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Au Revoir Paris

Well folks, the time has come.  I have left Paris to continue my journey this summer in London.

I can’t believe how incredibly fast the month went by. The amount of gratitude I have for being able to take this trip while still only 21 years old is simply incomprehensible.  Paris was an absolutely wonderful city, filled with many smells (both good and bad), fabulous food, beautiful sights, and I made some really incredible friends. I am one lucky girl.

Not surprisingly it was really hard to leave Paris. I became attached to the apartment we lived in, our neighborhood, and just having the feeling of living like a Parisian–no college campus feel, freedom to explore, and of course, taking the metro!

The last week of being in Paris literally flew by, and I don’t even know that I remember it all because the days began to blur together.  I do remember however, that I went to the Louvre museum (the famous one with the big glass Pyramid outside).  The artifacts, sculptures, paintings, etc… were all beautiful.  Of course, I saw work by Michelangelo, I saw the Mona Lisa, and the Egyptian exhibit was fascinating, full of sphnixes, hieroglyphics, and beautiful vases and jewelry.

The second major event that I have yet to blog about is my trip to Brugge, which in short, was one of my favorite days during my first month in Europe.  Despite rather crummy weather for most of the day there, spending time outside of the busy city of Paris was a great getaway.  We strolled along the canals that Brugge is famous for, took a boat tour, and enjoyed Belgian waffles and fries (not together of course).  This trip truly reaffirmed my desire to live just outside of a big city.  Brugge had great amenities like a big city, but still felt safe and comfortable. I know that is a brief description, but I will let the photos do the talking, so please check out the pictures from Brugge!

 Click below for more photos from Brugge, Belgium.

After returning to Paris from Brugge, I had a few more great experiences, one of which was visiting the Champs-Élysées. This is the large shopping street that leads to the Arc de Triomphe, another amazing architecturally beautiful monument by the French.

Click below for more photos from the Champs-Élysées

Another really amazing adventure I took in Paris was to visit the Père Lachaise cemetery. This is where Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and hundreds more famous people are burried.  Although it seems a bit morbid to think this was cool, the actual grounds were really neat to see in person, and the trees made for some great photos.

 Click below for more photos from Père Lachaise

I know this isn’t a very good blogging thing to do, but I didn’t have the patience to load all the photos from the remainder of my trip into separate pages and go through to select the best ones, so I selected some of my favorites and put them into one large gallery. I know, I know, I will probably go to Blogger Purgatory.

  Click below for more photos of my miscellaneous adventures in Paris

Anywhoo….. France is over, but I still have another 3 weeks in Europe, visiting London and potentially Dublin for a weekend.  I will try to blog about that more frequently, but I make no promises as I am already exhausted and I have only been in London for a day and ahalf.  Regardless, remember to keep checking in to see when I write new posts about my adventures here.

June 25, 2011. Tags: , , , , , , . Paris. 1 comment.

gardens. churches. six million parisians.

well hello everyone!

I thought I would post a quickie blog (not like the behemoth one from last time) to update everyone.  I have a midterm tomorrow in my media & conflict class, so I need to get studying, but here is the lowdown on what I’ve been up to since the last post.

USD students all went on a second “field trip,” to Chartres and Giverny on Thursday.  Chartres was an absolutely gorgeous Cathedral with spectacular stained glass windows, all of which tell their own story.  The town itself was equally as cute from what we saw, but the cold weather sent us inside.  The bus ride between Chartres and Giverny was possibly the most relaxing part of this trip as of yet.  I remembered to bring my best friend (my iPod) with me on the trip, so as we drove through some of the most gorgeous countryside I have ever seen, I was able to let my mind wander while rockin’ out to some tunes.  After driving over a bridge in a huge charter bus–anyone who knows me, is aware that bridges and I aren’t exactly best friends–and then taking a short walk, we arrived at Monet’s gardens.  Many of you may be familiar with his paintings of the lily pond–this is where we went.  The gorgeous flowers planted everywhere around his home, including the ones surrounding the pond were absolutely gorgeous and the setting was simply tranquil.  If there had been time (and if it was allowed), having a picnic among the flowers would have been ideal.  Sorry to have rambled on, I promised to make this short, so please check out the links below to see some of the photos from Chartres and Giverny.

Click below for more photos from Chartres

Click below for more photos from Giverny/Monet’s garden

Another really amazing tourist sight that I encountered here in Paris in the last week, were the catacombs.  For those of you who don’t know, the catacombs hold the remains of over six million Parisians.   The experience of passing millions of bones in tiny walkways is impossible to describe.  At a certain point, you don’t actually process that the “walls” you are walking past are not walls at all, but stacks and stacks of femurs, tibias, fibulas, and skulls.  The particularly “freaky” aspect of this excursion was learning (afterward) that when walking through the catacombs, you are six stories underground!  You can check out the photos below, no worries they aren’t too scary.

Click below for more photos from the Catacombs

I have had some other really amazing adventures as well, but I just cannot put off studying for another minute, so check back in a few days and I will try to post some pictures and info about my journeys.

June 12, 2011. Tags: , , , , . Paris. 1 comment.

I’ll be a horse if I can live here

Hello everyone!

Sorry I have been a lacking in the blogging department lately, a small cold pretty much knocked me on my tush, and the slow internet does not work well with my impatient nature!  We are so lucky in the US to have such speedy internet, I will never complain about mine again (haha, yea right!). Buckle up, this is a long blog post–I suggest grabbing a cup of coffee or tea, and getting comfy before reading this.

Anyway, so here’s what I’ve been up to.  Since my last post, I have visited the Eiffel Tower, gone to my first french night club (which was on a boat!), and gone on two castle tours.  Additionally, I went to see a stand-up/improv performance by Olivier Giruad and experienced some pretty crazy weather.

The Eiffel Tower was last week with my three roommates, Alexandra, Colette, and Rachael–we had fun getting dressed up to take pictures in front it! I don’t think that “Le Tour Eiffel” needs much explaining, as it is such an iconic symbol, but let me tell you (if you don’t already know from personal experience) it is way bigger in person than I realized! I knew it would be pretty huge, but when you stand at the base and look up, you feel pretty tiny.  My roommates and I are going to try and take the tour that goes to the top, but apparently the lines and tickets are long and expensive–fingers crossed that we can do it!

Click below to see more Eiffel Tower pictures

A new experience while here in the lovely capital of France, was going out on the Bateau Concorde Atlantique, a night club in a boat docked in the Seine river. I really enjoyed being able to get out and dance the night away. Here is a picture of me, Alexandra (one of my roomies), Stephanie, and Lindsey.

On Saturday, most of the University of San Diego students took a trip to the castles in Chantilly and Pierrefonds. Despite the fact that I have seen castles elsewhere previously, I was still in awe.

In Chantilly, there are stables that make the White House look like it belongs in a trailer park.  Everyone kept commenting on the fact that the horses that live in the stables have a better life than most people–thus the name of this post’s title.  The horses trained there are some of the most elite horses in the country, still used for the hunting missions with hounds.  Fun little fact for everyone, Chantilly is actually the home of Chantilly Cream (a vanilla whipped cream)–which we were able to sample with our dessert at lunch… it was delicious! 🙂  Here are some pictures from Chantilly.

Click below to see more Chantilly photos

After a nap on the hour long bus ride, we arrived in Pierrefonds.  Despite the fact that it was somewhat far away from the main part of Paris, I would highly suggest visiting this quaint town to anyone who visits France in the future.  Unlike many of the Parisians I have encountered, the people of Pierrefonds were incredibly laid back and friendly–they even smile at you!

(Side note: I have a really hard time not smiling at people here because it is so engrained in me from growing up in the U.S.–my eyes are frequently focused on shoes so I don’t make eye contact and subsequently smile)

Sorry for the tangent…. anywhoo, Pierrefonds was simply amazing.  We had a delicious lunch and then strolled a bit around the town and even got to see the commotion created by a local wedding. The castle provided a nice respite from the extreme heat that had taken over.  Enjoy my pictures from Pierrefonds!

