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The kids arrived from Canada on Monday- a day late, but safe and sound. We are all very thankful that the delay only meant an extra night at home, not being stranded in an airport...
We have been keeping very busy with last-minute shopping, cooking, and outings. Today is reserved for tomorrow's preparation and lots of eating!
Yesterday the kids and I went into Denver for the day. We took the light rail in and spent a couple of hours at the 16th Street Mall. None of us had ever been there, and we enjoyed looking around, despite the wet-ish snow that fell persistently all day.
We checked out the shop at the Hard Rock Cafe, had lunch at Einstein's, and browsed (not for long enough) in the Tattered Cover's flagship store.
Then the girls and I headed up to the Buell Theatre to see "Little House on the Prairie- The Musical", starring Melissa Gilbert, while Ben stayed downtown to wander and explore.
The show was FABULOUS! All of us enjoyed it immensely! I even brought my bonnet (yes, I actually own a prairie bonnet! lol) with a Sharpie to get autographs if that was a possibility, but it wasn't. No matter. We all had a great day.
Fortunately, I kept myself pretty organized this year with everything- gifts, menus & cooking, cleaning... so though I have things to do every day, I am keeping the stress (at least the stuff I can control!) to a bare minimum. It was such a treat to be out having a fun day two days before Christmas!
Now Rich is off too, his boys are here, and Becca will arrive sometime today. It is busy and much more crowded than we are used to, but it is very cool to have everyone here together for the holidays.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
The gang's all here!
Posted by Christa Irell at 8:09 AM 2 comments
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The tree is up!
Yesterday after we got Chloe from riding, we headed over to the tree lot to choose our Christmas tree.
It's a beautiful Noble fir- so full and perfect, it's hard to believe it's real!
I helped the girls put the lights on and then they went to work decorating it- though it really didn't need much, it was gorgeous with just lights on it!
Now I need to start wrapping and filling up the space below it!
Posted by Christa Irell at 12:01 PM 0 comments
Friday, November 13, 2009
Date Night!
We went out to dinner last night to the 9th Door, a tapas restaurant in Denver. The food is just SO yummy there! We have been there before and it never disappoints. We had some lovely red wine with it and it was such a great evening. I am so lucky to have a husband who not only loves to eat, but loves to take me out.
I love any excuse to get dressed up, and we even remembered to take a couple of photos before leaving (well, Chloe took them). We used to take photos all of the time, now we hardly ever take them of ourselves. We must get back into that.
The girls stayed home because they had their outing last week, going to see Wicked with me and our neighbor, Elizabeth. That was a great show! Next will be Little House on the Prairie with Melissa Gilbert in December- Holly will get to come with us. YAY!
Posted by Christa Irell at 11:38 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Look what I did!
Today I took another class at Wild Heather, and it was SOOOOOO fun!!!
The class was called 3D Photo Imagery, and it involves printing a photo on both cotton and organza (I believe the product is called Extravorganza), then layering the two with a frame.
I chose a photo from our holiday in Portugal that you are all likely familiar with- the Templo de Diana, in Evora. I just loved our whole holiday and every photo brings back wonderful memories, so I am starting to use the photos to decorate our still mostly-bare walls in our home.
The project took less than two hours, start to finish (not counting the printing), we got to use tools to bang and staple, and best of all, I just love the way it turned out.
A BIG thanks to Heather for being so patient with me, and for helping me choose the colours of fabric. I have not developed my "artist's eye" for colour yet, and really appreciate Heather's touch. She suggested that when we do another one of these, we try out the fabrics we might want to use, to see which ones wash out the photograph and which ones make it pop out. I am only beginning to understand colour, but the more I learn and watch, the more sense it makes, the more exciting it is.
I wish the store wasn't closing, but I do understand and wish Heather all the best in the world, she is just a peach and darn inspiring to be around! Did I mention how much fun I had???!!!
I wish I knew how to photograph it so that you could see the 3D effect, but sadly, I don't. But you can see how nice it is anyway! (the off-center look is my photography, not the finished product!)
Posted by Christa Irell at 3:45 PM 0 comments
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Halloween 2009
Well, Halloween is over for another year. We got approximately 30 little ghosts and goblins at the door inside of an hour and that was it for the night. They seemed very excited about the treat bags!
It's still pretty nippy when the sun isn't out, but a lot of the 2+ feet of snow we got this week has melted away already. This is a strange place to be weather-wise sometimes... today we were wearing snow boots for the drifts and puddles and t-shirts because it was just too warm for anything else while the sun was shining! lol
Heidi, Brandon, and Chloe went out together and were gone a long time. They didn't get a whole lot; many people just don't participate in shelling out anymore. So many places do the Trick-or-Treat Street or parties, going trick-or-treating seems like it is becoming a thing of the past.
Chloe carved us another cool pumpkin (she likes the intricate designs and is very patient about doing them) thankfully- we didn't decorate outside because of the abundance of snow.
Edward Scissorhands, Lydia Dietz, and the hippie girl seemed to have a fun night anyways!
Posted by Christa Irell at 9:15 PM 0 comments
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Two snow days in a row, more snow...
Hard to believe this is OCTOBER. But it is, and here we are with a ton of snow!
They cancelled school last night, didn't even wait till the morning, as reports still predict a bunch more snow and high enough winds to blow it all around and make it nasty out.
Right now, and since Rich and I got up this morning, the snow is just lightly falling, so we will see what happens.
For now, I get another day to bake and quilt and I can't think of anything better to do in this weather!
Posted by Christa Irell at 9:30 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
First Snow Day of the 2009-2010 school year
I will add a couple of photos later- right now it is pitch black outside! Well, NOW it is later.... and here are the photos.
At 5:30 am, we got an automated call from the school board advising us of the snow day. I dragged myself out of bed to let the girls know so that they could sleep in.
There isn't actually much snow on the ground, but there is a storm warning across much of the state for today and tomorrow, so I suppose they are being cautious.
This is our third time getting snow this month. I don't mind snow, nor do I mind snow days- it just seems a little early in the
**** Wednesday evening- this just in- schools are closed tomorrow too!!! It must be some storm that they are expecting if they aren't even waiting it out till the early morning!!! ****
Posted by Christa Irell at 6:40 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wintry day in Littleton!
This is our second snowy day so far this month! The first time was a week ago Saturday (Oct. 10), and we opted out of a marching competition because of it. Over the weekend (Oct. 17) we went to a competition up in Longmont, wearing t-shirts and all of us got sunburns! Crazy weather in this state, that is for sure!
Marching season is almost finished; this Friday is State Quarter-Finals and those that move on will compete Saturday. Then it is done. Seems like we have been going non-stop on it. Of course, this year I am working in more official capacities than last year...
