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The Only Good Actress is a Nude Actress

On Ver. 2.0: -

53 Chicks / 108,381 Pics
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Sienna Miller HQ Photoshoot Pics Sienna Miller HQ Photoshoot Pics Tabitha Taylor HQ Nude Photoshoots Tabitha Taylor HQ Nude Photoshoots

A Ver. 1.5 Collection

  • What she is famous for: Natalie Martinez is an American actress that was born on July 12 1984. She is not famous. You might know her from Death Race, music videos, or... never mind.
  • What I know her from: The only thing that I know her from is Death Race. Great movie that actually has a 6.4 on IMDB as I am writing this. She has a starring role in this so you would think that her career will take off?
  • What I don't know her from: She has been in a few music videos that I will list for you. I don't even watch music videos for music that I like so I know that I haven't seen any of hers.
    • Music Videos
      • Pitbull - "Rain over Me" feat. Marc Anthony
      • Wisin & Yandel - "Yo Te Quiero"
      • Amr Diab - "Ne'ool Eih"
      • Sean Paul - "We Be Burnin'"
      • Justin Timberlake - "Señorita"
      • Self Scientific - "Live & Breathe"
    • Movies and TV Shows
      • Fashion House on MyNetworkTV <-- I have no idea what that is?
      • Saints & Sinners on MyNetworkTV; Wow, I guess when you are the star of shows on channels that people have never heard of, no one will ever hear of you.
      • Sons of Tucson on FOX
      • El Dorado
      • Magic City Memoirs
      • Detroit 1-8-7; {was} on ABC
      • Widow Detective
      • The Baytown Outlaws
      • End of Watch
      • Broken City
      • CSI: NY on CBS
      • Under the Dome CBS; Excellent book but I have read that they basically destroyed it in the show so I will not be adding this to the "things I know her from" catagory. Stephen King books on primetime television are always damn dumb anyway. I have gave up hope of anymore faithful good adaptations of this man's books about 35 adaptations ago.
      • Home Invasion
      • Selfless
  • SFW: Her collection is safe for work. She hasn't done any nudity that I know of yet. You can catch her nude in Broken City.
  • Quality: Medium to Ultra Super High Quality with no wallpapers. Her Complex shoot is in there with all the ugly tags that they put on their pics.
  • Summary: We are doing pretty good with a F list actress having over 60 pics IMHO. Or maybe she is just really lucky? Who knows where this collection will go. That is up to how her career goes. Right now she could be at a local mall and no one would even know who she was. She has upcoming roles in movies with actual stars in them so maybe she will become a little more known. When I looked up those movies I was rather shocked that they weren't low budget, straight to video, horror movies. On the flip side, most of her characters don't have names yet. Five minutes in a movie isn't going to do to much. Stripper roles generally don't have names right away. If she does just fade away maybe we will get some good nude scenes before she goes? Looks like she may be worth taking another look at?
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Friday, April 1, 2011

Concert- Take 2

It is not often that we get to do again something that was very meaningful before. But, my brother is coming to town and we are going to do another concert. The first concert was 15 years ago and my mother was still alive.

She flew with up with my brother and really enjoyed the concert we put together. So, what is so special about my brother? Well, he is the only living sibling I have. He also is a wonderful singer and entertainer.

At the last concert he did a great Fiddler on the Roof rendition of "If I Were a Rich Man".
This year along with the concert he is doing a lecture on the singing voice. Oh, I forgot to say he is a world renowned voice scientist. These events are open to anyone and are all free.
 We will be joined by other local singers and I am looking forward to this special night, again.
May 26, 2011   Lecture     7:00pm
May 28, 2100 Concert   7:30pm
at the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

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Sunday, December 21, 2008

Climate change and the snows of San Francisco Bay

I went on a run yesterday up at Castle Rock State Park, passing by my favorite waterfall/rock climbing spot. The creek surprised me by only trickling over the cliff at the same rate we'd see in late summer, despite all the stormy weather in the last week.

The potential explanation for the low flow was in patches on the forest floor around me - a lot of that precipitation came down as snow, some of it hadn't melted, and what had melted had slowly seeped into the ground instead of flashing into the streams.

A lot of non-locals don't realize the Bay Area gets snow every year (and even some local economics professors should know better). There are hundreds of thousands of acres in the Bay Area that lie above 2,000 feet in elevation, are virtually uninhabited, and get ephemeral snow for a few hours at a time each year. Tens of thousands of acres are above 3,000 feet, and snow can last for a few days at a time each winter, in addition to the ephemeral snow.

I've not seen anywhere how places like San Francisco Bay will be affected by the climate change switch from occasional snow to rare snow. I'd guess it will be a less-severe version of what will happen in the Sierras - higher winter stream flows, lower groundwater tables and lower summer flows. And while there'll be fewer hard frosts, there will also be fewer occasions where snow will protect plants from hard frosts.

And finally, fewer chances to bring some snow down to throw at your loved ones, like I did.

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Virginia Property Taxes — Not as Bad as Jersey but Worse than D.C.

No one much pretends that Virginia is a “low tax” state anymore. Indeed, the Old Dominion has ensconced itself solidly in the ranks of the middle-tax states. If there is anything good to be said about the state’s tax structure, it’s that revenue sources are diversified across a broad array of taxes — income, sales, property and many smaller sources — so that state revenues aren’t excessively vulnerable to, say, a real estate crash, a consumer recession, or a decline in capital gains-generated income tax revenue.

One downside is that Virginia taxes personal property — primarily real estate and automobiles — more heavily than the typical state. I have combined data from the latest WalletHub offering to show that, using WalletHub’s methodology, Virginia has the 14th highest property tax burden among the 50 states (and Washington, D.C.) The real estate tax rate is modest (16th lowest) but it combines with relatively high median housing prices (11th highest) to create the 23rd highest average tax on the median-value house.

The car tax (2nd highest in the country) is a killer. Throw that into the mix, and Virginia has the 14th highest overall property tax burden in the country. If you adjust the taxes as a percentage of average household income, the numbers look a little better. Still, there’s no escaping the conclusion that Virginia’s “low tax” days are long gone — even at the local level.

The main limit to this analysis is that it obscures the tremendous divide between NoVa and RoVa. NoVa is in a league of its own when it comes to housing values and property tax rates. If you split the state into two, I’d guess, NoVa probably would look more like New York and RoVa more like North Carolina.

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25 responses to “Virginia Property Taxes — Not as Bad as Jersey but Worse than D.C.

  1. Let’s look at the whole picture, shall we? At least acknowledge that when you include all the state taxes, our burden is pretty close to the middle.
    That surely offsets to some degree the property tax you so abhor. As for the “killer” motor vehicle tax, come on, get serious. It’s not that bad.

    • The data you cite makes my point for me. Virginia ranks 28th in the country by average tax burden — 2% higher than the national average. We do better, only 25th, if you adjust for cost of living. Like I said… a middle-tax state.

  2. I tend to agree with JohnHop – in that one of the major drivers of taxes in most states is education but how it gets funded in terms of what taxes varies greatly.

    In Va, most counties – about 1/2 their local budget goes to pay for education and to be honest – a lot of it – in some countries 1/2 of that is discretionary and not mandated.

    In my own county – about 1/3 of the tax rate goes to pay for local discretionary education funding – not mandated core academic.

    Some states don’t have an income tax. Other states -no sales tax. a few states have neither so how to they fund education?

    I personally find the Tax Foundation folks a little more informative on all the taxes in a given state … property, sales, income, and other like fuel than Wallet Hub which tends to be more sound-bitey..

  3. Especially in NoVA, the “Va. is a low tax state” is a wild and crazy thing to say, but Gov. McAuliffe says it all the time. All of those taxes are much higher in NoVa and trending up. Interesting about Rhode Island car taxes, sounds like a problem they are trying to fix too (I am not ready to admit Va. is 2nd highest car tax without closer study – certainly NoVA could be a match). Yes NoVa is becoming closer to NJ, and my relatives from NJ who moved here keep saying–hey the taxes in NoVA are getting closer to NJ! Our course, it’s hard to talk taxes as some feel higher taxes are a sign of good government providing quality of life services and education.

    • Let’s see now… Thousands of New Jersyites move to Northern Virginia every year. Taxes go up every yet, getting closer and closer to New Jersey levels. Could there be a connection?

      • But Jersey has some “structural” excuses for higher taxes. It is a home rule state, and every tiny hamlet has its own school system, mayor, police force , etc. (and Fourth of July fireworks). Here we have to do our own fireworks in the streets, which ought to save millions : )

  4. According to the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance, real estate taxes are up 154% since 2001 (through FY16), with inflation of 49% and average household income up by 35%.

    The trend was up, up, up when Kate Hanley and Gerry Connolly were chairmen of the BoS. Taxes were flat to down when Connolly went to Congress and the Great Recession hit. The last three years or so, taxes have increased substantially with residential assessments recovering slowly.

    Office vacancies except in Reston and near rail stations at Tysons are up significantly. Overall vacant commercial space is equal to the early 1990s. Job growth is all at the low-end, mainly service jobs.

    Some data from Virginia’s largest local jurisdiction.

  5. Yes, but no one wants publicly to state the truth as to what is happening.

    Fairfax is hurting so bad, and going nowhere literally and figuratively, not because of sequestration but because of gridlock and the sickness gridlock imposes on it communities, its citizens, their families, and their livelihoods.

    Imagine what happens when Sequestration is removed and defense spending goes up dramatically, as it surely will?

    Traffic gridlock then will double and triple down yet again, except this time Fairfax will be strangled not only by traffic on its interstates but by local traffic trying to get around the interstates to work or to retail or to rail stations, and such local gridlock traffic forced by the Suburban grid that is never fixed, it will kill strip retail quickly by the side the local roads. All because Fairfax will not face the truth, but keep playing the short term game, killing the golden goose with ever toll, land speculation, and building, while hiding the truth from its citizens as to what is really going on.

