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The Real Danger of Workplace Harassment and Threats

Loss prevention needs to track and analyze threats and incidents of workplace harassment.

workplace harassment

America may have had a brief Kumbaya moment when it elected its first black President, but that now seems in the distant past.

Today, troublesome signs of conflict and workplace harassment abound. Anti-immigration rhetoric is running strong; there has been a surge in bomb threats called into Jewish community centers, and the number of reported crimes against Muslims has spiked. In a Kansas bar, a man allegedly yelled, “Get out of my country” before shooting two Indian engineers employed at Garmin—bragging later about shooting Iranians.

The country’s sharp political divide is causing rifts in the workplace, according to a new survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. It found that 52 percent of employers nationally said their workplaces experienced greater political volatility—increased tension, hostility, or arguments due to political affiliation—during this recent election than in any previous cycle. And 60 percent said employees are being more vocal about their political opinions. Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, told the Boston Globe that many employers feel paralyzed because of the tense political climate and are refraining from speaking out for fear of offending anyone.

Today’s highly charged atmosphere coincides with the continuing diversification of the racial and ethnic makeup of the retail workforce, something that researchers have found can impact the potential for violence. Studies demonstrate a correlation between workplace harassment and exclusion based on ethnicity. Conflicts also increase with employees’ use of non-English languages in the workplace, according to a paper to the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology symposium, “Emerging Workplace Diversity Issues: Ethnicity, Bilingualism, and Workplace Exclusion.” It raises questions for any retail executive whose responsibility includes preventing violence, bullying, and workplace harassment.

  • Have we considered changes in workplace ethnicity and political tensions as a risk factor for workplace conflicts?
  • Do we know which ethnic groups are growing most rapidly among our workforce, customers, and other visitors?
  • Have political ideologies or diversity in the workplace caused any problems?
  • Should we provide additional training on cultural sensitivity to supervisors to help them handle it?

There is a persistent sense that job opportunities are vanishing and workplaces are increasingly ethnically and racially diverse—creating a potential risk recipe that security and workplace violence prevention teams need to examine. Unchecked, racial hostilities can—and have—resulted in workplace tragedies involving multiple victims.

Many retailers embrace the concept of a melting pot of workers with different demographic characteristics, backgrounds, attitudes, ideas, and experiences. “However, they must also make a concerted effort in providing an environment of justice, tolerance, and civility within which a diverse workforce can succeed,” warns Sameer Hinduja, a member of the department of criminology and criminal justice at Florida Atlantic University.
The issue demands a high level of cooperation among company managers. Hinduja says his research finds that discrimination and workplace harassment, coping mechanisms, and security issues are inextricably linked. So company leaders in charge of each area need to cooperate with one another when devising strategies to address the issue.

Some possible actions to take:

  • Lay the foundation for preventing violence stemming from racial or ethnic tensions with a strict policy; periodic reminders to employees of acceptable and unacceptable behavior through e-mails, notices, or training; and swift discipline for any violations. Some companies make special note of the issue in the workplace violence prevention policy, specifically prohibiting threats based on race or ethnicity. Possible language: “Any acts of violence as defined in this policy directed against individuals based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation are especially intolerable and will be subject to the strictest disciplinary actions.”
  • Provide diversity training for supervisors.
  • Aggressively address complaints of racial harassment or threats. Racial incidents can gain momentum and quickly deliver a devastating blow to the workplace culture.
  • Take the temperature of the workplace in the wake of the election and the high levels of anxiety and stress that surveys show it has caused.
  • Be willing to acknowledge the role that race or religious intolerance plays in workplace anger or aggression—something that can be hard for retail organizations to face—and examine how the corporate culture may lessen or exacerbate tensions.
  • Consider appointing different workplace violence team members to represent different worker population groups and liaison with them. The strategy prevents cultural and language barriers from obscuring threats and ensures that any concerns are known to the violence prevention team. The “champion” for each group can also be made responsible for tracking nuances of prejudice that group faces and identifying when it may be appropriate to provide updated training to managers to prevent its occurrence.
  • Loss prevention and asset protection teams need to track and analyze incidents and investigate complaints of workplace harassment and bullying for any suggestion that race or ethnic discrimination is a contributing cause. Any incident, such as the discovery by LP staff of a racist remark written in an employee restroom, needs to be passed along to the violence prevention team or the company’s multicultural steering committee so that the root cause—and not just the graffiti—is addressed.

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Lost & Found: LA

Saturday, March 24, 2012

FOUND: Dream Machines

A little self promotion never hurt anyone...

Working on LA INK didn't convince me to get a tattoo..... Working on my new show, has convinced me to build a car from the ground up...

Friday, March 23, 2012

FOUND: Lost in the Trees

Let's see, I am coming out of hibernation, to recommend them to you. That should say something, not much, but something.

This band is so audio-cinematic, it almost makes me feel like my life is a lot more exciting than it is... when I am listening.

Now, go get lost... in the trees. (I should probably just quit my day job and go back to punning)

Friday, March 16, 2012

FOUND: Growing Graffitti

Already planning my outing, destination, and wall of choice....

Message TBD.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Yes, Seal is now the background on my computer screen. FOREVER.

Nothing has made me happier in life, this far.

My coworker says, "He is one lonely seal."

Friday, February 3, 2012

FOUND: Graffiti Scooter

Part of me thinks that this would be sick, the other part of me thinks this would be sick....

Though my devil above my shoulder just whispered, "but isn't it better if no one ever could track your comings and goings?"

Devil is right... when I am on my razor, I am up to no good, best keep my trail, graffiti free.

FOUND: Turbo Teen

It was only a matter of time that I would break down and want to share something I have found. I don't know if you remember him- Turbo Teen- that is, but seriously I am wondering if he ever grew up.

I wanna ride.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

FOUND: Wingsuit Base Jumping

I promise this is my last post... I just really want to do this... WINGSUIT BASE JUMPING.

I am sure this activity would help me find myself.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

So I have decided in 2012 I should probably dedicate some of my limited free time to "finding myself"... so I have turned to my trusted and beloved wikihow ... http://www.wikihow.com/Find-Yourself

When it happens, I will be sure to let you all know.

Thanks for the support these last years. As you know, I am always available at all hours should you ever need contact information for "after-hours" karaoke bars / names of specialty mexican pinata makers / special effects body painters / local and reliable psychics / Eastside bakeries that specialize in faces on cakes ... I am always happy to help my fellow Angelenos.

For those who Instagram, I am still on the "social" scene - foundandlost

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

FOUND: friendly reminder

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

Sunday, December 4, 2011

FOUND: wall

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

FOUND: sledding in Santa monica

This hill of snow might have been constructed for children, but how can I pass up sledding in Santa Monica after an afternoon of paddle tennis?

It's the perfect way to cool off!

A Hill of snow juxtaposed with a gorgeous sunset lined with palms. A very happy holiday season, indeed!

Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

FOUND: santa's little helper

Someone has to help Santa eat milk and cookies.

Yes, this headband makes it look like Santa is jumping out of my head. A la Spaceballs... Like When the alien jumps out of the guys chest and does a dance across the bar.

Spaceballs, an American classic.

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

Saturday, December 3, 2011

FOUND: a very Alyssa Xmas

It's official, Alyssa Broke the Xmas seal. It starts with the first party. It's beginning to look a lot like Xmas!

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

I must confess....

It was only a matter of time before I would break down and start strippin'

Chicken strippin' that is.

I'm pretty ashamed, though I have to say there was quite a pay off for it being my first time... I was given a sampling of all of their sauces. It's all about the honey roasted BBQ.

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

Friday, December 2, 2011

FOUND: holiday coke

Best damn holiday diet coke I have ever tasted... Tastes like the real deal.

Wait, they left off the diet on the can. Wait a minute... It's regular coke, in a white can.

Wow, one sip got me back on the wagon to drinking Coca Cola again.

The sneaky white holiday can. Something tells me there will be some sort of consumer uprising over this.

Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

FOUND: portos potato balls

It's about time I write a post/ode to my beloved potato balls. Meat sauce wrapped in mash and then lovingly fried. Ahhhh

I eat at least 4 a week. You should as well.

I walk to portos almost everyday and they start pouring my soup and wrapping my ball the moment I step into the restaurant. It's that kind of attention that I like in a lunch spot.

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

FOUND: chicken soup for the work

It's one of those office days... I'm blogging about my yogi tea again. I need to find more inspiration in my editing bay!

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

FOUND: Milo greene

No, it wasn't my intention going for an abstract blur effect with this photo.
Yes, it is true, this photo is fantastically awful. I confess, I was so dazzled by this band that taking a photo to document the night only really came as an after thought. Looking down at the photo to check it's greatness was not worth the distraction.

I knew I was going specifically to see Milo Greene, but I had no idea how good they were actually going to be.

Like Local Natives, they know how to harmonize my socks off. Their energy radiated so much that even this wallflower found herself swaying. I rarely focus on the drum... I usually get caught in the bright bass lines myself... But the throbbing drums driving the songs did not go unnoticed. In fact, it was very noticed,

My stiff legs propping myself between a concrete stair and a decorative table, noodled at the first note of the first song and I knew that I had been won over.

It turned into one of those nights you wished you were with someone to share the delicious melodies. I couldn't keep this tasty musical nugget to myself, so I figured I would spread word now, so when the band returns to LA I will have listening partners already lined up.

You heard it here first: they will be selling out the Wiltern by next November. Enjoy them while they are still cheap, intimate, and accessible.... It tastes so much better that way.

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

Monday, November 28, 2011

FOUND: Incan abraham

At Bardot.... Thanks kcrw. I owe you one, or maybe just a check.

Long overdue for a return visit to School Night. It's so hard to motivate anyone to attend a concert that starts after 10pm on a school night.

Oh well. I did try.

This band made me feel old and youthful at the same time. I'll keep my eyes peeled for these young whippersnappers at sxsw this year. Apparently they were the hit of the festival, though I seemingly missed out last year.....

I won't make the same mistake twice.

Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

FOUND: 600 yr old tree

Thanks to tree psychics and tree whisperers.... We know this tree at the Mount in ojai is over 600 yrs old.

Who do I tell that the tree whispered back!?

No, seriously, we had a moment.

I'm now curious the age of the trees on our property... I should call the whisperer.

Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

FOUND: hollyweird

Only 3?

Leave it to hollywood blvd

Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

FOUND: St. Barbara

Coastal californian holidays when it is 78 degrees and sunny in late November just reinforce why we all live here.... Barbara let it all hang out and in a November... No less.

I only wished I didn't leave my suit drying in the shower from the post-turkey-cuzzi session....

Oh well... Next time I'll know to bring an extra set....

The artistic sandy veterans really stepped it up, some of the best pieces I have seen!

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

FOUND: forgettyboutit

We made it just in time... Pacific Standard Time... (go see it) for a quick photo op before the sunset.

The light gave all of our skin a Simpsonian hue of yellow.

We found the best vantage point and settled in for the setting sun and the rising moon.

You can put the culture in the girl, but you Can't take the country out of the girl....

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

FOUND: sweet nothing in a book of sweet nothings

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

FOUND: get yourself to the Getty

An hour of a wild sunset.... Untamable beauty.

I mean, please.

But when this happened it was all over...

And just when I sat in a pensive state awaiting the tram, I saw some "angels in the architecture"...

Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

Saturday, November 26, 2011

FOUND: turkey dinner

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

FOUND: apples to apples

Move over rummycube.... A new game tonight.... We are de-evolving....

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

FOUND: ojai cloud formations

Pretty ominous... Clouds Covering the topa topas.

No rain though, buzzkill.

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes

FOUND: Santa Cruz island

If you don't know where Santa Cruz island is.....

It's right over there....

- Typed on iPhone , sorry for iMistakes


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Monday Meanders

* #3 Son is dong well in college. And surviving Air Force ROTC. He doesn't like the constant yelling for three hours every Thursday, but I told him to ignore the delivery method and just go for the message.

* #2 Son broke 100 playing golf on Saturday - and had a 46 on the front 9.

* #3 Son used to be the person responsible for emptying the dishwasher. But he's away at school now and the little fart hasn't come home for the last two weekends.

* LM (Love Muffin) wants me to make her my Farmville neighbor. She doesn't read my blog - and has, for the most part, not gotten involved in the online community. She is, however, slowly, ever so slowly, being sucked in.

* I have had a request to re-publish my story from last Halloween. I just went back and re-read it. I'm trying to decide whether to do it straight - or re-edit, again, as I did the last time it was published. We'll see.

* 'Sarah' now stands at 25,120 words. This first part of her story, the part involving her early training and involvement with Jake, may wrap up soon, finally. I have to get her to San Francisco, get her settled in there with her Mom and Jerry, her son, and then bring her back to the desert for her first victim. Or maybe her second. Who knows.

* I have been writing things for the challenges on The Inferno and publishing here, as well. I am going to continue writing new stuff for 'The Inferno' - but I'm not sure I'm going to continue publishing those same things here, as well. I think I'll just announce publication as it happens there and y'all will then have the choice to read - or not.

* If I haven't said so recently - just so you always know and never forget - I love you guys.

Kelley @ magnetoboldtoo said...

so the dishwasher hasn't been emptied since he left?

Sounds like my place.

And I love you right on back.

Jientje said...

Or do YOU have to take care of dishwasher chores now? Heehee!
My daughter wanted me to be her neighbor too. It's hard to refuse when she asks something, but this time I did. I don't want to end up as a farmer on Farmville. There are not enough hours in a day as it is!

Shadow said...

love you right back hunny. although the dishwasher is a little worrying...

moneythoughts said...

Sounds like you got everything under control. carry-on.

NicoleB said...

I think son #3 will manage pretty well if can ignore the yelling.
Congrats to son #2 on the golf! :)
Sarah's always great, looking forward to read more :)!

Hyphen Mama said...

--Do you have more hours in your day than I have in mine? Because, damn, you're doing a LOT all the while working that job you've got.

--"ignore the delivery method and just go for the message," is going to be my new mantra.

Employee No. 3699 said...

I'm glad to hear Zach is doing well.

So have you stocked up on paper plates so you don't have to empty the dishwasher?!?

BTW, I've copied and pasted Sarah into Word and printed it out. I plan on catching up on the plane on my way to Adam's party.

Heather said...

I just started "farmville" and all my crap dies cause I never remember to go and harvest it all. ha ha ha.

and you might want to empty the dishwasher, i mean, the dishes are spilling over. just sayin'.

i love you too, lou!

Audubon Ron said...

BOY, don't you be lov'in on me. Not cool, see what I'm say'in?

Speaking of boys, how many you got? Funny, I'm the dishwasher emptier-outer here. He'll go far pilgram.

Joyce-Anne said...

You gave me a fantastic idea... have my oldest fill and empty the dishwasher. She does it now, however, only when asked. I need to make this a permanent chore. :)

Love you too!

Holly at Tropic of Mom said...

I love you too, Lou!

I remember your haunted house story. Perfectly delicious.

The paint palette on your blog header is cool.

LceeL said...

Kelley: Actually, where I thought the job had fallen to me, LM's response on Facebook informs me that #1 Son has inherited the job.

Jientje: No, there are NOT enough hours in the day.

Shadow: It's being taken care of.

Moneythoughts: Thank you, Fred.

NicoleB: More coming this weekend.

Hyphen Mama: No - there are not more hours in my day than yours. I wish.

Employee: Gee, I hope you enjoy Sarah.

Heather: #1 Son has got dish duty now.

Audubon Ron: Don't you worry Ron. It's strictly a platonic Love - a least in your case. You don't have the right equipment to qualify for the romantic stuff - at least not from me.

Joyce-Anne: Glad I could help.