Chloe's band has their first concert tonight and I have heard great things about this band, so I can't wait to hear them for myself.
I am busy in my studio dyeing silk scarves, quilting my Pumpkin Pie quilt, and starting work on a self-portrait series. I am so inspired by the local shop I haunt, Wild Heather in Englewood, (http://www.wildheatherdesigns.com/) and our quilt guild, the Front Range Contemporary Quilters. (http://www.artquilters.org/). This month the featured artist was Denise Labadie, and she does incredible, realistic quilts based on photos she has taken in Ireland. You can check out what we saw here: http://labadiefiberart.com/
I just don't have enough hours in a day to accomplish all of the things I want to! I have been keeping a quilt journal though; it contains not only information and photos of what I have done, but ideas for things I want to do too. I have WAY more ideas than time or talent at this point! lol But it is fun to dream of what I want to work on next or in the future.
Here are a couple of photos I took this morning. Now I am off to bake cookies for lunches and work in my studio. It's the perfect day to stay inside and create!
Posted by Christa Irell at 8:17 AM 0 comments
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Columbine Homecoming 2009!
Short post- here are some photos of Heidi and her date, Brandon, and Heidi's friend Kim and her date, Matthew.
The girls got ready here at the house and then all of the parents showed up to take photos.
The parents left and the kids stayed here to play Beatles Rock Band since it was still early. Next on the agenda was dinner out, then onto the Homecoming dance!
By the way, the Columbine Rebels football team trounced the Arvada West Wildcats in the homecoming football game last night, 34-10. Woo hoo!
Oh. I nearly forgot. Or should I say, I TRIED to forget... lol Did you check out Heidi's shoes????
Posted by Christa Irell at 10:35 PM 0 comments
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Fall and all that!
I have to second my friend Christine's sentiments of last week- where did September go??? Today is October. Which means in just four days, my son will celebrate his 19th birthday. I9! Seems like only yesterday he was such a little boy, playing contently with his Thomas the Tank engines and friends...
September was a whirlwind, that is for sure. Of course, I have a couple of new volunteer positions that are keeping me on my toes. I am the uniform chair for the marching band at Columbine as well as the new VP of the Booster board. As we are just now in the competitive season, it has been a busy job getting everyone properly outfitted and looking spiffy!
Heidi had an exhibition up at CU in Boulder on the weekend and then the first competition this past Tuesday night. Ken Caryl middle school attended the competition to cheer Columbine on, which is a tradition. Chloe is in 7th grade, but is in the 8th grade band and so she was invited to attend as well- only she was already on the list to help, so she got to show off a bit to her friends. And anyone who knows Chloe knows how she loves that! lol
The leaves are starting to turn around here and it is lovely. We don't have the variety of colours like I am used to from Ontario, but it is nice nonetheless. I will have to remember my camera the next time I am out. We haven't had frost yet thankfully, so the garden is still growing. But the cool air is more prevalent than the warm now and fall has definitely arrived.
Posted by Christa Irell at 6:57 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Silk Scarf Party!
Yesterday I went to my first class at Wild Heather, the Silk Scarf Party. What a blast!
We started our first project with a slightly damp white (blank) silk scarf. Using Dye-Na-Flow paints with water and silk salt, we were encouraged to create on the spot, using colours that blend nicely. That one is my yellow-orange-red one.
The next technique was Shibori; we wrapped our pre-dyed scarves on a pole, tying and scrunching in increments, and then over-dying them. That one is my blue-green one.
The last technique was also Shibori, but this time our resists were tied and stitched. That is my pink-purple one.
I haven't had so much fun creating something in a long time! I think the girls and I will do a bunch as Christmas gifts- they are so fun to make and we can personalize them to the receiver.
Posted by Christa Irell at 7:43 AM 3 comments
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Another one done!
Heidi and I just got back from the orthodontist. She has had braces since July 2007 and today they came off!
I will have to search my photo archives for an OLD braces photo- but for now, here is the before and after from this morning.
Posted by Christa Irell at 11:05 AM 1 comments
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
In Full Swing!
Well, the Columbine Rebel Marching Band is off and running- or should I say marching!?!?! lol
Last Saturday was the first event they participated in, the 81st Annual Western Welcome Week Parade here in Littleton, Colorado.
They are largely a new band this year- almost HALF of the band graduated last May! The largest number of them are sophomores like Heidi, and there are some newbies of course.
They had a full week of band camp, practicing all day for three days here at the high school, then the whole group went up to Mount Evans and stayed from Saturday to Tuesday afternoon, starting to learn the show they will perform in competition this year.
I am the uniform chair this year, and so it has been a busy time, but I think the biggest part of the job is over for now. Whew!
The band sounded great in the parade, they looked good, and it is always fun to see them perform.
Heidi is playing a new instrument in MB as you can see here- she will play mellophone for marching season then return to flute for the remainder of the year. We are at a turning point with the braces too; they are due to come off soon and that will impact her playing... Heidi is the short one in the middle of the photo.
Another good thing: my friend Joan, who is in charge of the Pit Crew, is happy to put Chloe to work as well! You can see Chloe kind of tucked behind everyone, pushing the water wagon. I couldn't get a better photo, they were all walking so close together and moving at a good clip.
Posted by Christa Irell at 7:18 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Sprucing up the front
Everyone knows how much I LOVE my house. I love every single thing about it, and love to make it look inviting and pretty, both inside and out.
Many of our neighbors have been living here for many years; some have been here since the early sixties when they were just building the houses. So those neighbors have the most beautiful yards, full of big, gorgeous trees and lush perennial gardens, full of blooms and colour, and incredible landscaping. I see it, and that is what I want to see here in our yard too!
Last year, I planted perennials out front like a crazy person! I bought rose bushes in every colour (all beautifully scented of course- I can't have a rose that doesn't smell good!) and I filled the space with things I thought would give us lots of variety and colour.
It was a good plan. But I realized that plan depends a LOT on the weather. Our January and February were so mild, that the plants and trees thought it was spring and started too early. Having cold snow and ice in March and April messed the cycle up, and many of my flowers just didn't come up this year.
Being a new gardener, I have decided to wait it out another year before digging the failed plants up. I will keep my fingers crossed- I am hoping that this coming year brings more cooperative weather.
I have some vision for our front yard and am planning to do some landscaping before next spring- but I will need a little help and guidance with that... lol Rich gets a little nervous thinking about me digging up sprinkler heads and such!
