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Saturday, November 6, 2010

The Conversationalist

Ethan, himself
The other night, Ethan was all wonderful and full of surprises.

Early in the evening we were looking for a book for him to read as he had finished “The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda” and was ready to move on.

We have about a thousand books in our apartment, but he tends to reject a lot of books out of hand, as either "boring" or "too scary to read at night."  So it is often tough to come up with something he is willing to read, if it’s not a Pokemon Adventure book, that is.

I spotted a book I had bought some time ago thinking it might be helpful to him, but he had shunned it for years. It’s a story written by a (then) 8 year old girl about her autistic brother, called “All About My Brother.”

I handed it to him with a casual “How about this one?" fully expecting scathing rejection. It had pictures and was written by a GIRL (cooties!) but he said "cool" and took it.  And readers, he read it!

And afterward he said "Mom, maybe we should write a book together about Jake."

You could have blown me over with a feather.  Lately his statements about Jacob usually begin with "Do you know why Jacob is the most annoying brother in the world, and why I hate him?"

I recovered quickly “Sure, Ethan I would really like that." And felt more than a little glowy for a while.

A little later that same evening, we had this conversation, out of the blue:

E: "Mom? Maybe I’ll get married in my 20’s"

Me: (not sure where this is coming from or leading to) "Umm, OK."

E: "My late 20’s."

Me: "Um, OK."

E: "Then I can have kids in my early 30’s and you’ll still be young enough to help take care of them."

Me: (oh, a plan) "…OK."

E: "Like when I’m 30 you’ll be (brow furrowed in mathly concentration)… 72.  That’s not too old, right?"

Me: "No, not at all."

E: "You’ll still be alive then right?  Promise?"
(Oh how I wish I could make that promise, but I’m a realist)

Me: "I would certainly hope so honey, I plan on it.  I want to be.  I really would love to be a Grandma to your kids.  But you know I can’t promise these kinds of things, right?"

E: "Yeah...  (pause)  Can I have a cookie?"

With all the Grandparents dying lately death must be on his mind.  I forget how with boys just because they're not talking about it doesn't mean it's not sitting there under the surface, hot lava bubbling away.

Later still, he started up a conversation again.

E: “Mom, what’s your favorite flower?”
(Ethan is all about the icebreaker question that comes out of nowhere.)

Me: "Well, I love all flowers so much, so I don’t have just one. But I do love hydrangeas, especially the blue-violet ones, you know that, I’m always pointing them out to you. And peonies, because they smell so lovely.  Also lilacs, definitely lilacs."

E: "How about carnations?"

Me: "They can be pretty, but they're not my favorite."

E: "I like carnations."

Me: "That's fine, we don't have to like the same things.  But Ethan, later on, when you're grown up and you like a girl?  Don't buy her carnations, they're cheap, you'll never impress her that way."
(I'm all full of useful, womanly advice)

E: "How about Daisies? Oh, wait, Daisy is a girl’s name."

Me: "That's true. There are lots of flower names that are girl’s names. Daisy... Lily... Rose... Iris... Heather... Violet..."

E: "Hey that’s a color!"

Me: "But also a flower."

E: "Did they name the color for the flower or the flower for the color?"

Me: "Good question. I would guess the flower was probably named for the color, but it could be the other way around."

E: "What about emerald?"

Me: "You mean the green color?  That's a color named for a gemstone, not a flower."

E: "But is it a name?"

Me: "No.  Well, yes.  It's not really used in English for a name, but in Spanish emerald is Esmeralda and that IS a girl's name"  (I should really shut up now, but I don't, I'm on a roll.)  "There are also lots of girls named for gemstones and jewels: Pearl... Ruby... Opal... Amber..."

E: "Oh! I know amber, there’s an amber Pokemon, it's the amber fossil Pokemon!"
(I love his frames of reference… it always all boils down to Japanimation)

Me: "OK, I didn't know that."
(I think I'm ready to end this conversation now. Bedtime rapidly approaches...)

E: "So what should I name my kids?" (Um, is there something I need to know here?) "How about Daisy and Amber for the girls?"

Me: "Why not?"

E: "Can I name my daughter Venus-Fly-Trap?"

Me: "Um I don’t think that’s a great idea, honey."

E: "Why not, it’s a flower?"

Me: "Well, it’s not a flower, really, more like a carnivorous plant.  Just plain Venus would be better, that’s a Goddess." (Because goodness knows we don't want to give his hypothetical children weird names.)

E: "But it’s a planet."

Me: "That’s right, and the planet is named for the Goddess, the Roman name for the Goddess of love and beauty, whose Greek name is Aphrodite." (Because TMI is my MO.)

E: "What about Jupiter? Boy or Girl?"

Me: "Jupiter is a boy, he's the king of the gods."

E: "I thought that was Zeus!"

Me: "The name Jupiter is Roman, that’s the same God as Zeus to the Greeks.  The Greeks created the pantheon of the Gods and the Romans borrowed them and changed their names." (Someone stop me, please, it's getting late.)

E: "How about Mars?"

Me: "Boy"

E: "Neptune?"

Me: "Boy again, God of the ocean."

E: "I thought that was Poseidon."

Me: "Roman / Greek thing again, honey."

E: "Mercury?  Hey, I know a Mercury!"

Me: "Look, except for Venus, they're all boys, OK?"

E: "That's not fair!"

Me: "I know, probably some ancient boys did the naming, what can I say?"

E: "Well, what about Earth - girl or boy? Can you name a kid Earth?"

Me: "Well, I don’t really know where name came from," (What, me admitting to not knowing something?) "but we always call the planet she, and there's this concept of Mother Earth, so I would say girl. But it's not a name."

(Oops, I had forgotten all about Eartha Kitt. Sorry, Eartha!)

E: "OK, for girls: Venus and Emerald, for the boys: Mohawk and John.  And maybe Uncle."

Me: "Um, honey, how many kids are you planning to have?" (Not that I don’t want to be a Grandma & all…)

E: "Is Rocky a boy or girl name? Can it be a girl’s name as well as a boys’s name? Because that would be awesome. I want to name my girl Rocky."

Me: "Sure" (I'm starting the "just say yes" phase of the evening)

E: "So how’s this: Speed, Lightning… and Jewel"
(He's not even waiting for my answers now, he's on fire, he's on a roll...)

E: "Oh, I know, the boys: Houdini and Marvin"
(Where does he GET this stuff?)

E: "Wait, what about middle names?  Flame Daisy for the girl, and Lightning Hank for the boy.  That way they each have one cool name and one normal name and they can decide what they want to be called."

Me: "Good thinking honey, you’re really planning ahead. But, um, don’t you think you need to grow up and go off to college and meet a woman and date her and get married before you start planning on naming your kids?  And then she is going to want some input into this process, too, you know."

E: "Uh, Huh.  How about Jupiter and Pegasus?"

Then it started getting really silly:

E: "Count Dracula?"  (Giggling.)

E: "Hand-cuffs & Underpants!"  (Much Giggling.)

But in the end, he was all sensible about some things.

E: “I know what NOT to name my kid: Evil.  That would be a bad idea.”

(Yes, dear, you are all wise like that.)

Me: "You're right, very bad idea. And now, BEDTIME!  For reals."