Click below to see more Pierrefonds photos

I promise this post is almost done….

Last night was the improv show by Olivier Giraud, and the show’s title is, “How to Become a Parisian in One Hour.”  I would highly suggest seeing this show if anyone reading this is coming to Paris.  A Parisian born comedian, Giraud lived for a time in the United States, and has put together a great show that pokes fun at Parisians as well as Americans and what happens when our cultures collide.  Unfortunately I have no photos to share with you, as cameras were not allowed in the theater, but my final experience to share with you has a video–even cooler, right?!

After returning home from the show, while I was working on homework with my roommates, we started to see some really amazing lightening. Then the rain started. And then the thunder started.  Let me tell you, it was quite the experience! I don’t think I have ever seen rain come down in such heavy sheets in my entire life.  The flat roofs of some neighboring buildings were flooded almost instantly, and a man driving a moped down the street quickly realized that battery powered vehicles that are exposed to rain stop working almost instantly. The thunder was extremely loud and at one point all four of us girls jumped into a huddle together.  Thankfully we did not lose power, or experience any real flooding (some rain came in thru the kitchen windows). Here is the video of the lightening before the rain and thunder started–it was crazier after this, but my camera died

Click the link to see the lightening show

Well everyone, I’m sure that blog post will hold you all over for a while (I know my fingers need a rest). I hope everyone following my blog is enjoying my posts and let me know if you have any recommendations of places to see/go/eat at or just give me some love in the comment section

June 6, 2011. Tags: , , , . Paris. 4 comments.

Bienvenue à Paris

Bonjour tout le monde! I am finally here!

Today is my third day in Paris, and I am completely in love.  The city is beautiful (obviously) and the weather has been pretty much perfect–right now it is about 70 degrees and stunningly sunny!

My trip to Paris went just fine, no cancelations, and only a few delays.  That 23 kilos or less requirement was hard to accomplish, but after moving some things around in my bag, I successfully checked it without paying an extra fee–thank goodness.

The apartment I am living in is quite quaint, despite the Pepto-colored walls in the bedrooms.  My three roommates, Alexandra, Rachael, and Colette are all here as well and we had a fun dinner last night at an Italian restaurant right here in the 13th arrondisement (district).  Here is the view out of my bedroom window… gorgeous, huh?

Yesterday was the first “real” day here and the company that hosts the study abroad (CEA) took everyone to lunch and then on a boat tour on the Seine River.  Lunch was fabulous–hopefully my photos show just how amazing it was!

After the excursion to Cafe Louis Philipe for lunch, we went on the boat tour and were able to see many of Paris’ unique historical landmarks. Unfortunately, yesterday’s weather was not as wonderful as today, so Alexandra, Rachael, and myself were huddled up like penguins, while trying to take photos.

The photos from the boat trip were not spectacular due to this weather issue, so I don’t have many pictures worth sharing (plus I will be going back to the locations on better days anyway). Of course I have to post at least a few though, so enjoy a look at Paris 🙂

Well blog-o-sphere, that is pretty much all I’ve done in the last three days along with getting to know how to ride the metro like a true Parisian.  I hope you are all enjoying a summer full of adventures as well, and I will try to update my blog soon.

Bisou Bisou,

June 1, 2011. Tags: , , . Paris. 3 comments.

23 Kilos or Less

Tomorrow is the big day–my journey to Paris and London will begin! I’m pretty much packed and getting more and more excited by the hour.  I am a little nervous about the 23 kilo (50 pound) weight limit for checked baggage, as my suitcase is pretty huge and extremely full (as you can see). It may not seem that large, but this is a 29″ Samsonite suitcase (from Costco, of all places!).

**sorry about the terrible quality, my bberry doesn’t quite get it done 😦

I’m not typically one to sleep on planes–I have a rule about not sleeping in public places that I can’t seem to bypass even on the longest of flights! So of course, I feel the need to occupy my time the ENTIRE flight.  Here is my reading collection that will be entertaining me for as long as humanly possible.

We’ve got:

Wall Street Journal magazine

Costal Living magazine

Forbes magazine

People magazine (with the announcement of Kim Kardashian’s engagement–so tempting to read it before I leave!)

Bill Bryson‘s book: Notes from a Small Island–this is my reading requirement for the London portion of my trip

Lauren Weisberger‘s book, Chasing Harry Winston (I’ve been reading it for a while, but hopefully some uninterrupted plane time will allow me to finally finish it!)

Any other reading sugggestions? I could always use more!

Obviously, my ipod will be accompanying me the whole flight as well (who doesn’t take their ipod on flights these days?), and when I finally can’t stand any of those activites anymore, I will whip out my computer to watch a movie.  My computer comes last because the battery life will not last me very long, and I hate using the most boredom-reducing piece of technology first!  Does this sound crazy? Does anyone else out there do the same thing? Let me know in the comments below 🙂

Well everyone, I will try to blog about my flight and first few days in Paris next week sometime, but keep checking out this blog, as well as my regular blog over at .   Hope everyone reading this is well and embarking on your own journeys wherever they may take you.

Time to check in for my flight 🙂

May 28, 2011. Tags: , , , . London, Paris. Leave a comment.

A Big Pile of ….

Laundry! (what did you think I was going to say? haha) Well actually there is not one big pile, but 5! Today I’m starting the packing process for my trip–only 8 more days!!! (I’m giddy with excitement)

I’m not  sure on my exact game plan for packing yet, but I have created an excel spreadsheet that I feel will make my life easier! This is what it looks like (yes, I’m a bit neurotic):

I’m going to wait until later this week to actually pack, but I’m sure there will be piles of things all around my apartment until the last zip of my luggage–no worries, I’m sure there will be pictures of me being a crazed packer–that’s fun for everyone!

Is there anything missing on my list that you would suggest? (I accidentally forgot to write down my camera and it’s cord, but other than that give me any suggestions you have).

Also, if you are sitting on your computer (at work or home), bored and looking for something good to read you can check out my regular blog at the link below–I’ve posted a few things lately 🙂

May 21, 2011. Tags: , , , , . London, Paris. Leave a comment.

Cappuccinos & Metros

Hi there friends, family, and other random blog surfers!

As you can tell I’ve decided to start blogging again.  I decided that since I don’t have the funding to call all of you while I’m abroad, blogging to share my experiences with you is probably the next best thing! 🙂  As most of you probably know, I am headed to both Paris and London this summer for a study abroad trip.  I am so excited to travel to new cities, and take in the wonders that I know they have to offer.  So, the countdown begins: there are 24 days until I board a plane (or three) to Paris–exciting stuff!!

Hope everyone is well, and make sure to leave me suggestions of destinations to see or activities I simply cannot miss.

May 5, 2011. Tags: , , , , . London, Paris. 2 comments.

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  New Kia Sportage - Save Up To R100 000

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Sunday, June 21, 2015

Rory at the Beach in Flagler Beach, Florida

The latest Lacy Sunshine Challenge is right up my alley. I live 7 miles from the sleepy beach town of Flagler Beach, Florida. Although, I can no longer body surf in those wonderful waves, I still love to walk on the boardwalk, feeling the light sea breeze in that salty air.

Rory at the Beach by Lacy Sunshine, couldn't wait to dip her toes into the surf at the shore. She was colored with Prismacolor Pencil and merge with my husband Sandy Brooke's color sketch of Flagler Beach, Florida.

 Here are some other challenges I plan to try my luck at:

Jennifer Bradley said...

Hi Carla, love your card, great image and colouring. Your husbands sketch is just perfect to frame the image. Thanks for joining us at Penny's Paper Crafty and we do hope to see you again soon. Jennifer DT member xx

Annette Reed said...

Saw this and had to comment. Your husband's sketch is fantastic and is a great background for your image. It is a very pretty creation and I am in love with it!

DIANA L. said...

This is so pretty Carla. I love your image and the beach scene is perfect for June. great coloring to.
Thank you for joining my DL.ART Thankful Thursday Anything Goes June Linky Party. Have a blessed day

Sara Sherlock said...