So, in the interest of keeping things looking nice in the meantime, I thought I would add a few little details to the front to dress it up. I went to a little antique shop in Littleton, called Vandel Antiques. It has the most wonderful variety of things for sale, and is a terrific place to go when you need garden things! The owner, Sandy, is a friend of my next-door neighbor, and just a sweetheart. I found JUST what I was looking for!
I got a little bistro set for the front porch, a couple of small chair frames to hold flower pots, a sweet little birdbath, and a wind chime. I was so thrilled! We have a hummingbird theme going on now... lol While I was at O'Tooles, the best garden center in the city (and great supporter of the Columbine Music program), I found a daisy tree that just finished off the porch perfectly. I hung new flags (the old ones were faded after hanging outside for three years) and added some new mulch to finish things off.
Now I am content to wait; and I have a lovely place to do it!
Posted by Christa Irell at 7:21 AM 0 comments
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Day in Manitou and Colorado Springs
I forgot all about our day trip last week! Rich and the girls and I went to Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs and had a fabulous day.
Our first stop was at the cliff dwellings (here is the link: http://www.cliffdwellingsmuseum.com/)
It was cool, but we didn't spend a lot of time here- it isn't too big and it was really crowded.
Next stop was the Cave of the Winds. We LOVE caves and fancy ourselves as spelunkers... we have been to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, and Wind Cave in South Dakota before this. Here is the link for the Cave of the Winds: (http://www.caveofthewinds.com/)
The tour was fun and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves seeing the underground world.
We hadn't eaten and it was mid-afternoon, so we stopped and had a bite to eat before heading over to the Garden of the Gods.
I had seen a brochure of The Garden of the Gods- but was astounded at the size of these monumental rocks! I guess I thought they were much smaller. Here is the link for that: (http://www.gardenofgods.com/home/index.cfm)
We got lots of wonderful photos despite the rain at the start of our visit- and we need to go back and spend a half a day doing the park properly. We didn't have a lot of time because the girls had a babysitting job that evening.
For the time being, enjoy the photos here and check out the websites for more information if you want. Now- doesn't any of this make anyone want to come and visit me here in Colorado???
Posted by Christa Irell at 12:21 PM 0 comments
Labels: Cave of the Winds, cliff dwellings, Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs
Saturday, July 25, 2009
My newest art quilt
I have finally finished my art quilt! I had it done in time for my Art Critique Group last week- they had seen it in progress and had made some suggestions. I took one of the suggestions and it did improve the overall look.
But this concept and its construction was something that I had come up with a few months back. I have been keeping an inspirations journal for my quilting; every time I have a thought or idea, I make notes and sketches.
Now the weird part is that even though this finished wall hanging is somewhat what I first imagined, it is quite different overall. I did step by step, leaving it hung up on my design wall in between. Sometimes an idea of what to do next just came to me, other times I took ideas from other quilts I saw at the guild or in a magazine- not exactly of course. Just that seeing others' work helps me to imagine more widely what I could do in my own work.
This piece is called "Reborn" and is full of symbolism, which I love. I played with textures and machine quilting, there is a little embroidery and beading, and most of all, I let myself out of the pattern box and into the unknown territory of my imagination.
There is already another work in progress on my design wall, and I have been making notes like mad this week! Of course, this has been a big week, with the Front Range Contemporary Quilters Guild meeting, our Art Critique Group, and then our ATC trading group just this morning. (More on that later). LOTS of creativity and exceptional talent being shared with some brilliant techniques I can't wait to try...
Posted by Christa Irell at 11:54 AM 3 comments
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Storm in Littleton
Well, after an unusually rainy period here in Colorado, we have finally joined the ranks of those in this state and many other places as well, who have been hit by freak hailstorms this summer.
We have enjoyed the rain, it has been really good for the vegetable and flower gardens, and it has made everything so nice and green. A few of the rainstorms have been hard ones, forcing the plants to bend over in submission.
However, last night's hailstorm not only bent the plants, but beat some of them to shreds! I guess some things might recover from the barrage of wind and ice pellets, but there are some poor plants that will not. It's a little sad- all that time and work, now just pummeled into the ground. You can see in the photos here; the amount of ice that was coming down last night, the melon plant ripped apart, and the amount of ice still in the garden this morning.
That will teach me! I hadn't even taken any photos of my little backyard garden yet; every time I went out there to work proved a longer job than I first counted on and by the time I finished and got cleaned up, I didn't go back out. Now I have no proof or satisfaction of seeing what my labours first brought me.
Now we wait for things to warm up and dry out. Then I can see what- if any- damage control I can do on my end. We can't control the weather and so lamenting about it won't help. I am very thankful that the only damage we incurred was to the veggies- with the hail and 60 mph winds, some people around the area lost power, had trees come down, or had damage to their homes.
Posted by Christa Irell at 8:54 AM 0 comments
Friday, July 17, 2009
Well, I came as close to a lifelong idol of mine last night as I guess I will ever be.
Rich and I went to the Denver Botanical Gardens and saw Joan Baez in concert. JOAN BAEZ!!!
I have listened to her and loved her and her music as far back as I remember listening to music... in fact, her album, The First Ten Years, is the one I remember from when I was around 3 or 4 years old. It's the first music I remember listening to and knowing.
And so it feels like it has always been a part of me somehow.
And of course, way back, when Rich and I were first getting to know one another, he sent me a CD in the mail- Joan Baez. The CD was Any Day Now- Baez sings Dylan. In his note accompanying the CD Rich wrote: "... it doesn't get any better than this". And he is so right.
There was a HUGE line to get in and so we ended up having to see Joan mostly from the back (that is a dumb setup if you ask me), but we were pretty close and she was great about turning around occasionally and acknowledging us back there... ;)
Her band is great, and I feel lucky to have seen her son, Gabriel Harris, on stage with her too. What a treat! They did a good mix of old and new stuff. Joan didn't take a break at all, instead performing just with her guitar during the time the band took a break. First she sang "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" for Odetta, and she talked about meeting Odetta for the first time. Joan's voice is just as beautiful and strong as it always was.
She spoke about and sang for the people in Iran who are on the cusp of great change. Joan is still speaking out for those who need extra voices and it is amazing to think of what she has done in her lifetime, both through her music and her actions.
Later, she sang a Dylan song, Don't Think Twice, It's Alright- and did a PERFECT Dylan imitation towards the end of the song, it was so cool and fun.
She is just a tiny thing, not too tall, slim, elegantly dressed- and she has this light about her. I was honestly just in awe, being in her presence. When she smiled, you could just see her glow.
The tickets had clearly stated that there were to be NO photos or video and so I didn't bring a camera. But people were taking photos all over the place and they weren't stopped by anyone. So I did attempt to get a couple on my phone. They are poor quality, but better than nothing I suppose.