And finally you should know that while the earlier conversations took place in the living room, this last one took place in the bathroom, Ethan on the toilet, me perched on the tub next to the sink at the far end, thumbing through a Mimi-Boden catalog (and then frantically writing notes all over the catalog white spaces so I could quote him verbatim as everything he said got funnier and funnier).

Because sometimes it’s spooky in our low-lit bathroom at night and he needs a bit of company.

Because while I like to read on toilet, he prefers to talk.

My son is a conversationalist.

A bathroom conversationalist.

I pity his future wife.

And his future children, my grandchildren: Houdini, Uncle and Venus-Fly-Trap.

(Very long) P.S. on why this post is not like the others and giving credit where credit is due:
I am trying something new with this post.  I am trying to be flat-out funny.  For a long time I have wanted to “lighten up” things around here at The Squashed Bologna.  But it’s been kind of hard to do that, what with all the dying going on.  And then there’s Jake’s autism popping up around every corner.  But since my mother has promised to try to stick around until the boys bar mitzvahs, and with things going well at school for Jake right now, I thought it might be safe to attempt a humor piece.  Well, me being me, I had to stick in some autism and a little death stuff.  But still, for me?  We’re in fluffernutter range here.

And what made me think I could do this, what gave me the courage to step out of my comfort zone? My inspiration totally comes from two of my favorite bloggers, my blogging heroes:  Kris of “Pretty All True” and Adrienne of “No Points for Style.”

These women are writers.  Their blogs have a genuine voice.  And they both are not afraid of deep emotion and fierce thought.  They to go where their hearts, minds and souls take them.  And they are hysterically funny and totally irreverent when they chose to be, which is often.  One post will rip your heart to shreds and the next will have you peeing in your pants in hysterics.  And their willingness to go from one to the other, and of their readers to journey with them from tears to laughter made me think of the possibility: “Why not me, too?”

Kris & Adrienne are often at their funniest when they are “reporting” conversations with their husbands and kids, which is why when Ethan stared down this road the other night I immediately flashed on the idea of turning our conversation into a blog post.

So thank you, ladies, for being my bloggy mentors.  Unless this post totally fails and falls flat on its face.  Then of course, I don’t know you and you don't know me.  Wink, wink.

P.P.S. Disclosure: I have linked to the books mentioned in this post, and I am an Amazon Associate. So if you follow my book links to Amazon and buy them I get a few cents. (Yeah, I hate his politics, but B&N doesn't have this program, and I could use the few cents.)

  1. This was just the laugh and happy place I needed today after 3 hrs sleep. Terrific!
    My 8yr old likes to talk to me when he's on the toilet too. What is with that?? Although usually he's rattling off a list of the next Lego Star Wars set he wants since he reads his Lego club magazine on toilet :-)
    I'm going to check out your book suggestion on Amazon. I'm looking for Chanukkah ideas (it's so early this year!) and I think we might have the same kid :)
    thank you for the humor this morning!

  2. This was hilarious ... loved it! I'm so glad there is someone else who takes notes during their conversations with their kids, in order for a more accurate blog post later. :)

  3. Love this so much!!! When I was expecting my 3rd child, a favourite game I used to play with my older two was coming up with the maddest names possible. That's actually pretty easy in Ireland XXX

  4. You forgot an important girl's flower-name: Varda (Hebrew for Rose).

    And what about Evel Knievel?

  5. best conversations ever! I love how he wants to write a book with you!

  6. Hee! Love the names! I think it's awesome he wants to write a book with you. I think you should totally pursue that.

    p.s. I also love Kris and Adrienne, but you have your own unique voice. Don't ever underestimate the power of that.

  7. It worked, I laughed through the conversation as it sounds so very much like something that would happen in my house. I too have a Pokemon obsessed boy:) Jen

  8. I think your future grandchildren are going to be Gladiators!

  9. Thank you for sharing the conversation! It was truly funny - don't you love the things they think and say sometimes?

  10. I love your new style! You had me giggling to myself...please keep breaking out into this style every now and then!

  11. You are inspired by ME?

    That is crazy talk. I love your writing. I love your passion. I love your family and your intellectualism and your crazy hair.

    I have never met you.

    I love all of these things because of your words.

    You have a gift with words.

    And this conversation right here?

    I love this kind of post. It's a moment captured forever . . . a conversation that could not have occurred five years ago and will not occur again. So quickly he will grow and be past this silly talk.

    That you have taken this moment to pour your ambered words over that conversation? To preserve it?

    Happy sighs at your magic.

    You are lovely.

  12. I have had so many of these conversations!! I love "Venus fly trap" Your boy is great!

    Over from blog gems..always lovely to find new blogs..:)

  13. OMG I love love love it
    what a great conversation '
    Such a bright child
    ( love the plan of you taking care of the kiddos LOL )
    Too funny

  14. oh and I am here from Jen's Blog Gems
    really enjoying this particular blog spin

  15. And I've chosen a Granfather name for the time when my kids have kids - I shall be Obi Wan. None of the kids like it and I may change my mind anyway coz I reckon Mohawk is a great name :)

    PS I'm here from Blog Gems too

  16. I loved reading this again and I laughed again right the way through it. I still have a pokemon obsessed boy here and it was my first thought (again) when you mentioned them. Yay for japanimation!! Jen (thanks for joining in blog gems)

  17. Funny, Funny! Glad to have met you via the rewind! I have two sons on the Autism spectrum - I may have to get my hands on that book for my daughter (11year old). Will be following you now!

    Rachael in Austarlia x

  18. This really made me laugh, and I have a feeling when my son is older he will be just like this!

  19. The way kids minds work and the seemingly random, but strangely connected way ,they jump from subject to subject always makes me smile.

  20. Loved reading this funny! Reminded me of when I was pregnant with no. 3 eldest wanted to call him Corderoy..'cos the principal of his school was a Mr Corderoy! He was six years old at the time, my son that is.

  21. I thought you hit your funny mark! And, seriously, you are going to HAVE to stay alive as long as possible to meet Mercury, Earth and Rocky. ReallY! x

  22. LOL - I love the way the conversations go. I'm with Maxabella - how could you not be around to meet the gang? As for Venus Fly-Trap...

    Thanks for Rewinding at the Fibro!

  23. A roaring laugh! Loved it. And especially loved Venus Fly-Trap.

  24. I love this post! Found you over at the Pink Fibro.

    I must say, I'm looking forward to some birth announcements in a dozen or so years. There'll be some corkers!

I am so sorry to have to turn word verification back on, but the spam-bots have found me - yikes!


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text:
Artichoke & Olive Tapenade

artichoke pesto3

I saw this easy Mario Batali recipe on Smitten Kitchen, and since I am the Queen of Crostini, I thought I would try it.

I added garlic scapes to the mixture and it was excellent.

Here is the simple recipe:

Artichoke & Olive Tapenade:

1 garlic clove
1 cup large green pitted olives (I mixed manzanilla and kalamata, because that is what I had on hand)
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
15-ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

loaf or baguette, sliced and toasted

Place all ingredients (except for the bread) in a food processor and pulse once or twice, leaving the mixture chunky. Add your olive oil at the last second.

Spread on crostini toasts and garnish with garlic scapes or sliced green onion.

Easy and delicious!