HollyATOM: I'm glad you like me header - and my story from last year.

Eric S. said...

I guess the dishwasher duty falls to you now huh. I haven't ever broke under a hundred at golf, LOL. My best game stands at 109.

Send me your LM's username, and I'll have better half friend her. She plays Farmville and all those Facebook games like there's no tomorrow.

CaraBee said...

I broke 100 at bowling once. Somehow I don't think that's the same level of accomplishment.

I'm falling behind on reading Sarah (not to mention a lot of other reading). I am reading, and loving it, although I never leave comments. Bad blogger.

Momisodes said...

Holy moly. You have really made progress with Sarah!

Glad to hear #3 Son is doing well. Sounds like you may be putting those clean dishes away now.


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Hohen Solms (in Ascension Parish, LA) Populated Place Profile

Hohen Solms (GNIS FID: 554729) is a populated place located within the Parish Governing Authority District 3, a minor civil division (MCD) of Ascension Parish.

The elevation of Hohen Solms is 43 feet. Hohen Solms appears on the Carville U.S. Geological Survey Map. Ascension Parish is in the Central Time Zone (UTC -6 hours).

Ascension Parish: Subdivisions (MCDs) | Cities & Towns | ZIP Codes | Features (airports, churches, hospitals, etc.)

Neighborhood Data

Address Based Hyperlocal Data Input an address and get data & demographics for the pertinent census block group (CBG), a searchable map and a customized directory. The CBG is the smallest geographical unit used by the Census Bureau for reporting certain data.

Search the map for:

BIG Map | Driving Directions | Data Source - USGS GNIS FID: 554729

BOUNDARY MAPS: Parish Governing Authority District 3 | Ascension Parish

Nearby Cities, Towns & Census Designated Places

Saint Gabriel, LA (5.3 miles NW)
White Castle, LA (6.4 miles WSW)
Bayou Goula, LA (7.5 miles W)
Donaldsonville, LA (7.5 miles SSE)
Gonzales, LA (7.9 miles ENE)
Prairieville, LA (8.3 miles NNE)
Lemannville, LA (9.7 miles SE)
Belle Rose, LA (10.2 miles S)
Sorrento, LA (11.1 miles E)
Village Saint George, LA (11.4 miles N)

Nearby Neighborhoods, Subdivisions & Other Small Populated Places

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Mount Houmas, LA (1.9 miles E)
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Modeste, LA (2.7 miles SE)
Philadelphia Point, LA (3.4 miles SSE)
Belle Helene, LA (3.4 miles SE)
Carville, LA (3.4 miles WNW)
Cannonburg, LA (3.6 miles W)
LeBlanc, LA (3.6 miles NW)

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Jun 22, 2012

Cat-Kitten Update!

aka spare sofa cushion
As you may remember back in January I took the children to the SPCA and the Cats Protection League and we came away with not one, not two but three new cats. Two little kittens and one giant moggy.

Toffee is the shorter of the kittens, but the wider. She has a round belly and a short tail. She's very cute in a 'make-you-smile' way. The SPCA told us to have kitty bikkies always available - that the cats would self-regulate their eating habits. Toffee doesn't self-regulate. Toffee just eats and eats and eats some more. In fact, we've amended her name from Toffee to Scoffee. She likes to lie about in front of the fire and look gorgeous.

Pop on the other hand is the longer, leaner of the two - and definitely the one with the killer instincts. she's the one clawing the kitten toys to death - along with any cardboard boxes that might be lying around. Nothing beats hunting insects in Pop's world. She's incredibly fast.

They're still great mates - playing together and curling up together. I scooter with the children to school and the two kittens bound along after us - almost to halfway there before they spot something interesting in someone else's garden.

Toffee & Pop
Still very cute friends
They're very close to my eldest daughter in particular (the younger ones might still be a bit too enthusiastic in their cuddles!) - and spend most nights curled up on her bed. However, like many young creatures, they don't sleep through the night and around 3 every morning we hear the pair of them scampering up and down the stairs chasing each other.

And then of course, there was our older lady cat - the one that 'would have trouble finding a home'. Well, turns out there was a reason Curious would have trouble finding a home. Curious is the grumpiest cat of all time. Well, maybe I do her a disservice - she's not so much grumpy as noisy.

She has decided she prefers to live outside and only comes in for food (about five times a day). I was concerned about this as the weather is getting very cold - but she's got herself a spot under the house and when it absolutely bucketed down the other day, she came in for supper completely dry. And the fact is she doesn't want to stay inside. As soon as she's eaten she's at the door yowling and hissing (SO loud) to be let out. I figure she's having a better life than she would have done otherwise - limitless food and warmth and company should she want it (though she doesn't).

Cat dynamics are interesting. The kittens know Curious is boss - she eats first, they keep their distance. But she tolerates them - she might hiss but she doesn't lash out. There are a couple of cats on one side of us (Frankie and Tapioca) - and while Frankie might slither in to steal some food now and then, for the most part they stay away.

The nemesis next door.
But there is one real threat - and that's Ruby from next door. Before we got the three, Ruby believed our property was a natural extension of hers. Our back lawn was her domain. Ruby is a beautiful big black cat. Ruby is a hunter. Ruby is proud.

So is Curious.

Yes, as you can imagine, there are fireworks going off round here! Often I see them squaring off. Just yesterday Curious was in the driveway blocking the (cat-sized) hole in the fence, yowling and hissing and crouched into full on predator mode. I peeked nearer and saw Ruby sitting there on her side - mirroring the malevolence, protecting her boundary. They yowled at each other for ages. I've seen them do a lot more than yowl too -  and had to break it up with a lot of shouting and arm waving. It ended with one of them rolling off the roof of the neighbour's house which gave me a heart attack. But its true that cats always land on their feet! And I think mostly their clashes are more about show and noise than real bruises and bites.

I confess I enjoy watching those two powerful cats and I'm looking forward to seeing how our other two develop. They're such magnificent creatures!

Curious, the Furious Queen
The one and only.

  1. Natalie, it sounds as if you've got your hands full with your cats. It's no wonder with 6 of them in three adjoining houses, there are territorial skirmishes! Hope they sort it out peaceably.

    Lovely pics.

  2. Nat, I think you should write a kids book about the cats in your neighborhood!! They're all gorgeous - I love black cats, tuxedo cats AND tortise shells. (My very first cat when I was 9 was a tort called Tammy.) And they all have different personalities.
    We have a 6year old tuxedo who's loving - when she wants to be. I mentioned we bought a Birmin about 2 months ago. She is THE sweetest little kitten ever! I've heard lovely things about Birmins and Ragdolls (Helen L's got a gorgeous one!) But at the vet's the other day I say I beautiful one waiting in her cat's carry cage. I asked the owner just to make sure of the cat's breed. He confirmed she was a birmin, but he said she was the grumpiest, nastiest cat he'd ever known. Biting, scataching all the time. Wow.
    So guess you and I Nat can count ourselves lucky =)

  3. Oh, Nat, it's interesting times at your place! I'd love to see the daily school scooter commute. :-) Lots of fun, I'm sure.

    I have a soft spot for the cranky and curmudgeonly, and it has to be said that Curious is a fine looking cat. Thanks for the pics!

  4. Natalie ~ so far in my life 7 cats have shared my home at different times. Most was 3 at one time on a couple of occasions. They all have had distinct personalities.

    Thank you so much for the update.

    The farm cats that I know stay outside in -40C weather sometimes. They do have a kennel and have been known to join the dog in his kennel when it's really cold.

  5. Natalie, I loved hearing about your cats and how they've settled into your home. Like Michelle, I have a soft spot for cranky cats and dogs. And Toffee and Pop are just adorable!


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Christmas Baking Party

A little Baking fun for the Kids during the Holidays.