I saw that name, and my mouth dropped open. You are very close to my grandkids! Lovely card. Love the background! Thank you so much for entering our ATG challenge at Through The Craft Room Door this week. We are looking forward to seeing you again in the new challenge.
FP3 {My Blog}

Dewi Lestari said...

Awesome! Thanks for joining at Lacy Sunshine: Baseball and Apple Pie

Chrissy said...

Fabulous merging and love the background. Rory looks gorgeous all ready for the beach..fabulous colouring...
Thanks so much for joining in with us at Lacy Sunshine..

Kamila R. said...

What a stunning card! Love the coloured image ! Thank you for joining us at Sister Act this week!
Kamila DT

Nina-Marie Trapani said...

such a fun scene! love the beachy theme! thank you for sharing your creativity with us over at the Lia Stampz challenge blog!
Nina-Marie :)
Lia Stampz Design Team

crafty-stamper said...

Hi Carla fabulous card great image and love the beach scene sketch--Thank you for joining us at 613 Avenue Create
Carol DT x

Vannessa said...

Love the scene you have created here and how I would love to live so close to the Florida beaches! Closest to me here in the UK is about 50 miles away and is usually either freezing cold or so packed it takes 3 hours to get there! Thank you for joining in the Lacy Sunshine challenge and for using one of our digis this time. Hope to see you again.

Hugs, Vannessa
Lacy SUnshine DT


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Black Felt

February 21, 2010 at 5:33 pm 2 comments

I have spent some time this weekend back doing some stitching and I feel so much better for it. For me any kind of stitching is therapeutic, I can’t wait until the thesis is out of the way and I can do more.

Many moons ago Susan Lenz sent me some black felt from way over in Columbia, USA. This felt had been used as packaging and was donated to her by a local outdoor shop. Susan generously decided to share it out with the proviso that the recipients make and send a postcard to the original donor. I have finally managed to finish two postcards, one for Guy and one for Susan and I applaud, not only their generosity, but their great recycling! Susan reuses lots of vintage materials in her art and is going from strength to strength, having just staged a wonderful exhibition. I also gave some pieces of the felt to the members of our Creative Fibre Art Group. I have photos back from two members of their lovely creations, just waiting for a couple more and I will put those on the group blog.

I used this photo, taken at Kings Park, Perth when I went over for Maggie Grey’s workshop last year:

I edited the photo and printed out onto a cotton sheet. I painted the black felt from Susan with various blueish paints and then fused the image. It was then covered with white or black netting (one is darker) and purple chiffon scarf from the op shop. Using multiple colours of rayon threads I free machine stitched over the picture, also machining over added leaves cut from organza. It was heat gunned just a little to distress. I then made a couple of gum leaves by machining over organza and threads trapped between solvy, which were added on top. The edging is a twisted wool cord zigzagged to the edge. I used white bobbinfill when machining the trunk of the tree, which has given an interesting silhouette on the back. Because the felt is quite sturdy, and has many stitched layers, it didn’t need any further stiffening so I left the back visible.

Thankyou Susan and Guy, your postcards will be on their way tomorrow.

Entry filed under: FME, Native plants, Recycling.

Shed the light What a blast!!

2 Comments Add your own

  • 1. Susan Lenz  |  February 23, 2010 at 11:21 am

    This is a wonderful post! Your work is fabulous! I’m going to email Guy and his wife Cynthia with a link to it! Thanks so much! Guy, Cynthia and I have been planning to get together so that I can photograph them with the postcards they’ve received!

  • 2. Susan Lenz  |  March 4, 2010 at 4:03 am

    The postcards arrived. I saw Guy yesterday…..River Runner, his kayak shop is just a block away from Gallery 80808/Vista Studios where my studio is located. He was totally BLOWN AWAY by your creativity and the transformation that you made happen on his humble felt. He also said that he was off to testify about the need for conservation…..always thinking of ways to protect our environment and to recycle instead of waste! I wholeheartedly agree with Guy….your work is AMAZING!

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February 2010
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Notebook Project

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Creating Wellness for IBD

For the person who hasn’t read any of my other blogs, I have lived with Crohns complications for now 27 years. I was diagnosed at the age of 14 in 1987, when doctors were still baffled by treating the disease. I have been on every modern medicine that modern doctors have available and even done clinical trials.Throughout this time I have have had at least one hospital visit a year, a take down and reconstruct surgery due to a puncture during a colonoscopy. I have avoided further surgery because it is not a cure and I know this because It runs in my family history.
Now I have decided to buckle down and live a natural lifestyle because modern meds and modern doctors have not improved my disease long term. Only with an all natural lifestyle have i had success. Then when I got lazy, overstressed or too busy with life I left my health on the back burner. Eating junk food on the go or at home because it is part of our easy access lifestyles. After this hospital visit my doctors again urged me with surgery as the best option and basically that I’m making a mistake by not doing it. So this time I built up a network of friends and family to call, text, e mail or message whenever I think of getting off track.
I will still need to follow up with my modern medical doctors, but not use all the damaging drugs with so many side effects. So here I go with a renewed sense of determination. stay tuned for updates.
Note:Most of these treatments are from past experience, friends with IBD and other things have been obtained by  natural Full Circle medical doctors.

First of all getting your mind and body aligned is what it takes to get well. You must find ways to slow down, and destress. Only then will you be able to follow a healthy eating lifestyle.

People with IBD tend to be over achievers who are hyper and try to take on a superhero mentality of doing to much all at once.

Do you relate to many of these?
• Addicted to perfectionism
• A control freak, OCD about cleaning and etc…
• Fearful of rejection?
• Fearful of failure?
• Worried too much about what others think?
• A people pleaser?
• Afraid to say no?”
• An emotional eater?
• Angry at yourself or someone else?
• Needing to forgive someone or repair a relationship?
• Needing$to$ditch$certain$relationships$altogether?$
• In need of better boundaries?
• Consistently anxious?
• Depressed?
• Overworked?
• Overwhelmed?
• Stressed out?
• Spread too thin for your own good?
• Pushing yourself to exhaustion?
• Missing someone?
• Grieving a loss?
• In a toxic relationship?
• In a toxic living environment?
• Hiding?
• Blaming others?
• Playing the victim?

These are some of the circumstances that could be contributing to your illness,keeping you sick and preventing you from bringing the health vision you desire.

Getting hydrated and reducing or eliminating sugar, caffeine, preservatives and artificial substances will reduce the stress on your GI tract and get you pointed in the right direction. Also eat smaller meals and drink fortified shakes and smoothies with added vitamins and minerals.

• Going gluten free
• Going dairy free
• Increasing therapeutic foods like kefir,fermented foods,homemade broth,and more
• Targeted supplements like probiotics and vitamins like B12
• Elimination diets

Crohn’s and Colitis patients suffer from malnutrition due to our body’s inability to absorb nutrients because our gut bacteria is not normal. If you ignore taking this area of understanding, then your GI tract won’t heal well.Also stress and a damaging emotional state plays a big part on a rode to wellness.

Steps to healing inflammatory bowel disease are:

1. Providing bowel rest. Find a high protein and vitamin, mineral rich drink to keep up calories between meals and on the go.

2. Killing off the bad bacteria and fungus in the gut (disease-causing organisms)

3.Re-Populating The Gut Flora , by taking a broad spectrum pro-biotic,a minimum of 7 to 10 billion CFU (colony-forming units) of each species, per day

4. Healing intestinal inflammation and ulceration. aloe juice

5. Resolving nutritional deficiencies

A full spectrum multi-vitamin and multi-mineral,

  • 3,000 to 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day. Use the right dosage for your skin color and environment.
  • B12
  • 4 to 6 capsules of cod liver oil per day (or 2 teaspoons).
  • 2 tablespoons of Udo’s Oil per day.
  • Pycnogenol or grape seed extract.
  • Coenzyme Q10.
  • Vitamin C in mineral ascorbate form – needed for your immune system and for blood clotting. Do not take it in ascorbic acid form, or it will cause loose bowel movements or diarrhea.
  • If you are having more than 3 bowel movements per day, take powder or liquid supplements, or open the capsules and dissolve them in liquid.