Ciao Chow Linda said…
I love this crostini idea and the garlic scape final touches. Anything with artichokes wins me over. You'd have been proud of me over the fourth - I prepared a crostini assortment as my picnic contribution.
Unknown said…
I just picked up garlic scapes this weekend! So many ways to use them, that I've been trying to narrow them down. I love tapenade - and as I've told you before can make a meal out of nibbles like this one!
kat said…
Oh that sounds wonderful. Everyone is really stepping up with the scapes this year
Zoe said…
Anything with artichokes, Im game. Do you think it could work as a dip as well?
Don't ever abdicate, Your Highness! This is a royal appetizer!
StaceyEsq said…
What, no Hellman's as an ingredient today? Just kidding! I love the stuff, too! "Bring out the Hellman's and bring out the best!"

Can't wait to make the potato salad and the tapenade!
Anonymous said…
I have ALLL that stuff on hand! Terrific!
Wonderful idea! Sounds delicious... I think I'll try it for our backyard party next weekend! Thanks!
Karen said…
Just pour me a glass of wine and pass the plate... these look great!
I'm so excited, I just found some garlic scapes yesterday. I just love the way they look, I have them in a vase on my counter, all curly and cute! I guess I better make something with them!
Dewi said…
I still haven't tried this garlic scapes. I start to see so many blogger start to cook and blog about it.

Love this tapenade, it's simple, easy, yet delicious! Also perfect for entertaining. You always come up with delicious recipe Stacey!
Michele said…
You had me at Artichokes and then you said olives and now I'm drooling! I can't wait to try this!
Kim said…
You read my mind!! I need a recipe for olive tapenade and couldn't find one. This one sounds terrific since I love artichokes. Yummy. Now I need to decide whether I want to make or buy my baguette.
Giff said…
mmm yes, this would be great for an evening party

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© 2020 State of Arc Welding & Metalwork Ltd.


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RISC OS Products.

Below are some of our products for RISC OS machines.

A low profile interface which allows the use of PS/2 style mice on RISC OS machines which are fitted with a standard Acorn-style mouse port. See our "mice" page for mice and trackballs

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STD Standard Mouse

A quality Genius mouse, adapted for use with machines fitted with an Acorn-style mouse port using PS2MouseMini technology.

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A microprocessor-controlled switch box which enables two machines to share a keyboard, monitor and mouse. PS2MouseMini interface required for use with RISC PC machines. Please see our Switch Box pages for more information.

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Keyboard Controlled Switch : £89
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Uruguay – state monopoly on use of stem cells

(Stem Cells News image)

Currently, stem Cell research is being debated in Uruguay; this type of research has been known to be inhumane.Another project is added to the controversial law that could be adopted this year to regulate all matters relating to the conservation and use of stem cells. MPP deputy Alvaro Vega drives its nationalization.

The Frente Amplio (FA) reopened the file a bill that allows the conservation and use of newborn stem cells to cure genetic diseases.

Rep. Alvaro Vega (MPP) told El Pais that the initiative is a priority in the Health Commission, so that from the FA will promote parliamentary approval this year.

The bill for the “collection and use of human tissues and cells” must be based on that passed the Senate in 2009, during the last legislature, at the initiative of former Senator Alberto Cid. Then the project was delayed in Parliament.

The new project will maintain the express prohibition not to use human embryos to obtain stem cells. That eventual management of the embryo was controversial and sparked international criticism from the Church by colliding with the right to life. There is currently a legal vacuum regarding a possible use of surplus embryos from assisted reproduction treatment.

Nationalization. Will promote, yes, some modifications to the original text with the intention that the State has the exclusive power for the preservation of stem cells.

MaterCell is now the only private institution dedicated to the cryopreservation of stem cells from umbilical cord blood in Uruguay. This is a multinational that was installed in the country in 2005. Other companies offer mothers Uruguayan conservation of cells, but cryopreservation performed abroad.

In the previous draft provided that these companies had to notify and seek authorization from the National Institute of Donation and Transplantation (INDT), former Organ and Tissue Bank, which belongs to the Faculty of Medicine.

“One of the changes we are proposing is referred to the private bank,” Vega said in reference to MaterCell. “You have to see what we do with that. My position is that this is exclusively linked to the (former) Bank of bodies.”

He said the deputy, “to allow private participation in the conservation of stem cells is a business that exists and is legitimate but should not be in health.” He added that the Pereira Rossell, mothers have no opportunity to do the same because they have no resources for that.

Country consulted MaterCell managers, who learned by this means that the discussion was again in Parliament, and declined to comment at this time.

MaterCell Vega referred to as “a bank even without too strong scientific support for therapeutic use.” Expressed in similar terms Inés Álvarez, director of INDT: “From a therapeutic standpoint, I think it serves little or nothing because it is save for me something that maybe some time I serve,” he said.

Meanwhile, Alvarez said it is in the process of begin construction on the fifth floor of University Hospital National Bank Umbilical Cord Blood, which will be part of INDT. “The process is slow because, although given in five-year budget, there is no set amount of money for that,” Alvarez said.

The difference between a private bank and a national bank is that “the private is a depository for autologous use, ie having a specific recipient, usually within the family”, while the national bank is required for anyone to use it , “said Alvarez.

The specialist added that Mercosur Ministers of Health have recommended autologous discourage practices.

Vega’s intention is that the maintenance of stem cells takes place just at the national bank, by an anonymous donation system, as is done with human tissues and organs.

In addition, the donated stem cells may not have a personal destiny and must be framed within the Law of Organ and Tissue Donation. “Beyond that stem cells can be cryopreserved for the child who had the cord, if anyone should be able to use accurate,” said Vega.

The deputy said that the project will work in conjunction with the regulation of assisted reproduction, another issue that so far has not been legislated. According to Vega, in relation to these issues categorized as “very transcendent”, is still a discussion about health resources available in the country.

What they are, how they are obtained and what it is used

Stem cells have two important characteristics that distinguish them from other cell types. The first of these is that they are unspecialized cells that renew themselves indefinitely. The second is that under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, can be induced to become cells with special functions such as heart muscle cells or pancreas cells that produce insulin. The scientists work mainly with two classes: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells.

Embryonic stem cells from embryos obtained from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro and then donated for research purposes with informed consent from donors.

An adult stem cell is an undifferentiated cell found among differentiated cells in a tissue or an organ in the adult. You can self renew and differentiate to produce the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ. Some scientists use the term somatic stem cell instead of adult stem cell.

Research on adult stem cells began about 40 years. In the 1960’s, researchers discovered that bone marrow contains at least two kinds of stem cells: hematopoietic (form all blood cell types of the body) and marrow stromal or mesenchymal (comprising a mixed population that generates bone cells, cartilage, fat and fibrous connective tissue).

Stem cells are able to replicate almost indefinitely. They can also give rise to specialized cells through a process of differentiation.

Embryonic stem cells can become any cell type in the body because they are pluripotent. Adult stem cells are generally limited to differentiating into different cell types present in the organ of origin. Adult stem cells usually generate the same tissues of the body in which they reside.

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Tuesday, 4 May 2010

Restored my Faith.

I know its a weird title, but I can assure you that it has no bearing on my religious or political beliefs. It would take more than recent events to transform those puppies!

