Honestly, we are being inundated by rain. I love it! It’s not a tropical storm because it isn’t accompanied by a lot of wind.
But our paper said we got as much rain in the last two days as we got in the last 137 days!
I’m not sure that means the drought is over, but maybe. Usually we get afternoon rains during the summer and a storm like this closer to the end of summer.
But it will be nice to see green grass and full(er) ponds.
Some places are expected to get a foot of water. We’ve probably had at least 6 inches. Our pool is getting pretty high.
I managed to do all my errands around the cloud bursts. It would clear up enough for me to get in and out of the car, then it would deluge.
Hot hot hot: summer in the city, fragrances to stay cool with I keep getting refrains of songs in my head for this recap of summer scents. How about Joe Cocker! Ayala Sender of Ayala Moriel perfumes invited me to participate in today’s summer scent story. Ten...
Life is precious Children are precious, no matter what route they take to come into our families. Whatever emotional, physical or other work we do to create a family is more than worth it in the end. Laura,...
A Madame Rochas kind of day Madame Rochas was introduced in 1960. It used to be one of my favorites for spring and summer. It's a floral aldehyde, but it has more zing than Chanel No. 5. The vintage fragrance was...
Xurshat Tal Israeli nature reserve If you've been a reader of my blog for long, you know I have an affinity for trees. I find them very calming. I live in an area with very few trees, unlike my childhood,...
The joys of spring I love spring. I was out bike riding with two of my girls today and thought about how much I love spring -- and so, not in any particular order, here are 10 reasons: 1....
How to Fix a Pool Liner /caption]Swimming pools can be like an oasis against the heat in the summer, but even an oasis needs to be maintained. Owning a swimming pool...
Fishing Report: February 26, 2010 Sturgeon, Black Bass, Crab and Halibut Frank's Tract has clear water but poor fishing. Rio Vista is offering up some striped bass for trollers, but...
Drinking Water for Weight Loss There are many different things that go into a well rounded diet and weight loss plan, one of which is to drink the right amount...
Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more...
Earn Some Dough – Summer Income Ideas No matter what part of the country you live in, the arrival of summer always brings certain things with it: warm weather, bright sunshine, and...
Just when it seems like a bit of good news would be exceedingly welcomed, comes this true story (I’ve checked it with Snopes) about a woman hand feeding hummingbirds.
Isn’t it great that with the Internet we have a way to easily share these experiences that we might never hear about otherwise?!
Thanks to Cathy for sharing with me in the first place!
It’s a reminder to me that “God’s in his heaven; all’s right with the world.”
from “Pippa Passes”
The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill-side’s dew-pearled
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in his Heaven -
All’s right with the world!
Robert Browning (1812-1889)
Is it possible that in these difficult times we could trust more deeply that God will feed and clothe us, as he does the birds and the lilies? Whether we are literally in need of food, shelter, clothing, water, health, employment or any of a myriad of other needs, the most basic need is for the ideas that will lead us in the right direction and out of limitation.
Ideas are always limitless! (This goes along with the short movie I posted earlier.)
Not too long ago while pondering how I should schedule my day, though my first inclination the night before had been to get on down the road and back home, I felt it was all right to meander a bit. In doing so, I had a number of interesting conversations with strangers, some welcome time with a friend, and a bit of fashion enjoyment, including some time with perfumes.
After I’d been back on the highway for a while, an electronic sign informed me of an accident 26 miles down the road. One lane was closed. (I learned later that it had only cleared about an hour before I got there.) If I had hurried my way home, I would have been stuck for hours while they cleared the road. I was able to get past it without any lost time.
Sometimes we do not know what we or others are protected from, but this time it was apparent. And it could have been far worse, but thankfully wasn’t. On this busy stretch of road, many more could have been involved in this accident but were not.
That’s just a small example of how ideas will clear our day for us. Expect ideas today and always that will help you!
Review: The Blind Side (movie) If you haven't heard of this movie, hurry on over to your nearest theater and see it. Book Girl and I went this morning. I had heard via the grapevine that it is a wonderful...
Surprise! (Not) Your manager matters Anybody who's ever had a bad manager, knows it's true that your manager counts. Keeping up with ideas -- Do you? I like to keep up with ideas in the business world (ex-IBM'er) as well...
Discussing hope by Joan Borysenko I'm currently reading Fire in the Soul: A New Psychology of Spiritual optimism. Again, I got this from the library until I knew if I would like to own it. (I'm currently reading several of...
Review: Turn Coat by Jim Butcher, Dresden Files series Jim Butcher has another hit on his hands with his latest in the Dresden Files series, Turn Coat. Once again, Harry Dresden, the last wizard in Chicago is pitting his wits against the dark forces...
Working Replica of Noah's Ark Opens SCHAGEN, Netherlands (April 28) - The massive central door in the side of Noah's Ark was thrown open Saturday - you could say it was the first time in 4,000 years - drawing a crowd...
Contemporary Fireplace Design Ideas You have many fireplace design ideas to choose from when you're ready to add a beautiful fireplace to your home. Your final choice will depend...