We used sugar cones that can turn into Christmas trees with some green frosting
you can use any candy to decorate, we used m&ms for the trees. I found cute plastic aprons on Oriental Trading.
Cute Little Guys I found at Hobby Lobby
Starbucks Glasses with printable’s from Pinterest
Decorating supplies

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Saturday, August 31, 2013

~Cherry Peds~

Today I finished a pair of socks! All I had to do was kitchener one toe closed. That's it! I already had all the other ends woven in, and the other sock was finished.

I love how closely the stripes match up!

When I got the yarn at Hobby Lobby, I wanted a simple footy, so I wouldn't have a ton of knitting to do, but also because I don't like long cuffs on my socks, even in the winter. So I searched and searched and ended up using a pattern I had favorited on Ravelry a long time ago. Doesn't that figure!

The second sock had a very tiny amount of brown striping on the toe. That bothered me a lot because the other toe did not have that striping. But when I finally got them off the needles and on my feet, I realized something: I can't see that color variation when they are on!

So--another pair of socks to tuck into my drawer and wait for cooler weather (though we've had plenty of cool weather this summer!).

Yarn: Cherry Sours by Paton Stretch Sock
Pattern: Pom Pom Peds by The Purl Bee
Needles: US 2

More project details here (Ravelry link).

Monday, August 26, 2013

~Garden Update~

The last two years, we had a spot at a community garden. When they raised their prices, we started looking for a different community garden. But the others were just too far away. So then we discussed our yard. While it isn't "perfect" it has been a great option for us. Our back yard is too shaded, so the only option was our side yard.

This picture was taken about a month or so ago, but it gives a good idea of what our garden is doing:

Unfortunately, the soil at the very back was not very supportive for the crops we had, so our yield for that area was not that great. The zucchini and corn have been taken out. The green beans had a slow start but are now producing well. We have three varieties of tomatoes which are all doing well, plus a cherry tomato. I've been canning and putting up tomatoes like crazy. The peppers went bonkers, as have the tomatillos. We tried a new variety of bean this year, a golden bean, and they have produced well also. Our cucumbers didn't do very well, in fact I ended up buying a peck of cucumbers so I could get the pickles I wanted.
The radishes, carrots, green onions, and sugar peas all did well this spring. We talked about planting more for reaping in the fall, but we didn't do that this year. Maybe next!
All in all, it has been a good first year of gardening from our yard! Next year, we hope to build raised beds and bring in some good soil, enhancing it with compost from our compost bin.
Our weather this summer has been very cool, so some plants have been quite slow to produce. But that's ok - if the tomatoes were coming on any faster I would go crazy. ;-)

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

~Spiral Binding~

It's the little things in life that make me happy. Case in point:

Spiral binding!!!!!!!!!

I had the brilliant idea to get my canning book spiral bound. I use this book often throughout the canning season, and it is always a fight to get the book to stay open. A quick call to the copy shop and voila! No more holding the book open with other objects!

It even flips nicely, so I can use up less counter space with my recipe book:

This is the next book to get the beauty treatment:

It cost right around $5 to get it done. I definitely feel like it is worth it for a well-used book. I also think book publishers should take user-friendliness into account. But, when they don't, this is a good option!

(Affiliate link in post)

Friday, August 16, 2013

~Classical Conversations~

Last night, I was at a planning meeting, which involved this book:

We are going to be involved in Classical Conversations this year, and not only will my daughter be enrolled as a student, but I will be tutoring. It is exciting. And a little nerve-wracking (the tutoring aspect)! My husband and I really feel God is leading us down this path though, so I am trusting in Him that He will help me through! :)

It's a little difficult to explain in a few sentences, but Classical Conversations is a homeschool curriculum/group/method that endeavors to teach students classically. I'm still learning a lot about what makes the difference between a classical education vs. the typical education model in most schools. I really like what I see and I feel like it is a good match for our family.

We will be meeting with our group once a week, broken down into age groups, and each class will have 2 1/2 hours in which new material is presented for the week, a science experiment is performed, and fine arts is studied. The motto for Classical Conversations is, "To know God and Make Him Known." I love that.

Many years prior to our daughter's birth, Kevin and I had discussed our desire to homeschool. But when our daughter was just a baby, we discussed in earnest the whys and hows of homeschooling. We knew that since most likely our daughter would be an "only" that we needed to have some sort of way to be out of the house on a regular basis. Yes, we were choosing homeschooling but we felt it was also important to not to become hermits either! And so, this last winter I started looking into what exactly we were going to be doing, and I kept coming back around to Classical Conversations. One thing led to another and here we are - ready to start in a few short weeks!

I'm excited to see what God has in store for us!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

~Today Looks Promising~

What day isn't good when it's started with a puff pancake? Doubled, of course, so I had something to eat for breakfast as well.

I forgot to put the blueberries on top while it was baking, so we served them on the side. Doubling the recipe made for just a bit more than my daughter and I could eat for breakfast. Having leftovers is better than me prowling about after breakfast looking for something to eat since my daughter ate up everything . ;-)

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

~A week of Mondays~

Do you know the tale of the man who wished for every day to be Sunday, and he was granted his wish? His wife wasn't happy with him because she had to fix a big roast dinner every day. Eventually he got his wish changed around and learned to be happy with each day as it came.

Mondays are pretty choppy around here. Sundays do take some "recuperating" as it were, for the whole family, but they are hardest on our daughter. We have a 35 min. ride each way, which means over 2 hours in the car each Sunday; the expectation to sit still and behave through Sunday school, junior church, and evening service; and meal times all changed up. If I were four years old I'd have trouble on Mondays too!

But this week it seems as if we're getting a week of Mondays. What is up with that? Last night there was an unusual amount of drinking-pottying-sing me a songing-bed bouncing-even more drinking-in-and-outing than normal. That led to a child who went to sleep past 10 pm in spite of my best efforts to get her in bed on time. She seemingly has not gotten my sleeping genes and to prove it, she bounced out of her room before eight this morning! So yeah, this day has seemed like a Monday. As did yesterday, and of course Monday was Monday!

Here's hoping tomorrow is a Thursday-that-feels-like-Thursday!

What's the hardest day around your house?

Sunday, August 11, 2013

On the Fourth of July, we went cherry picking. Underneath the blue, blue skies, with such lovely warm weather, we picked and picked and picked. We just couldn't seem to stop. In the end, we had 34 pounds of cherries.

In case you wondered what 34 pounds of cherries looks like, here you go:

If you want to know what your arm will feel like after pitting 30 or so pounds of cherries, well, I'll leave that up to you to see if you want that experience. :-)

What did I do with all those cherries? Well, we ate a lot! In fact, I washed a large container in water with a bit of vinegar, and they lasted a long time in our refrigerator! I gave some to a friend as a "thank you" for letting me use her food dehydrator. And then I spend an inordinate amount of time at the kitchen sink, pitting them! In the end, I had a sore shoulder and plenty of cherry goodness in the freezer and in jars!

I put this info on my 2013 page (see tabs above), but here's what I did:
Frozen - 4 quarts
Frozen in simple syrup - 4 pint jars
Honey Cherry Jam - 9 8-oz. jars
Black Forest Preserves - 6 8-oz. jars, 1 12-oz. jar
Dried - 14 oz.

I've yet to try the cherries which were frozen in simple syrup, but I'm looking forward to testing them out! Also, my husband is anxious to eat the dried cherries but so far they're under lock and key. ;-) Do you do that? I put so much work into everything I want to look at it for quite a long while before it is consumed. LOL Also, a note on the Black Forest preserves: chocolate in cherry jam? Oh my! It is amazing!


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Summer 2014 Update

Once again I've fallen off of the blogging wagon.  You'll have to settle for an occasional update for now.  Several have asked about a few happenings in our lives so I thought I'd pop on here and knock it all out at once.

First of all, we're having a great summer.  It's been packed full of swim team - which just ended.  The girls did great!  Maddie made the team this year and finished with several first place honors.  Audrey made some awesome time improvements and made it into the "double digit" club (improvements over 10 seconds).  We've had a couple of weeks of cheer camp and a week of drama camp. This week we are taking it easy before jumping into VBS and an overnight cheer camp next week.