6. Detoxing your living environment

7. Healing the contributing emotional factors.60% of your body’s neurotransmitters are not in your brain, but in your gut!

8. Balancing your hormones. f you have had Crohn’s disease symptoms for longer than eight months, or if you have taken any kind of steroid or immune suppressant drug, then it is highly likely your thyroid gland is not functioning properly, and quite likely your adrenal gland isn’t either. Ideally, you should see a doctor who specializes in hormone balancing and have your endocrine system (glands that produce hormones) tested properly.

People Crohn’s disease have bacterial flora that is unbalanced throughout their gastrointestinal tract. The repeated use of antibiotics (often since childhood) and the invasive medical diagnostic tests alone have destroyed much of the “good” protective bacteria in their small and large intestines. When the good, protective bacteria are depleted, then disease-causing organisms like yeast (candida albicans), viruses, parasites, and bad bacteria flourish.This excess of disease-causing organisms causes inflammation and damage to the mucosal lining, resulting in leaky gut syndrome – a condition where undigested food particles and bacteria seep into the bloodstream, triggering allergic reactions and infection in other places in the body (the joints, skin, eyes, etc).

If you have back or belly pain or discomfort use this tried and true reliever from our great grandparents and many cultures.

Castor Oil Pack Components:

  • Cold-Pressed Castor oil.
  • Two sheets of plastic (garbage bags OK).
  • 1 yard cotton or wool flannel.
  • Heating pad (if indicated).
  • Large old bath towel.
  • 3 safety pins.

Preparing a Castor Oil Pack

Cut a piece of plastic that will cover the flannel with at least 1 to 2 inches extra around the border of the flannel. Drizzle approximately 1/4 cup of castor oil onto the flannel, then fold it in half to saturate. The pack should not be dripping with oil – it should have just enough oil to make a slight oil mark on furniture, as if you were going to polish it.

NOTE: The first couple of weeks you use the pack you will have to apply a tablespoon or so of oil about every 3 to 4 days. Eventually the pack will be saturated enough that reapplication of oil should only be needed every couple of weeks.

Lay out an old towel on the surface you will be lying on. Castor oil stains, and you want to avoid getting it on sheets, carpet, or clothing. Lie on your back and place the saturated flannel on your abdomen. Cover the flannel with plastic. Then place the thin dish towel or old cloth over the plastic. Place a hot water bottle or heating pad over the thin towel and plastic, and wrap the bath towel around you to hold it all snug.

Relax for 30 to 60 minutes. This is an excellent time to practice visualization, meditation, or deep breathing exercises, listen to classical music or sleep – or to watch a good movie!

When finished, you can remove the oil with warm water and soap in the shower. I prefer to just wipe my abdomen with an old towel and leave the oil on my skin to be completely absorbed while I sleep (I apply the pack at night, before bed – but I sleep on a towel or old sheets, as even the oil residue can stain).

Store the pack in a large zip-lock bag. You can reuse it many times, adding more oil as needed to keep the pack saturated. Replace the pack after it begins to change color (usually several months). Do not wash the flannel – just throw it out.

 Yoga – Yoga is very helpful for back pain. Look for a video or yoga class that is either specifically geared to resolving back pain, or one that is called ‘therapeutic’ yoga.

a bath- with epsom salt and lavender also helps pain.

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Tending Your Inner Garden

The Tending Your Inner Garden® program was created 10 years ago to encourage and help women to look deeper within themselves and to explore their relationships with all that is sacred. Founders Deb Engel and Diane Glass used the seasons as a model for change, to help participants develop a spiritual practice, and to tune into their own inner guidance so they could live in alignment with their true selves.

The stories they heard in the course of conducting the year-long programs inspired them to offer another platform for women to express themselves. The outcome is a series of four books, one for each season of the year.TIYG_FallCover_Press1_W

The first of the four books features the writing of women from around the world on themes inspired by the seasons of the year.  Winter: Women’s Stories, Poems and Inspiration for the Season of Rest and Renewal shares reflections on endings and beginnings, renewal, creativity, and stillness in intimate portraits of life.

I’m pleased to have two of my essays included in the “Winter” volume, and one essay in the “Fall” volume.

The volumes are available in soft cover and ebook versions on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

“As women talk honestly about growth, loss, joy and sorrow, use this book to mine the rich soil of your own inner life.”
—Joyce Rupp, Spiritual “Midwife” and Author of more than 20 books, including Open the Door and Fragments of Your Ancient Name


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Take A Majestic Cinderella Carriage Ride on the River Walk. She'll Love It!
Be Treated Like Royalty. Let Us Take Care of Your Evening.
Sit Back and Relax. Let Us Show You Around.

An Evening To Remember

Our typical Romance Package includes being picked up in a beautiful Cinderella carriage, a box of chocolate covered strawberries, a perfect red rose, and a professional carriage driver.

Our goal is to give you the best carriage ride experience of your life. That being said we want to custom tailor your carriage ride to create the perfect event for you and your loved ones. Want us to pick you up at your hotel and take you to a nearby restaurant?  We can do that.

We work with several amazing restaurants in Downtown San Antonio and can secure you a reservation. Let us book your dinner for you and then have a Cinderella Carriage waiting outside of the restaurant to give you a tour of the Capitol.

We are very flexible in making your carriage ride a romantic journey. Please contact us if you have any special requests such as making you a reservation or  having special gifts available in the carriage (hand-written notes, chocolates, personal gifts, etc..)

Make A Reservation

Ready to go on an adventure? Please fill out the form below and be sure to include desired date, occasion, and any special details or requests. Our carriage consultant will contact you quickly about finalizing the specifics of your carriage ride so we don’t miss anything. Fill out the form below or contact us by phone:

(210) 625-3806

  • Romance Package includes: Gourmet Chocolates, and Red Rose, and the Romantic Ride
  • Click here to read Carriage Booking, LLC. Terms and Services


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We offer a range of screening studies for health maintenance.  Whether part of an annual routine or a one-time assessment, our screening services can evaluate the presence of abnormalities in many different areas.

For the benefits and risks of a specific procedure, how to prepare, and more, select one of the services below.

The goal of a screening exam is to rule out or discover a disease at an early stage so that it can be successfully treated.

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Exam Pointers

You can schedule screenings through your physician or call us directly at:

541-382-9383 or 1-888-382-9383.


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The Armchair Liturgist: Palm and Other Processions

Did your parish have a good procession this weekend for Palm Sunday? Do your people have an expectation of doing an outside to inside walk in good cheer? Or do they prefer a certain minimalism: watch the clergy hoof it? The smallish image to the left is our east parking lot with about 90% of the 8:30 worshippers.

Perhaps you have a critique of the rite and its expectations. If so, offer one. Sit in the purple chair and render judgment. How would you handle the three options of Palm Sunday?

About catholicsensibility

Todd lives in the Pacific Northwest, serving a Catholic parish as a lay minister.
This entry was posted in The Armchair Liturgist. Bookmark the permalink.

8 Responses to The Armchair Liturgist: Palm and Other Processions

  1. Liam says:

    Well, my parish needs a police detail if it wants to process in the areas around its church, since it’s smack in the heart of a very tight but important intersection of the Harvard Square area. The outdoor procession was done today at the 11AM Mass, with the cardinal archbishop leading it. The earlier Masses had a (ministerial only) procession indoors – the earlier Masses are disadvantaged by a required shift in Mass schedules for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday that means that people tend to arrive after the procession has already happened….

    It all depends on the circumstances for each location. I could not offer universal advice other than to seriously consider each option, rather than go on autopilot.

  2. RP Burke says:

    Liam, thanks for the news about St. Paul’s in Cambridge, my old home base (and where I met my wife, a graduate student, in a lector program).

    It was rainy this morning in Columbus, so we dispensed with the outdoor procession, usually held on the grounds rather than in the street.

  3. Mike K says:

    We had the procession outdoors, but not from the usual location (a park across from the Cathedral – said park is under construction), but from the front of the Cathedral chapel. No rain this morning – that will come later.