Basically I have short but sad story to tell. Last August I ordered a subscription to Interweave Magazine. As I am based in the UK, it didn't occur to me that I could do it directly with Interweave. I now know that I can, and have done so here (in case you are interested). At the time though, I sought a place I could subscribe and ended up using the Woolly Workshop. I had heard good things about this website and decided to use them for my subscription. This was a mistake, that was further compounded by using a debit card to pay. The payment system was Sagepay. Sagepay take no responsibility if you do not receive the goods you paid for. Using a debit card means there is no insurance when you don't receive the goods you pay for. Do you see what is coming.....?

Yup, I didn't receive my goods. Along with a large number of customers,, I was most upset to have my emails and PMs on Ravelry ignored when I tried to communicate my displeasure. Then I found a thread on Ravelry about it and we all started talking about it to each other. There were a lot of other people who had done the same thing I did. It was revealed to us that the nice lady who owned Woolly Workshop had major life difficulties and she was trying to sort out all the backlog and please could we be patient. We were.... for a long time..still nothing.

Then we received news that the owner thought she had resolved all the outstanding issues. When we tried to contact her to tell her - "er, no, you haven't" we were ignored - again. At this point, I and lots of other people just had to accept that unless we wanted to go to the small claims court, we weren't going to get our money back. This disappointed, angered and saddened me. This is the first time I have been stung in this way on the internet and I've been buying things online for many years now. I thought I was being kind and patient and I have been ignored and taken for a fool.

Then sweeping in like a saviour angel has come Natalie at The Yarn Yard. This very kind and generous individual offered to send all the people in the thread, who had no reply, some yarn. It was very nice yarn too. She was offering to add us to her Yarn Club list for the month of April. I don't think I was alone in feeling a tug of the old heart strings. The Yarn Yard has no ties to Woolly Workshop, and the two owners don't even know each other. To decide to try and recompense a group of strangers in this generous way restores my faith in human nature.

Natalie said that she wanted us to know that not all internet purchases are a bad idea, and not all internet traders will take you for a ride. I already knew that, but having such a generous gift really rammed it home for me. I think there were around 40 people in that thread that she sent yarn to. Her yarn club normally costs £15.99 per month and I have to say now I have the yarn I would be tempted to give it a go (if I had any money). As I don't have any money, I decided to tell people about this kind gesture. Call it free advertising. Just look at this beautiful yarn!

Isn't it gorgeous? It is sock yarn in 100% Superwash Merino and it is soft and silky with a scrumptious and vibrant sheen. This yarn is going to be very special to knit with, I can tell. The yarn is called Clan and is 65g, which gives 210m per skein. To buy a skein will cost you £6.99 (pretty good value in my opinion). I know this sort of sounds like an advert, but if I hadn't really really liked the yarn, I wouldn't be posting about it in such detail. Natalie Fergie deserves a round of applause for her gesture, but she also deserves custom for her great yarn. I know I will buy yarn from her in the future. Please take a look at her site and see if you fancy it too!

Just to let you know, Woolly Workshop no longer exists on the web and all emails are being bounced back. I am now a little wiser about shopping online and will never use a debit card online again. It is Paypal all the way from now on. I may have been made out of pocket, but I've learnt a valuable lesson and received some lovely yummy yarn from a nice kind lady. I guess you lose some, but you can also win some!

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Welcome to the Inspiration Page!

At St. James we have a number of programs to enlighten, edify and inspire. Please check our well-being pages for programs like yoga, reiki, feldenkrais, etc.

All are welcome to join in. Please see the calendar or call the church office for details.

Our words have impact, here are two powerful examples of prayer.

Some of our past events have included:

The Extraordinary Healing Power of Ordinary Things Healing book
Larry Dossey M.D. explores medical research that validates 14 simple sources of healing.  Together we explored the healing power of optimism, music, risk, unhappiness and nothing. This was part of the Lenten Book study.

The Emerging Christian Way
A collection of essays and articles exploring a variety of views on what it means to be a Christian and live God’s love and hope on earth here and now. This was part of the Lenten Book study

Light From Many Lamps
We began an exploration of other faiths through a series of Hot Sermon Topics, after which we had opportunities to have conversations with with Raheel Raza and her guests on moderate and progressive voices of Islam.  On the topic of Judaism, we had a wonderful conversation with Rabbi Jerry Steinberg.  This was followed up with a Home Study called Light from Many Lamps, which took us deeper into other faiths as we looked at short stories from other faith traditions along with those from the Christian Faith. Through discussing the similarities and differences we learned more about others and deepen our own faith.  This was part of the Lenten Book study

Breathing Workshop with Robin Noya, a psychotherapist and movement meditation instructor, and Margo Small, a social worker at the Hospital for Sick Children, as well as a psychotherapist in private practice and movement meditation instructor.

Practicing our Faith : A Way of Life for a Searching People by Dorothy Bass.  Through this home study we will looked at ways to deepen our relationship with God by practicing our faith in everyday life.  Bass has collected essays from key leaders from different Christian Faith backgrounds on issues such as forgiveness, honoring the body, and prayer.  More information about the book may be found at

Ashes and Snow, follow this link to a web presentation of photographer Gregory Colbert’s magnificent inspiring photographic journey through sacred moments, places and creation.

GospelAdventure! Click on the image an find stories and commentary based on various Gospel readings for families and individuals of all ages.

May you be blessed. Images and text to inspire and enlighten by Kate Nowak as part of the one million blessings in one hundred days experiment.  See her you tube video click here


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top ten reasons for belonging to the cwl

Care for Our Common Home

Care for Our Common Home has been the theme for the year 2019 as directed by His Holiness, Pope Francis. With this in mind, our Council has been actively working to do small things to help our environment. The following is the theme prayer.

1 - The CWL deepens my faith life, enhancing my spiritual journey.

2 - The CWL is a supportive sisterhood that enjoys having fun.

3 - I get to know the women in my parish community and develop

4 - I am part of the largest national organization of Catholic women.

5 - I am part of the united voice for Catholic women when representatives
     meet with the provincial and federal governments.

6 - I receive The Canadian League magazine three times per year.

7 - The CWL is the heart of the parish and works on many projects in the
     parish and community.

8 - The CWL provides an opportunity for leadership development and
     education on issues of concern.

9 - The CWL is open to women of all ages and embraces many traditions.

10 - I can attend diocesan, provincial and national conventions.

Care for Our Common Home

You continue to renew the face of the earth,
“For from the greatness and beauty of created things
Comes a corresponding perception of their Creator.”

Teach us, Lord,
As members of the Catholic Women’s League of Canada,
To become attuned to our need to protect
The beauty of our common home.

May our efforts lead us to sustain its natural order,
So that, in the words of Pope Francis,
Our heritage is never “deprived of physical contact with nature”.

Our Executive 2018-2020

Spiritual Advisor - Fr. Michael Simoes
Presdent - Barbara Barringer
President Elect - Angela Menezes
Vice President - Joane Docherty
Treasurer - Anne Marie Munden
Correspondence Secretary - Pauline Clark
Recording Secretary - Charmaine Saldanha
Spiritual Development Chair - Catherine Griffin
Organization Chair - Evelyn Wickett
Historian / Past President - Anne Marie Munden
Communictions Chair - Barbara Maj
Legislation & Resolutions - Joane Docherty
Parish Activity - Pauline Clark

Our Lady of Good Counsel

Prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel

Mary, Our Lady of Good Counsel, filled with the Holy Spirit,
you were a faithful disciple of Jesus, your Son.
Intercede with your Son for us,
that we may be faithful to our baptism, fervent in prayer, and
generous in the service we give to our sisters and brothers.