Maddie after making the swim team.
Not sure that I ever posted this, but I took over as Coordinator for our competition cheer program.  I won't be coaching this year, but will be overseeing all the teams and doing all the "behind the scenes" stuff.  Our program has grown so much and I'm excited to see how the Lord is going to work this year.  I took several of the coaches on a cabin retreat right before camp.  It was an amazing time of rejuvenation and reflection.  God has truly anointed the ladies that are serving as coaches and I know it's going to be a wonderful year.

Love my sweet coaches and friends!
Getting into the spirit!
We were suppose to be heading to Pure American Nationals today, but we opted out.  We had so much on our plate.  The expense was huge and our traveling/split the cost partners had to withdraw, so we chose to, as well.  It would have been loads of fun, but there are greater needs here right now.

Derek and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in May.  We celebrated with an Eastern Caribbean Cruise.  It was so much fun!  It was our first trip without the girls and I missed them terribly!  We really had a great time.  A couple of families from our church were on the same boat, so that made it extra fun.  :)

The end of this month Derek and I are heading to my 20th high school reunion.  I still can't quite wrap my brain around that one.  Have I really been out of school that long?  I'll be honest, I'm a little freaked out with my own insecurities - ya know, that same ole battle I fight every year with the weight issues.  But, I am who I am.  I'm going to go and enjoy myself.  I'll get to see some amazing friends that I literally haven't seen in 20 years.  And, maybe by my 30th reunion, I'll be skinny.  LOL

Throw back to my Senior Pic.

Audrey turned 9 last week.  Seriously, I'm feeling super old here!  She had a great time.  We got a couple of neighbors and went to the mall.  They went to My Room Rocks and designed some rooms.  It was super cute!  Can't believe this big girl will be starting 4th grade in the fall.  (Did I mention we just bought her a size 8 women's shoe?!)

Many have asked, so here's the scoop on the house.  Have you ever fallen fast and hard for something or someone?  Well, we did!  We weren't looking to move, though we've casually talked about it for years.  We have dreamed of living out on land, having some livestock, and enjoying the quiet.  Well, we found an amazing home on 10 acres of land about 45 minutes north of us.  It was everything we ever dreamed of - and much more.  We were willing to do whatever we could to get it.  For several weeks we negotiated with the sellers and finally came to an agreement which ended in a contract on the house.  We scrounged up closing costs and down payment - the night before our cruise!  We dreamed of the animals we would get, swimming in our new pool, where our furniture would go - all the fun stuff!  Well, obviously God had other plans.  I'll spare you all the details, but about 2 weeks after we put the contract on the house - and put our own on the market - things started to fall apart.  There were numerous issues that popped up - some that our lender said she had never in her career seen.  In the end, we felt like this was not a good choice for us.  The Lord gave us a very clear "out" and we took it.  It was heartbreaking at the time, but I know that it was what was best.  As of now, we still have our house on the market.  We've had 30 showings in a little over 30 days.  We've had one offer, which we turned down.  We're looking at other properties.  We're taking our time and making sure we are wise with our decisions.  It's exciting - yet challenging!  Half of our belongings are in a storage unit 30 minutes from here.  LOL  We have to keep the house "show ready" all the time - which is difficult with 2 children, 2 dogs, and a cat.  We've looked at so many different options.  Right now we're leaning towards a "fixer upper" that's on a beautiful 3 acre lot.  We'd love to make over our own kitchen, add a swimming pool, and update with our specific tastes.  We're just going to keep looking and praying.  The Lord will put us right where He wants us - and I know we'll be happy with wherever He picks!
Lastly, I wanted to share some exciting happenings with Chosen.  We are finishing up a CD project.  It's been incredibly exciting recording and going through the whole process of making an album.  Hopefully it will be out by Christmas.  :)  In the meantime, we'll be on an episode this Friday night on TLC's Say Yes to the Dress - Atlanta!!  We filmed an episode with the beautiful bride, Chrissy, back in October.  We didn't know if the episode would get picked up or not since they only air about 20 of the 80+ brides they film.  We just found out last week that they did choose Chrissy - so we'll be on TV THIS WEEK!!  I'm scared to death - and excited all at the same time.  You never know how on earth they will edit things.  They did have us sing a few diddies here and there.  :)  No matter what they do or do not air, I pray that Chrissy's story will touch the lives of others.  She is a beautiful person inside and out.  I'm blessed to call her friend.  And, I'm proud to say that I've seen her live out a life of grace and dignity in troubled times.  God is truly faithful to those who believe.

Loving, Losing, & Living © 2011 | Designed by Ibu Hamil, in collaboration with Uncharted 3 News, MW3 Clans and Black Ops


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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Jakjobs.com Find Job, Career, Opportunity in Indonesia

Jakjobs.com Find Job, Career, Opportunity in Indonesia

Bank Ekonomi Job Vacancy 2012 – Business Banking Relationship Manager

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 06:49 AM PST

Lowongan Kerja Bank Ekonomi 2012 sbg Business Banking Relationship Manager Bank Ekonomi, a member of HSBC Group, in supporting it’s ambition to continue growth and achieve a world class banking standard, is looking for the best people to fulfill challenging and interesting positions as Relationship Managers with competitive benefits and remuneration Business Banking Relationship Manager [...]

Sheraton Surabaya Hotel Job Vacancy 2012 – Asst Operation Manager

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 06:41 AM PST

Lowongan Kerja Sheraton Surabaya Hotel 2012 Sheraton Surabaya Hotel & Towers is seeking candidates for: Assistant Operation Manager for Pakuwon Golf & Family Club Surabaya managed by Sheraton Hotels & Resorts with following requirements: - Understand and aware of business environment to make anticipation for the future - Ability to handle multiple projects at the [...]

Copywriting and Social Media Job Vacancy 2012 in Jakarta

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 06:27 AM PST

[Job Opportunity 2012 Copywriting and Social Media in Jakarta] This is what you have been looking for—an exciting, relaxed atmosphere to develop your talents in copywriting and social media. You’ll be working with passionate, intelligent people who are commited to create good products with excellent customer service. Our organization is a new, exciting IT startup [...]

Project Supervisor and Branch Manager Vacancy 2012

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 06:23 AM PST

A leading building materials distribution subsidiary of SCG distribution, currently seeking for competence and qualified candidate for : 1. Project Supervisor Responsibility : a. Preparing sales activities plan for client acquisition, develop and maintain relationship with prime customers b. Ensure the implementation of service standard c. Monitoring the implementation of service quality to costomers and [...]

Legal Counsel Job Vacancy 2012 at Mining Exploration Comp

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 06:13 AM PST

Lowongan Kerja Legal Counsel di Mining Exploration Company A Mining Exporation Company, engaged in gold exploration in several projects, is looking for: Legal Counsel – Jakarta based RESPONSIBILITIES - Ensure and monitor company's compliance to prevailing laws and regulations including corporate law, mining law, land law - Advise General Manager and top management on trends, [...]

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Thursday, January 28, 2010

NWIGS is 40!

The Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society (La Porte's parent society) turns 40 this year. It focuses energetically on Porter and Lake counties. If you have $7 and Saturday, April 17, to spare, don't miss their celebratory day-long series of military records seminars with veteran Indiana genealogist Ron Darrah.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Escape from Slavery at February 2010 meeting

For Christmas 1848, William and Ellen Craft gave each other a very special present: their freedom. The Crafts were black slaves who were "owned" by different masters in Macon, Georgia. William and Ellen were illiterate, but they knew they could be free if they could only manage to get a thousand miles north, away from the Southern slaveholding states.

How did they do it? Find out Tuesday evening, February 9, when La Porte County Genealogical Society member Paul Graham presents a program in honor of Black History Month, derived from William Craft's book Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom.