  6. Interesting thing about New Jersey – rank high on education, near Massachusetts… way ahead of Virginia

  7. Just imagine my average property tax if I went out and bought 2 new cars! It would be an unbelievable tax hike, at the average cost of a car about $34k now. At least we can control it, and at least it is tax deductible.

  8. I always thought car taxes were pretty hefty… especially on new ones where you also get socked with taxes when you buy it.

    and.. in most places – the money doesn’t usually go for transportation – either.

    Gilmore totally screwed the whole thing up in my view.

    the state should never have gotten involved in it.

    if you add up how much you pay locally for car taxes and THEN look at how much the state is transferring back to the counties to buy down the car tax – it’s a LOT and that money is competing against education, healthcare, and other state level services.

    if voters were fully cognizant of the actual total tax on cars – election consequences would be brought to bear.

    too much smoke and mirrors.

    • Gilmore’s car tax plan was the best thing that ever happened to Fairfax County residents. It took back a large chunk of Fairfax County tax dollars and sent them back to us, rather than subsidize low real state taxes in RoVA.

      • actually it removed responsibility for local spending by having the state taxpayers subsidize local spending rather than holding local elected responsible for that spending.

        would you trade more of the same ? would you trade a lower local real estate tax rate in exchange for a higher income tax from which the state would send more money for education – instead – and the state would decide how much you get?

        I bet you won’t like that idea TMT, eh?

        • State taxpayers are NoVA taxpayers. And a huge segment of them live in Fairfax County. We get about 20-25 cents on the dollar back from Richmond and pay high real estate taxes, higher sales tax and still highway tolls. I like what Gilmore did and always will.

          I’ll stick with the status quo, rather than pay a higher income tax because the 25% return on my dollar is terrible. What would you do if you lived in Fairfax County today?

          • so you LIKE sending money to Richmond to then dole back out to you?

            I thought you HATED that idea?

            Didn’t Richmond ALSO – RENEGE on the original Gilmore car tax?

          • re: status quo

            TMT – when others control the status quo – like Richmond – is that what you really want?

            If Richmond decides to reduce the car tax subsidy – is that okay?

          • Reed Fawell 3rd

            And now some folks pay $6o bucks a day just to drive back and forth to work through Fairfax County to try to earn a living, and that’s just a starter. So much for the status quo.

          • TooManyTaxes

            Larry, based on your comments, I think my statement needs some clarification. By retaining the status quo, I mean keeping the same basic balance between state and local government with two possible exceptions. 1) localities should have more power on purely ministerial matters – such as changing the color of school bus roofs; and 2) counties should have the same taxing authority as cities – such as the ability to raise the local cigarette tax. I cannot think of any good reason to treat counties and cities differently in this area. But, generally, I like the Dillon Rule. It keeps Fairfax County in check and protects our liberties.

            I would oppose any increase in state taxes because Fairfax County gets screwed. I don’t think we can expect to get dollar for dollar back. We have to help run state government and contribute to basic public school costs in poorer parts of the state. However, the LCI unfairly hurts Fairfax County because if fails to adequately address the huge differences in cost of living and fails to take appropriate account of the huge numbers of poor kids in FCPS. But the LCI is not going to change via legislation. So I oppose giving the state any new money for education. Live with what you have and with growth.

  9. Coming out of my long, long hibernation of lurking and trying to give up Virginia politics.

    Is there anything particularly wrong with high property taxes?

    James while I recognize your point about wanting a broad tax base, it seems to me that property taxes, particularly real estate, is a less economically inefficient method of taxation than say high sales taxes or high income taxes.

    Certainly it would be better if we could adopt a property tax split, as advocated by Chap Petersen a few years ago, so we could focus on taxing the value of the land and not the improvements on it.

    But you noted “The real estate tax rate is modest (16th lowest) but it combines with relatively high median housing prices (11th highest) to create the 23rd highest average tax on the median-value house.”

    If Virginia has high median housing prices because people want to live here, that’s a good thing. If we have high median housing prices because people want to live here and localities are too restrictive to allow for more building, that’s a public policy problem that we can and should tackle as a Commonwealth, not just just as localities.

    Who’s going to run for Governor in 2017 and focus on reducing the roadblocks to new housing developments?

    • All good questions.

      Actually, I have suggested (in the spirit of inspiring discussion) that local governments should rely more heavily upon real estate taxes (not car taxes) as a revenue source because it would put their focus where it rightfully belongs and they have the power to influence: pursuing policies that enhance property values (creating a balance between lower tax rates and superior amenities, including more functional land use patterns) rather than detract from them.

      The obvious drawback to that idea is that localities would become more vulnerable to the whipsawing of real estate booms and busts.

    • I agree with Jim that FreeDem has raised some very good points. The key problem with large population areas growing even more is transportation. NoVA’s is beyond capacity for both roads and transit (at least some transit).

      Several years ago, the Greater Washington TPB did a study that concluded that, even with massive new investments in transportation, traffic congestion will be as bad in the future as it is today – and in some locations, worse.

      Earlier this week, a friend sent me a link to a WaPo story discussing how big tenants are moving from one location in Tysons to another to be closer to rail. But the story also noted the low ridership on the Silver Line with Tysons as the destination. No surprise there. Every traffic study showed SOV will continue to be the main mode of transportation for the foreseeable future in and out of Tysons. Plus, 37% of the traffic on Route 7 at Tysons is through traffic. Traffic on 123 is similar.

      While there are benefit for heavy rail and mixed used development, they are limited. Growth in NoVA means worse traffic and an ever declining standard of living. But it seems to be the price many of us will pay to be near the seat of the federal government.

      • A thoughtful and informed look at the map shows quite clearly why the traffic problem in Northern Virginia is insoluble. And why it will only grow impossible worse, absent a massive readjustment of land use in the region starting now in Northern Virginia, instead of wasting everyone’s money on short time fixes that are bound to fail, and impose huge pain on innocent victims in the meantime.

        In light of this, what amazes me is the total failure of anyone in a position of responsibility and leadership to take such a thoughtful and informed look at the map, and reach some very fundamental, and obviously conclusions, and begin an open, serious, and intelligent dialogue on what the problem is and how to fix it. Instead of being frozen in the headlights of an oncoming train.

        Talk about a failure of leadership!! Talk about a failure of civic responsibility!! Talk about leaders who run and hide!! It is simply beyond belief that our local government and society has come to this. And all we can do is talk about how world class we are while Rome burns. It’s pathetic.

    • There is nothing wrong with higher property taxes. However, I feel our ultra-high car tax hurts car sales and thus hurts our economy, and penalizes more expensive and green cars. Furthermore, there is nothing wrong with a reasonable local car tax.

      What we seem to have (in NoVA anyways) is a government that tries to promise low house taxes, at the expense of high car taxes. Also when Gov. McAuliffe talks about why FBI should come to NoVA, it’s the low taxes he says. What low taxes? Let’s just be honest and say we are a medium to high tax place. Liberals seem to feel an urgent need to mislead and sugar-coat about about high taxes. In contrast, I like to just come right out and say it.

  10. The comments here are somewhere between ill informed and disingenuous. Plenty of fast growing metropolitan areas are solving their transportation problems with a mix of bigger roads and more mass transit. Atlanta comes to mind. Dallas too. Virginia is a Republican run welfare state where money is sucked out of urban areas and spent stupidly in small town and rural areas by pseudo-conservatives. If NoVa kept all their taxes in region (or even 75% of their taxes I region) the transportation problems would be solved in 10 years. However, the Imperial Clown Show in Richmond just can’t resist shoving its hands into NoVa’s pockets to fund the really unsustainable human settlement patterns in Virginia – you know, the places where the jobs have gone but the people have stayed.

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Friday, August 7, 2015

Hidden Queen Series: Royal Mates Book # 1 by Roanna M Phillips

Roanna M Phillips Release Day Blitz
August 7

Title: Hidden Queen
Series: Royal Mates
Book # 1
Genre: Erotic Romance, SiFi

“Find your queen, then you may rule.” These words stopped Kyran from fighting the aliens that have invaded his world and sent him looking for his fated mate, who disappeared more than twenty years ago. While he searches, assassins stalk his every move, making it obvious that there is a deeper plot playing out. Will he find his lost queen but end up losing her to intrigue and deceit, or will he discover a way to protect his queen, keep his crown and save his people?

Kyran spotted her in the crowd and he came to a stop – all of the will to move was gone. The deep-rooted instinct of his people, the Magargin, blew every ounce of discipline from his mind. She was his mate, his queen, and it was his right to claim her. That was all that mattered. Her look was rare among his people, and it would give him great pleasure to return to his country with her by his side.
Her thick, red hair hung in waves down her back like liquid fire and she had the most vivid green eyes that flashed with laughter as she traded in the market. Her beauty was the very description often heard of women from one clan that had lived high in the mountains of a province in his kingdom. To discover such a woman was destined to be his mate, made him feel even more worthy of the position of king.
Finesse would have dictated that he approached her and started a conversation in the market, but things hadn’t gone that way. Now, the chase had full control of his mind. She had run at the sight of him, and that action had spurred a wildness in him Kyran had never experienced before. He had to have her…and he would have her at any cost.
Which is why, Kyran was perched over the neck of his horse with the weight of his whip balanced in his fingers. He had to catch her no matter what.
Fumbling to grip the security field key that had been tucked in the hidden waist pocket of her pants, Nyx pointed it towards the protective barrier around her compound while she used her knees to remain seated on her horse’s back. To her shock the key was ripped from her fingers…

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Chromeo Can Do (Well) With Daryl Hall

Apparently Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates, for the whipper snappers) had a web show called Live From Daryl's House. Apparently he once had Chromeo as a guest. Check them out discussing how "No Can Do" was first recorded. If you don't really care, and would rather just see the (ill) performance, skip to the 3:46 mark.

