megabytes; the -g switch displays it in gigabytes.
The -t switch displays a line containing the totals.
The -o switch disables the display of a "buffer adjusted" line. If the -o option is not specified, free subtracts buffer memory from the used memory and adds it to the free memory reported.
The -s switch activates continuous polling delay seconds apart. You may actually specify any floating point number for delay, usleep(3) is used for microsecond resolution delay times.
The -V displays version information.
- /proc/meminfo
memory information
SEE ALSOps(1), slabtop(1), vmstat(8), top(1)
AUTHORSWritten by Brian Edmonds.
Send bug reports to <[email protected]>
This document was created by man2html, using the manual pages.
Time: 15:25:50 GMT, June 11, 2010