The society meets at 7 pm on the second Tuesday of every month at the Swanson Center for Older Adults, 910 State St., La Porte. The public is welcome at all meetings. For a list of upcoming programs and more information about the society's activities in awards, research, publication, and records preservation, visit our web site.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Settler Residents 1861-1880

You could be in this picture next year if you can prove an ancestor who was in La Porte County between 1861 and 1880!

The La Porte County Genealogical Society awarded 15 settler residency certificates at the annual dinner December 8 to individuals who had proven such an ancestor. Shown are recipients (from left) Kathleen Rita Harris, Patricia Gruse Harris, Mary Wenzel, and Susan Marie Harris Vail.

Wenzel accepted the certificate for Michael Shei, who could not be present for his documentation of Theodore Shei.

The others were honored for documentation of ancestors Peter J. Gruse and Veronica Zander. Recipients who received certificates for their ancestors Peter J. Gruse and Veronica Zander but could not be in attendance were Anita Catherine Harris Young, Ethan Harris Vail, Keith Alan Harris and Zachary Alan Vail.

The residency committee -- Fern Eddy Schultz, Chair, Glora Arndt and Dottisue Gansemer -- made the certificate presentations. For more information about this and related awards projects, visit the La Porte County (IN) Genealogical Society website.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

This blog exists to publicize meetings, events, and projects of the La Porte County (Indiana) Genealogical Society. Comments and queries are welcome as long as they pertain to genealogy in general, Indiana and La Porte County genealogy in particular.

For full information on the society, please visit our web site and consider joining or attending our meetings on the second Tuesday of each month. You can also browse our publications for sale.

Your blogging host is the LPCGS secretary, Harold Henderson, carrying out his constitutional responsibility to give notice of all meetings.


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South Korea's GS Caltex makes rare large purchase of African crude

viernes 12 de junio de 2015 04:12 GYT

By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen

SINGAPORE, June 12 (Reuters) - South Korea's GS Caltex Corp is set to receive a shipment of 2 million barrels of West African crude, dwarfing the country's usual purchases from the region as it looks to diversify supply away from the Middle East.

The purchase will help soak up a glut of supply among West African producers, who have been hit as the U.S. shale oil boom curbs demand in what was once their main market and as OPEC Gulf states boost supply.

Middle Eastern producers have raised their selling prices to Asia in recent months following solid demand in that region, prompting some buyers to try to broaden their sources of supply, with GS Caltex already turning to Mexico for crude.

South Korea's second-biggest refiner is due to receive a total of 2 million barrels of crude from Angola and the Republic of Congo that is being shipped on the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) New Frontier, according to Reuters shiptracking data.

The vessel, currently southeast of Madagascar, is expected to arrive at South Korea's Yeosu port on July 1, the data showed.

A GS Caltex spokesman said he could not immediately respond when contacted by telephone. Reuters could not confirm the price and grade of the crude being shipped.

South Korea imported an average of just over 500,000 barrels of West African crude per month over the last two years, or less than 1 percent of total import volumes, according to Reuters data.

The New Frontier was chartered by China's Unipec, the trading arm of state-owned Sinopec, and loaded towards the end of last month. A Unipec spokesman said he would try to respond to a request for comment later on Friday.   Continuación...


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Chronic Granulomatous Disease (NCF1) Exon 2 GT Deletion
Ordering Recommendation

Tests for a common NCF1 mutation associated with autosomal recessive chronic granulomatous disease.

Polymerase Chain Reaction/High Resolution Melt Analysis
Mon, Thu
7-10 days
New York DOH Approval Status
Specimens from New York clients will be sent out to a New York DOH approved laboratory, if possible.
ARUP Consult®
Disease Topics
Specimen Required
Patient Preparation
Lavender (EDTA), pink (K2EDTA), or yellow (ACD Solution A or B).
Specimen Preparation
Transport 3 mL whole blood. (Min: 1 mL)
Storage/Transport Temperature
Unacceptable Conditions
Ambient: 72 hours; Refrigerated: 1 week; Frozen: Unacceptable
Reference Interval
Interpretive Data
Background Information for Chronic Granulomatous Disease (NCF1) Exon 2 GT Deletion:
Characteristics of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD):

A primary immunodeficiency disorder characterized by recurrent, severe bacterial and fungal infections of the skin, lymph nodes, liver, lungs, bones, or visceral organs. Dysregulated inflammatory responses result in granulomas.
: Approximately 1 in 250,000 births.
Autosomal recessive.
Autosomal recessive CGD may result from mutations in NCF1 (25 percent), CYBA (<5 percent), NCF2 (<5 percent) and NCF4 (very rare). Pathogenic mutations in the CYBB gene result in X-linked CGD that accounts for 60-70 percent of all CGD.
Clinical Sensitivity:
18 percent for CGD.
Polymerase Chain Reaction/High Resolution Melt Analysis
Analytical Sensitivity
: 99 percent for homozygous GT deletion, 90 percent for heterozygous GT deletion.
Analytical Specificity
: 99 percent.
: Mutations other than the NCF1 exon 2 GT deletion are not evaluated. Diagnostic errors can occur due to rare sequence variations. Because of potential recombination between NCF1 and its pseudogenes, the lack of detection of the GT deletion in exon 2 does not rule out carrier status for autosomal recessive CGD.

Compliance Statement C: The performance characteristics of this test were validated by ARUP Laboratories. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved or cleared this test. However, FDA approval or clearance is currently not required for clinical use of this test. The results are not intended to be used as the sole means for clinical diagnosis or patient management decisions. ARUP is authorized under Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) and by all states to perform high-complexity testing. Counseling and informed consent are recommended for genetic testing. Consent forms are available online.

Component Test Code*Component Chart NameLOINC
2006367NCF1 Specimen
2006368NCF1 for Chronic Granalomatous Disease
2006369NCF1 Interpretation
* Component test codes cannot be used to order tests. The information provided here is not sufficient for interface builds; for a complete test mix, please click the sidebar link to access the Interface Map.
  • CYBB x-linked Exon 2 deletion


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Thursday, March 16, 2017

"Just Singin' & Runnin' in the Rain! ~~~~~

Light rain on the cycle path in Bowral for this morning's run : 6km at mid-tempo pace.

Warm-up  :  Jog down the grassy hill

6km (@ MT pace) ....pace 8:18m/k based on 39 min finish for recent 5km.

Cool-down  :  Jog up the grassy hill.

I never really got into any sort of rhythm for whatever reason!  The warm-up was too short : 500m instead of 1.5km but it was raining heavily at the start and so I set off immediately I reached the path.  Light rain along the entire 6km; that was OK; stayed ahead of VP .. that was OK too!  Just felt heavy, slow and lethargic!  Tragic!

6km (50 mins.)
Avg. pace 8:12m/k
AHR 112bpm;  MHR 149bpm (glitch?)
78% - 103% of max.
8:00;  8:05;  8:45;  8:16;  8:28;  8:19

6km on cycle path.

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Event Links: [ MiniLD 50 | Warmup Weekend | Real World Gatherings | Ludum Deals | Wallpaper ]

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by SecondDimension - Jam Entry

Our Ludum Dare Submission, Kitsuni. A point and click puzzle exploration game.
*** UPDATE - Added a Post Compo Version ***

Original was made by a 2-man team in 72hrs. All gameplay, art, sounds and music was created over the Ludum Dare weekend. The Post-Compo version was created over the 3 week voting period.
There are a lot of sound effects so please be patient with the load time!

CONTROLS: Left Click on a creature to take control of it, Hold the Left Mouse Button to walk the creature towards the cursor. Some creatures have an ability, Press or Hold the Right Mouse button to activate it.

A Walkthrough has been added for the original, here you'll find a map, as well as help with some of the more confusing puzzles. You'll have to figure out the post-compo version on your own!

Downloads and Links

Garris says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 2:43am

This was beautiful. Excellent use of the theme in a literal and metaphorical sense, and foxes are neat!

Kyatric says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 3:36am

It is a very neat game. The ambiance works very well, I liked that the owl allowed to "help" in giving tricks that was a nice way to involve it in the concept.