When I got home, I hastily did a sketch in my quilt journal and wrote down some details I will need- seeing her, a wall hanging came to my mind. I have to document this momentous occasion!
I never in a million years thought I would get an opportunity such as this- and seeing this wonderful woman in concert was definitely something that was a dream come true for me.
Posted by Christa Irell at 7:56 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Last night, my friend Elizabeth and I went to see the musical, "Quilters" at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. We just LOVED every minute of the show and I am SO happy I didn't miss out seeing it!
This play originated in Denver more than 25 years ago and has enjoyed great successes. There is a synopsis of the play on the Denver Center for the Performing Arts website: (here is the link in case you want to check it out: http://www.denvercenter.org/shows-and-events/Shows/Quilters/Synopsis.aspx)
Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love that particular period in history and I have read many books about it. But I still learned things, and these actresses really brought the joy and the sorrow of that time to life. I cried when they did- and felt the happiness they showed over the little things.
I think the hardest part of pioneering women's lives must have been children. Miscarriage and still births were common, but more dangerous was the sheer number of pregnancies most women endured in their lifetimes. I knew that these women must have felt- but had never read about in any detail- the fear and struggle over getting pregnant yet again, the worry they had of not surviving another pregnancy or birth, and leaving behind many helpless children. Some risked asking a doctor to help them- some resorted to homemade folk remedies to terminate the pregnancies. How horrible it must have been to know that you are expecting another mouth to feed when maybe you can't feed the ones already around your dinner table, or knowing that the last time around you nearly didn't survive, or were laid up for a long time, putting much stress and strain on your husband and family, but having no choice whatsoever in the matter.
Hands down, the best part of not only this play, but of pioneering women, was their spirit. Life was unfair and hard and sometimes downright cruel, but they endured. Not only did they brave through it all, but they managed to do it with a fierce spirit and joyful heart, creating homes for their families and art through the quilts that told the stories of their lives.
Made me want to come home and go straight into my quilt studio!!!
Posted by Christa Irell at 7:00 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Catching up
We have been home from Portugal for 3 full days now, and I am finally feeling myself again.
Traveling overseas is very tiring! It took us 19 hours to get there and 24 hours to get back- that is real hours, not time change stuff. That time zone thing is very strange. No matter how I look at it, it mixes me up. I understand it in principle, just not beyond that.
We did as suggested and tried to assimilate our schedules to where we were/are as quickly as possible and I think that was good. We were able to fully enjoy our two weeks in Portugal- and we had the weekend at home to get back into the swing of things slowly before Rich had to go to work.
Yesterday I spent almost all day outside, weeding my vegetable garden, cleaning the patio, trimming hedges, and preparing another bed for planting- I am hoping this will work as a perennial herb garden... we shall see.
I will have to take some photos of my little garden today. I know that the soil has not been amended enough to yield anything beyond a few dinners here and there, but I will work on that this fall now that I have figured a few things out.
For today, here are a few vacation photos. The top photo is me at the highest point of a Moorish Castle in Sintra, with the Palacio Nacional da Pena in the background (we went there next); the middle photo is Rich and me at the Roman ruins in Conimbriga; the third photo is a view from the top of the castle we stayed in our first night, in Obidos. It was a fantastic trip!
I have started a new blog about our trip if you would like to see a few more pictures, the link is: http://happytravelergurl.blogspot.com/
It was hard to choose just ten photos of each day- we did and saw so much- and I took more than 2300 photos. I am currently trying to figure out what to do with them all... lol
Posted by Christa Irell at 7:48 AM 1 comments
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Small update from Portugal!
Look where we are tonight!!!
Can't seem to upload much, our Internet connections are not like at home- but I will do a blog about this wonderful trip when we get home!
Posted by Christa Irell at 3:42 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Now I understand what John Denver meant...
I have honestly felt like my life has turned into a John Denver song; I could quote you so many things from his songs that describe my new reality... but I digress.
After leaving the Pawnee Buttes, resolving to return properly equipped for a great hike, we stopped and had dinner in Fort Morgan.
We opted to take the scenic drive west home instead of highway the whole time. And boy, oh boy, what a drive it was.
In the song "Rocky Mountain High", John Denver says this: The Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I've seen it raining fire in the sky...
Well, if these sunset photos didn't show exactly that, I don't know what would. It had been a drizzly sort of day, so as we drove into the sunset, there were clouds in the sky with the light burning through. I have to tell you, it was an awe-inspiring sight. I know the photos at this size don't do it justice, but if you can view them larger, you might see what I mean. Especially the bottom photo. I am planning to enlarge this for our wall- it really looked like fire.
And now I know what John Denver meant. In more ways than one.
p.s. I will post the rest of the photos in an album on Webshots and my fb page
Posted by Christa Irell at 4:44 PM 1 comments
Pawnee National Grasslands
A couple of Sundays ago, Rich, Chloe, and I went for a drive; Rich wanted to see Pawnee National Grasslands. Well, it was miles and miles of flat, and no houses for as far as you could see (and that was pretty far) in any direction.
We finally saw a small sign for it and turned onto a dirt road, where we drove for miles and miles more of flat- though along this route we saw the weird sight of leaning power lines... the only explanation we could come up with was that they are being replaced by the straight up ones. Who knows? But it was very startling.
We also saw three missile stations- I guess that is a good place for them, way out in the middle of nowhere.
At some point we saw a sign that said: Pawnee Buttes. Rich told me buttes are small rock formations, kind of like mesas, but smaller. I don't even know how far we drove before we saw them... a LONG way, according to Chloe!
FINALLY we saw them, and it was well worth the drive. Turns out there are some nice hiking trails there, which we weren't prepared for, but we are planning to go back.
While Rich checked the grass for birds' nests, I took the opportunity to take some close up photos of little flowers, and of course a bunch of the buttes.
Colorado is a very beautiful state.
Posted by Christa Irell at 4:36 PM 1 comments
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The kids have arrived!
Yesterday morning, Heidi and Chloe left for Ontario. As Heidi is 15, they are old enough to fly together without anyone else and so they did.
I heard tell of a minor fiasco in Chicago; the girls inadvertently passed their seats while boarding the plane and had to fight the "traffic" going back the other way... only to sit in the wrong seats still and have to move! LOL That was the worst of what happened to them, so that is pretty darn good!
They didn't get to Holly's till quite late in the evening but as Holly's and Heidi's birthdays just passed, they made time before bed to do birthday presents.
Our presents to Holly were a pair of hot pink Doc Martens and a psychology dictionary. The girls each got Holly a MLP tin lunch box- inside of one was a cupcake/muffin t-shirt and inside the other was a pair of cupcake tea towels which Holly says are too cute to use as tea towels!