Is Recession Preparing a New Breed of Survivalist? Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering...
Vampires and the Search for Humanity by Teal Ceagh, guest blogger and author of the Destiny's Trinities series. I’ve been on a marathon viewing of the second season of True Blood....
Ernie Els Wins Doral Ernie Els, commonly known as the Big Easy, took the CA Championship on Sunday at Doral, Florida. Els hasn't won a tournament in two years,...
I love spring. I was out bike riding with two of my girls today and thought about how much I love spring — and so, not in any particular order, here are 10 reasons:
1. The temperatures — so much of the year it is terribly hot here. It’s a wonderful respite to have mild weather.
2. The colors — the new greens of the grass and the budding trees, the colors of flowers.
3. Flowers and flowering trees. Some of this reminds me of spring in Michigan and the sweet alysum that my mother used to plant along the walkways — alternating years were either white or purple. Somehow I would be surprised to see them newly planted, then they would take off in profusion.
4. Scents in the air — a plus for someone who loves perfume. A friend has a beautiful purple flowering jacaranda tree — the whole area outside her home smelled of these flowers yesterday. I made her come outside to smell them — and I pulled down one of the branches to smell the flowers up close and personal. Very lush!
5. Bike riding — one of life’s pleasures. Tonight waxy yellow flowers of the plumeria trees scented the bike path.
6. Enjoying my porches. I especially love the front porch during a heavy rain. The porch is tiny, but it provides enough shelter that I am only wet with the spray in the air. I love the sounds and the smells of the rain. In earlier years I would sit on the porch during a storm with my oldest Chinese daughter who was at that time petrified of storms. She would sit on my lap, and we would see how beautiful it was, the lightening, the thunder, the rain — how it couldn’t hurt us, we were perfectly safe.
7. Birds singing.
8. Perfect weather — I know I already wrote this, but it bears repeating twice. It is such a pleasure to get out in it. It’s hard to stay inside. Yesterday we washed three cars and enjoyed doing it.
9. Listening to the frogs at night. They are currently ’singing.’
10. Newness of life reminding me of all the goodness that is on offer if we just get out in it and put ourselves in the middle of it.
FOTD Take 2 Mary Kay Spring 2009 I was working with the MK Spring 2009 Luminous Eye Colors. An earlier look using these colors is here. You can see how looks can be varied using the same color pan. In RL the...
No FOTD today, but a lotta other stuff... Today was a lovely, lazy, very busy -- oxymoron, I know -- happy, productive, fun day. I did nothing -- and everything. Meanwhile some tropical storm or other is likely sitting off the coast because...
FOTD Review: Lauren Luke Panacea81 My Sultry Blues I wish Lauren Luke all the success in the world, and I'm going to do my part in supporting her. You can read more about her at my previous post. You can see her applying...
10 reasons -- or 100 -- for loving Troll beads 10. They make you happy. 9. They are easy to transport 'cause they're small. That is, until you collect several drawers full as some aficionados have at their finger tips. 8. It's nice to be...
When only orange will do I got to thinking about the favorite summer fragrances I recently posted and realized I have a number of sweet orange fragrances which I have talked about in the past. I decided to update it....
Beautiful Scenery This is another writing gem, from Jeff Doak, Application Developer for Sprint Nextel. He currently resides in Rome, NY, and has interests in music, nature,...
101 Quotes About The Environment. Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth. ~Henry David Thoreau Environmentalists have long been fond of saying...
Silk Flower Designs Yes, take a look again. Is that bunch of lovely pink peonies artfully arranged in the clear vase in water real? Look at those calla...
I thought this was one of the most beautiful metaphors/examples of the divine spark that shines through us all. I hope you enjoy it like I did.
Karin
I got up early one morning to catch the sunrise. There had been some freezing rain overnight, which coated all the trees with ice. It was breathtakingly beautiful. As the sun rose higher and higher in the sky, the trees sparkled with that reflected light.
When I looked to the north of the house where the sun hadn’t yet hit, the trees looked so ordinary. But when I turned back to where the sun shined, the trees were extraordinarily beautiful.
To me this was a glimpse of what it means to be the reflection of God. There’s a divine dimension of life that makes us beautiful and good and kind, both inside and out. That life link with God’s light takes us beyond human limitations and lifts us into that spiritual point of view where things become possible that we didn’t think were possible…
Someone said to me years ago, “Everyone has a divine spark and it’s up to you to find it and fan the flame.” Each of us has some quality of God that’s distinctly ours, that shines through us and makes us the special individuals that we are.
26 ¶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them…
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1, KJV
Mixing up your own shimmer powder Having trouble finding the post that has your glow powder recipe. Now that I've seen how fabulous you look in full harsh sunlight, I've decided to try some, too. --Natasha Thanks, Natasha, that's a wonderful...
Taming the tiger I learned through years of parenting that usually there is one of three things behind a child's tantrum: either they need food, they need sleep or they need love. That's such a truism for life,...
Leading a colorful life Joy is a revelation of what was unknown before. Rollo May I've always been drawn to the concept of Auntie Mame. It seemed to me that she lived a colorful life, embodying many characteristics that...