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Sunday, April 19, 2009

Next to last Sunday

For lots of Winter seasons here at Sunscape, Jan has made a birthday/anniversary cake for all those who have birthdays and anniversaries during the Summer season while not at Sunscape.  Thanks for our birthday cake, Jan!Jan makes this cake every year Many have left, so we were down to sixteen.  GH and I are missing in this to last Sunday choir with GH missingSermon title this morning was "Laughter is the Best Medicine."  Don did a great job with this topic and then transitioning from the topic of laughter to the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and tying them together.  He never preaches a sermon without presenting the Cross of Jesus.

Church is over... eating fellowship, which includes a little eating, is is over, Don is at the back doorVirgil tried to make us think that part of this is for his wife, Linda.  R.I.I.I.G.H.T.have some dessert Virgil!!GH and Pat Sublett... Happy Birthday to Pat... Today!GH & Pat Sublett on Pat's birthdayToma and Jim.Toma and Jim ChesnessAfter church, Don and I visited with our landlords, Jim and Ellie for a while and then we went to Casa Grande for lunch at our favorite Mexican food restaurant, Macayo's.  On the way, a new field of freshly baled alfalfa hay.  Look at all the bales!fresh alfalfa hay bales... lots of themHere you can see the baling tractors and equipment, sort of.100_3744Once home, Don settled in his happy place, his recliner, and I also got a nice nap.  Toma came over about 3:30 and invited us over to their park model.  Neighbors Jim and Emmy were there, too.  I love to listen to Emmy talk... she's from Germany and even though she has been in the States for many years, she still has a very heavy German accent.  They're leaving soon.Jim and Emmie Cleveland Before long, I was in the garden behind their park model.  Toma and I were actually trying to find a lizard that Don saw on a dead stump in the garden.  He has such eagle eyes.  We never did find the big lizard, but I got a picture of this small "airport" cactus.  Toma calls it that because it's not natural to this area and it's small.The dove is patiently waiting for her turn in the feeder or maybe the quail is just a bully. Notice how the sun is shining through the cacti. quail and doveNice picture of the Staghorn Cholla in the sunshine.100_3766"Do I take a bath or just get a drink?" You know, it reached 94 degrees here today, so I'm thinking the water in this shallow bird bath is rather warm.Gambrel quail at waterI promised a picture of Jack of Jack and Kathy fame.  That's Jack on the left and that dark loaf on the table beside him is the banana nut bread he made for us.  They are leaving for Michigan in the morning.  This is Jim and Toma's patio.Jack Gordon, Jim Cleveland, Emmy Cleveland, Toma ChesnessWhen we went home after a fun time with friends and neighbors and saying our "so longs," I took a book back to Ellie.  She said,  "I'm bored.  Let's play Aggravation!"  So I got Don and we had fun with Jim and Ellie and also enjoyed Jack's banana nut bread with coffee.  Yeah!!  Girls rock!  2--0.   Jim and Ellie are leaving for Branson in the morning.

We pray for safe traveling for everyone.

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Exploring More Choices with Best Help Writing Services Online

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October 21, 2017
Gear Box Latest News | Poll Questions | Haunted Maine | Bangor City Council | Orion Krause

Gear box: Lorpen socks

By Jeff Strout, BDN Staff
Contributed | BDN
Contributed | BDN
Lorpen downhill sock. FOR STROUT

Price: about $20

The Lorpen company, which began business in the early 1980s in the Basque region of Spain, makes socks — all types of socks. It has since grown into a company with manufacturing facilities on two continents and sells its socks in 56 countries worldwide. And I’m just getting an introduction; go figure.

Chances are you don’t think too much about socks. After all, you pull them on your feet in the morning and pull them off at night. That is unless you spend time in the outdoors. Then your feet and what you put on them command some degree of planning, especially when the thermometer dips below freezing.

Lorpen has done a lot of thinking about your feet, and you wouldn’t believe the technology that can be incorporated into something as seemingly simple as a pair of socks.

Take the Ski Medium model, for example. It’s one of the newer ones in the company’s Tri-Layer Technology line that melds three different yarns into one sock. (There’s a Ski Light model for cross-country skiing.)

This is how company explains its product: “The first layer, closest to the skin, is made of PrimaLoft Eco-Polyester, a synthetic fiber that is designed for performance and comfort. It combines 50 percent recycled material with PrimaLoft virgin fibers to create a high loft, thermally efficient insulation. PrimaLoft is also lightweight and water resistant.

“The second layer, or middle layer, is made of merino wool, a natural fiber that can wick moisture away from the foot while providing softness. Merino wool also features anti-microbial/anti-odor properties and is machine washable.

“The third layer, made of nylon, is highly durable making the sock resilient and long lasting. The nylon fibers are concentrated in the toe, heal and shin where the sock gets the most abrasion.

“Multi-density weaving adds cushioning in the shin and heel areas while the instep area is a tad lighter for less binding during foot flex.

“The seamless toe of the sock is designed to make your toes happy.”

And Lorpen says that if you’re not completely satisfied, return the socks to the place of purchase for a complete refund.

After giving a pair some rigorous testing during the past month, I can report there’s no exaggeration in the company’s claims. This pair is over-the-calf in length and provides great lower leg support. Whether walking through newly fallen snow, spending a day outside hanging Christmas decorations or just taking a hike, my feet were happy. Since these socks were designed with the downhill skier in mind and not the hiker, I can only imagine skiers’ feet will be in heaven.

Lorpen socks are available on line at Amazon.com, REI.com, SierraTradingPost.com, Zappos.com and Backcountry.com for about $20.

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October 21, 2017
News Latest News | Poll Questions | Haunted Maine | Bangor City Council | Orion Krause

Principals for a day

By Troy R. Bennett, BDN Staff

Portland area business leaders get a chance to be principals for a day at local public schools.

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August 1, 2017

Our show on Tuesday, August 1st, 12:00-1:00 PM, will focus on our nation’s brewing constitutional crisis engendered by President Trump’s recent actions threatening the Senate following Healthcare repeal and replace failure; threatening to impose a transgender ban for any capacity in the military; and advocating that police engage in violence against criminal suspects! These actions combined with the latest shake-up at the White House, the continued harassment of the DOJ over the Russia probe, raise the question of whether our democracy is in peril?

Our great expert guests will include Samantha Master, Black, queer, feminist activist, advocate and educator and is the African American Leadership Specialist at Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Terry O’Neill, the out-going President of the National Organization for Women and civil rights lawyer.

In a nail biter vote in the early hours of Friday, July 28th, the Senate rejected a measure which would have repealed and replaced numerous provisions of the Affordable Care Act, banned funding for Planned Parenthood, eliminated insurance coverage for 16 million persons, and caused premiums to increase 20% per year. Immediately, President Trump expressed his “disappointment” with the vote and urged a change in Senate vote counting procedures. On Saturday in a series of tweets, President Trump, took a more aggressive stance, demanding a new vote on healthcare before any other votes, and threatening to end “bailouts” for insurance companies and Congress unless it meets his dictates.

Earlier last week President Trump started a firestorm of confusion and pain when in a series of tweets he announced a ban on Transgendered in any capacity in the military. Although the White House maintained the military brass had been consulted in advance about the ban, in fact, Military Command was caught off-guard by this announcement which would effect 15,000 troops. In a rebuke of these actions, the Military Command publicly stated there would be no change in participation of Transgendered in the military until so ordered through appropriate channels. There is great uncertainty as the President nor the White House has withdrawn this statement about a threatened ban or indicated next steps.

Lastly, in a shocking speech, President Trump, urged police officers to roughly manhandle criminal suspects to physically injure them. This speech drew rapid rebukes from the Suffolk Police Department, the Chiefs of Police and many in law enforcement noting the constitutionally illegality of police brutality. Civil rights groups noted this extrajudicial punishment of “rough ride” treatment advocated by Trump was the cause of Freddie Gray’s death in 2015 and would endanger many lives. The President has not rescinded his remarks.

During our show, we will discuss the overall threat to the US Constitution by the President; the role of women Senators in fighting Healthcare repeal and replace; how will the Senate respond to Trump’s demands and threats?; what to expect next in the Transgendered and the military controversy?; how do we fight racial profiling after the President’s advocacy?; is the US creeping towards a dictatorship as the Executive Branch oversteps and ignores the balance and separation of powers? and What can you do to impact these matters?

You don’t want to miss this show!

Be sure to listen live on Tuesday, August 1st, from 12:00-1:00 PM, Eastern Time, in the DC Metro Region at WOL 1450 AM and on the Internet at

Spread the Word!

Samantha Master

Samantha Master is a Black, queer, feminist activist, advocate, and educator. Her work at the intersections of racial, gender and LGBTQ justice has been chronicled […]

Terry O’Neill

Terry O’Neill, a feminist attorney, professor and activist for social justice, was elected president of NOW in June 2009. She is also president of the […]


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Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Review: Lead Me On

Title: Lead Me On
Author: Victoria Dahl
Genre: Contemporary Romance
My rating (10 max) : 9.25

Lead Me On is the third book in a three book series, the first two being Talk Me Down, and Start Me Up. Though all the books are stand alones, it would help if you read Start Me Up before this book because it introduces Jane and tells her boss, Quinn Jennings' story.

Ms. Dahl's books are always full of a delicious assortment of characters who interact with each other with humor, pathos, and realism. The characters in Lead Me On are all that is found in previous books and so much more. They are flawed and most are from the trailer-park side of the railroad tracks.