May the Spirit of the living God, who graced you with the gift
of counsel, lead us in the way of truth and love.
With the help of your prayers, may we come to rejoice forever with you
and the great company of saints in the kingdom of heaven.

St Mary Star of the Sea

Roman Catholic Church, Mississauga, Ontario

League Prayer

We humbly pray you, O God our Father, to bless the Catholic Women's League of Canada.
Bless our beloved country, our homes and families.
Send Your Holy Spirit upon us to give light to our minds and strength to our wills that we may know and fulfil Your great law of charity.
Teach us to share with others, at home and abroad, the good things You have given us.
This we ask through Our Lord Jesus Christ and the intercession of our patroness Our Lady of Good Counsel.


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Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Really Random Tuesday #58: Buddha, Books, and a Lonely Linky

Can we be a friendly blogosphere?

Please help me congratulate Elizabeth from Silver's Reviews.  She's won  Lunch with Buddha by Roland Merullo.  Congratulations, Elizabeth!

I enjoyed reading about all the road trips in the comment section of the giveaway for this book.  Thank you for sharing your personal stories!

If you didn't win this time, don't be dejected; perhaps some of the other book giveaways listed on the right side of my blog will tempt you to try your luck again.  You may also be interested in entering the $25,000 Spa Trip Sweepstakes which is part of the 7 Years Younger post

Reading wise, I'm finding it difficult to squeeze in much time for books.  I do try to savor the season, as it's over all too quickly, but I feel as if I'm neglecting my reading life presently.  The holidays are not a vacation time for me--not yet, anyway--and I haven't had enough time for reading.  We're in the middle of all the events and concerts and parties (oh, my!).  Does your reading time also suffer at the end of the year, and how do you cope with this?

Appearing on random Tuesdays, Really Random Tuesday is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of.  I often announce my book giveaway winners in these posts.  If you're inspired by this idea, "grab" the button for use on your own blog, and add your link to the Mister Linky.  This a new feature for this meme.  Please feel free to add a few of your RRT links from the past (I did) so that Mister Linky won't remain lonely for too long.  ;)

  1. Congrats, Elizabeth. Look forward to your comments about the book!

  2. Thank you, Susan.

    Silver's Reviews
    My Blog

  3. Congratulations Elizabeth! I hope we're a friendly blogosphere! I'm finding it hard to squeeze in reading time too, so I know what you mean.

  4. Congratulations to your winner! I know she will enjoy the book! I am finding it hard to read at the present moment as well. Hope I can get some good reading time in tonight!!

  5. Congrats to the winner - yes, this month should be called Run-cember - as that is all I seem to do! have a happy day Susan!

  6. Congrats Elizabeth!
    That's a pretty wreath Suko. My reading time suffers sorely this time of year. There's just too much hustle and bustle going on.

    1. Thanks, Naida! The wreath was from the school fundraiser. Please add a few of your most recent RRT posts to this linky when you have a free moment. If possible, I will add this same linky whenever I host this meme. :)

  7. I feel your pain. I'm also crimped for time as it is the end of the first semester of me being a full time instructor. This week is finals week and then I need to start prepping for next semester. With all of the kids activities added in and a trip to Michigan to visit the family for the holidays as well, and I feel like there is not much time for anything these days!

Your comments make this site lively! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I value each one, and will respond to questions.

If you're entering a giveaway, please leave your e-mail address (or a link that leads to it).

Blog header by Held Design

Some of the books reviewed here were given
to me free of charge by authors, publishers, and

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


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Super GamesAction»Misc»

Mir and Ror

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About Mir and Ror

Hop and skip Mir and his friend Ror through tiled puzzles too find their way home. Collect multi colored diamonds, avoid tiles that disappear and pick up keys to unlock sections of the board.

How to Play Mir and Ror

Arrow Pad: Move Mir and Ror

Find Similar Games to Mir and Ror

Mir and Ror Reviews

Contact Us


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vladdy you can rear your head and come into my airspace any time sorry bout that interview call me soon xoxo your neighbor s.p.

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The Esplanade Hotel2018-11-15T23:26:42+00:00

Project Description

The Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle

When it’s time to say “I do” in style, the Perth wedding venues at Esplanade Hotel Fremantle – by Rydges will provide memories of a lifetime. And the surrounding beauty of Fremantle offer some of Perth photographer’s favourite Wedding photo locations.

We design wedding packages with inclusions to meet all your needs, delivering amazing value with superb food and wine from just $99 per person.

Making a Booking

(08) 9432 4000

Venues are given a rating out of three based on their triple bottom line performance in the areas of people, planet, and pocket. We look at physical features as well as operational considerations. Below you’ll find the features of this venue that we have considered in our rating.

ACROD parking onsite or within 200m of the venue’s entrance

ACROD toilet facilities

Universal accessibility (i.e. ramps, lifts, automatic or push-button doors)

Unisex toilet facilities

Recycling of venue waste

Public transport within a 10-minute walk

Solar/wind/thermal electricity generation onsite

Low energy lighting and appliances

Rain water harvesting

E-advertising instead of paper or printed promotional materials

Sustainability education programs offered

Venue or organisation carbon offsets activities

Private Individual or Company


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Previous Schematic | Next Schematic
Schematic Details:

Skill NeededMixology III: Hard Drinks
Complexity10 - Requires Generic Crafting Tool
Schematic Size1
Resources Needed85
XP Gained160
XP Per Resource1.88
Crate Size25
Quality level High Quality
ScreenshotsNo screenshots - Add Screenshot
Server groups
Shopping List:

40 Organic
30 Cereal
15 Water Vapor
Resource List:

  1. Requires 40 units of Organic
  2. - Requires 1 Medium Food Additive (Optional)
    1. Requires 15 units of Water Vapor (Total:15)
    2. Requires 1 Medium Food Bio Component (Optional)
  3. Requires 1 Drink Container
  4. - Requires 3 identical Alcohol
    1. Requires 10 units of Cereal (Total:30)
Experimental Properties:

  • Experimental Filling
    • Filling
      Decay Resistance75%
      Overall Quality25%
  • Experimental Flavor
    • Flavor
      Overall Quality33%
  • Experimental Nutritional Value
    • Nutritional Value
      Overall Quality33%
      Potential Energy66%
  • Experimental Quantity
    • Quantity
      Decay Resistance25%
      Potential Energy75%
Additional info:

T'ssolok is an intense Twi'lek liqour that is always served in a decorative decanter. While the standing flavor of T'ssolok is not particularly good, the aftertaste is delicious. Studies have shown that those who drink this beverage are more receptive to enhancements and may experiance increased enhancement duration.

Best resources for:

Current resources:

Organic: No resource available

All resources:

Organic: No resource available

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Textbeak :: free tacos and cat piss

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The newest installment of Textbeak (and the first on Swishcotheque) follows our weirdo around rural Ohio in 4 tracks of clack-clack and pop sounds.
Continuing on the path of mushing styles from the Lovecraft release on Timetheory, he sings surreal lyrics over bopping techy electro and indulges his good old lo-fi garbled beat side.
Electronic music for paranoia, ghosts and dust pockets...