The Good Samaritan and the things we must do Norris Burkes has written a wonderful column again. Sometimes, we must do things. He tells of a time when he was asked to baptize a newborn who was not expected to live. His answer, at...
Trees, part 2 "Imagine if one of these trees fell on your house," said a visitor one day, his head awkwardly tilted upward, his face screwed up like a man facing into a strong wind. "I'd rather not...
Unique Lanscaping Ideas pt 2 Here are some more unique landscaping ideas for when you are dealing with unique spaces. Landscaping for Terraces From a secluded sitting area situated near...
A Lesson In Life by Wesley Crites Life gives us many hard lessons, but the hardest one of all is the passing of a true friend. Harder still is helping load him...
Giving Thanks: What Are You Thankful For? There are a lot of things in this world that makes us sad, angry or frustrated. Sometimes you find yourself wallowing in self pity...
Travel Agency Worth I agree with the experts that a shakeout is taking place due to the current economic downturn. If you have not positioned your agency at...
Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more...
I don’t know about you, but we have had more frogs this year than I can ever remember.
These are not the tiny tree frogs that make so much noise. These are bigger garden variety frogs and in various colors. I’m not sure if these frogs are akin to the chameleons that are also everywhere.
Last night we had three on our porch, relatively small ones, but we’ve had two (that we’ve seen) granddaddy of all frogs, big ones! One was white, sitting on the white arm of a porch chair, and the other one ended up in our bedroom jumping on the curtains not too long ago, to our chagrin. It was green. I managed to catch it in our bathroom and get it outside in a towel.
And no, I did not purposely let it in by holding open the door. No, I did not. What, and let out all the air conditioning!! It is 97 degrees here. Just because I moved some back porch furniture to the front porch, through our bedroom. (My youngest daughter opened and shut the doors for me.) (Won’t do that again.)
My sister had one jump on her out by their pool.
The funniest story (so long as it didn’t happen to me) was a gf’s d-i-l had one jump on her face in the middle of the night. She woke up yelling. Her husband was trying to get her back into bed, telling her it was only a dream. But when they turned on the light, there was the culprit on their wall. She took a shower, washed her hair, washed the wall, did her sheets…the night was practically over! At least ours didn’t get up as high as our bed.
The same friend had one in her bathroom.
This morning she called with another frog story, knowing I had been blamed for the one in our bedroom. Her College Girl phoned her early this morning. She said as she was driving to class this morning, her leg felt wet, then the other leg was wet.
“Guess what was in her car,” she said to me. Yep, it was a frog. I would have run off the road, likely!
Enough already!
Interestingly, frogs are good omens representing, among other things, wealth and babies, fertility and rain, clearing negativity from an environment, honoring tears that cleanse the soul, cleansing, and the illusion of being separated when really we are together already. Possible negative: settling someone else’s quarrel and getting into the line of fire…Take your pick!
When I was waiting for our youngest daughter, I dreamed I gave birth to a frog. It woke me up. My facilitator said it was a good dream, because “in Chinese frog has the same pronounce as baby doll and small baby.” And my youngest was small when I got her.
Do you have a frog story to share? Have you had frogs like we have?
Saving a garden First off, I do not have a green thumb, but if I know what a plant needs or find the right spot for it, it grows in spite of me. I can successfully grow violets...
Review: Arbonne NutriMinC RE9 body serum and body lotion If you are looking for a miracle product, this might just be it. I first saw the picture of a woman's arms. On one arm, she used these products for 2 weeks, once a day....
Apres Vous (film) Apres Vous is a romantic comedy that takes place in Paris. The DVD is subtitled in English, at least here in America. In a way, it is similar to Ratatoille, only not animated. A lot...
Review Vitus (movie) Vitus is a charming movie, full of love, and I highly recommend it, if you have not seen it already. It is a slice of life I'd like to return to more than once. Beautifully...
50 hugs or kisses or love pats or... I'm always on the lookout for fun things to do with my kids. One of my friends had a 50th birthday not too long ago and among the decorations were a number of (black, haha)...
Kenzo Tokyo Cologne for Men Review The Kenzo Tokyo cologne represents a serene nature amidst a crazy and poetic city, and it rests in the intersection between bamboo and skyscrapers set...
Kenzo Tokyo Cologne for Men Review The Kenzo Tokyo cologne represents a serene nature amidst a crazy and poetic city, and it rests in the intersection between bamboo and skyscrapers set...
Adult Stem Cells for Heart Attack Patients Today, Tammy Henderson is riding her bicycle on the road, but less than 2 years ago, Tammy was on the road to a heart transplant...
night guy and morning guy "I never get enough sleep. I stay up late at night, cause I'm Night Guy. Night Guy wants to stay up late. 'What about getting...
I love gardens and beautiful flowers, but I have a black thumb when it comes to outdoors. I can manage violets and some other indoor plants, but outside is a complete bust. I also don’t do well in heat, so there you have it, I’m not going to spend time outside once it is hot, hot, hot.