Holly got Heidi an LA Ink book signed by Cat VonDee (no idea if I spelled that right and not being a fan... well, I don't much care). But Heidi is a huge fan and was quite thrilled by the gift. Sigh. I just don't get tattoos and I never will.
Anyway, here are a few photos that they took at Holly's last night. I told Heidi and Chloe that they need to post things on their blogs too, so I can follow along. We will see if they do...
Posted by Christa Irell at 7:22 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Chloe's Continuation
Not GRADUATION because they are just "continuing" on- but a ceremony because they have to change schools.
Chloe has finished elementary school with straight "A"s and I am so proud! I have really seen her grow by leaps and bounds in every way this year. I know she is nervous about going to middle school, but I think she will positively thrive in the environment. Being the youngest, she has never cared for being treated like a baby and has always tried to prove her capability in whatever way she can. That is why I think middle school will be right up her alley! lol
Here are a few photos we took last night- check out the neon green leggings! Chloe also likes to make a statement whenever possible... lol
Posted by Christa Irell at 8:09 AM 1 comments


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U.S.-UAE: Viewing Each Other
As part of their work examining the East- West divide, my students at New York University's Abu Dhabi campus designed a survey to be administered in the U.S. and an Arab country in order to better understand how Americans and people in the Arab World understand themselves and each other. Last year we examined the perceptions that Americans and Egyptians had of each other. This year we focused our study on the U.S. and the UAE. The survey, conducted on-line by jzanalytics, a New York-based polling company, found a striking gap in understanding between the two peoples.
There were a few caveats that had to be considered in conducting these two surveys and in evaluating the results. Both countries have near universal internet penetration and jzanalytics' extensive work in conducting on-line surveys in the US has demonstrated that this approach can provide an accurate measure of U.S. public opinion. But because we have not yet tested the reliability of on-line methodology in the UAE, we cannot be as certain about the accuracy of our results in that country. And given the enormous diversity of the population in the UAE, where Emirati citizens represent only about 20% of the overall population, the results for the UAE, of necessity, represent all residents in the country, including its large non-Emirati Arab and Asian communities. Nevertheless, even with these considerations, the findings of the two surveys can provide a useful measure of the different perceptions both societies have of each other.
Firstly, while residents of the UAE demonstrate very favorable attitudes toward the U.S. (a 64% positive rating), only 19% of Americans have a positive view of the UAE. Thirty-eight percent of Americans give the UAE a negative rating, while a substantial 43% say they are "not sure" and "do not know enough" about the country. In a pattern that repeats throughout the survey findings, African Americans have significantly more favorable attitudes (almost 3 to 1 favorable) while a majority of women report being "not sure". It is also important to note that while there is a very high percentage of Americans who say they are "not sure" or "do not have enough information" to give an assessment about the UAE, that doesn't appear to stop them from making negative assessments about the culture and values of the UAE.
Fifty-one percent of the UAE residents agree that the U.S. is an ally or friend of the UAE, while only 14% of Americans feel that the same can be said about the UAE. At the same time, one-third of Americans describe the UAE as a "country with whom we do business, but not a friend" and another 38% say they are "not sure".
When asked to describe which society is "more respectful of the rights of others" and in which society is it "more possible to enjoy life" 60% of Americans chose the U.S., while in both instances, a plurality of residents of the UAE chose the UAE. Again, 64% of Americans feel that the U.S. is "more generous", while 57% of people in the UAE say that the UAE is the more generous country.
There are some areas where American attitudes appear to be less certain. When asked which country is "more violent", 67% in the Emirates say the U.S. is more violent country, but only 39% of Americans point to the UAE as being more violent. And again, while 75% of people in the UAE say that UAE is "more respectful of families and traditions", only 38% of Americans say that the U.S. leads in this area.
The bottom line is that while Americans appear to be supremely confident in their cultural superiority as the society that is more generous and more respectful of individual rights, they are less sure about whether their society is less violent and more respectful of families, tradition, religion and values.
Other real differences appear when residents in both countries are asked to identify "the most important aspect of living in your country" and "what do you expect from the government" in your country? Fifty-five percent of Americans point to "the freedom to live life as I choose" as the most import aspect of living in the U.S., with "economic opportunity" receiving 13%,"freedom of religion", receiving 11%, and other options like "respect for diversity" and "our history and culture" each receiving only scant mention. In the UAE, on the other hand, a plurality of 40% point to "economic opportunity" as the most important aspect of life in that country, followed by 21% who identify the "freedom to live life as I choose" and 14% saying "respect for diversity".
Forty-one percent of Americans say that "protecting my rights and freedoms" is what they most expect from government, with between 16% to 13% choosing "keeping me safe", "providing needed services", and "providing economic opportunity". On the other side, what 31% of residents in the UAE "most expect from government" is "keeping me safe", followed by 27% who point to "protecting my rights and freedoms" and 22% who say that "providing economic opportunity" is the most important thing government does for them.
What we can conclude is that there appears to be a real gap in perception and understanding between people in the UAE and the U.S., with Americans not fully appreciating or reciprocating the favorable feelings residents in the UAE have toward the U.S. Nor do Americans fully understand how positively people in the UAE feel about the culture of the country or the quality of life and opportunities provided for them by the government in the UAE. Washington Watch is a weekly column written by AAI President James Zogby, author of Arab Voices: What They Are Saying to Us, and Why it Matters, a book that brings into stark relief the myths, assumptions, and biases that hold us back from understanding the people of the Arab world.
The views expressed within this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Arab American Institute. We invite you to share your views on the topics addressed within Dr. Zogby's weekly Washington Watch by emailing email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Designed by Matteo Thun & Partners, DuraStyle displays pure and simple lines, and blends harmoniously into virtually all bathroom surroundings.Details
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I need to use the program topdrawer.
There is only a 32 bit version of topdrawer available, so according to their wiki I need to install ia32-libs to use it. However, when I try
sudo apt-get install ia32-libs
I get the following error message:
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
ia32-libs : Depends: ia32-libs-multiarch but it is not installable
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
I've tried to install ia32-libs-multiarch as well, but I get:
E: Package 'ia32-libs-multiarch' has no installation candidate
Please bear in mind I am quite new to linux - I only installed it a few months ago so that I could use Madgraph, which is what I now need topdrawer for.


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Choice of programmes to suit your business needs
We have a range of partner programmes designed to help our resellers and authorised distributors maximise sales and grow their business.
We have also created a new type of programme designed to help support selected specialised resellers.