The heroine, Jane, is a judgmental, conservative, and snobbish woman who is not very likeable upon first appearances. But, as the story unfolds, we learn that Jane is not really Jane at all, but a woman previously named Dynasty Alexis who completely reinvented herself, down to changing her name, in order to leave her difficult past behind her. Jane wears very conservative, nonflattering clothes, her hair is pulled tightly back into a bun, her intention is to draw as little attention to herself as possible, which includes her chosen "vanilla" name. She also dates only conservative, professional man who can give her the white-picket-fence kind of life. As the story unfolds, the back story of Jane explains her unbending attitudes and her obsession with changing herself and her life.

Jane's world gets rocked when big, tall, muscular, tatooed, dusty-t-shirt-wearing, ground-in-dirt -jeans wearing William "Billy" Chase walks into the Jennings office and into her life. Chase, as he is called, represents everything Jane does not want in a man except his joie de vivre and great passion. He has managed to put his difficult childhood behind him and has learned to cope with his father's alcoholism.

There was instant chemistry between Jane and Chase which she tried fighting against and he kept striving for throughout the book. Family complications and personal challenges kept the relationship from going to where Chase wanted. He fell in love with Jane, whose other persona he had known when they were younger. Jane resisted a deepening relationship even though, as the narrative progressed, she could not see that she had fallen in love with Chase who had quickly become her best friend.

Jane's stubborn lack of acceptance of the good man Chase was for prejudiced and ignorant reasons and Chase's insistence that Jane needed to accept him without his intense pursuit became grating at times. These two characters belonged together. By the end of the book, everyone had figured that out, including them.

I enjoyed Lead Me On. It read quickly, caught my interest immediately, and kept me interested the entire narrative. I love the secondary characters and Chase, and, through Ms. Dahl's skillful writing, I even learned to like Jane.

I highly recommend this book to any reader who appreciates the intricacies of family relations and cheers for a happy ending for two people whose paths have crossed time and again because of the generous hand of fate.

  1. I love your review! I have not read anything from Victoria Dahl, but I have this trilogy. It sounds like a wonderful read!

  2. Wow... great review! You should be getting paid for this kind of info... I demand someone at these publishing companies hire you!


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Home / Barcelona Directory / Activities / Poble Espanyol
Poble Espanyol Barcelona Spain

Poble Espanyol

Where can you visit the whole of Spain in just one village? In the charming Poble Espanyol. Located in Montjuïc, this 49,000m2 open-air museum provides an escape to a picturesque Spanish village without ever leaving the city.

The village was built in 1929 for the World Fair to bring together the architectural styles from across Spain into one village. Although it was only supposed to last for 6 months, due to its popularity the village has remained open ever since. From Andalucia to the Balearic Islands all the way up to the Basque region. 177 streets, squares and buildings have been reproduced, some are exact replicas others based on a particular architectural style.

There is a lot to see and do in the village itself including artisan shops and workshops, bars, restaurants, a contemporary art museum, a sculpture garden, culinary workshops and Flamenco shows. There are about 40 artisan shops and workshops such as glass making, jewelry, ceramics, embroidery and delicatessen products. During the summer months, the village often hosts various concerts and events. The Daurel Foundation of Contemporary Art Museum offers temporary art exhibitions and you can wander through the sculpture garden viewing the 27 contemporary sculptures on the show and also get a great view of the city of Barcelona.

With so many activities on offer in the quaint Poble Espanyol, you will find it very easy to spend the whole day here.

Poble Espanyol

Information details

Opening Hours:

Monday: 9 am to 8 pm
Tuesday to Thursday: 9 am to midnight
Friday: 9 am to 3 am
Saturday: 9 am to 4 am

Admission prices:

Adults: €12,60
Children (under 12): € 6.25
Students and over 65s: €7.40
Free admission for children under 4

How to get there:

Address: Av Francesc Ferrer i Guardia, 13 08038 Barcelona, Spain.
Metro: L1, L3 (Espanya) then 10 minutes’ walk or you can take the number 13 or the 50 bus from Plaza Espanya.

For more information, check the official website!

Show larger map

One comment

  1. If I am travelling with luggage, will I be able to store my luggage while I a, sightseeing in the village and take it back in later time? Thanks

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Written by: xavi

Hello there! I love to travel, and Barcelona is a great city to live, thats why I decided to write about it and share my experiences!

activities barcelona-directory culture-of-barcelona museums-in-barcelona

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BBA Partners with Casio for $1,000 Scholarship

March 4, 2017 bbamath17

The Benjamin Banneker Association (BBA) in partnership with Casio America Inc. is proud to announce we will be awarding a $1,000 scholarship to a student in the Southwest region of our organization. The Southwest region is comprised of individuals living in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. To qualify for the scholarship, an applicant must be an African-American high school senior, and be in pursuit of post-secondary education in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) field. This includes professional, vocational, and academic studies not limited to colleges and universities.  Applications and the required materials should be submitted electronically to no later than Friday, March 25, 2017. More more info click STEM Scholarship Desc 2016-2017. To download an application, click STEM Scholarship App 2016-2017.


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A Bangalore City Project Initiative for NGMA, Bangalore.

BCP is happy to co-ordinate a series of events for NGMA (National Gallery of Modern art), Bangalore as part of a larger programme planned around the exhibition ‘ Indian Life and landscapes by Western Artists – Paintings and Drawings from the V & A 1790 -1927’ that will be stationed at the gallery from 9th April to 23rd May 2010.

The exhibition at the Gallery comprises sketches and water colours by artists like the Daniells’, … It showcases romantic and picturesque views – embodying how India was visualised by Company artists, amateurs and professionals.

Schedule of Events:

1 - Trail of the Daniells' / Trail of Company Artists:
Sundays 11th, 18th and 25th April 2010 and 2nd, 9th and 16th May 2010, 8 am.

2 – Lectures related to the exhibition theme
Saturdays 17th and 24th April 2010, 6pm.

3 - 'Through the Looking Glass' Exhibition
9th April to 23rd May 2010

Event Details:

1 - The walks:

Series of walks led by INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage), Bangalore Chapter, in the areas visited and sketched by Company Artists.

Dates: 11th April and 2nd May 2010 - Gavipuram
18th April and 9th May 2010 - Fort area
25th April and 16th May 2010 - Lalbagh

Time: All walks will commence at NGMA, Bangalore, 8am sharp! (no 49, Palace Road)

Limited Participation for each walk. Registrations a must! Call British council 22489220 to register.

Walk Programme:

8 – 8:15 am: A 15 minute briefing on the exhibition theme and gallery walk to view some of the watercolours, led by NGMA curators.

Around 8:20 am: Depart for the precinct in buses provided by NGMA

Around 9:00 am: Commence walk in the precinct

Around 11:00 am: Depart from the precinct back to NGMA in the same buses.

There is ample parking available within NGMA. You are advised to carry water and a cap.

The precincts:

Gavipuram: is a old vernacular settlement in the heart of Bangalore. It was originally an independent village, a day's pilgrimage from the Old Walled City and predates it by centuries. The area is so named after the historic Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple (Gavi - cave, Gangadhareshwara - alluding to Shiva). The Daniells' visited the complex and extensively sketched the four famous monoliths within and the nearby Tower ascribed to KempeGowda, the founder of modern Bangalore. Over time these towers have become city icons due to their association with a visionary ruler who is believed to have been establised them in four cardinal directions to mark the limit of the city's growth. A visit to the area would include one to the nearby priests' settlement or Agrahara and to HariHaragudda, the hill nearby dotted with various mantapas which were also sketched by the Daniells.

Lalbagh: (Red Garden), also in the heart of Bangalore, is ascribed to Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, the Tigers of Mysore. They are believed to have established this garden along the lines of a formal mughal garden with avenues of cypress trees and water bodies following the 'Charbagh' principle. Traces of these mughal terraces can be seen even today. When the British took over they converted the site into a formal botanical and zoological garden and built the famous Glass House within along with a bandstand and other associated structures. The Glass House is an important reminder of the Industrial Revolution especially since it is modelled after the Crystal Palace. Further one of Kempegowda's towers is to be found within its limits and Company Artists including the Daniells' sketched a number of views from here towards the Old Walled City.

Fort area: While the Old Walled City of Bangalore or Pettah no longer stands in its original form - the walls were demolished, traces of it remain in the winding narrow lanes and commercial enterprises which still form the heart of this market city. A defensive oval fort was built to its south. This was stregthened by Hyder and Tipu who also built a palace complex in its heart, along Mughal lines (Shahjahani style) with a Diwan I Aam and Diwan I Khas. Views of this structure after British occupation were sketched by Home and give us an idea of its extents before parts of it were dismantled and the fort walls pulled down. The visit would also include one to a historic temple situated right next to the palace, the dwaja stambha (flag pole) of which makes its way into a number of Company sketches / watercolours.

2 – Lectures related to the exhibition theme

A – Design Expression by Prof. Ar. Sathya Prakash Varanashi (17th April)

B – Conservative Repair or Restoration – Different approaches to Heritage Conservation by Conservation Architect Pankaj Modi (24th April)

Dates: Saturdays 17th and 24th April 2010

Time: 6pm to 7 pm at NGMA auditorium

Registrations not required. Just walk in before 6pm!

A – Design Expression

This lecture will be led by Prof. SathyaPrakash Varanashi, Conservation Architect and Urban Designer. The Professor is founder trustee CIVIC Bangalore, Founder UDBHAVA forum and former Head, Department of Architecture, BIT. He heads the architecture practice, Sathya Consultants, based in Bangalore. He will talk about how different design ideologies are given expression using the ruins sketched in the watercolours as the background. The talk will thus also cover lifestyles and various other influences on design.

B – Restoration versus Repair – Different approaches to Heritage Conservation

The lecture will be led by Conservation Architect Pankaj Modi (Partner, Adhaar…Center for Heritage Conservation) and Conservation Architect Krupa Rajangam (Principal, Saythu…linking people and places). The architects will discuss various approaches to Heritage Conservation - Conservative Repair to Restoration using the ruins sketched in the watercolours as the background. They will go back and forth between past views of the picturesque ruin to present day status of the same monument (generally restored). The talk will also cover differences in approaches to Heritage Conservation in the West and East.