We (college girl, dh and I) did some outside painting (I did the pick up work, no painting). Then I bought some potted plants to put in the garden area. While they all said ’sun’, come to find out, they do better in shade or filtered light, so I am moving them around to get them out of the heat of the sun.
Anyway, I can imagine what my garden would look like if I had some success. The pots will do for now. Anything in the ground (I’ve tried petunias, etc) just dry up (the water runs off.)
How about you? What do you have in your garden? I’d like flowers and fragrance — is it a surprise?
Ayala Moriel Parfums, part 2 Neither of these perfumes were chosen for me by Ayala. You understand that her choices were made based on emails and my preference test and not my presence in her shop where I could, presumably,...
100 Thing challenge What do you think, could you do it? I have to admit I've pared down some this week -- as have my kids without even being asked! -- and I've given away clothes and other...
Hot hot hot: summer in the city, fragrances to stay cool with I keep getting refrains of songs in my head for this recap of summer scents. How about Joe Cocker! Ayala Sender of Ayala Moriel perfumes invited me to participate in today’s summer scent story. Ten...
Clouds I happen to like clouds, how about you? As a child, I would lay in the grass face up looking at clouds and find pictures in them. Today, I'm more apt to just appreciate them...
Saving a garden First off, I do not have a green thumb, but if I know what a plant needs or find the right spot for it, it grows in spite of me. I can successfully grow violets...
Square Foot Gardening Plans I recently stumbled upon an interesting gardening method called square foot gardening, and decided we would give it a try. I've always thought the idea...
What is an Electric Shower? Is it Safe? Have you ever used an electric shower? For a lot of Americans, the answer is no. Electric showers are relatively uncommon in homes throughout the...
Dig It - Shake It - Do Not Break The Iris by Thomas Fryd Potted annuals, perennials, and shrubs can still be successfully transplanted, but with the approach of hot and frequently drier weather, the season...
LED Holiday Lights that You Can Install The term "Holiday Lighting" once referred only to Christmas lights, but now pertains to what has grown to be a year-round trend. The average consumer...
If you’ve been a reader of my blog for long, you know I have an affinity for trees. I find them very calming. I live in an area with very few trees, unlike my childhood, and most of the trees around me are palm trees.
I thought this was quite interesting and the first time I’d heard of it. Have you visited there?
Karin
In this issue we will travel to Xurshat Tal (???????? ???) – an enchanting nature reserve with brooks, little waterfalls, the largest swimming lake in Israel, a fishing pond, and a forest of ancient oak trees. In the spring and winter time, you may even find rare kinds of orchids and other more common flowers blooming in all the colors that were given by nature.
The winter snow and rain water that fall on the Chermon Mountain, penetrate through the mountain and break out in the form of springs underneath the mountain which form the Dan River (????? ????, naxal Dan). One of its brooks is the Tal River (????? ???, naxal Tal), that flows through the reservoir.
The Oak Forest (???????? ????????????, xurshat ha’alonim)
There are 240 Oak trees in the forest – some are 15 meters (~50 feet) tall with a 6-meter (~40 inch) circumference. Some of the trees are estimated to be 400 years old. They survived all these years due to the fact that they are considered holy to the Muslims, because Sheikh Ali was buried there.
An Arab story tells about the ten companions of Muhammad who wanted to rest by the river. They couldn’t find trees to bind their horses to, so they inserted their sticks into the ground and bound their horses to the sticks. They sat there, enjoying the cool water, drinking some good coffee and talking about their issues. When they rose to continue their trip, they found out that their sticks had become huge trees. Therefore, the Arabs called the place “the forest of the ten” (???????? ??????????, xorshat ha’asara). It is believed that all the oak trees in the area grew out of these ten holy trees.
Rescuing an Oak Tree
One of the ancient oak trees in the forest became rotten and was about to collapse. In 1984, the Botanical Department of Tel-Aviv University came to rescue the tree. They carefully removed the rotten part of the tree and filled the tree trunk with 6 tons (!) of concrete. The tree has been healing since and its bark is slowly covering the concrete. Its leaves are green and healthy and it gives much shade, beauty and comfort to the visitors. This tree may give healing inspiration to all of us.
The origin of the name:
Mount Chermon gave the inspiration for the name of the place according to the following verse from Tehilim:
Transliteration: ketal xermon sheyored, al harerey tsiyon
Translation: Like the dew of Hermon, that cometh down upon the mountains of Zion.
Xurshat Tal Song
Bless us G-d in everything
In everything we do
Bless us G-d
And bless, and bless our year
And grant grant grant
grant rain and dew
on the face of the land
on the face of the land Xurshat Tal Hebrew Online Newsletter
Waiting for spring in Michigan I remember waiting for spring in Michigan. We'd get a bit of warm weather and think winter was over, but there were always a few surprises. I got an email from a friend: You were...
FOTD Review: E.L.F. cosmetics This is a little more of a made up look than I've been wearing lately, but it is really the same amount of product. I could tweak it with a little glitter on my lips,...