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Kevlacat Catamarans
Kevlacat Australia constructs a range of Kevlacat powered catamarans from its factory at Kawana on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
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May-11-09 DCA & HMFA Welcome New Brunswick to Live Where You Work Homebuyer Program
DCA & HMFA Welcome New Brunswick to Live Where You Work Homebuyer Program
NEW BRUNSWICK - New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill today joined Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Joseph Doria and New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) Executive Director Marge Della Vecchia at Fulton Square, a new residential development at Remsen Avenue and Hickory Drive, to announce that New Brunswick is the newest member of the Live Where You Work Program. The city is the 12th municipality to partner with HMFA on the program.
"Live Where You Work is an important component in meeting Governor Corzine's goal of providing hardworking New Jersey residents with quality housing in good neighborhoods," said Commissioner Doria. "This program supports the American Dream of home ownership. I thank Mayor Cahill and New Brunswick for their commitment to the city's residents and I encourage more municipalities to join the effort."
The Live Where You Work Program is a workforce housing initiative that provides low-interest, fixed rate mortgage loans to homebuyers purchasing homes in towns where they are employed. Other benefits include down payment and closing cost assistance for the purchase of a home within Smart Growth Areas and flexible underwriting criteria for the loan qualification process. Homes must be located in a municipality that has become a Live Where You Work partner with HMFA. The Live Where You Work initiative strives to revitalize and build sustainable communities that will provide a greener environment, access to alternative transportation and affordable housing opportunities for residents.
"We are pleased to have New Brunswick as one of our LWYW communities," said HMFA Executive Director Marge Della Vecchia. "With its central location and proximity to employment centers located here, it is a real opportunity for local residents to become homeowners at a time when we want to support homeownership."
As a result of this partnership, people working in New Brunswick who are interested in buying a home in the city will be able to take advantage of the Live Where You Work program incentives. Live Where You Work is administered by the HMFA, a DCA affiliate. Trenton, Jersey City, Woodbridge, Elizabeth, Atlantic City, Rahway, Morristown, Evesham, Neptune Township, Bayonne and Carteret are all taking part in the program.
"New Brunswick residents enjoy a wide assortment of parks, stores, and restaurants, our Cultural District that is home to three theatres, new public schools, unparallel cultural diversity and access to multiple forms of public transportation," Mayor Cahill said. "This program will make it easier for the growing number of people who are already choosing to work in our great city to free themselves from their daily commute and live in New Brunswick."
To learn about how to get a Live Where You Work mortgage, please call 1-800-NJHOUSE. For more information about how municipalities can join Live Where You Work, please call 609-278-7478. Or, you can visit the Live Where You Work website at www.livewhereyouwork.nj.gov.


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The U.S. track and field championships were the highlight of the week in racing, and the men's and women's distance races told very different stories. On the women's side, favorites asserted themselves by jumping out to early leads, mostly with positive results, as runners like Alysia Montano, Molly Huddle, and Shalane Flanagan simply outclassed the rest of the runners in their races with front-running tactics. The men's races, meanwhile, were relatively slower affairs that ended with frantic kicks to the finish and some surprising upsets. We review the distance action from the championships here, and finish with recaps from a few more of the best races from around the world.
USA Track and Field Championships – Eugene, Ore.
After almost all the usual suspects qualified relatively easily for the men's final – the only real casualty being UCLAs Cory Primm – the stage was set for a showdown between NCAA stars Charles Jock and Robby Andrews and established pros Khadevis Robinson and defending champion Nick Symmonds. But Andrews, who won a thrilling NCAA final in Des Moines, was flat for this race, leaving Nick Symmonds to assume the role of most feared finisher in the race. Symmonds made it for US titles in a row, storming past a front-running Jock, who wound up third in 1:44.49, and a resurgent Robinson, who kicked to a 1:44.49. Symmonds' finishing time was 1:44.17, a huge improvement over the 1:46 he ran in Eugene at the Prefontaine meet that had many wondering if he would be able to rebound in time for these championships.
On the women's side, last year's world leader Alysia Montano (nee Johnson) led wire to wire, going out hard to stretch the field out and then hanging on for a brisk win in 1:58.33. Maggie Vessey timed her kick perfectly to grab second in 1:58.86, showing once more that when she gets the tactics right, she's one of the world's best-finishing half milers. Alice Schmidt, in the midst of a resurgent season of her own, was third in 1:59.21, just ahead of a diving Phoebe Wright (1:59.25).
A dawdling early pace left all thirteen of the entrants into the final in contention until only 600m or so remained to race in the men's final. Bernard Lagat, coming off a win the night before in the 5,000m, seemed best positioned to win, as the race seemed to be a replay of so many of his other efforts in which he waited until the final straight to sprint to a win. But Matt Centrowitz of Oregon had other plans. Though Lagat did unleash his famous kick, Centro had even one more gear, and got the win in a slow 3:47.63 to Lagat's 3:47.96. Leo Manzano, whom many had written off after a slow start to 2011, had a surprising third-place finish. (Lagat won't be running the 1500m at the world championships (only the 5,000m), so Andrew Wheating can grab the third U.S. team berth. However, neither Centrowitz, Manzano nor Wheating have run the 3:35.00 "A" standard this season.
Conversely, the women's race was honest from the start, as U.S. leader Christin Wurth-Thomas shot out to a huge early lead only to fade and be passed for the third spot on the U.S. team by fast-finishing Shannon Rowbury, who was third in 4:06.20. Like her training partner Manzano, many had written Rowbury off after several mediocre early-season performances. Meanwhile, Morgan Uceny dominated the field with her 4:03.91 win, while Jenny Simpson silenced those who felt the 5K or steeple was a better bet for her to make a world team when she finished second in 4:05.66.
3000m steeplechase
Billy Nelson entered this season without a shoe contract and finished it a national champion. The U.S. leader in the steeplechase heading into this meet left it the same way, running 8:28.46 to win, besting last year's champion Daniel Huling, who was second in 8:29.27. In a wide-open race for third, Kyle Alcorn edged former U.S. and NCAA champ Joshua McAdams, running 8:29.44 to McAdams' 8:30.78.
The past two NCAA steeplechase champions, Emma Coburn of Colorado and Bridget Franek, formerly of Penn State, dueled here in a race that would have seemed to favor the more experienced Franek. But it was Coburn who came away with the win in a close finish. Coburn ran 9:44.11, Franek ran 9:44.90, and Delilah DiCrescenzo was third in 9:46.31. Sara Hall, who seemed poised for a breakthrough in the steeple after focusing mostly on the 1500m and 5K in past years, again missed a world championships berth; Hall was fifth in 9:52.52.