3 - ' Through the Looking Glass' Exhibition

The BCP exhibition ‘Through the Looking Glass’ that opened at Samuha in February 2010 will travel to the grounds of NGMA. This is your opportunity to find out more about Bangalore’s hidden history!

The panels will be on view from 9th April to 23rd May 2010.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License


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Thursday, February 21, 2008

The At-Home Red Carpet Facial

Before stars show up for events, they arrive at Hollywood’s Kinara Skin Care Clinic and Spa for its must-have signature treatment. Debuting its Kinara Red Carpet Facial kit nationwide, everyone can now get instant gratification with lasting rewards and no side effects - delivering poreless, flawless, lit-from-within skin that is close-up ready to the faces of America.

Skin alchemist and spa co-owner Olga Lorencin-Northup brought her hours of treatment practice to the lab to put the very best ingredients into ideal formulations that reveal star radiance without risk.

“Our clients don’t have the luxury of any recovery time,” Olga says. “I adjust every
ingredient, proportion and combination until they are just right.”

The kit is simple, yet the formulations are anything but,

1- Lactic- and malic-acid peel plus calming argenine

2- Awakening neutralizer with pore-cleaning power

3- Multi-ingredient mega mask reveals a firm radiance plus soothing anti-inflammatories

4. A Kinara bowl-and-brush apply spa-style

“Even the way this works and feels is different,” says Olga. “The combination of the peel and neutralizer actually ‘steam cleans’ the pores, creating an awakening, effervescent sensation that feels as amazing as skin looks.”

Smoothing, firming, hydrating, clarifying, line-hiding, light-shining, oxygenating, and just about perfecting, this kit delivers an airbrushed result asap, while building a far more improved and high-functioning skin over time.

“I don’t believe in bad skin, I believe in the wrong skin care,” said Olga. “The balanced formulations make it safe and ideal for any skin type, achieving its best with weekly use.”

You’ve seen the results on screen, now see them in the mirror. Retailing at $95 and available at select retailers and on, the Red Carpet Facial was tested on Hollywood’s A-list, not animals.


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Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Weight Loss update

Weight Loss is probably the hardest thing for most people to do and I completely understand. I think it's definitely one of the hardest things in life to accomplish. The last 2 months I have been trying to loose weight since I am done breastfeeding my last boy. Everytime I have had one of my boys I only loose about 10 pounds right after delivery. I eat more after my pregnancy and crave more salty or sweet foods, I think maybe because I am breastfeeding and my hormones are crazy still, who knows. I also don't like to worry that the babies aren't getting enough nutrients. Now that I am no longer breastfeeding it is sooo much easier and less stressful to loose weight.

My recommendations for loosing weight.

If you have no self control you will never loose weight and it needs to be consistant.I think that goes for eveything in life, managing your money, when your angry, water your plants, when you decipline your children, everything.

SERVING SIZE/PORTION CONTROL This is the biggest step in loosing weight. I still eat fatty foods definitely not everyday but maybe twice a week and if For example I ate a hamburger it be half with veggies.

Get some measuring cups and measuring spoons and measure EVERYTHING!

I love this app. It helps you count calories and tells you your nutrition facts for the day. That way you can see what your lacking and what your getting too much of.

Great for being healthy and getting your heart rate up. If your not use to working out don't over do it. I think it's better to walk or jog 1-2 miles 6 days a week or close to that instead of running twice a week and running 5 miles. Consistency is best.

Also there is a big difference in being healthy and trying to loose weight. If you only eat fatty foods but it is the smallest portion, you can still loose weight. I don't recommend that route but it is possible because I still don't eat the greatest. Veggies and fruit are always the way to go because of the the nutrients and fighting off disease.

My highest weight was 158. My goal weight was 130. My BMI (body mass index) is between 110-140lbs at 5'4. Im planning on getting in the middle at 122lbs. When I am at my goal weight Ill probably do more strengthening exercises so I can tone up. Im almost there. Feels like forever, slowly but surely! Once I get to my goal I'll post before and after pictures ;)

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Not This Baby

Once upon a time there was a little boy with scared, staring eyes…
Gup Oct 2010 (8)
A baby who glared anytime he caught me looking his way.
 Gup Oct 2010 (30)
There was once a tiny little fighter with frizzy, brittle, orange tinted hair, who hated to smile, and hated more to eat.
Lyns Oct 2010 (1)
I am happy to tell you that that little boy doesn’t live here anymore.
No, right now sleeping quietly in the crib in the corner is a little boy who breaks into a grin whenever I walk into a room.
That weak little boy who turned up his nose at every snack I offered, can be found sneaking food every chance he gets.
Gup Nov 2010 (10)
There is something to be said for a diet rich in protein and treatment for medical conditions.
Gup Nov 2010 (23)Gup Nov 2010 (21)Gup Nov 2010 (20)

But beyond any food or medicine, love is what brings these kids back to life.

Gup Nov 2010 (40)

Perhaps a little “spoiled” or so I am told, Gup is thriving. He is spirited, cuddly and happy. I wake up every morning to him singing in his bed, I am rewarded each day with his sweet hugs and kisses. I am encouraged by his transformation and assured by his life, that my work here is necessary.

Gup Watching TV In Bed Nov 2010 (1) Gup Watching TV In Bed Nov 2010 (2) Gup Watching TV In Bed Nov 2010 (3) Gup Watching TV In Bed Nov 2010 (4)

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh, he is just thriving in your love Rhyan.......I could gobble him up, he's so cute. What a miracle. What a difference in his apperance - so handsome!

Love ~
Stephanie x

mamamargie said...

What a beautiful transformation! A wonderful way to end my day. Thank you for sharing. He is adorable.

aubreyjennifer said...

he is adorable.


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Monday, February 28, 2011

A Belated Valentine's Craft

{A Flurry of Heart Flakes}
 I needed a quick time filler for Sunday School the other day and I decided to try the "Heart Flakes" that I had seen in Disney's "Family Fun" magazine. I didn't have origami paper, so I tried construction paper, which seemed a bit thick. Next, I tried some old scrapbooking paper that I wanted to get rid of, anyway. This was easier to cut after folding, but I think the patterns distract from the heart shapes that you want to show up in the snowflake design. Anyway, the verdict was that this was too tough for little hands. Mia, age 4, refused to even try, and Ben, a kindergartner, was able to do the folding, but couldn't cut through all the layers of folded paper. I would recommend this craft for late elementary and older. It would be cute to make a bunch to decorate the walls or windows of a classroom or maybe to deliver to a nursing home, so I may tuck it away for future reference. And maybe origami paper is the way to go...
{The solid color seems to look best.}

Milk, Eggs, ... Gorillas?

Brett has a free grocery list making app on his iPod Touch and lately he has been trying to convince me to use it instead of giving him lists on scraps of paper. I am trying to comply with his wish, because really, who wants to complain when someone else is doing the grocery shopping? The only problem is that once you type a word into it, you can't edit or erase it if you've goofed up. And this seems to be exacerbated by the word-prediction function. I don't know which one of us chose this from the word prediction list or even what we were trying to add to the list, but we now have "gorillas" on our permanent shopping list! We also have "French load," which I know is supposed to say "French loaf," and doesn't make me laugh nearly as hard as "gorillas" does every time I see it. So, whenever he leaves for the grocery store I can say, "Honey, don't forget the gorillas!"

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Wave Bottle

Here's a really simple craft Logan and I made today while at his play group. He helped by choosing which food coloring and which glitter to use. In less than 5 minutes, you can make your own wave bottle with stuff you probably have at home already. The end result is a bit like a lava lamp, which is sure to entertain kids of all ages.
  • plastic bottle with lid
  • water
  • oil (cooking or baby)
  • food coloring
  • glitter
  • hot glue gun (optional)
  1. Fill bottle 2/3 full with water.
  2. Add enough oil to fill the rest of the bottle.
  3. Add a few drops of food coloring. (We used 5 drops of blue.)
  4. Add some glitter.
  5. Screw lid tightly onto bottle.
  6. Shake bottle to mix contents and enjoy.
  7. If desired, use hot glue on the inside of the cap and then screw lid onto bottle for extra insurance against curious little hands getting it open!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

It's Never Too Early...

This morning, Mia decided to write some letters to Santa. I guess it's never to early to start thinking about Christmas. She wrote one for herself, one for Logan, one for me, one for Brett, and she even wrote one for our dog, Ritzy. I noticed that she was writing a few different letters besides the ones in her name, so I starting naming letters to see if she could write them. She got bored with that, though, and wanted to know what I wanted to ask Santa for. I told her "chocolate." When she asked what else I wanted I said "clothes." She asked a third time so I told her "shoes." These were the first things I thought of. Then she informed me that I only get to ask Santa for three things. I hope I chose wisely!
{My letter to Santa is the one on the bottom right.}

Pick Your Battles (Not Your Nose!)

As a parent some things are just not worth fighting. As the saying goes, "Don't sweat the small stuff." All parents will agree that you have to pick your battles wisely. The hard part is deciding which things to give over control of. I'm sure this list will change over time, but here is where I stand on these things currently.

Things I have decided not to fight over:
  • Logan eats crayons. (I sometimes think he does it just to get a reaction anyway, and they aren't hurting him as far as I know... plus it makes for interesting diaper changes. You never know what color you will get!)
  • Mia hardly ever takes a nap anymore. She knows when she really needs one, so I let her decide.
  • Wearing a coat. We tell Mia she can either wear it or carry it. This works great because even if she opts to carry it, she quickly decides that it's too cold and wants to put it on. Or else she's cold. It doesn't affect me, so I don't care. (Of course, Logan doesn't get the option yet.)
  • Hand washing. Most of the time I let Mia just use the "magic soap" (hand sanitizer) unless her hands are visibly dirty (or she went #2). I don't know why she hates hand washing so much, but most of the time when she needs to wash with soap and water, she insists that I stay with her to make sure the temperature is just right.