One of the most beautiful places on earth One of the most beautiful places on earth is Lake Tahoe in California/Nevada. The water is so clear, it reminds me of the water at the summer cottage I visited in Finland. The water looks...
In praise of books In Praise of Books A book is a garden you can hold in your hand, An orchard you can take on your lap. A book is a companion who sleeps Only when you are asleep,...
Trees, part 3 ...a divine dimension of life I thought this was one of the most beautiful metaphors/examples of the divine spark that shines through us all. I hope you enjoy it like I did. Karin I got up early one morning to...
Del Norte Golf Course, Crescent City, CA Del Norte Golf Course is located in: Crescent City, CA Phone: 707-458-3214 Website: http://www.delnortegolf.com/rates.cfm Course History: Del Norte Golf Course is a semi-private club that...
Landscaping on a Budget Now that the weather is turning nice again, it’s time to turn your attention back to the outside of your house. Even if you’re lucky...
White-yellow flower [/caption] Neither anthurium nor orchid, I found this flower in a guava’s field of Sukaluyu village. The village located in near national park of Halimun,...
Tips for Tree Skiing Safely Tree skiing is a term that most commonly refers to skiing off of the groomed slopes as well as skiing in the trees and among...
Today was a lovely, lazy, very busy — oxymoron, I know — happy, productive, fun day. I did nothing — and everything.
Meanwhile some tropical storm or other is likely sitting off the coast because after having no rain for longer than we’d care to remember, we are getting inundated with it. No thunder; no lightening; just lots of glorious, wet weather. Good weather for ducks.
I like rain — any rain. I like the sound of it. I like the overcast nature of it — which can be overcast in one place and across the street the sun can be shining. Unlike Michigan where it would be overcast all over for days.
I like it that it breaks the heat and humidity.
The temps dropped from in the high 80s, low 90s, to the high 60s. Glorious weather.
I like the smell of rain. I look for the perfect scent of rain in a fragrance, and I’ve tried out several. Some I just like to have around to smell when I want that ozone/dirt perfect fragrance. The latest I’ve tried is Thundra — a truly lovely, interesting fragrance. I might review it tomorrow.
And I stayed in all day except for all the schlepping of the kids. The 11 yr old had a field trip today in pouring rain. I sent her off with a sweatshirt and an umbrella. She came back wet.
Night products Admission: generally I don’t take my makeup off at night. Bad Karin. But I don’t perspire, so my face is still clean. Last night was no exception, but I wanted to use the Arbonne night cream. So after I cleansed my face today — with the Arbonne samples — I put on night cream and enjoyed the day. I actually think I could apply my makeup over the top of it, but I never got to it.
When I was in my 20s, night creams were too rich and would break me out. And moisturizer alone, without something to seal it in, wasn’t moist enough. I’d wake up drier than I’d like. So, for me, my regimen has been pretty much no night products, unless I wore them in the daytime, or unless I was jump starting my face.
I don’t recommend this if you have oily skin or if it doesn’t work for you. But whatever works, works!
To buy Arbonne from Bookgirl, if you don’t have a representative, just ask.
So what did I do?
You got me, but the day flew!
No, seriously, I did a lot of beading to catch up with projects I had.
Oh! and I started a yahoogroup for serious bead addicts of Trollbeads, Pandora, Chamilia, Biagi, artisan or other beads http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Addicted2Trollbeadsandmore/ It will be a place for resources of all kinds, including shops or artists that might want to tell about themselves.
I helped my 13 yo learn to iron so her skirt would look better for school. Schlepped the kids, including waiting at the bus stop until she was picked up — and again until she was dropped off — as it was raining too hard to let her stand out there in the elements.
Talked to the Arbonne rep (hi, Sherri!). Talked to a lot of friends (you know who you are.) (I can tell Sherri will be one too.) Talked for a long time with my sister while I waited for youngest to return from her field trip. Did a bunch of adoption related stuff. Cannot ignore the horror story now going around in RL or the adoption related horror movie that will be coming out soon.
Knew I would write in my blog, if I could break away from beading long enough.
Helped BookGirl decide some things about her art work. She helped me choose between patterns of beading.
Will write another Arbonne review in a few.
Leave me a message so I know you are out there.
I’m going to enjoy the sound of the pouring rain. How about you? Do you like rain? Is it raining where you are? Do you need rain? We were parched here.
Karin
Transcultural Adoptee lives written in pencil We who have adopted transculturally in this time frame, whose children are not yet grown, or if they are, have much to learn from transcultural adoptees who have gone before us. They have walked the...
Review: Arbonne Prep and Plump lip Revised to add: Gleam Arbonne has 28 shades of lipsticks (I have 3 and ordered 2 more); $16.50 10 shades of prep and plump (I've ordered 1 to try the formula) $28 6 shades of...
Hot hot hot: summer in the city, fragrances to stay cool with I keep getting refrains of songs in my head for this recap of summer scents. How about Joe Cocker! Ayala Sender of Ayala Moriel perfumes invited me to participate in today’s summer scent story. Ten...
Review: NYX Paradise Glitter Cream Pallet NYX Glitter Pallet is available in a number of colors online from Cherry Culture or instore at Ulta. I chose the Paradise pallet because it had a good mix of colors to try the idea...