Slow starts were the story of these championships on the men's side, and the 5K was a prime example. Such a start basically ensured that Bernard Lagat would be able to outkick the rest of the field, and that's exactly what transpired. In a finish that was no surprise to anyone who follows US distance running, Lagat got the win in 13:23.06, Chris Solinsky was second in 13:23.65, and Galen Rupp recovered well from his 10K race to get third in 13:25.52, as the three top finishers covered the final four circuits of the track in 4 minutes or better.
Molly Huddle entered the women's race as the athlete to beat after setting the American record of 14:44.76 last year. She employed an aggressive front-running style and a prolonged finishing kick to win easily in 15:10.01. Amy Hastings continued her breakout 2011, finishing second in 15:14.31; marathon training seems to have given her the strength to finally be a consistent contender among America's elite. Hasting's Mammoth Track Club training partner and former NCAA champ Angela Bizzarri grabbed the third slot in 15:16.04.
In what would clearly become a trend, the men's 10K opened the distance finals of these championships with — you guessed it — an excruciatingly slow opening pace. Galen Rupp waited until less than a mile to go before stepping on the gas, but when he decided to press the pace, it never relented. With a 1:52 final 800m, he held off Matt Tegenkamp, 28:38.17 to 28:39.97. More established 10K performers Bobby Curtis and Tim Nelson were victims of having to rely so heavily on their finishing kicks, and unheralded Scott Bauhs slipped into the top three, running 28:40.51.
Shalane Flanagan, by contrast, left nothing to chance. The American record-holder took the lead in the women's 10k in the first lap, never looked back, and won in 30:59.97, a fine time for what was essentially a solo time trial. Kara Goucher should now be considered fully fit after her post-pregnancy build-up, as she finished second in 31:16.65. Jen Rhines was third in 31:30.37.
Full results from a long weekend of track and field in Eugene are here. (http://www.usatf.org/events/2011/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/schedule.asp)
Meeting Stanislas-Nancy – Nancy, France
After plenty of back and forth as to whether he was healthy enough to race or even to train, 800m world record holder David Rudisha finally decided his bothersome ankle was healthy enough to line up for his favorite distance. Turns out, all his worrying was for naught, as in his first race back to the track after an injury layoff resulted in a world-leading 1:43.46, a contest in which his only competition was, as usual, the clock. France's Jeff Lastennet was a distant second in a personal best 1:45.56.
A recap from the meeting is here.
Janusz Kusocinski Memorial – Szczecin, Poland
In an event that is quickly becoming one of track's most competitive, Belarus' Sviatlana Usovich quietly produced the world-leading mark in the women's 800m. Though runners like Alysia Johnson of the United States, Caster Semenya of South Africa, and Kenia Sinclair of Jamaica often receive more press, Usovich used a quick opening 400m to race to a 1:58.12 finish, more than a tenth faster than the mark set by Morocco's Halima Hachlaf of Morocco that was the previous best. Ukraine's Liliya Lobanova was second, also breaking 2:00, in 1:59.94. Johnson and Sinclair, for their parts, parried with victories in their respective national championships this weekend over 800m, and Sinclair doubled back to win the Jamaican title over 1500m as well. Though Usovich's run was clearly the distance performance of the meet, Benson Seurei of Kenya ran a quick 3:36.72 to win the 1500m, and Russian Valentin Smirnov ran 7:49.11 to win the 3k.
For full results from the meet, click here.
Boston Athletic Association 10K — Boston
Earlier this month, Kenya's Moses Mosop ran a blistering 1:26:47 for 30K in Eugene as part of the Prefontaine Classic after debuting at the Boston Marathon in an amazing 2:03:06. But fans familiar with that race will remember that Mosop was only second at Boston to Geoffrey Mutai, who ran the fastest time ever over the distance in 2:03:02, though the performance wasn't record legal according to the IAAF because of Boston's downhill course. Mosop made waves by announcing he will race for the legitimate world record in Chicago in the fall, but Mutai showed that despite Mosop's hype, he is still perhaps the runner with the best chance at that record. Mutai crushed Mosop and the rest of the strong field at the inaugural BAA 10K to win in a sizzling 27:19, an effort that included a 4:18 fourth mile that broke the race apart. After remaining part of the lead pack early on, Mosop faded to third in 28:29. Road racing extraordinaire Gebre Gebremariam was closest to Mutai, finishing second, way back in 28:11; astute observers will note that the soundly-beaten Gebremariam won the Healthy Kidney 10K, the Peachtree, Beach to Beacon, Falmouth and the New York City Marathon last year and seemed virtually untouchable in those races. Is Mutai's record-setting potential overstated? Perhaps not.
On the women's side, New Zealand's Kim Smith seems determined to mix things up with the best in the world this year, even if she sometimes comes up short. She continued that trend here, running a valiant 32:06 that was just shy of winner Caroine Kilel's 31:58. The Kenyan Kilel, like Mutai, also won the Boston Marathon in the fall.
With the U.S. championships happening on the track last weekend in Eugene, it's not surprising that there wasn't much of a marquee American presence in the race. Timothy Ritchie, a former Boston College runner who's now an assistant coach with the Eagles, was the top U.S. runner in the men's race, finishing 10th in 30:26. On the women's side, Heather Cappello, a former Providence College runner and 2:40 marathoner, was fourth in 33:32
Results and a complete recap from Boston are here.
Fast (And Slow) Racing Action in Eugene and Boston
Racing recap for June 27
The U.S. track and field championships were the highlight of the week in racing, and the men's and women's distance races told very different stories. On the women's side, favorites asserted themselves by jumping out to early leads, mostly with positive results, as runners like Alysia Montano, Molly Huddle, and Shalane Flanagan simply outclassed the rest of the runners in their races with front-running tactics. The men's races, meanwhile, were relatively slower affairs that ended with frantic kicks to the finish and some surprising upsets. We review the distance action from the championships here, and finish with recaps from a few more of the best races from around the world.


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To view this page ensure that Adobe Flash Player version 10.0.0 or greater is installed.
This page contains a Flash City Planner and Optimizer for Crown of the Gods, an awesome multi-player strategy game.
Auto-Generated Resource City How-To
To quickly layout a resource city, simply import your city the link within Crown of the Gods using, enter the number of resource producing buildings you want to add (usually ~95-98), adjust the "Optimization Weights" higher for the resources you want to focus on (or just leave the defaults for a pretty good general purpose city), and click "Add". You can then fine tune your city as you see fit. If the "Add" button doesn't do what you want it to, you can always click "Reset Map" to reset things so you can adjust the weights and try again.
Military City Optimization
If you are building a military city, you'll want to select the "Military" tab in the lower left of the interface. This will show you a summary of troop build times, maximum capacities, and maximum expected food consumptions for the different troops your city can build.