  4. Jimmy Mac says:

    We have a large garden adjacent to the church itself, so we process from there, about half way around the block, then up the stairs and into the church.

    No muss, no fuss, no permits.

  5. Randolph Nichols says:

    Liam and RP,

    The outdoor sung antiphon, blessing of palms, gospel reading and procession went better than anticipated. The enclosed courtyard kept the sound from drifting into the ether and, believe it or not, when the organ began as we entered the church – at the the finish of verse three of All Glory, Laud, and Honor – we were no more than a tad off pitch. There was one common complaint, however. It was cold outside.

    PS Well, maybe two complaints. Parking was prohibited in the courtyard.

  6. John Donaghy says:

    I goofed up the hours of the procession (even though I had 8 visitors). But I got up early to help make the sawdust carpets for the procession. The mile long route led from one chapel to the cathedral.

    The Mass was festive with the bishop giving a strong justice homily (about 30 minutes long) and good singing by the congregation, led by a group of young people.

    The procession started about 8:30 and the Mass ended at 11 – not a US style timing. But it is Honduras!

  7. Liam says:

    There were quite a number of people further back in the crowd who were singing the “old” words to the hymn (they did not have the leaflets). I thought it was curious why the bother to update the text; AGL&H is one of those chestnuts that many people know by heart. Or thought they did.

  8. M.. says:

    Much like RP, we were inside because of rain here in Columbus Ohio. We would have done a small procession at the choral Mass had there been good weather.

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The Coldwell Banker Bike Tour Hits San Francisco

Saturday, July 24th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Urban ride – slightly hilly approximately ten miles

Interested? RSVP: John Kirkpatrick (415) 412-0559

Two counties, one famous bridge and even a boat trip await the San Francisco cyclist/ agent! Our ride begins at the Sports Basement parking lot in the Marina near Crissy Field; we will bike up and over the Golden Gate Bridge go through Sausalito and return via ferry back to the City and return to the Sports Basement. Helmets required (common sense rules the day).

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All the Forms, Supplies and Documents Your Dealership Needs to Succeed

CDK EasySourceSM is your go-to destination to get 'more' for your dealership. Whether it's to keep your supplies well stocked, or maintain marketing materials - CDK EasySource has everything your dealership needs to succeed - including your RV, Powersport, or Marine dealership!

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DealerCAP helps reduce common paperwork errors, streamline your Sales process, and increase customer satisfaction through a thorough review of your processes and forms.

No warranty is made as to the legal and/or regulatory compliance of any forms provided by CDK Global, CDK EasySource and Staples© Contract & Commercial, Inc. THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED. It is essential that you seek independent legal advice with respect to the legal compliance of your dealership forms.

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The development of a given society is a complex process and it can best be understood by examining the history of and theories behind the development of a given settlement. This course offers students an opportunity to examine these historical and theoretical aspects within the local context.

  • Students to appreciate the major factors influencing human settlements development
  • Students to acquire high level skills of analysis of the growth pattern of human settlements
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ARCH 8107   History And Theory Of Human DOC PDF


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Colleen Rooney Talks Football Mum Of The Year and Sons Kai and Klay

WRHaving a professional footballer for a husband and being a mum to two boys – sons Kai Wayne, 5, and Klay Anthony, 23 months can mean that Colleen Rooney and husband Wayne [Rooney] often find it hard to have some one on one time. However, she tells the Daily Mail  that they make sure to dedicate at least one day a week to themselves.

“When we had Klay we found that we really had no time at all but then we made sure that we had that one day a week together.

“[Now that]  that we have two kids, we make sure that we have time together. We make sure that one night a week we go out for dinner or go to the cinema or something so that we have time for each other.”

When Wayne has international commitments – like for the World Cup – it means that the 29-year-old is left to look after the boys. But luckily help is always on hand from family if she needs it.

“I’ve got a great family behind me and Wayne’s family too so we’ve always got people around us – we’re not just on our own.

“We do miss him and seeing the kids’ faces when he comes back, they’re just so overwhelmed, which is nice.”

Now that 5-year-old Kai is starting to follow in his dad’s footsteps and get in to football it means that Liverpool born Colleen will be soon driving her son to and from various matches. With that in mind, she has signed up to McDonalds Football Mum of the Year  – which plans to recognise a parent’s invaluable support and dedication for their child’s football activities.

A lot of people think it’s dads who take children to football but I think it’s about time that we recognise what the mums do.

 I know for Wayne, that when he knows we’re there, he gets more of a buzz. It was the same at the World Cup, obviously I wanted to take the kids for them to experience it but also to support Wayne.

The McDonalds Football Mum of the Year award will be presented at Wembley Stadium on August 2nd 2015.

Source: Daily Mail  Photo: Wayne Rooney Instagram

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Justin Timberlake Imitates Michael McDonald, Alongside Michael McDonald

March 14, 2013

AMP 1037

Last night (March 13) on Late Night, Jimmy Fallon and this week’s musician-in-residence, Justin Timberlake, donned the monstrous white coifs and dad suits (but not ties) of Michael McDonald for a very adult-contemporary version of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”

Both Timberlake and Fallon, who have proven to be oddly-skilled mimics, pulled out on-the-nose impressions of the Doobie Brothers singer. But the performance was absolutely made when McDonald himself showed up.

McDonald is no stranger to self-deprecation, having appeared in a few episodes 30 Rock, so it wasn’t a total surprise when the crooner appeared as the third voice in a heavily harmonized white-funk version of the children’s song.

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Fashion & Entertainment

Stalking Style Will Never Ends

Confessions of a fashionholic

Hanging Out With Teo

The Prim Perverse

Dishing Dating, Relationship and Sex Advice for Millennials

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Usability for Web and Mobile Interfaces

In this post I cover an introduction to what usability is, how to make usable software and how you can check to make sure you app is usable!

This post is based on a presentation that I have been giving at Southampton University and Imperial College for the past 7 years or so. The presentation has evolved significantly over time and has become focused on mobile interfaces in particular, but the principles discussed apply to usability on any software platform.

What usability isn’t

Before we cover what usability is, just a word on what it isn’t. Many people equate usability with good visual design. Although good visual design can often help with usability by making things clear and easy to understand, swishy graphics alone do not make software usable. The Toyota website shown in the screen capture below provides a good example to demonstrate that.

Screen capture of a graphical website
Pretty but not very usable

The web page is very pretty, and has a very well executed piece of artwork as the content of the page. The artwork has lots of animations with various objects moving around the world. The website also has music, a commentary, and sound effects. However, this website is not very usable. It is not at all obvious what you can interact with, and when you move over the screen very small arrows appear in some places. When you click on them it is not clear what will happen and when you do click the behaviour is inconsistent. And in many cases it is not clear how to get back to the main page.

Another problem with these kind of swishy graphics is that they often mean that the page takes a very long time to load – studies have shown that if a page takes more than 4 seconds to load then users will give up. In reality it is probably much less than this. I’m sure I’m not the only person who does this, but if a website has sound I immediately mute my machine – or click the back button. I’m rarely happy to have sound unless I have specifically asked to play something.

There are many other examples of graphic and animation heavy websites out there that show the same problems, because the focus has been on showcasing funky graphical design above the practical needs of the users.

What is usability?

Usability is about understanding user goals. If you don’t understand your user goals you can’t provide something that is useful for your users. This cartoon from xkcd demonstrates this point quite effectively.

The goals of organisations and their users do not necessarily agree with each other!
University Website

What the designers of the website thought was important and what users actually need are quite different from each other! The website should be designed to provide the information people want to find.

So what is usability? Usability is the “Extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use” – users have to be able to achieve their goals in such a way that they do not take a very long period of time or very much difficulty, and that they can achieve that in the conditions that they need to. So, you need to consider how can the user easily use the product for the goals they want to achieve without being shown how?