The music/audio is delightful and works very well for the soothing/nordic ambiance, the graphics have a nice style.
One notice though on the birds. Until I got to the puzzle where they are needed, I hadn't understood they were birds, I thought they were some sort of crystal I'd probably need later.

The controls work pretty good.
It's maybe a bit tedious to have to go back each time you get a new gem, even if, due to the small scope of the game, I never reach a point where it was outrageous either.

you've been warned there's a spoiler ahead.

I was a bit disappointed in the end though. Because, to me, the moral is "to beat the game, don't play the game".
I think it doesn't fit to the rest of the adventure.

Nevertheless a good job on all the team, and congrats for making a great submission to the jam !

Valente11 says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 4:04am

What a beautiful game. Really clever use of puzzles. The pace was nice and slow, and the art style and mood really compliments it.

Wertle says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 4:38am

Fantastic atmosphere, I love the little touches like the sound design on the flowers and mushrooms.

Lucio says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 1:26pm

Fantastic idea! It opens a lot of possibilites for a great Point-Click adventure!

Apr 29, 2014 @ 1:34pm

Thanks for all the nice comments.

Kyatric, What with time constraints we didn't spend as much time on the ending as we would have liked. Hopefully we can go back and work on the game out a bit more when the compo is over and change the ending.

zzorn says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 3:28pm

Wonderful art color palette. I also really liked the background ambience sounds and all the little details (flowers etc). There's a wonderful sense of mystery to it.

TeamFlare says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 4:10pm

Really like the artstyle, simplistic but fantastic mood :)

Kuchalu says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 4:13pm

Unique.. It's very good.

nicotoni says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 4:16pm

Lot of sound work, the graphics were cool too. I didn't enjoy the controls, sometimes it felt the character was stuck and I didn't know if it was intended or not. Sometimes too I didn't understand what to do, but otherwise it was pretty great, the atmosphere did a lot.

Simon@LD says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 4:22pm

Very relaxing game, great music and art design! A very good submission!

StencylTuo says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 4:23pm

It did a good job of setting the mood, but the controls were not intuitive at all. I spent most of my time just trying to figure out what to do. I ended up accidentally stumbling through a lot of it (and yes I did read the intro instructions). Only being able to hold one gem at a time was rather annoying. Perhaps it's just me, but this game was not fun at all, and I did not see how it fit the theme at all either. That being said, it was rather different, and the mood you were going for was mostly captured... definitely a mixed bag in the end for me.

Team-KwaKwa says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 4:30pm

This game has something really poetic. Marvellous atmosphere!

nesis says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 4:31pm

A lovely game, with brilliant origami / paper cutout style graphics. The ambience is best of all.

v_n_j says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 4:59pm

Amazing art, puzzles, sounds, everything is so amazing!
Just water sometimes looks a little bit weird imho.

BuKaneerz says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 5:16pm

This game is so beautiful,
the sounds are awesome
(i dont solve the enigme with the 4 rabbit, but really good job!)

GamerTaters says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 7:56pm

First of all Great visuals and sounds. Game play was really fun. I love the world :D.

colludium says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 7:56pm

Nicely done! Great graphics and sounds.

TomCooper3D says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 9:22pm

really great entry. great style and sounds very polished. GG

Lama says ...
Apr 29, 2014 @ 10:07pm

Lovely ambiance and cool puzzle, liked the animations on flowers and mushrooms. And the monkey of course :).

mcapraro says ...
Apr 30, 2014 @ 2:46am

wow! what an amazing creation for three days! congrats! i really loved the visual design of it. the controls were easy and the story was really well put together. i was a little lost at some point and the owl didnt help as much as i thought he would but i think i need to spend more time with it

camlang says ...
Apr 30, 2014 @ 6:17am

Awesome sounds and gameplay!

Apr 30, 2014 @ 6:30pm

Thank you everyone, we really appreciate the kind comments about the atmosphere. I worked hard on the sounds and music to make sure it all fitted together nicely, and my team mate James did a great job on the art. We're really pleased with how it went and it means a lot that you guys liked it too.

Having said that, I think we agree with the criticism of the controls and the puzzles. I had all sorts of little bugs with the collision detection, and I think the deadzone for moving towards the cursor was way too big (the fox would stop and you wouldn't be sure why).

I was mostly happy with the puzzles, but where we really ran out of time for was explaining them properly and introducing the abilities of the creature gradually. I wrote a walkthrough though if anyone is stuck, link is above. Thanks again for playing

Jexel says ...
Apr 30, 2014 @ 7:54pm

The graphics are really good considering the time you had.

7heSAMA says ...
Apr 30, 2014 @ 8:25pm

The puzzles were really easy and honestly don't even really deserve the name - especially with the terminals and the owls flat-out telling you what to do. I think it has potential, but you'd have to use the different animals in concert, instead of a bunch of them all clumped together doing the same thing, to make it interesting.
Also the controls/hitboxes, but you already know that.
Graphics look great obviously.

TijmenTio says ...
Apr 30, 2014 @ 9:25pm

Wow this is so good! Cannot believe you made this together in just three days! My only complaints are unexpected collision boxes and the ending, which in my opinion was a bit unsatisfying. But yeah great work! 5/5

Apr 30, 2014 @ 9:31pm

Hmm, I guess the idea was meant to be more towards the exploration, so I can see how people who like puzzle games would find it too easy, but then again a lot of people can't quite figure it out even with the hints, soooo not sure. Perhaps the lack of us explaining the abilities properly contributes? It's certainly divisive.
No idea how to get that balance right to be honest, never tried to make any kind of puzzle in a game before!

Hob623 says ...
May 1, 2014 @ 12:01am

I really like the art style and mood. It seems kind of like a picture book come to life.

Moosefly says ...
May 1, 2014 @ 1:07am

Wonderful mood (some slowly falling snowflakes would've made it perfect), but the controls did feel somewhat wonky. Would've also been better if the current "possessed" animal was highlighted or something. Didn't like having to walk trough the same areas over and over again either. And the ending was pretty meh. And I guess I just said what everyone has already said :D.

alhvi says ...
May 1, 2014 @ 8:04am

Amazing! I love the art and the music and sound too. Excellent work. Congratulations :D

Ithildin says ...
May 1, 2014 @ 1:10pm

Lovely game, very polished and huge in content for just 3 days. Great job! <3

praporomsk says ...
May 1, 2014 @ 2:36pm

Nice audio and visual style. Seems like the game is little bit unfinished, it has ended on the most interesting moment :(

Anyway, excellent and very beautiful work!

shane1090 says ...
May 1, 2014 @ 6:25pm

Really well put together game! The music and audio really added to the ambiance of the game. The graphic style used was also very nice!

The puzzles were very cleaver. Only being able to carry one gem at a time was a little frustrating, especially seeing as it was fairly easy to get lost (or at least I did!).

Excellent work!

cudabear says ...
May 1, 2014 @ 8:13pm

Wow, this game is amazing! I can't even think of anything to add, because it seems like you thought of everything! The puzzles were intuitive but still took some thinking, the mechanics were cool, the controls were easy to use. The graphics and audio of this game are absolutely amazing, and all the little detail you added really showed your dedication to this entry. Well done!

May 2, 2014 @ 2:26am

Beautiful, zen-like experience. I love the audio and the character design. They look like origami. Well done!

xdegtyarev says ...
May 2, 2014 @ 8:13pm

So beutiful and cute art style, congrats! Well done!

GrooveMan says ...
May 3, 2014 @ 6:07am

Excellent audiovisuals and mood! The mash-up of animals that could in no way survive together in a winter landscape gives it this Aesop's Fables feel that I really like.