Hard truths about adoption from a 4 year old A dear friend of mine shared this story with me and has given me permission to share it. Stunned I was having fun with my younger daughter who is Chinese (barely four and not all...
How to choose the ideal foundation Who would not want the skin of a peach? The foundation is in many cases most of the diamonds, the best friend of women: a...
Guide to Fine Fragrance The more that you know about fine fragrance and everything that encompasses this topic, the better able you are going to be to choose the...
Fragrance Scent Glossary Eau de Dolce Vita - This fine fragrance was released by the Christian Dior fragrance house in the year 1998. The perfume scents and fragrance...
I enjoyed this short inspirational movie about the inspiration of nature. It is filled with hopeful quotes that will uplift your day.
One way to watch it is to keep it on your screen, but pause it when it comes to a quote you like. Then restart it after doing a few emails. Stop it again. That way your inspiration is spread out a little and it doesn’t take 4 minutes to watch at any one time.
Review: Askew by Humiecki & Graef Continuing working through my samples. This is a men's scent. And while I do wear some men's fragrances, I'm not comfortable with this one. And I might not like it on anyone I know, either....
Seeing the present moment as a sacrament Maybe, I put blinkers on, but I can't remember any miserable times in my life. I see the present moment as a sacrament. It's all about sacrament -- eating, conversing, being with friends, telling a...
Making a new lippie out of 2 or more + more I want to know what happens to lost posts in the scheme of things. I wrote this up recently and it is now in Internet Never Neverland. Here's hoping this one is as good, if...
FOTD Wednesday Arbonne + more My Arbonne order came in. I was surprised to see that I had neglected to order some of the things I definitely wanted to try, such as the foundation. That will have to be for...
Havin' a Bob Dylan kind of day Well, I've finished ripping all my CDs into the MP3 format. Whew. But it was well worth it. I even finished up my Christmas CDs so I don't have to do them next Christmas. Then,...
Stop Losses to Protect Capital You place stop loss orders with your broker to automatically close a position if its price gets to a certain level (the "stop"). Sometimes news...
Obama seeks answers on Christmas Day jetliner attack [/caption] Reporting from Honolulu - President Obama, taking time out from his Hawaiian vacation today to address the attempted terrorist attack against a jetliner on...
Money Saving Tips: 122 Ways To Trim Your Budget A while back All You Magazine offered to give away a few subscriptions to Frugal Dad readers. The rules for entering the contest were simple--leave...
Thinking of an adoptee's rejection by her APs "In every dispute between parent and child, both cannot be right, but they may be, and usually are, both wrong. It is this situation which gives family life its peculiar hysterical charm." - Isaac Rosenfeld...
The Third/or Fourth Man Factor The Third Man Factor is an interesting concept. Evidently it should be The Fourth Man Factor, but It was [Sir Ernest] Shackleton’s experience that inspired the term “Third Man factor” (although for his group it...
How to create a service environment I'd like to meet this Captain, wouldn't you! "Serve with passion," -- indeed! Here's a story to make your day happier: When I wrote the book, Customer Love, I shared this story about Captain Denny...
A little more about heroes "You don't have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things - to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals." Sir Edmund Hillary Mountaineer and Explorer, today's...
Thinkin' about forgiveness and giving up resentment I woke the other morning thinking about forgiveness and asking/praying/thinking about how to give up any resentments that were lurking around...and trying to get a handle on it. I've heard it said that forgiveness is...
Alternative Therapy Alternative Medicine- An Overview The term alternative therapy, as used in the modern Western world, encompasses any healing practice "that does not fall within the realm of conventional therapy"....
Types of Furniture Fabric If you are looking to purchase new furniture or if you are thinking about having a piece reupholstered, you will need to decide upon a...
Yesterday I drove to a nearby town (well an hour or so away) and took advantage of the drive. It makes the drive worthwhile. Additionally, I came back with just enough daylight that I could still see the area, even if shrouded in twilight.
Part of the way goes past (if I choose that way) a wetlands, just as when College Girl goes back to college, her drive takes her past a different wetlands.
In a way, they look like a prairie, full of high grass, but there are little inlets of water that can be seen, if the road is high enough, and sometimes there are reeds to give away the presence of water. On occasion you can see a tree so full of birds, it looks like flowers, but yesterday I saw no wildlife.
It soothes my soul.
One day I’d like to take an air boat ride through the area. I think it would be fascinating, if the weather would cooperate and not be too hot, and if the bugs would be at a minimum.
Karin
Picture the grasses
grown high, bending in the wind
reeds and shrubbery too.
Meet the Robinsons, movie review contains spoiler For those of you parenting adopted children this is a friend's thoughts on seeing the film with her two adopted daughters so you will have a better idea of what it entails. As I said,...
Remind someone Today, remind someone how vital it is that they are at home with you. If they live away, tell them how important it is that they have a home in your heart. Helen Ramsey There...
Life holds surprises History is a vast early warning system. Norman Cousins, 1915-1990 Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. Ralph Waldo Emerson I think these two quotations need to...