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01.27.2014 , 01:16 AM | #11
Quote: Originally Posted by HoloGrinder View Post
\You can't catch up getting 100-250 requisition every match while those you are supposed to catch up to are pulling in 1,000-2,000 requesition.
You can catch up. The amount of requisition to master a ship is finite. Once they reach it, continuing to earn more requisition does them little good.


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As always, you can contact our office to answer any questions or concerns.

A note about HealtheConnections:

Health e connections is a bridge for your medical records from our offices to your other providers such as your primary care physician.When you are asked to consent to be part of HealtheConnections we can access you labs or other medical information we need to treat you in a timely manner. It is to your benefit to join and you can rescind permission at any time

Please help us to be more efficient in helping you-Freddie L Edelman DPM-pres

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is sophisticated diagnostic equipment used to diagnose an array of health problems or conditions, including:

  • Arthritis.
  • Fractures.
  • Infections.
  • Injuries of the tendons, ligaments, or cartilage.
  • Tumors.

MRIs use no radiation like conventional X-rays or CT scans. They employ large magnet and radio waves to produce three-dimensional images. MRIs are very good at portraying soft tissues and bones in your feet and ankles.

People with the following conditions may not be good candidates for a MRI:

  • Conditions that requires a heart pacemaker.
  • Artificial heart valves.
  • Electronic inner ear implants.
  • Electronic stimulators.
  • Implanted pumps.
  • Metal fragments in eyes.
  • Surgical clips in the head (particularly aneurysm clips).

Individuals with dental fillings or bridges, a replacement hip or knee, or tubal ligation clips are generally safe to have a MRI.

In most cases, a full exam of the foot and ankle via MRI lasts between 60 and 90 minutes.


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Don’t wait for someone else to take care of the problem

Whose Turn is it?

How many times have you seen a stray animal on the road and wondered why it was there and what was going to become of it?

How many times have you thought that “someone” really should “do something” about all the half-starved, homeless cats and dogs that wander around until they perish from hunger, disease, or injury?

How often do you agonize over the number of animals that must be destroyed every year at the local shelter? These sad-eyed products of someone else’s carelessness and indifference deserve a better fate.

There are many animal shelters and many hard-working volunteers who do their best to alleviate the situation. This is good, but there is a great need for more people who will volunteer their time and energies as well.

If each one of us would be willing to spend just a couple of hours each month, the total effort would go a long way to reduce the suffering of those who are unable to help themselves.

Don’t wait for someone else to take care of the problem. Every person has something of value to contribute. Call your local shelter today and tell them you ready to do your part to improve the odds for al animals to live happy and healthy lives.

Author Profile

True Blue Animal Rescue
True Blue Animal Rescue
TBAR operates solely on donations and grants. Your generous donation goes directly to the vet care, rehabilitation, and feeding of our rescued animals. Thank you for helping us to save more lives!
Posted in Animal Care.


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Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Our Love Story

Our love story:

Our love story started way before me and Joao even knew each other like most do, just think about it sometimes you have to go through the heart break, lonely nights and dark days to know when something feels right!
Wouldn’t it be simple if it went girl meets boy, boy meets girl they fall in love and live happily ever after?

Like most people it didn’t quite go that way, I met him when I was 15 years old we met through mutual friends, at first I didn’t think anything of him if I’m totally honest  if only I knew..

The months passed and we became friends he became the person I turned to when my relationship fell apart. I guess by this point the spark was there just waiting. By October 2008 things had got more serious he was my first thought in the morning till the moment I went to bed. We spent the day texting and on the phone like most teenagers.  I remember thinking he had the brightest eyes I’ve ever seen, I could see beyond them.

Things carried on and we had many ups and downs like every relationship nothing is ever a walk in the park, we made it through hand in hand through ever single war we came out standing strong! Despite many people wanting to see us fail along the way we had something so deep I can’t even explain. We’ve been through some loss together, some I never wish on anyone. The pain feels so deep still but I know with him it’ll all be okay.

In 2010 he asked me to be his wife, I remember my heart skipped a beat I felt sick to my stomach (a good kind of sick) I just knew it was meant to be. He was my best friend and what better way than to wake up beside him daily a kiss good morning.
Two years of wedding planning, I swear when I you think you’ve been through everything together try plan a wedding. It puts your relationship through so many different emotions. (Maybe just me, I was a total bridezilla!) He made sure I had my dream wedding on 18th August 2012, I married my best friend, my rock in front of 180 people it was truly a dream come true.

When I look into his eyes I see my whole world in him. His happiness is what I live for; I can’t imagine a day without him. I miss him every second of the day were not together. Our pointless chats, our petty little arguments that mean nothing in 10 minutes time. I love him beyond words; no one will ever be able to see him through my eyes so no one will ever know how deep my love for him goes.
I took a moment today, because it’s my best friend’s birthday! And what better way to tell him I love him then to write this our love story. I’m always going to be beside you, i love you so much! You’ve bought so much happiness and love into my life.  Forever and a day.

“Juro nao te vou deixar”

Happy Birthday my love..

1 comment

  1. O post mais lindo que alguma vez podes deixar no teu blog!!

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“I Just Like Hybrid Activity”: The Matthew Thurber Interview

The 1-800-MICE creator talks about Dada, performance art, Dungeons & Dragons, making music, making money, and interning for Dame Darcy. Continue reading

You Vant, Mebbe, 39 Vays to Say ‘Imbecile’?

To paraphrase the old Levy’s rye bread ad, you don’t have to be Jewish – an observant Jew, anyway – to enjoy Yiddishkeit: Jewish Vernacular & the New Land, an anthology designed to acquaint the un- (or under-) informed with Yiddish culture. Continue reading

Creating a Personal Vernacular Canadian Design Style: The Collected Doug Wright

Book design, narrative, and an unlikely inspiration. Continue reading

Angoulême 2012: Aftermath

One of the best festivals of the past decade. Of course, some problems persist. Continue reading

Angoulême 2012: Saturday

The most eloquently curated comics show I’ve seen since the fantastic Masters of European Comics in 2001. Continue reading

Angoulême 2012: Friday

The Art Spiegelman retrospective in the Castro building is amazing. Continue reading

An Interview with Jason Karns

Jim Rugg (with a guest appearance by Ben Marra) talks to the artist behind Fukitor. Continue reading

Jack Davis in Conversation with Drew Friedman and Gary Groth

Live from Brooklyn. Continue reading


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Fairy Play Five Ways

Imaginary play is a key ingredient in any childhood and there is something just so magical about fairy play! It's enchanting, special and allows children to escape to another world. I love those opportunities when I just get to observe Miss M at play and listen to the stories and scenarios she comes up with!

Just a few simple materials can enhance a fairy play experience and there's a few different ways to go about it... So today I'm bringing you fairy play - FIVE ways.

Fairy Door

Thanks to The Fairy HQ, we were gifted this adorable fairy door for Miss M's room. It looks right at home at the base of the tree decal. She was so excited when the fairies had moved in!! We've written letters to the them via our Dear Little Designs letter box, which tied the whole experience together perfectly. (I also think her interest in Ben & Holly has been re-ignighted with all of this fairy play!) Although little brother needs to be kept out of her room while those glass pebbles are around.