Switchbreak says ...
May 4, 2014 @ 5:51pm

The art and the mood are perfect! There are a lot of problems, but none that killed it for me. One of my favorites so far.

dector says ...
May 4, 2014 @ 6:03pm

Wonderful puzzle. Good idea, nice atmosphere. Collisions are the only annoying thing.

ioboi says ...
May 4, 2014 @ 6:27pm

Wonderful game. I really dig the overall style and animations. The soundtrack and sounds in general are awesome :)

Lacaranian says ...
May 4, 2014 @ 7:19pm

Very nice! Z-ordering got messed up in a few places, but the art and music worked wonders.

dertom says ...
May 4, 2014 @ 7:56pm

Brilliant! What a game and what a atmosphere! Nice little puzzles! Just wow! Very good job!

Rick Hoppmann says ...
May 4, 2014 @ 8:23pm

Too bad I got not past the wolf and insects, it looks really interesting!
I like shapeshifting!
The graphics are cool, but they could need some proper Anti Alasing. I especially like the fox! The sound effects of the flowers are cool!

All in all a really innovative game, I sadly got stuck with.

ehtd says ...
May 4, 2014 @ 9:38pm

Really good game, but for me, the end was disappointing... It totally ruined the feel it was building up.

May 4, 2014 @ 10:13pm

Thanks again everyone. Looking back we weren't happy with the ending at all, we just really ran out of time and needed to do something. We had this feeling that whatever you were doing was not going to be good, but there was literally 20 minutes to go before the deadline and we just had to throw something in there. So yes a bit disappointed on that front.
We'd be really interested if anyone has any thoughts on where they thought the game was going, or what they would have liked to see.

May 5, 2014 @ 3:27pm

This is the most impressive entry I've seen in this jam.

conormn says ...
May 6, 2014 @ 2:02am

I love the world you guys created. Very fun puzzles. Would love to see this refined and polished.

Frump says ...
May 6, 2014 @ 5:24am

Awesome but not without some flaws. Having the level cut off by a river and not being able to carry more than one crystal was very inconvenient and less fun. Some rooms not having crystals was confusing, I thought I was missing something on those ones and resorted to the walkthrough only to find that there were no crystals there.

I loved the puzzles/art/music though.

Thorig says ...
May 6, 2014 @ 6:12pm

That was really nice

ActionRemix says ...
May 8, 2014 @ 2:29am

Whose game can top this game's art?

fued says ...
May 9, 2014 @ 3:51am

crazy how similar this is to our game we made for GGJ earlier this year

did you see it before? or just co-incidental game art style and game play? maybe the idea isn't as original as we thought haha

fued says ...
May 9, 2014 @ 3:59am

cant edit post, but wanted to add its a really nice game, took things slightly differently to ours :)

May 9, 2014 @ 8:17am

Wow they do have similar settings and styles. Bit worried people will think we cloned it or something, but we promise we hadn't seen or heard about your game before; it's just a coincidence. I guess when you use a forest setting then you will always arrive at the same collection of animals, the main coincidence is the use of origami and triangles in the visual style.
We've been working hard on a post-compo version thinking we were original too, but I think they are different enough to coexist. We'll really be focusing on the puzzles and mind-control thing. Plus we will be moving the look even more towards a winter setting with some mystical elements

May 9, 2014 @ 8:27am

Hi, this is James. I did the art work for the game. Neither of us had seen your game before so any similarities are a total coincidence. The style really came about through a combined love of various artists work, origami and woodland creatures. Your game looks amazing and if we had to look like any game, I'm glad it's yours. I guess with so many jam entries some are bound to look similar.

May 9, 2014 @ 8:39am

...also if you want to talk about it more then feel free to message us on Twitter

Striwx says ...
May 9, 2014 @ 3:29pm

Very cool game, good graphics, mood and gameplay. Some collisions were a little buggy and i think clues were too obvious (Experimenting the world around you is very cool)

SaintHeiser says ...
May 9, 2014 @ 3:52pm

Good job. Slightly strange game. Game design not obviously because player see strange hidden creatures with owl. Also game mechanic description had given after showing creatures. I mean you see the birds and don't know what you should to do with them. But in the next room you see how they works. The place with dolphin and crystall isn't obiusly what to do with crystall. How push it from water.
lightfly also strange introduced. I find it first time in the room with wolf... And these flowers opened when I fly above them. So player will be confused. Flowers opens, mushrooms light and player don't know hy he nneeds it.
Graphc style is pretty godd but implementation isn't perfect. I have big display and game scretching with pixels. Looks very horrible.
I believe, you'll imprive this game if you'll want =)

csanyk says ...
May 10, 2014 @ 4:42am

Since I love Swords & Sworcery, I really liked this game. Everything about it is fantastic.

alvivar says ...
May 10, 2014 @ 4:23pm

Beautiful, enjoyable ambient & mood. The graphics, the audio. Nice.

I recommend to check the collisions, some of them felt weird, i did get stuck several times on certain places.

May 10, 2014 @ 8:10pm

Really nice concept, amazing graphics! I included it in part 20 of my Ludum Dare compilation video series, if you'd like to take a look :)

Crowbeak says ...
May 11, 2014 @ 11:53am

Creepy hidden things are creepy!

bvssvni says ...
May 12, 2014 @ 8:01pm

joe40001 says ...
May 14, 2014 @ 6:11am

This game might have the best mood of any game I played, but the ending did feel like "oh crap we are almost out of time quickly put an abbreviated version of the ending in" I think you had something a bit more in mind for the ending but ran out of time, but that's just a guess. Again though this game had good puzzles, good graphics/sound, and amazing mood. So good work.

Suggestions for improvement: Make backtracking less annoying, improve the story. But otherwise great job! :)

Anoarith says ...
May 15, 2014 @ 3:51pm

Awesome entry, I loved the atmosphere and the gameplay. I just find it's too bad that owls give too obvious hints. But a great entry anyway, congratulations :) !

May 16, 2014 @ 4:03pm

You've been highlighted in todays episode of Ludum Dare to Believe! Check it out!

gre says ...
May 16, 2014 @ 8:58pm

Very cool graphics. Great game mecanism.

loxo says ...
May 17, 2014 @ 7:02pm

This game is amazing, it looks and feels very polished. I like the the beautiful graphics and the unique concept very much. All the little details you put into your game are great and it's much fun to discover them.

Jeremias says ...
May 17, 2014 @ 9:38pm

Beautiful entry! However, the collision system seems to be a bit broken (movement doesn't feel good, sometimes. Furthermore, you walk faster while colliding). Had fun to play through all the puzzles!

rincewind_cz says ...
May 17, 2014 @ 9:48pm

I really love this style of graphics! Great audio which fits the mood just perfectly, great puzzles (I didn't need any help with them and I think that difficulty is just right - wish I could say same thing about my game...), neither original nor innovative story but fits the theme. Controls seems and feels bit clunky, but that's only a minor spot. Great, wonderful entry again. I'm impressed! :-)

May 18, 2014 @ 3:51pm

great game: amazing sound, graphics and puzzles!

Brodenino says ...
May 18, 2014 @ 6:29pm

I was very happy to see all the small little neat details that added a lot to the atmosphere in the game. The puzzles were a little tricky but neat, and the guidance system with the owl was clever (and even spooky). I really like the calm music and the sound responses. Graphics are beautiful and it's unfortunate that they weren't in a scalable vector format. It would perhaps have turned out even more beautiful :)

goerp says ...
May 18, 2014 @ 7:16pm

Wow, those graphics, the sound, the mood really inviting to play!
Good game and creates a great sense of wonder.
For me it's almost perfect. As a puzzle game I found some things a bit repetitive and too much of a hassle, too many Gems. Or maybe I should play this game at another time.

May 19, 2014 @ 11:23am

Great art style, liked the design of the animals and finding out each ones ability.

travislucia says ...
May 19, 2014 @ 11:27pm

May 19, 2014 @ 11:59pm

Great game. I finished it and only had to cheat to find out about the birds (I thought they were crystals). I enjoyed the mood, sfx, and puzzles. Some good stuff in here. Great job. With polish on controls and collision you'd have a neat game here, and if extended, would be worthy of iPad, imo.

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