Review Kiss and Tell by Cherry Adair (Book 2) It's always fun to find a new author -- especially when they have beaucoup books already in print! Thanks to Susan for sharing the author, Cherry Adair who writes a genre I enjoy reading, romantic...
Review: Milani Glitzy Glamour Gloss I have tried four of the colors so far. Glow Girl 10 This is a light-medium orchid pink. First Class 01 A beautiful deeper pink. Puttin on the Glitz 07 Gorgeous beigy apricot with some...
Best Central Air Conditioners Choosing a new central air conditioner is often a task that waits until there is an immediate need - your air conditioning system goes out...
I received this from Beading Daily. I could not find a link, but if someone provides me with one, I will be glad to change this post. Karin
The Amazing Power of Beads
Topic: People and Events
If there was a fire threatening your home and you had only minutes to grab a few things, what would you take? One Beading Daily reader and Beadwork contributor, Cathi Tessier, knows. Cathi was one of the estimated 500,000 people recently evacuated in the southern California wildfires. As of today, Cathi has still not returned to her home–she’s not even sure yet whether there’s still a home waiting for her.–Michelle Mach, Beading Daily editor
October 23, 2007
It was Sunday, mid-morning, when my husband called.
“Quick, pack up our important stuff. We’re going to evacuate. There’s a fire close by.
I live and work for an RV park system, and as employees, we live in the resort in our motor home. Space is tight, and things must be very organized to live 24/7 in this lifestyle. My beads take up a good part of the storage areas. I peeked outside and saw a huge orange sun, smelled the thick smoke, and realized we were in big trouble. With only minutes to pack, I scrambled to sort and decide just what would fit in the trunk of our car.
Image Blocked
A couple of folders with the important documents were the first things I grabbed. For my hubby, a couple pair of undies, pj’s, and two changes of clothes. For me????? Oh boy! Big problem. Four cases of beads, needles, crimping pliers, eight jumbo spools of FireLine thread sizes 4, 6, 8 in black and also crystal. A couple of beading pads, Fiskar scissors, and oh yeah, one pair of panties, a bra, and an extra pair of jeans.
Ready to go.
Three days later, I am sitting among a sea of people in the parking lot of the local stadium, visiting with other evacuees, listening to their stories. No showers in three days, no changes of clothes, horses, dogs, kids everywhere. Tens of thousands of homeless folks, worrying about their homes, their photos, their heirlooms, their clothes. There are tears, hugs, worry, and sadness. I pop the trunk of my car and look at my stuff. My beads are all there. I open some of the boxes, and just look at them.
I ask myself, “What was I thinking? How could these beads, valued at a couple of hundred dollars mean so much to me?”
I can’t explain it. But I’ll say this. It gives me comfort to know they are there. I know that if and when we have a home to return to, I will sit at my dining table, pull out a tube of Delica beads, thread up, and make a little bracelet. It will be my “miracles happen” bracelet. A reminder that life can take a turn in a split second, and if we don’t take the time to smell the roses, or bead the bead, if we don’t follow our hearts and indulge ourselves in our passions, then we are not living.
At this writing I am safe, and while my future is unknown, I take comfort in knowing that although I don’t have my pj’s, my beads are in the trunk of my car.
Image Blocked
10 reasons -- or 100 -- for loving Troll beads 10. They make you happy. 9. They are easy to transport 'cause they're small. That is, until you collect several drawers full as some aficionados have at their finger tips. 8. It's nice to be...
Beading I enjoy beading now, better than any of the other crafts I've done or am doing. I sort of rotate with some knitting at the moment, but beading is my fun-creative-thing. Like any craft (except...
Chinese adoptive child finds her family in China I was watching one about a young boy. But the one that finds her Chinese family is a 10 yr old girl. The video is in Dutch. Scroll down the left side to: spoorloos. The...
How do you read a book? Do you read a book from the first page to the last? Do you read the ending first? Do you skip around and reread sections when you come to them again? Do you read books...
Lake House Design Considerations Buying or building a lake house for full or part-time living presents unique home design considerations. Sometimes you do not realize what those design differences...
Self Reliance Is A Lost Art I recently read an article on the Legends of Appalachia: The Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center. The Foxfire Museum is located in Mountain City, GA,...
Tips On Lending Money On Prosper 1. Don't lend money to people to get cars. Anyone with a pulse can get a loan on car. If they sell the car, wreck...
I was just sent some amazing pictures of New England with the leaves beginning to turn. They were as beautiful as anything you’d see in museums.
I miss the leaves turning and the first snows. I don’t miss the long winters or any shoveling, though I expect all that is passe now with snow and leaf blowers.
How about where you are? Are you seeing images of fall?
Contest Winner! Thank you to all who commented on my post Falling In Love- Scents And Treats For Fall! It's time to select a winner: #9 is Holly T who wrote: Lots of inspiration, thanks! I just...
Comme Une Image (Look at me) Comme Une Image is a delightful, interesting comedy of manners that won the best screenplay award at Cannes. It came into our area as part of a French Film Festival. The story centers around a...