Tip: apparently the fairy door can also be used as a great tool to help little ones stay in their own beds and sleep through the night!

Flower Pot Fairy Garden

This has been one my all time most popular Instagram photos ever! Our flower pot fairy garden. We painted the pebbles with glitter and pretty colours, planted a succulent (because that's the only type of plant I can keep alive!), popped in a few fake flowers too and painted some lady bugs. And yes of course there are Ben and Holly again lol.

Fairy Dough

I found this great recipe for fairy dough from Kate at Laughing Kids Learn, and knew that Miss M would love it!! The conditioner must have been the special ingredient to make it smell beautiful! Mine didn't turn out quite as good as Kate's - it was a bit dry and crumbly and I later realised that I had no conditioner left! (I'm calling it a Pinterest fail lol).

Play Dress Ups!

Photo credit - Memory Bank Photography

Photo credit - Memory Bank Photograpy

Photo credit - Jessica West Photography

This one goes without saying! Get out the dress ups, wings and wands and enjoy some real fairy play time! You could even decorate your own wands...
(As you can see my daughter loves tutus but not much else in the way of dress ups.)

Fairy Felt Board

These fairy felt story boards are fantastic! Such a calm and peaceful activity your little one can do when they need a bit of quiet time, and it would be great on the go. This one is from The Creative Toy Shop (affiliate).

Want some more ideas?

Nichole from You Clever Monkey created a gorgeous fairy garden in this post and I also love this play dough fairy world from Little Worlds Big Adventures. Once you have your basic materials, there are lots of different play possibilities.

Fairy make believe play is such a great way to exercise those little imaginations. Maybe you could try an extension by taking your little fairy to the local park?

A final thought on gender - I truly believe that boys can play with stereotypical "girls" toys and girls can play with stereotypical "boys" toys. In my opinion toys are toys, play is play and kids are kids regardless of gender. So these fairy play ideas are certainly not just specifically for girls, and I'm sure there are many ways they could be adapted to cater to your individual child's interests.

Please do let me know what you think!
Lauren xx

1 comment

  1. This post makes me want to have a daughter! Haha! I love everything about it, especially the fairy dough and the dress ups! Reminds me of when I had a fairy party when I was younger, maybe around 6 or 7?

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Thursday, 2 May 2013

HTC Windows Phone 8S Review

The design of HTC’s Windows Phone 8S (WP8S) does not deviate much from its larger sibling, the Windows Phone 8X. You still get the angular chassis with contoured sides and non-slip matte polycarbonate build, which makes for good handling.
htc Windows Phone 8S
Of course, sharing the same design principles as the WP8X means that the WP8S suffers from the same usability issues; for one thing, both the power and volume buttons lack sufﬁcient tactile feedback when pressed. On the other hand, in terms of build quality, the WP8S still comes across as one of the better devices available for the mid-range.

Dressed in a two-tone body with a choice of either Fiesta Red or Atlantic Blue, the WP8S may seem a tad too loud for the corporate world, but will ﬁnd itself at home in the hands of the younger crowd. It comes with a microSD card slot and microSIM card slot, which can be accessed by removing the bottom section cover. The WP8S comes preloaded with exclusive HTC features such as Beats Audio integration, HTC (hub) and Photo Enhancer. As a WP8 device, you can resize live tiles on the home screen, and also get access to 7GB of free SkyDrive online storage.

Despite its mediocre speciﬁcations (Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core 1GHz and 512MB RAM), we found the overall user experience to be generally snappy and smooth. Its 4-inch Super LCD display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels is adequate to meet the needs of budget consumers. Text and images look acceptable with good viewing angles and contrast.

Although HTC says the WP8S comes with 4GB of onboard storage capacity, the actual available capacity is much lesser due to part of the storage being taken up by the operating system. Fortunately, there is a microSD card slot for memory expansion. The 5-megapixel rear autofocus camera comes across as merely average. It’s not exactly spectacular, but does deliver passable images with some noticeable noise.

Compared to available Windows Phone devices, the WP8S had one of the lowest uptimes of four hours and 23 minutes in our standard battery test. Outside of our battery test, the WP8S also failed to make it through a full day; you’ll to watch your usage carefully, or carry around a rechargeable battery. The WP8S does impress with its solid build and handling, but its main competitor, Nokia Lumia 820 is able to run laps around it by offering better speciﬁcations, exclusive access to Nokia apps and better overall performance. Nonetheless, we do admit that the price tag of $418 is hard to ignore if you’re on a budget.

NETWORK: GSM 1900 /1800 / 900 / 850, HSPA 900 / 2100
PROCESSOR: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core 1GHz
DISPLAY: 4.0-inch Super LCD, 800 x 480 pixels
CAMERA: 5-megapixel rear autofocus camera / LED ﬂash
VIDEO SUPPORT: 3GP / 3G2 / MP4 / M4V / ASF / WMV 9 / WMV 10
CONNECTIVITY: Built-in GPS with A-GPS / Bluetooth 3.1 / WLAN 802.11 b/g/n
DIMENSIONS: 120.5 x 63 x 10.28mm
WEIGHT: 113g


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Friday, July 30, 2010

Keep it going, JB!

That was a tough loss for James Blake to Feliciano Lopez this evening in Los Angeles.

I assume, though, Blake must be thinking that a quarterfinal run at a tournament never felt so good. With his recent run of bad form, pretty much brought on by injury, the threat of the "R" word has popped up a lot coming from him in the past few months. He's definitely one of the veterans on tour now and his body has had some wear and tear put on it. But Blake's forehand and even-slightly diminished athleticism should be able to help him carry on for another year or two at least, provided the body holds up.

I've been a little tough on Blake over the years, mainly because I just wanted him to do even better than his stats indicated. I don't think the expectations were too high; he definitely was a threat to make a Slam final a few years ago, I feel. That time has pretty much come and gone, but he's still capable game-wise of making a run to the top 20, 25. Here's hoping the L.A. run has rejuvenated him.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Lindsay Davenport, doubles specialist?

The women have kicked off their Olympus U.S. Open Series in Stanford, Calif., this week where Samantha Stosur and Elena Dementieva are the top two seeds. Half of the quarterfinal field is set, but it's actually the doubles draw and who's in it that's caught my eye.

Two-time mom and three-time Grand Slam singles titlist Lindsay Davenport is teaming up with Liezel Huber there. She's planning on playing a lot of dubs this summer and ripped it up in World Team Tennis. I don't know her comeback intentions, but it looks like all signs are pointing toward one.

I wonder, though, if she is coming back, should she just do it as a doubles specialist. She obviously knows how to get it done when she's partnered up with someone, with a Wimbledon title already in the bag. There's just so many benefits to hitting the doubles circuit and there's so much she can do. Here's what I mean:

* Teaming up with Huber could present a combo nearly as powerful as the Williams sisters, who've shown that's the way to win doubles Slams nowadays.

* Davenport wouldn't have to commit to that ragged singles schedule: Play two or three warm-up tournaments before Slams, then the Majors and the year-end Championships, and I guarantee a couple of big pieces of hardware for the old trophy cabinet before the season's out. It would also mean more at-home time with the kids.

* The dubs is also a lot easier on the body, something I'm sure she could appreciate, even though she looks to be in great shape.