The primary importance of usability is increased customer satisfaction. A usable product is likely to help the user to get value quickly out of a product through increased user efficiency and increased productivity. The easier something is to use the quicker the user can do something useful with it, the less training they need, and the higher the chance they will use it and buy from you again. Usability is all about customer satisfaction. Happy customers come back! Thinking about usability up front is also cost effective. It costs a lot more to solve a usability problem late in the development of a product, or once it has gone on sale, than it is to include usability during the design phase.

How do you make something usable?

You need to have a realistic understanding of your users. In some development organizations there is the belief in a so-called ‘Perfect User’. This is where the developer of a technology believes that the user has the same experience and knowledge as they do. Not only do they have the same skills as the developer, but also they have a clairvoyant understanding of how this technology should work, and therefore how to use it. Do not make assumptions about what your users know! Most of the time the users will have considerably less knowledge than you do, and may attempt to use your software in ways you never dreamed of!

Users have different knowledge, backgrounds, and goals. You have to understand the real users, what they are trying to achieve, what their capabilities and experiences are, and the environment they are working in. You can’t cover every possibility, but you need to think about who the target audience for your product might be, what skills they realistically have and the environments that they will be using your application in. For example, if you have created a product that works well in a quiet office but will most likely be used by people in a loud and outdoors environment, you are unlikely to have created a usable product for your audience.

Accessibility and Universal Usability

Many users may have special needs. When we talk about accessibility we tend to think about people with disabilities such as visual and hearing impairments or mobility problems, but there are other conditions and situations we can consider. For example, there are disabilities that are common within the population such as colour blindness, cognitive problems such as poor memory and dyslexia, and temporary disabilities such as a broken arm or forgetting glasses. Other situational disabilities that people tend to forget about are issues around language, the working environment, and technical skill. A person with English as a second language may find it more difficult to work with your software. Working in a very loud environment will make it difficult to use software that relies upon sound to communicate, but the same is also true of people working in a quiet environment where they must have the sound turned off. All of us when we use software for the first time can be at a disadvantage because we don’t yet know how to work with it. About 1 billion people worldwide have a permanent disability, but we can all benefit from software that has been designed with universal usability in mind.

A list of servers with colours to indicate status, how this appears to someone with colour blindness, and the same list with the addition of symbols to overcome the problem.
Not relying on colour alone

The images above show an example of software where the status of servers is displayed using colour as the only method of communicating the information. If you are red/green colour blind then you cannot distinguish between running and not running servers as shown by the centre image. The addition of a simple tick and cross symbol solves this problem as shown in the image on the right. For users without colourblindness there are two ways of seeing the server status, and for users who are colourblind the symbol provides effective communication.

Simulations of how a colourful website looks to a 20 year and a 55 year with loss of colour vision
Eyesight deteriorates with age

The two pictures above show the impact that aging has on the ability to view Web content. On the left you are seeing what a person with 20/20 vision sees. The colors are crisp and clear and the wording is easy to distinguish. On the right is an example of what a 50 year old who has lost 20% of his vision sees. The older person in the example is not blind, but has lost some ability to distinguish color and contrast, making it harder to read a Web page.

Screen captures from a shopping list application showing confusing use of colour
Confusing use of colour

The images above show examples of how colour can be used inappropriately to communicate information. Even for someone without any colour-blindness of visual impairment, some of these are confusing! Another common problem with colour is choosing colours with too little contrast making it difficult to distinguish between elements or read text. This would be very difficult for someone with a visual impairment to use.

Screen capture of an app showing poor contrast between the background  and text and other symbols on the screen.
Poor contrast

The music application shown below has a number of problems that would make it difficult for many people to use. Firstly, the interface is very cluttered and it is difficult to distinguish the various buttons. This makes it difficult to use and confusing for someone with a cognitive impairment – having lots of clear space and large buttons and content can help these users. For users with limited mobility in their hands this app would be difficult to use because the controls are very small and close together, making it difficult to accurately select them.

A screen capture of a music application for a phone with a very cluttered interface and numerous small controls.
Cluttered, confusing, and small controls

Understanding users

Because you can’t talk to every customer, there are various techniques that are used in the design process to help understand users better. For any given product there is likely to be one or more user roles that will use that product. Each user role will have particular tasks they perform or goals that they want to achieve. You can also design scenarios or use cases that describe what a particular role or specific user might be trying to achieve and how they will use your web site or mobile app to do it.

Making software usable for mobile devices

Mobile devices are overtaking PCs as the main way to connect to the internet, and users in developing countries are more likely to have access to a mobile than to a desktop computer. Designing for mobile has a number of challenges and the way that mobiles are used is quite different from computers. There are many different devices that have different input methods and different sized screens. Small screen size means the space has to be used more effectively. Users tend to use mobiles for a short period of time and whilst they are on the move, so won’t take the time to learn or want to use a complicated interface.

An image of the device showing the Windows tiles interface
Microsoft Surface device

The first rule of designing for mobile is to “design for mobile”. The image above is of the original Microsoft Surface, quite a small tablet device, showing the “Live tiles” that are designed to work well on a small device. The tiles are easy to select and intuitive to use.

An image of the device showing a normal desktop version of Word
Surface with the desktop version of Word

This picture above is the same device showing Microsoft Word on the screen. Microsoft Word here has an interface designed for the desktop. It is virtually unusable on the device! The same principle applies to web pages – make sure you create a mobile version as well as PC if you expect people to use it on a device (which they will!)

An iPad showing help for multiple different touch controls.
Too many touch controls!

The controls on mobile devices are very different to the traditional mouse and keyboard. Touch controls can be very effective, but be careful to keep the controls simple and intuitive. The image above shows the help for an application that uses a large number of different touch controls. If you need this many different controls then you probably need to rethink your interface! This complexity confuses and frustrates users.

A screen capture of a dialog allowing users to select from a list of over one hundred attributes.
Too many choices

Keep it simple! This is relevant advice for usability for software, web, and mobile. Don’t think that more options and features is better – it isn’t. Giving users too much choice can create stress and confusion. In the example above the users have the option to choose from 134 different options, but in reality they would only regular use a small number of these. The developer has exposed all possible options, even those that make no sense for the user “just in case”. Give the user only what they need and what they are most likely to use. If you must have “just in case” options then put them in an advanced tab or selection.

Screen capture of an iPad application showing large numbers of controls and nested buttons.
Too many options!
A screen capture of the application showing the PDF viewing screen with lots of unnecessary  buttons.
Too many options!

Here is another example of overcomplicating an application at the expense of usability. The images above are of an iPad app that is for viewing PDFs. It should be something very simple, but as the app has been developed more and more options have been added making the interface more and more confusing. It is very difficult to understand what the different sections and buttons are for, and most users won’t use them anyway. In the second image there are buttons everywhere, and it is not clear why you would ever need any of them. The app also has some dodgy touch controls, where touching with 1, 2, and 3 fingers all do something different causing unexpected things to happen for the user.

Captures of various screens of a barcode scanning app showing a cluttered interface with unclear icons.
An overcomplicated app

Captures of various screens of a different barcode scanning app showing clear icons and instructions and no clutter.
An uncomplicated app

Give easy access to the most used features. In images above there are examples of two apps that do the same task – both allow you to scan a barcode to look up prices for the product so you can choose the best place to buy it. The top app has a cluttered interface that is focused on displaying special offers and has unintelligible icons. It is also not clear how to get started scanning an object. The bottom app however has a much less cluttered interface, and makes it clear how to scan an item – in other words to do what you actually got the app to do. The icons are clear and have explanatory text. The scanning page has simple instructions and the results page is simple and uncluttered. Much more usable!

Using familiar concepts help a user to understand the software better and how to use it. For example office software often uses concepts such as filing cabinets full of records for databases, and the trash bin for deleting files. Here it is obvious what tapping on the drum kit will do, and that you can turn the page of a book. Making up new terms and using abstract references can make software more complex and difficult to understand. Some of the icons are more obvious to understand than others. The cameras and calendars are clear, although the Android calendar on the far right isn’t obvious. The floppy disk is familiar as a “Save” icon, even though many people have never seen a floppy disk, demonstrating that consistency with what people know is better than inventing new icons unnecessarily.