Empowering women I sponsor a girl in Thailand through World Vision. This allows her to have a better life, I hope, and I expect I will sponsor her until she is grown. I was at a Women...
Chinese adoptive child finds her family in China I was watching one about a young boy. But the one that finds her Chinese family is a 10 yr old girl. The video is in Dutch. Scroll down the left side to: spoorloos. The...
Tom Ford Private Blend No one ever accused me of not having expensive tastes. I was able to sample these on my recent trip, and if I had a lot of money burning a hole in my pocket, I...
Choosing Snowboarding Gear Possessing the right pieces of snowboarding equipment the first time that you set out is absolutely essential to your safety and your wellbeing. The essential...
Address Block The address block contains a number of elements that you can select from the Insert Address Block dialog box. To determine the contents of the...
Review - Nikon D5000 Digital SLR [/caption] Nikon Inc. introduced the new D5000, a digital SLR camera with a host of features and capabilities that deliver superior performance and image quality...
Travel Guide:World Cup 2010 [/caption] South Africa is a large, diverse and incredibly beautiful country. The size of France and Spain combined, and roughly twice the size of Texas,...
Life In The Last Lane Life In The Last Lane by Myer Thompson Like any good writer, I did my time in the City of Angels. I went there looking...
Where I live, the leaves do not turn, but where I’m visiting, they are just beginning to turn, even though the weather is so hot, it feels like the tropics. Indian Summer, indeed!
I am enjoying looking at the trees. Every window has a new vista. And there are still plenty of flowers. A veritable feast for the eyes. Only a few trees are showing some red or gold, the rest are green as can be.
FOTD BE Rocker Star BE Rocker Star is one of my favorite sets. I had some trouble applying it this morning, working around everyone that was getting in and out of the bathroom, then I realized I forgot to...
FOTD Lancome Meow MAC I was really happy with the way this turned out and how easy it was to do. This is the first time I've used these Meow colors. I love being able to try so many...
Leading a colorful life Joy is a revelation of what was unknown before. Rollo May I've always been drawn to the concept of Auntie Mame. It seemed to me that she lived a colorful life, embodying many characteristics that...
Techniques: How to make comparisons I had to laugh when my 13 yo asked to use the Spinlash mascara last night. (My review is here.) I knew it was right before her shower. She informed me that she was trying...
Beautiful moments in time I always like a good beauty quote, and Andrea Claire had a few good ones in her interview with Makeup Junkie. You can read the full interview and learn more about Claire's makeup, hair and...
How to Fix Up Your Christmas Tree to Keep It Fresh /caption]When it comes to Christmas time, few symbols around the home are such a strong reminder of the holiday season as the Christmas tree. They...
Travel Guide:World Cup 2010 [/caption] South Africa is a large, diverse and incredibly beautiful country. The size of France and Spain combined, and roughly twice the size of Texas,...
7 Ways to Help Get Your Security Deposit Back Moving is usually stressful, but you can help yourself a little by making sure you get your security deposit back. There are a number f...
Life isn't fair, but it's still good This was an internet forward. I do not know if the attribution is correct. Enough of them hit the spot to pass them on. Karin Lessons for Life By Regina Brett The Plain Dealer, Cleveland...
He went to Paris, Jimmy Buffet lyrics This is a beautiful song, but I couldn't find a video...so here's the lyrics, minus one verse...Paris is one of the cities I love to visit. I've got extended 'family' there, because we hosted an...
Review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I loved this review from Times Online Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows By J.K. Rowling Reviewed by Alice Fordham Death and vengeance hang over this book from the outset. Readers know that this is...
Our relationships with scents I suppose one reason I like perfume is that it is somewhat ethereal if not ephemeral. It's less a tangible, something you can touch, vs. something that is felt or experienced, similar to a thought....
Behind the scenes with Lucinda Williams' album West The song Are you all right, with video from the making of the album West . Lucinda is the daughter of poet and literature professor Miller Williams who worked as a visiting professor in Mexico...
Weekly Roundup - The Enough Diet Edition Week one of the "Enough Diet" is in the books, and I'm pleased to announce as of this morning I've dropped about five pounds. I...
Paris Hilton Perfume Set Review This is a review of the Paris Hilton perfume set, an Eau de Parfum spray intended for women that was designed by Parlux Fragrances. The...
How To Get Your Ex Back After your break up you and your ex for some time had rather good relations, you met sometimes and talked with each other, but now...
4 More Top Acoustic Guitars for Beginners Purchasing a brand new acoustic guitar for a beginning player can easily become intimidating, especially if this is your first ever acoustic guitar and you...
Related Posts 
Hot hot hot: summer in the city, fragrances to stay cool with I keep getting refrains of songs in my head for this recap of summer scents. How about Joe Cocker! Ayala Sender of Ayala Moriel perfumes invited me to participate in today’s summer scent story. Ten... 
Life is precious Children are precious, no matter what route they take to come into our families. Whatever emotional, physical or other work we do to create a family is more than worth it in the end. Laura,... 