A return to dominance in a different venue is hers for the taking if she wants it.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Saturday, July 24, 2010

The magical lure of the Olympus U.S. Open Series

Folks, I've been following tennis a long time. (And you're probably thinking 40, 50 years since no one uses "Folks" anymore! I'm not that old!) I keep up with every tournament on both calendars, just as any other die-hard does.

I have to tell you, though, in all my years (there I go again with one of those aging-myself allusions) I've never been less-enthused with the post-Wimbledon clay-court swing on both tours as I'm this season.

Not to knock the efforts of the players out there fighting for points and paychecks, but I'm all about the hard-court stretch leading up to the U.S. Open, aka the Olympus U.S. Open Series. The first week's about to come to a close with the semifinals in Atlanta today featuring John Isner against Kevin Anderson and Mardy Fish taking on his homey Andy Roddick. Whoever wins the whole shebang, I'll definitely follow their results over the next few weeks, which is the premise behind all sports--developing that rooting interest.

At the not-what-it-once-was German Open, Jurgen Melzer is through to the finals, which is great: I consider myself a Melzer fan. But wouldn't it have been better to see him in Atlanta gearing up for the last Major of the season, after very decent results in his last two?

Anyway, I don't mean to sound like such an Olympus/USTA fanboy: I just think it's a really good thing going on for the game and wanted to acknowledge that--again! (Even though the last time was pretty brief!)

(Photo: Getty Images)

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Is scheduling still keeping Nikolay Davydenko from winning a Slam?

So aside from the tournament in Atlanta this week, the men are also playing at the German Open in Hamburg, where Nikolay Davydenko is the top seed and defending champ. He's still trying to work his way back into form after missing months out of the season due to injury.

But what I'm wondering is that instead of playing in Hamburg, should he be down in Atlanta gearing up for the U.S. Open? Or if getting a jump on the hard courts isn't his priority, should he just be taking off this week? Wouldn't either one of those options be better preparation for the year's final Slam? If you were to take a look at his schedule over the years, how he gets ready for Slams has always been full of question marks to me, and I can't help but think that plays a key role in him never even making a Major final, even though he's way more accomplished than peers Fernando Gonzalez, Marcos Baghdatis or Tomas Berdych otherwise.

If you look at the draws of tournaments held the week before the French or U.S. Opens, he's often the only top five player on the scene. Or he's deciding to make a comeback from injury during the worst stretch of the year for him, the grass-court season, as he did this year. Why didn't he take that time off, maybe play one of the post-Wimbledon clay events, then get in hard-court mode? It's obvious that he knows how to play on the concrete, just based on what he did at the end of last season and beginning of this one--not to mention a past appearance in the U.S. Open semifinals.

Everybody knows that Davydenko plays way more than your average top-10 pro. Keeping up that pace, though, has me a little skeptical about his chances of shedding that "Best Active Player to Never Make a Slam Final" title. (I don't know if everyone thinks of him that way, but TTA? does!)

(Photo: Getty Images)

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Hard times ahead

There are still a couple of clay-court tournaments lurking on the ATP and WTA calendars, but it's really all about the hard courts for the rest of the season.

The Olympus U.S. Open Series gets started this week in the ATL with the guys competing. Action's already gotten under way with Mardy Fish and Michael Russell among the first-round winners. Andy Roddick's the top seed there, and I would figure he has a great shot at winning the whole thing, but I guess nothing's ever guaranteed in tennis, sports, life, etc., so we'll see!

And a brief thought about that Open Series: I know it's gotten some criticism since its inception, but you know what? I'm not mad at it at all. It creates a sense of drama for tennis fans, kind of like what NASCAR does with its race to the Cup series. And even if it's not a lot of tension and intrigue it creates, at least it's some! Tennis can ALWAYS use that!

(Photo: Getty Images)

Monday, July 12, 2010

The weekend that was

You ever find yourself thinking, "Wow, a lot sure happened on the pro tours this weekend, and there wasn't even a Slam final being played"? That's where I am right now, and there was a lot that went down to provoke the old thoughts. For example:

* It was Davis Cup quarterfinal time, and tons went down in the team competition: Spain got knocked out by France (as I mentioned on my Twitter page, I think Fernando Verdasco and David Ferrer are worn down); Serbia won over Croatia in the Battle of the Balkans; David Nalbandian put on an amazing performance to lead Argentina over Russia; and the Czech Republic beat Chile (Nicolas Massu and Paul Capdeville put up horrendous performances). Each tie had those moments of intrigue I mentioned that make Davis Cup a must-see in my opinion.

* Mardy Fish won his first grass-court title in Newport this weekend, taking out Olivier Rochus. And this is something else I mentioned on my Twitter page (I guess I was a Tweeting fool this weekend!), the only U.S. men to make more grass-court finals than Fish over the past 20 years are a couple of guys named Pete Sampras and Andy Roddick. Not bad company! (By the way, that little nugget of info is a TTA? exclusive!)

* Speaking of Newport, it was Hall of Fame time as "the Woodies"--Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge--and Gigi Fernandez and Natalia Zvereva made it in. Of course they're all more than deserving, but here's the real question for you out there tennis fans: What does the Hall do about top doubles teams and players in the future? I'm sure the Bryan brothers will get in, but will Rick Leach and Jim Pugh? Ken Flach and Robert Seguso? Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez? Jacco Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis? Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor? Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic? Larissa Neiland? Helena Sukova? All are multiple Slam winners and many have held the top spot in the rankings.

Here's my solution: Create a doubles wing. Slams and top rankings are generally the criteria to mark a great player. Recognize them for their achievements, too.

* Aravene Rezai won the Swedish Open, beating Gisela Dulko. It's another clay-court title for the hard-hitting Rezai. She hits the ball HARD: Can that translate to success at a Major and a big jump in the rankings? Or does she still have a year or two left of top-15 seasoning to be done before making her move. Agnes Szavay won in Budapest over Patty Schnyder for the second year in a row. I was more intrigued there by the Alize Cornet sighting as the young Frenchwoman made the quarterfinals. I tabbed her to make a comeback at the beginning of the year--I still don't know what happened to her to slow her progress. It makes you wonder ...

Like lot of things did this past weekend.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Those winning smiles

Hey, so a wild-and-crazy Wimbledon has come and gone. Personally, I blew it on my picks, but I couldn't be happier for the two who did get the big trophies, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal. Great performances by great champions. And shout-outs to the other champs: Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner, Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova, and Cara Black and Leander Paes.

It was a fun fortnight and the perfect lead-in to the rest of the season.

(Photo: Getty Images)


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San Francisco Examiner Endorses Thea!

This morning the San Francisco Examiner gave Thea their endorsement! We are very thankful for the recognition! The Examiner calls Thea:

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Front and Center: Thea on the Cover of the SF Examiner!

Thea recently also received an endorsement from the San Francisco Bay Guardian, and the San Francisco Chronicle noted: "Thea Selby, active in numerous neighborhood causes, is an appealing voice for small business. She has a future in city politics."

Our grassroots campaign is gaining awesome momentum and now is the time to join Team Thea:

  • Like to talk on the phone? We do phone banking every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30pm to 8pm.
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Contact our A-M-A-Z-I-N-G Volunteer Coordinator Saudia today! She'lll hook you up!

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