The image above is an example of a difficult to understand icon. We can expect alien fungus on Monday? This icon represents hail – but lots of people have to look it up!

Choices should be visible to users rather than hidden and use controls that make sense. Label buttons in a meaningful way that makes it clear what they are choosing. If the user has an either or choice then switches can be useful. When choices are immediately visible, users learn and complete work tasks efficiently. Also provide a way for the user to get out of a situation, for example a cancel option so they can change their mind. A user should be able to make mistakes without fearing causing permanent damage, such as permanently changed settings, or data loss.

Make it clear what the user is doing and don’t be ambiguous in your messages and labelling. In the above examples Delete and Cancel should be the options presented in the left dialog box, and Cancel and Continue should be the options in the right dialog box. As they are they are confusing and the user could potentially lose data because they are unsure what action they are taking.

Provide help to the users where they need it. For example when the user is configuring something, for example a new camera, a small ‘get started’ type of booklet or card can help. On a software interface, providing sensible labels, and a sentence explaining an interface element can make it more intuitive to use, without the user having to resort to reading the documentation to know what to do next.

Feedback is very important to a user, particular in software or a web site. For example, if a user clicks on a button and there will be a wait, use a message, an egg timer or progress bar to indicate something is happening. Otherwise the user might repeatedly click on a button and cause unexpected results, or give up waiting altogether. Provide meaningful information in responses, for example if an error occurs display an error message explaining what went wrong, any consequences, and what they need to do next or to fix the problem.

Various screen captures of inappropriate messages.
How not to provide feedback!

The messages above are examples of how not to provide feedback. On the left we have exposed an internal error to the user. What do we expect them to do with an invalid JSON string? We need to think about what caused the error and provide a message to the user that is meaningful, for example, perhaps they lost their network connection, we could warn them about that instead. In the middle –an empty message is extremely unhelpful! Error: the operation completely successfully! – this leaves the user confused, did it really work? And finally, it shouldn’t need to be said, but putting offensive comments in your code could get you in trouble – see bottom right!

How do you check your software is usable?

As mentioned at the beginning of the post, usability really should be something that you consider right at the beginning of your development. Design your interface on paper or in a design tool first and get others to evaluate your designs. In this way you can spot problems or areas of confusion quickly, but you haven’t wasted any effort on coding the interface. You can quickly and easily make changes to the design and show them to the user for feedback or run through them with another user. This technique can also be useful in highlighting improvements to the flow of interactions between your application and your user.

Photographs of a human factors laboratory showing screens for monitoring the user's activity, microphones and cameras on the ceiling of the lab, and a two way mirror between the observation room and the lab.
Human Factors lab

The best way to check your usability is to get others to try and use your product without your help. Above is an example of a formal “human factors” lab where users perform product testing whilst being videoed from various angles and recorded. You don’t need anything this complicated though to do user testing. Just find a quiet room where you can watch a user use the product and observe what they do. Set them a task you want them to complete and resist the temptation to tell them what to do if they get stuck. Ask them to talk through what they are doing and what they expect to happen, and note where they seem to struggle, get lost, or make mistakes. 5 people is a good number for user testing, you should see the same kinds of problems with that number and some individual preferences.

In Summary

Usability is important and it is good for making users want to use your product and to come back and use your products again in the future. Users have different goals and different needs, so you need to think about who your audience is and what they want to do be able to do. Designing with disabilities in mind makes your products better for everyone. Keep it simple, uncluttered, and make it clear what the user needs to do and what the result was. Putting your designs on paper helps you to make better designs and gives you the chance to get valuable feedback early in your project. Get others to help you with your design and testing, and listen to their ideas and concerns!

3 thoughts on “Usability for Web and Mobile Interfaces

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Hospitality – A New Testament Value and Duty

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer….Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, Acts 2:42, 46,47

Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13

Now the overseer must be…hospitable. 1 Timothy 3:2

There is something mystically bonding when true hospitality occurs. The more a church becomes building oriented, the more this spiritual activity will atrophy. In a healthy church, hospitality and table fellowship are occurring in families and across families. There is nothing quite like breaking physical bread together while sharing how we have feasted on Jesus, the bread of life.

Hospitality is not entertaining. There is a place for entertaining in life. Entertaining is fun. Entertaining is about having a sparkling house and sparkling food and sparkling activities. Entertainment conjures up images of a candlelit living room with hors d’oevers and a fire in the fireplace and several courses to the meal. That makes my mouth water just thinking about it. But that is not hospitality. That is a party. There is a place for parties.

Hospitality is simple. Hospitality is sharing Christ with each other as we share the food we have. It is keeping the meal simple enough so that the fellowship, not the food, is the focus. It is putting food together so that everyone, including the hostess, can enjoy the time. It is asking questions about the others walk with Christ, his or her understanding of God, or living the Christian life. It is all pitching in to clean up.

What are the barriers to hospitality? Every barrier is in fact a spiritual barrier.

Some do not practice hospitality because they do not think they have a nice enough home or apartment. They would be embarrassed if someone saw how they lived. Their house, they think, is too small or too simple. This perhaps is a temptation for the women among us.

Some Christians do not see hospitality as a priority to spend their time and money on. In addition, for some men, their home is their castle. Having people over is for our wives to worry about. Having people over does take time and money.

But it is a biblical command for both men and women. And hospitality is not just about food. It is about spiritual communion. It’s about providing spiritual rest. It’s about asking good questions over good food. It’s about giving our children time to interact with other adults.

As we grow into this new building, let us continue to grow in the spiritual ministry of hospitality. And let those who are especially given to this ministry know how important they are to the body!

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I’ve actually been away, but fed up several backlogged  posts on a scheduled basis. I had to get down to Columbus, Georgia by way of Atlanta to see my 100 year old Dad. You heard that right. Putting affairs in order, power of attorney and that. Hell, he’ll probably outlive me. Still sharp as a tack, but rather immobile is all. Not particularly enjoying life since his wife (my mother) of 67 years passed away last year.

As the resident musician, he sings Happy Birthday to the “in mates” (as he calls them – there is a medium security prison across the way) for those who are celebrating.

There you have it. I’ve got some clean-up to do and will be back in sync over the weekend.

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chey being

Seeing what's inside again.

Resurrecting the stay-at-home mom? (A Lost Art, Writing Challenge)

My son had an interesting day at school yesterday.  He told me he learned that marriages have a higher percentage of being happy when the woman stays at home and the man goes to work.  They are happier because they each have defined roles and this causes less arguing.   Having a defined person in charge (the man), creates less friction.  When both, the husband and the wife, want to be in charge, they fight over whose way is better.  Their roles are more confusing and this creates more friction.  A marriage is more peaceful when the man is in charge and the women follows his lead.

No, we do not live in a cabin in the mountains, or in a city with a population of 112.

He also added that the teacher asked the class what their parents fight most about and they concluded that the majority of fights were over “stupid pointless stuff.”  I asked my son what he took away from this class discussion.  He told me that he agreed that it is better when a man is in charge and the woman takes on a more subservient role (yes, he used the word subservient).  He feels this will create a more peaceful home life.

This could explain why my son has dated half the 10th grade class and is currently single.

My initial knee-jerk reaction was, WTF?  However, much to my surprise, I remained calm.  I know my son and he is very opinionated; once he has formed an opinion, it is unlikely to change based on anything I have to say.  Any parent will probably tell you that children much prefer to take on the opinions of complete strangers over their parents.  It is in a child’s nature to go rogue, but when they reach adulthood, they will most likely fall back on becoming just like their parents (for better or for worse).   It is also not surprising coming from my son because he does not like loud spaces, distractions, or people arguing.   So, if he feels this “way of life” would cause less fighting in a relationship, than that is the opinion he will agree with.  I did offer some arguments against his new found way of life, but after a brief discussion, I decided to drop it.  I wasn’t quite sure where I stood.  I am a very strong woman and it goes against all I am to agree with these role arrangements (even though I was a stay-at-home mom by choice).   But I could not argue with these facts (as regurgitated by a 17 year old mind you).  Unless I had a better alternative, I did not feel I should continue talking with him on the subject.