Things I am still choosing to battle:
  • Manners. Mia doesn't get anything unless she says "please." Period.
  • Baths. Both kids currently hate having their hair washed, so we just aim for twice a week... but it's still a battle!
  • Healthy eating. I don't make the kids clean their plates, but I do expect them to eat at least a small bit of some kind of fruit and some kind of vegetable plus the main course at lunch and dinner. Neither one is a very picky eater so this works for now. And Mia will eat just about anything I ask her to if she knows it means the difference between getting dessert and not getting dessert.
  • Mia's nose picking. (I know it's not a big deal, but I keep reminding to stop because it's gross and she might be spreading germs. And nobody likes to see her doing it. I've tried telling her that princesses and ballerinas don't pick their noses, but so far that hasn't deterred her.)

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Logan's Speech Progress

Logan qualified for Early On services with a speech delay on January 5th when he was 16 months old. He wasn't saying any actual words up until that point. That day, he shocked me by saying "cookie," but he hasn't said it since. Things have gotten better for our communication, though. He has picked some sign language. He has his own versions of "more," "please," and recently I think he is trying to sign "eat." He is also using a few approximations for common words. For example, he says "ba" for ball, "ca" for car (or any vehicle), and "ga" for dog (or any animal). Lately, we think he might even be saying "yeah."

There have been a few other words that I thought he might have been saying like "color," "carrot" (he loves carrots!), "cow," and "cup." I really haven't heard any of those lately, so I am not sure if he was really trying to say them or not. I don't know if I should be worried about the possibility that he is losing speech... He did used to say "mama" and "dada" occasionally, but he stopped that awhile back, and when he said them they were just sounds, not words that he associated with us.

He has continued to point, and shake his head (or really more of his whole body) "yes" and "no" and he will choose between things if you offer him two choices. The cutest thing is that he now folds his hands when we sit down at the table to remind us that it's time to pray. He is super observant and will let us know if something is out of place like if the baby gate isn't up or the DVD player was left on. I know he understands a lot, and I am excited that he became interested in books in the past week or two. This is huge! I am trying not to be frustrated, but I feel like he should be saying a bit more now that he is 17 1/2 months. On the other hand, he has found lots of non-verbal ways to get his needs met, so I guess it's not as important to him as it is to me.

I am really thankful that he is getting help with his speech development! I'm getting lots of support, too, and in ways I didn't even realize I needed. Yesterday, at his weekly playgroup at LESA I learned about what a big deal "W" sitting is and why I need to get him to stop doing this. I knew a small bit about this because the pediatrician had noticed Mia doing it and told me it was bad for her hips, but now I know that it can affect the child's core strength. And more importantly in Logan's case, it can further hinder his speech development. They gave me some exercises to work on with him, but honestly, I haven't done them yet. (I am still doing my own PT exercises twice a day for my bursitis, so that takes up a fair bit of my time.) I am hoping that things will pick up and communication with Logan will be smoother for us. For now, I have decided I need to focus on the progress he has already made!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Valentine Crafts and Other Goodies

 I know this is a bit late, but here is what we tried this year.

This looked super cute when I saw it in the magazine, but it was a bit tricky to make.

(Read: Mia, age 4, could barely help me except for choosing colors and occasionally gluing on small details at the end. Plus, it must have taken a good hour or more to make, and that is keeping in mind that I am a craft "pro." I also thought it was odd that the directions said to cover the OJ container with paper and then cut out the opening for the Valentines. This made me tear some of the paper so it didn't look as "finished" as their picture perfect example. Another complaint I had was that they said to use a glue stick and I found that just didn't seem to work, so we used tape and Elmer's glue.)

{The Maiden Voyage of the S.S. Valentine}
An addition I made to the original project was to use ribbon to trim the smokestacks and around the boat instead of paper as suggested, which I think was cute. I would recommend this craft for upper elementary and older if you want them to be able to do it independently.

{Our Works of Heart}
Another one I saw in the magazine and thought we had to try. Again, it was a bit of a flop for us. The corn starch glue, while quick and easy to make, was a terrible consistency that was a pain to work with. And Mia hated the texture and barely touched it before declaring that she was done. I haven't gotten around to this yet, but I think I will thread some embroidery floss through the top so we can hang this. This craft is great for little hands providing that those hands like to get messy!

{Door Hanger by Mia, Age 4}
I think this one was the biggest success. I used it for our Valentine's party at Sunday School and all of the kids ranging from preschool to fifth grade enjoyed it and were able to easily do this craft. The main prep I did was cutting the ribbon beforehand and some yarn for hanging. We also had some of the cardstock shapes pre-cut for the younger ones.

{Heart Shaped Brownies ~ What's not to love?}
{Happy Valentine's Day to Brett!}

These were a bit more work: molded chocolate hearts, rimmed in red sugar, and filled with fresh berries. Delicious!

Friday, February 11, 2011

When Will It End?

I am starting to think we should buy stock in Pedialyte since we've invested so much in their products in the past couple of weeks, anyway. We're caught in a cycle of sickness that goes away and then reappears a couple of days later, just when I think I've gotten everything sanitized and assume we're in the clear. I even did something I have never really done before: I attempted to sanitize all of the toys. My thought on this has always been: kids are exposed to germs, which isn't all bad; I can't protect them from every little thing, so why make myself crazy trying to? However, it has been exhausting keeping up with this nastiness, so I decided to soak practically everything in a bleach solution (despite the awful smell and not really liking to use chemicals to clean things), and was somewhat surprised to realize that about 99% of the things the kids play with are made of plastic and can actually be immersed in water. Most everything else, I sprayed with Lysol (again, I'm not a fan of the smell or the chemicals, but I figured it had to be done.) Also, I didn't realize how many toys we had until I tried to clean them all!

Meanwhile, I'm doing my best to keep everyone from getting dehydrated, but it is a task in shear futility to try to force the BRAT diet on two little people. Despite what the pediatrician's office told me, I would like to think that my children are smart enough to know when they are hungry and how much their little tummies can tolerate. And it's really not worth a huge battle. I refused to buy plain yogurt because I know they will not eat it and Mia would not eat dry toast (although she came up with her own solution for this by spreading applesauce on her toast) and as for rice, really? How many kids do you know who will eat plain rice? If they're sick of bananas and applesauce, how bad can PB and J or pretzels really be? So, when Mia requests yogurt, I have given her the flavored Yoplait we normally buy. I know it has more sugar which isn't helpful for the diarrhea, but I trust that she recognizes when her body tells her it's okay to eat this. She is actually doing fine. It's Logan who keeps having issues, and I am starting to think it's more from the teeth he's cutting than from whatever yucky stomach bug is currently going around. Still it would be nice to know that we are all healthy and can resume our regularly scheduled programming without fear of contaminating everyone else.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

A Mermaid's Tale

It has taken me awhile, but I wanted to document Mia's 4th birthday party, which in my opinion, was a huge success! Mia's favorite movie is "The Little Mermaid" so we celebrated "Under the Sea" on January 29, 2011, her actual birthday. I did quite a bit of planning during January and I will be the first to admit I probably went overboard, but it was a really nice party. Everyone seemed to have a great time. (And I spent much more time than money, which was my goal.)

The Invitations:
Most of the guests (friends and family) were invited by email. I used evite for this. They didn't have a mermaid themed invitation so I used one that was intended for a pool party. For the remaining guests (three kids from preschool and one down the street), I made invitations using pre-made cards and rubber stamps (some sea shells and one that allowed me to fill in the details for the date, time, and location of the party.)

The Decorations:
Mia and I made a few under the sea craft projects to use for decorations including paper plate fish, which we taped on the walls in the dining room. We also made toilet paper tube octopi and I made some star fish cut from cardboard egg carton cups and painted with acrylic paints, both of which we used as table decorations. I just set them on top of the blue plastic table cover I bought at the dollar store and then cut down to fit our dining table. In one of my moments of inspiration while preparing for the party, I decided to use clear packaging tape to secure the table cover. (Basically, I remembered what a pain they can be since they slip all around-- not good when you have a bunch of young children eating! Anyway, this was a good idea, and I will tuck it away for the next birthday party.) There was some left over, so I used it for the card table we set up for extra seating in the living room.

Other wall decorations included a package of tropical fish cut-outs from the dollar store and taped those on the front door and on the wall in the living room. I also got two different shades of blue curling ribbon from the dollar store. I cut these into strips, which we alternately taped to the arch that is between our dining room and living room. It looked like waves and I thought it was fun for people to walk through. I think this was worth the time because it really helped set the undersea look without costing much money.

The single decoration I am most proud of (and yes I will sound crazy when you find out how long I spent working on it!) was a four foot tall cardboard Ariel. I bought this online from Birthday Express. It was on clearance for $2.99 so I actually spent more on shipping than for the kit itself. It was intended to be a child's coloring activity and came with some cheap quality crayons. I, however, painted mine with acrylics, which took a total of about 6 hours over the course of a few evenings. If I didn't find painting relaxing, this would have been a really insane endeavor, but for me, it was fun. Then, the four main sections had to be connected like a giant puzzle. My only complaint was that the outlines of Ariel, Flounder, Sebastian, and the other little characters were this odd magenta color, so I had to go over everything with a black Sharpie for it to look finished. I managed to keep this a surprise from Mia and she thought it was pretty amazing to have a life-size Ariel at her party. I took pictures of all the kids with Ariel as they arrived, and then printed off the pictures to include in the thank you cards.