Is being a subservient stay-at-home mom a skill women have forgone?  Does this mean that women need to stop progressing or pursuing their own dreams in order to have happy marriages?  Is it really possible to have it all?

Thankfully, there is no going back.  Men and women are changing and evolving.  Progress?  I don’t know if I would use that word because progress seems to imply something as right and who is to say what is “right.”  It is simply different now, than it was before; however, every change has an effect.  Women going into the work force more and more have a huge effect on marriages, raising children, what our children eat, where our children spend their day, who they spend it with, and the lifestyle afforded to the family, just to name a few.

So what do we do with this information?

Maybe there is something to be learned here.  Can responsibilities and roles still be defined when both parents work?  Is it really that simple?  Doubtful, but hopeful.  We are thrown into parenthood so quickly.  There is no test run.  There is no 9 to 5 baby, Monday through Fridays.  That child is there, instantly, all…the…time!  A parent’s survival mode kicks in whether it is a good move or not.  Imagine you are dying of thirst.  You have been walking for days without as much as a drop of water.  You finally come across a river.  A dirty river.  You know it’s contaminated with God knows what parasites and all.  Do you drink?  Hell yes!  You have to in order to survive!  That’s what we do as parents and I think it creates bad habits within marriages.  Having defined roles could make things smoother, maybe creating less resentment and fighting.

Yeah, yeah, I know…in a perfect world.

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Check out other responses to A Lost Art:

  1. I’m a Writer, Yes I am
  2. The WordPress C(h)ronicle
  3. Mostly True Stories…
  4. Bumblepuppies
  5. LoveLaughLiv
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Typical climate-change denialism

By “typical” I don’t mean the sort of programmed distortions or shady and selective treatment of data common to people who speak in scientific language, but the output of right-wing bloggers who are scientifically illiterate. After all, there are a lot more people who don’t understand the pertinent concepts than folks who do. So, although to most Science Blogs readers the debunking of a workaday rant from the sort of clown still beating the OBAMA, HE NO HAVE PROPER BIRTH CERTIFCATE! drum (apparently these guys think that they’re eventually going to uncover something that the GOP and U.S. Congress obviously did not) is a superfluous exercise, it’s perhaps worth a glimpse at how your neighbor chooses to view things.
This Porter Good/William Teach guy writes for Stop the ACLU, so you already know he’s deftly combined the literacy of a fifth-grader with the analytical powers of snot and basted the result with the objectivity of Pat Robertson. He also has how own blog, and on this blog he wrote a post called “AGW Today: Mercury and OMG WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!” (Although an attempted foray into parody, this hysterical tone is, amusingly, pretty much this writer’s natural, unwavering style.)
I left a comment under his post, and I’ve more or less reproduced it below.

“[T]he U.N., along with all the usual AGW suspects, is pushing everyone to replace their all their light non-CFL bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Lamp’s, which, let’s see…..contain mercury!”

First of all, it hurts my eyes when people put an apostrophe in a plural word like “lamps.” Second, take a look at the information in Good’s own source:
* No mercury is released when the CFL is intact or in use.
* A CFL contains a maximum of 5 mg of mercury.

If 5 mg of elemental mercury–something like 1,000 times less than is contained in a thermometer–were to disperse in a typical room, the effect would be extremely unlikely to produce any toxicity. OSHA sets a limit of 0.05 mg per cubic meter averaged over 8 hours. A typical medium-sized room is about 25 cubic meters in volume. Do the math, and you find that even if all of the mercury from a CFL were to immediately vaporize upon exposure to air (which it surely would not), there would not be enough of it to cause problems.
So unless someone plans on smashing as many CFLs as possible in a small enclosed space, the insinuation that the mercury contained in CFLs is or could be dangerous is inane.

“On a note separate from AGW, it is interesting that they are so worried about mercury (which they should be) but have seemingly little concern about the millions who die because the international community smacks around countries who use DDT.”

I don’t know the basis for this claim, but I wonder, does Good figure that the U.N. also condones murder, rape, and kiddie porn owing to its stances on climate change and CFLs?

“Everybody panic! What we are talking about is a new report that is being cited, but not linked anywhere I can find, that shows that carbon emissions have been growing at 3.5 percent per year since 2000, which is up sharply from the 0.9 percent per year in the 1990s.”

He doesn’t say where he’s seen this report cited, as it’s not in the WaPo article he linked. What he’s talking about is Chris Field’s presentation just the previous day at the annual meeting of American Association for the Advancement of Science:

Despite widespread concern over global warming, humans are adding carbon to the atmosphere even faster than in the 1990s, researchers warned Saturday.
Carbon dioxide and other gases added to the air by industrial and other activities have been blamed for rising temperatures, increasing worries about possible major changes in weather and climate.
Carbon emissions have been growing at 3.5 percent per year since 2000, up sharply from the 0.9 percent per year in the 1990s, Christopher Field of the Carnegie Institution for Science told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
“It is now outside the entire envelope of possibilities” considered in the 2007 report of the International Panel on Climate Change, he said. The IPCC and former vice president Al Gore received the Nobel Prize for drawing attention to the dangers of climate change.

I imagine it will be a few days before the report itself is accessible on the AAAS Web site or perhaps on Stanford University’s. But Porter Good surely won’t look for it, and even if he does he won’t read it with comprehension, and even if he does that he’ll undoubtedly dismiss it anyway with his usual straw man approach: “OMG, SCIENTISTS ARE SAYING WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE FROM AGW TOMORROW!” Nuances mean as little to people like this as sound science does.

“And despite all that, the climate temps have been flat or going down for the past 10 years. Strange, huh?”

Does he cite a source for this? No, but that’s OK–I left him some data from NASA to consider:

This graph reveals the average temperature deviation above and below the mean, given in both one-year and five-year periods. That is, it’s a measure of anomaly, not temperature itself. But you can see what it demonstrates, and it’s only one of several data sets I or anyone might produce that lays waste to Good’s assertion about recent temperatures. “It has only gotten colder this decade” and “it’s all sunspots anyway” are memes that have no basis in anything besides the usual noise made by dolts in response to what they’re certain is a lefty conspiracy–refrains that have, quite predictably, have become almost as popular among wingnuts as “it’s January and it’s cold as shit in Saskatchewan, LOL warming!!!”

“The last one is my favorite. If the Earth is warming up so fast, and supposedly now worse then ever, what need do we have for an icebreaker, when there will be no ice in the polar regions, particularly after the alarmist reports that all the polar ice will be gone?”

I asked Good to cite one of these “alarmist reports” from climate scientists who claim that the polar ice will be gone altogether within the next bunch of years or whatever. He hasn’t replied.
This is truly an awful post, yet it’s nothing out of the ordinary, and the same guy will ignore the replies and post something very similar the next chance he gets. When people combine howling bias with rank ignorance, the results can be devastating.
This, by the way, is a much more thorough and sophisticated post about climate-change denialism tha the one you just read.

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Downloads of v 0.9.20130105.1

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Package test results are passing.

This package was submitted prior to moderation and has not been approved. While it is likely safe for you, there is more risk involved.

poshrunner.exe is an alternative to "PowerShell.exe -file". It's main improvements are as follows. First, foo.ps1 uses foo.ps1.config as its config file as opposed to powershell.exe.config. Secondly, you have the option of logging the output of Write-* to the console, poshrunner.log, or a custom log4net configuration.

To install PoshRunner, run the following command from the command line or from PowerShell:

C:\> choco install poshrunner

To upgrade PoshRunner, run the following command from the command line or from PowerShell:

C:\> choco upgrade poshrunner

  • This package was created prior to July 2014 - when package content started being included on the site. You can download and unzip the package or use Nuget Package Explorer to see the contents.

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Chocolatey Pro provides runtime protection from possible malware.

This package has no dependencies.

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  • zippy1981

Copyright 2011-2013

Release Notes

Fixed the icon.

Version History

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PoshRunner 0.9.20130105 180 Sunday, January 6, 2013

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  • Tell us what you love about the package or PoshRunner, or tell us what needs improvement.
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