The Food:
Brett was kind of annoyed with me when we had leftovers of food that we don't like (which, yes, in retrospect wasn't wise), but I wanted to have the theme of "Under the Sea" continued with food. We served shells and cheese, hot dogs (I was planning for "octo-dogs" ~ I saw this idea online: Supposedly you can slice eight sections into a hot dog, boil it, and the ends will curl up to look like tentacles. The reality is that I am not that talented with a knife! I tried one, messed it up completely, and decided that it was really not worth the frustration when kids are perfectly happy to eat regular hot dogs), and tuna salad sandwiches (I was thinking of shaping the bread into fish using a cookie cutter, but didn't have time for that. Besides, I figured I had done enough already.) There were goldfish crackers, "sea cucumber" slices, "sea grapes," and "coral" (Cheetos) to eat. We had punch to drink. I made this mixing Sprite together with blue Hawaiian Punch. For dessert, we had blue Jello cups with a Swedish fish in each. (It seemed like a good idea, but personally, I would not do that again. The fish were hard to see and they ended up kind of slimy so the kids wouldn't eat them.)

The cake turned out great! I impressed even myself. The base for the cake is just a flattened cardboard shipping box reinforced with packaging tape and then covered with aluminum foil. Mia had requested a cake that looked like a mermaid, so I found this idea and improved upon it. (I found it too weird that the mermaid had no arms and a disproportionately large head!) The original plan calls for a 13" x 9" cake pan and an 8" round cake pan, but I decided to use a 10" round pan instead. Once it was baked, I traced a smaller circle in the center using a lid from a large margarine tub. After cutting out the smaller circle, I used half of the outer ring for arms by simply cutting it into two parts. The last section I threw away (gasp!). Wasteful, I know, but there was a lot of cake after using two mixes. I cut the tail exactly the way the website shows and skipped the cupcakes for hair. Mia had selected Golden Butter flavor by Duncan Hines, which was really yummy. I normally buy Betty Crocker but I am considering switching. To make the mermaid's flesh tone, I mixed red and yellow gel food colors into white canned frosting. For the tail, I used green gel food coloring. For Ariel's purple shell bra top, I mixed red and blue gel food coloring. I used about 2 whole tubs of white frosting altogether. For decoration, I was inspired to use M & M's for the scales on the tail after I saw this cake online. Then, I decided that licorice would make perfect "Ariel" hair after I saw this picture. The main difference is that I used Twizzler's Pull n' Peel, which I think looks better. Plus, it's softer, and I'm assuming that makes it easier to cut the cake.

Some cake tips I have picked up along the way:
  • When making a layer cake or in this case, a shaped cake, spray the pan generously with cooking spray and line it with wax paper. This makes it much easier to get the cake out of the pan.
  • I also set the cakes onto wax paper to cool completely before cutting them. (This was something I tried this time around since my cake stuck to my cutting board last time I made a layer cake.)
  • I discovered this time around that gel food coloring works better than the liquid. (Basically, the frosting slid right off of Logan's 1st birthday cupcakes because of heat and I am assuming, liquid food coloring.)
Under the Sea Activities:
Other than having photos taken with the stand-up Ariel and having "The Little Mermaid" soundtrack playing during the party (I bought it on eBay.), I only had two games planned, which seemed to be the right amount for 4 year olds. The first was Pin the Tail on Ariel which I made by coloring a large picture of Ariel using colored pencils. Then, I spent $2 to have it laminated at Staples. (It's now hanging in Mia's bedroom as a poster.) Next, I used tracing paper to trace her tail, cut that out and used it to make a template. I traced this several times onto green construction paper and cut them out. We used a scarf for a blindfold. Everyone enjoyed this game. After that, we had Sebastian's Crab-Walk Race, which was hilarious! I simply lined the kids up across the living room and had them crab-walk the length of the room. This was fun for the kids and fun for the adults who were watching.
This party turned out to be a lot of fun! It was a fair bit of work getting ready, but I think it was worth it. And really, most of the ideas were ones I found here, so it's not like I had to come up with everything myself.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Things that Make You Go Hmmm

  • Why do all kids like hot dogs (seriously, I don't even want to know what is in them, let alone eat them), but they turn up their noses at bread crust?
  • Why don't all toys come with volume control? The ones that have one volume only, are LOUD. On the other hand, kids quickly figure out the difference between the two settings and always opt for the louder one, anyway...
  • And on a related note, why didn't anyone tell me sooner about the Scotch tape trick for making noisy toys quieter? It's so simple and brilliant. Now, I have finally have control of the volume on those toys! (And so far, no one has managed to remove the tape from the speakers.)
  • I recently noticed that colored Goldfish crackers are now made with "natural ingredients." It makes me wonder what prompted the change. Fingers crossed that more foods will be made with "natural ingredients" in place of food dyes and other stuff that I prefer not to think about (even though I know they are harmful.)
  • How is it that everyone can be up 2-3 hours before we have to leave the house, but we will still end up running late?
  • Why am I the only one who ever changes a roll of toilet paper?
  • How did people ever get by without dishwashers, cell phones, high-speed internet, DVR, and Netflix? Am I spoiled? You bet! Do I feel bad about it? No way!
  • Strangely enough, Dollar Tree has the best selection of decent quality hair accessories for Mia. (Granted, you have to poke through stuff and you never know what you may find, but it always seems worth it to check out that section of the store.)
  • Why do Barbie dolls cost so much? And while we're on the topic of dolls, what is up with the exorbitant prices for American Girl dolls and clothing? I would consider starting Mia with if the doll itself didn't cost more than I would spend on all birthday or Christmas gifts for her!
  • Being a parent of young children is weird. You spend a lot of time talking about poop, and it doesn't matter who you're talking to. Poop seems to come up as a topic of discussion with practically everyone.
  • This morning I discovered what appears to be a bruise on Logan's earlobe. What in the world caused that?

I Hate to Complain, But...

I don't know if it is the fact that we've recently been snowed in or the assortment of things complicating my life right now, but I am ready for some good news for a change. I have been getting pretty cranky with the kids in recent days, which makes me feel lousy. It's not their fault that so far in 2011 I have spent 4 weeks in physical therapy (although it seems to be the opinion of my mom, mother-in-law, and at least one lady from church that carrying kids around is what caused the bursitis in my hip). I am completely certain, however, that they are not responsible for the 2+ weeks I have been feeling dizzy from a sinus infection and the antibiotic I am taking to treat said infection. Those things just make it harder to keep up with my day to day activities which seem to be ever increasing. The biggest problem, I think, is that I really haven't had time away from the kids in a few weeks (except for going to physical therapy, but that hardly counts as "mommy time!").

I am finished with the antibiotic now, so I plan to get out tonight. I will probably head to David's Bridal to look for shoes to go with my bridesmaid dress. Thankfully, my brother's upcoming wedding will give me something positive to focus on for the next few months. And, it may not hurt that the groundhog didn't see his shadow. (Just in case there is any truth to that superstition.) I am all for an early spring! This year can only get better.


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Thursday, July 1, 2010

Coupons Do Pay Off

Look at this score I got today at Rite Aid! I purchased all of the items pictured (the envelope has the free 5x7 print I blogged about previously) for just $6.23! I had to do 2 transactions, but a few extra minutes in the store & a few minutes at home clipping coupons saved me about 85%. I also got additional +UP coupons that can be used on other purchases later.
I can't believe I used to pay full price!

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Thursday, April 8, 2010

What do YOU wanna know?

So,  I'm not gonna lie, my previous blog post needs to be the feature for at least a week.  So if you haven't read it already, please do.

Even though I'm trying to keep the focus on last week's piece, I realized today that I have more than 3 readers.

Which is awesome!  Keep reading and forwarding posts to people you think could benefit from a little light (okay, sometimes heavy) reading.

But because I realize I have more than 3 readers, I also realize that there are some topics that you all may want to hear about.  Don't get me wrong, I have lots that I can continue to pump out, but I also like to gear my content toward the people who are reading!  Because, well, this blog really is for you (okay, it's for me too ... I think writing is pretty damn fun).

So, have a topic that you want to know about?  Post a comment with your topic idea.  Send an e-mail to smarthotfun at, and let me know what you'd like to hear about!

I can't guarantee I'll ever write about all the topic ideas I recieve, but I promise I will keep a repository!

Also, I finally caved and got a twitter.  Follow me at @SuperHotFun!!

Keep Thinking (about what you'd like me to write about)!

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  1. multiple male orgasms and is it possible to separate the physical act of ejaculation from the actual orgasm...


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Sunday, April 19, 2009

It's Prom Time! AND My California Trip!

Saturday was prom in our area. I can hardly believe how many girls got their hair and make-up done! We had 37 young divas come into the salon!
Judging by this, I don't see signs of a bad economy here!

I didn't get a chance to get pictures of some of the girls who were getting their hair done but

I thought I'd show you a few pictures of an up-do I did on my mannequin for a display.

Doing up-do's puts me into the same creative mode that drawing or sculpting does. It's intuitive and and in most cases can't be repeated twice! I've tried to take step by step pictures of my hair creations so I could try to reproduce a look but for some reason I still can't get it to ever look the same again! That's' OK because that makes for one of a kind hair do's for proms and weddings!

FRIDAY April 24th is the day
That I've been waiting for for months!

My son Sean and I are heading out early Friday to San Diego. When we get there we will rent a car, get checked in to our hotel then head on over to the baseball stadium to see the Padres play!

Then the next day I'm gong to meet up with my friend Julie who I met last year on the Internet via Michelle Wards GreenPepperPress Street Team. We have never met in person so I am so super excited to finally do just that! The two of us are going up for a two day art party at Suzi Blu's house by the beach! Two blissful days of painting and creating eating, and what ever we come up with!
While I'm having fun at the art party Sean is gong to do his own thing. He'll drive around and see what he can see, lay on the beach, go on a boat ride, what ever he decides he wants to do!
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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Ooh La La

I am writing today's post in a French accent.  I hope you are able to read it okay.
So, here is the scoop.  I have been married for almost 19 years.
I realize this is hard to believe, considering the fact that we look barely a day over 29ish...(if you use that cool chrome filter that lightens everything up and literally erases all traces of eye-bags and wrinkles.)  But, alas, it is true.
While I try to keep things exciting around here (I have added some new spices to my stash.  Coriander, cumin, rosemary....as well as some varieties of cooking wines) it is still a challenge to recreate the passion of those first years of marriage.
A fancy apron helps.

I ordered some books on the magic of coconut oil...since that is supposed to change your life.
I do incorporate it into my cooking.  For awhile I tried "oil pulling"....but it just makes my jaw sore...and me crabby.  Last summer I used plain old coconut oil as a moisturizer.  The mosquitos appreciated it.  A lot.  I smelled and tasted delicious.

So, I got to thinking.  Men are visual.  If I send my husband a picture of the six pack of beer I have waiting for him at home, he seems happier when he walks through the door.  I have a sneaking suspicion that photo was probably his screen saver all day long.
That is when I really started to pay attention to his screen saver.  For the longest time, he had this weird little green martian man.  To be honest, it bothered me.
I always switch out my screen saver.  It's always a picture of my babies.

Or sometimes of my kids and husband.
But his was always some stupid graphic.

It was time to change that.  What if I sent him some pictures that he would want to look at all day...everyday?
Or maybe I should take it a step further?  What if I were to take some Boudoir pictures?
Yes.  I looked it up.  I mean, I knew what they were, but I wanted to find out what the word Boudoir actually was defined as.  "Master Bedroom."
Okay.  All I needed to do was take some pictures in my Master Bedroom.
This is could handle.  I suppose the fact that they were taken in the bedroom automatically made them sexy, right?
Luckily, I already had a couple on my phone.

Okay...maybe this wasn't quite the look I was going for.

This one doesn't have the crazy dog eyes...but again, it might not be what he would find desirable.

I decided to attempt taking a picture while I was actually awake, rather than relying on the photos my kids seemed to find entertaining to take of me sleeping.

Yes.  It was time for a sexy selfie.

Here is what I came up with....

It soon came to my attention that if I was in my bed...my furry companions felt the need to be there too.  While I found this most wonderful, perhaps my husband wouldn't look at these photos and think "wow...that's hot."

So...I decided perhaps I should try some solo shots.
Prior to the "big shoot," I referred to the Victoria's Secret catalogue.  I felt it was important to not only set the scene correctly, but to also study up on how to make the perfect "sexy face."  You know....that subtle kind of "duck face pout."
I am pretty sure I nailed it in this photo.

I really liked how the sun added such a nice "back light" to this last photo...so I figured it was time to take my shoot outside, and try some natural lighting.  I found it brought a whole new dimension to the level of sexiness in my photos.
See how the sun just brings out my natural beauty?
I think it especially highlights my eyes.

Okay.  Maybe I needed to get in touch with my "bad-girl" side.  I mean, so far, all of my pictures were pretty tame.  Maybe a little walk on the wild side was what this marriage was missing.

Or maybe not.
I should mention that there was a point at which I felt it might be a fun idea to incorporate my husband into my photo session.  Perhaps I would be able to capture our love and passion if the two of us were actually in the pictures together.  It was a nice thought, but he didn't exactly embrace the photo taking in quite the way I had hoped he would.  I mean, he embraced it...but...well, you get the picture...

So, I was on my own once again.
I was starting to wonder if I would need to actually hire a professional to make this happen.  However there are two reasons I just couldn't do that.
1. I'm too cheap.
2. Are you fricking kidding me?
3. How could this be a selfie if it was taking by somebody elsie?

So...once again, I was on my own.  Somehow...I was going to make this happen.  And dammit, it was going to be fabulous.
At an art museum in New York I snapped a picture of a painting that I thought would be something worth attempting to recreate.
 But then I realized that I only had two arms, (I would need three to actually hold the towel AND take the picture) and my hair was not red.  So this was never going to happen.

I had to think like a photographer.  A photographer who didn't have a fancy camera.  Or any other equipment. Or training. Or...well, anything.
What did I have?  Well....I had things around the house I could use as props, I guess.  And I had sunlight.  That was about as good as I was going to get.  And you know what...that is all you need.
I finally figured out the key to creating professional looking pictures.
LOTS of light....so much light, that you can't clearly define the subject in the photo!
It is pure magic!
I am tempted to post the picture I am talking about....it is completely 100% G rated.  Well, maybe we should give it a PG rating, because it is not a cartoon sketch.  And the lighting was KEY.  It looks like a professional photo.  (A fur throw as your backdrop is also an excellent prop.)  I think I should perhaps consider becoming a Boudoir Photographer.  Although that would be a really uncomfortable job for me (unless I was taking photos of Jamie Fraser)
click and scroll down to read about (and see) Jamie Fraser
If that were the case, by all means, a full time photographer I would be!!
However, I can not bring myself to throw my perfect picture on here.  This ridiculous post is getting more narcissistic by the moment.....which is the opposite of my intention.

1. If you recall....I am trying to create a screen saver...not a scandal.
2. Do you think I would even write about this if it were anything like the above painting?!

So, ladies (and gents...because I can't think of anything more entertaining than the thought of my husband actually attempting to create boudoir photos to send to me!!!) if you need to add a little more spice to your marriage, it doesn't all have to happen in the kitchen spice cabinet.
I finally decided that it was time to throw on some lipstick and go for it. (I highly recommend the chrome filter.) I was not having any luck with the 'full facial frontal'...so I tried the "half face hair hide"....and we were good to go.

Give it a try.  That is why your phone has a delete button.  Thank God.  And a crop feature.  The older I get...the more I need to crop.
Pretty soon, all my photos will look like this.

Anyway....I ended up with two options for his screen saver:

Photo 1: The "throw your hair over your face and pretend your are sexy."

Photo 2:  Reality
I decided that if I started sending my husband "sexy hair over your face" photos....he was definitely going to get the wrong idea.  I mean, come on!  I had no desire to get out of my sweat pants, shave my arm pits, or wear underwear that would ride up my ever-sagging butt.
Seriously?!  I was just making more work for myself!
So, I opted to go with photo number two...because that is the look I give him when he starts playing "footsie" with me under the table anyway.
I know men have needs....so, I pulled out the recipe for Black Bean Enchilada Casserole, and got to work.  I even got a little wild, and used medium green chilis rather than mild.  Yes...I was going to spice up his night all right!  I put the tabasco on the table too.  I am just super accommodating like that.
So there you have it.  A spicy marriage...in under 10 minutes.
As the french say...oui!  Croissaint!  Merci Beaucoup!

And yes.  I am still procrastinating.  Who comes up with a post on Boudoir photos in order to avoid writing about their "31 Days of Taking on the To-Do List?"
I can only imagine what will happen tomorrow.
Maybe we will have to talk about this.

Until then.  Happy Tuesday!!

  1. HAHA! This just made my day. (And you do NOT look old enough to have been married for 19 years!) Thanks for sharing in the 31 Days craziness!

  2. Thank you Tabitha!! And yes...next year I think there should be a category for just "RANDOM CRAZINESS"....because I have now figured out that I am incapable of writing about anything that fits into a category! xo

  3. OMG! Thank goodness I am alone in my office today as I laughed and snickered and giggled all the way through this post! ��

  4. Denise! (I tried to reply to you on my phone several times...but to no avail!) So FINALLY....THANK YOU! ;) So glad you had a good chuckle over this. At least we now know how to take the perfect sexy selfie. Or maybe not. ;)


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Sunday, May 17, 2009

Our next book - Out Stealing Horses

Hope to see everyone when we meet to discuss "Out Stealing Horses" by Per Petterson on June 26th at Priscilla's house. We'll also be selecting our next six books at this gathering.

"He is watching the news. I don’t know when I last watched the news. I did not bring a television set out here with me, and I regret it sometimes when the evenings get long, but my idea was that living alone you can soon get stuck to those flickering images and to the chair you will sit on far into the night, and then time merely passes as you let others do the moving. I do not want that. I will keep myself company."

~ Per Petterson, Out Stealing Horses

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Coming up this Friday: A Three Dog Life

See you at Christi's house at 7 p.m.

"It's easy now - it's middle-aged lady, nobody's looking, nobody notices. I go without lipstick if I feel like it, and I always wear my comfy clothes. It's a life with fewer distractions, but should something beautiful show up, a middle-aged woman is free to stare."
— Abigail Thomas (A Three Dog Life)


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Service Dog Etiquette

Mon, May 06, 2013,

Service dogs are amazing animals. It’s hard not to be in awe of them as you see them helping their masters, either by guiding them down the street or performing household tasks. Still, though, in all of our excitement for these amazing animals it’s important to maintain a proper respect for the dogs, their masters and the job they are performing. With that in mind, here are a few tips for proper service dog etiquette.

First of all, do not distract the dog. These dogs are highly focused animals with an important job to do. It’s essential that you don’t take their focus off of their master and/or the task at hand. They may be highly trained, but they are still dogs. It’s not impossible that attention from you could distract them, and put their owner in a dangerous situation.

Secondly, do not touch the dog without permission. While this is true of all dogs, it is especially true of service animals. When you get down to it, we don’t know what the job is that they are performing, and petting the dog could potentially interfere. It’s also important that you not be offended if they say no. For most people, there is an expected “yes” when you ask for permission to pet their dog, so don’t be taken aback if they inform you that you can’t pet their service dog.

Do not offer food to the dog. No matter how well trained these dogs are, they can still be tempted by food. It’s also possible that the dog could have an adverse reaction to whatever you’re offering and be out of commission for days or even weeks.

So when you see a service dog, definitely feel admiration for the amazing job that they are doing, but try to remain respectful for the fact that they are working. Be polite, be courteous, but also show proper etiquette.

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