The troop build times shown are before rounding. When you are recruiting units in the game, the game engine will round this number to the nearest second and use that value for the unit recruitment time, so when you are optimizing for fast unit recruitment a unit that we say takes 2.51 seconds to recruit will actually take 3.0 seconds in the game, and a unit that takes 2.49 seconds will actually take 2.0 seconds in the game. This is a key concept to be aware of when using this optimizer to build military cities. (Note: The troop planner does take this rounding into consideration, so it should be fairly accurate when planning your armies.)
Locking tiles
When you are adding and removing buildings, sometimes the optimizer will remove buildings you don't want removed. You can lock any building (by mousing over the building and hitting the space bar, or clicking the building and clicking the lock icon on the left) which will prevent any changes from happening to that tile.
Exporting your city
After you've laid out your city you can click the "Import/Export" button to copy the ShareString text. Once copied, in game you can click the [L] button (which appears when you are in the city view in the Building Queue) which will pop up a new window. Click the Overlay Layout tab, paste the ShareString in the text area you see, then click "Apply Layout".
Note: If you get an "invalid resource node position" error, it means you've accidentally placed a resource node (ore, forest, rock, lake) somewhere in the planner where there was not a resource node before. You'll need to find where this is and remove it before LoU Tweak will accept your sharestring.
Sharing Cities LayoutsTo share a layout with another player simply click the Import/Export button, copy the Short Link, and paste it where your friend can see. (If you are archiving a city in a forum or something, it's probably better to use the Long Link, I may periodically clean what I deem to be unused within the last 90 days, but the Long Links will always work.)
[2015-05-27] 2.0.4
[2015-05-27] 2.0.3
[2015-05-24] 2.0.2
[2015-05-22] 2.0.1
[2015-05-13] 2.0.0
[2013-01-21] 1.7.6
[2012-05-04] 1.7.5
[2011-12-15] 1.7.4
[2011-12-11] 1.7.3
[2011-11-18] 1.7.2
[2011-11-11] 1.7.1


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The primаry use for а bаr stool is to аllow you to enjoy а quick drink with friends. Modern bаr stool designs mаke it eаsy to choose from а wide rаnge of contemporаry bаr stools, mаde from mаny mаteriаls аnd displаying different shаpes аnd sizes. Wood, plаstic, metаl or bold, new mаteriаls give аnyone the possibility of decorаting their kitchen or privаte bаr with the perfect bаr stool. With or without а footrest, showcаsing intriguing designs or clаssic lines, а bаr stool cаn sаve you the trouble of setting the tаble when you only wаnt а quick bite. Perfect for those times when friends come over аnd you wаnt а dynаmic evening with never-before-tried drinks аnd cocktаils, а bаr stool аnd mood lighting cаn chаnge the аtmosphere from fаmily-friendly to аwesome-night-fun in а heаrtbeаt.
Hаrris Hotеl Bukit Jimbаrаn, through its mаnаgеmеnt hаs mаdе а survеy аnd choosе bеst furniturе suppliеrs for thеir hotеls, аnd wе аrе bеcomе onе thаt suppliеs our bali furniture for guеst rooms аnd public аrеа.
Well-positioned in Calodyne, Zilwa Attitude Resort is the ideal point of departure for your excursions in Mauritius Island. A haven of rest and relaxation, the hotel will offer total renewal just steps away from the city's numerous attractions such as the sugar factory and the Grand Gaube Sailing Spots. The hotel is also facing the islands in the north such as Coin de Mire, Ile Plate, Ilot Gabriel, Ile Ronde and Ileaux Serpents.
Yuni Bali is being a part of this attractive designed resort by suppliying bali furniture and decoration.
Gourmet Cаfe by bаli Cаtering Compаny is one of fаmous restаurаnt in Bаli. We mаde аll vаrious bali furniture аnd displаys on the new brаnch of this restаurаnt аt Jаlаn Dewi Sri аnd BIMC Hospitаl Nusа Duа.
Locаted in the heаrt of Ubud-Bаli, Métis Gаlleries is а plаce where you cаn discover hаnd-crаfted jewelry, one of а kind objet d'аrt аnd the best of Bаli contemporаry photogrаphs аnd pаintings, а lаrge collection of аrt аnd Buddhаs from аll аcross аsiа.
We аre hаppy to be а pаrt of its opening on July 2012 by supplying quаlified furniture for аrts аnd jewelry displаys.
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It's an uncomfortable question but one most parents have likely asked, even if rhetorically: How safe is my child in someone else's home?
Given recent events, more parents also may be asking whether those homes have guns, and what they should do if the answer is yes.
But while many parents want to know, few would actually ask.
A recent poll commissioned by the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram showed that Maine residents are fairly evenly split between households that have guns and those that do not. The poll also suggests that nearly 80 percent of Mainers favor some restrictions on guns.
Jennie Lintz, deputy director for the Center to Prevent Youth Violence, an affiliate of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said her organization instituted an Ask Campaign about a dozen years ago that encourages parents to ask other parents about guns.
However, a December 2011 poll conducted by the center shows a gap between what people think and what they actually do. Only 25 percent of parents polled said they had asked another parent in the past about guns in their home, but 89 percent said it was an important question to ask. Only 7 percent of those polled, including gun owners and non-gun owners, said they would be uncomfortable if asked and only 3 percent said they would be offended.
"What we've found is that there are these unwarranted fears about how that conversation might go," Lintz said. "But it should be like any health and safety question parents might have. Just add it to the list."
Parenting websites have had extensive discussions on the topic, but the responses are similarly conflicted: Most parents want to know but are afraid to offend.
Most Maine parents who responded to online queries by the Press Herald said they have not been asked by other parents if they have guns in their home, nor have they asked other parents the same thing. In most cases, parents said, they made a judgment call on their own about the parents of their children's friends, to either trust them or not.
Aaron Priest, 37, a photographer from the Penobscot County town of Lee, said he firmly supports gun rights but routinely does not leave any of his four children with anyone he doesn't know well and trust. A focus on guns, though, is short-sighted, he said. He said he would be just as concerned about pills or lighters and matches in someone else's home.
More importantly, he said, he doesn't let his children ride in someone's else vehicle unless he has driven with the person and is convinced he or she is a good driver.
But he has never had to ask.
"I already know what guns they have for the most part, and pretty much where they are stored, as we go out shooting together often enough," Priest said.
Tim McClure, 55 of Lisbon Falls, said he considers himself a responsible gun owner and would have no problem asking or being asked.
"In fact I'd show them (that) I store my guns in a safe manner," he said. "If they decide their child should not associate with mine, that is their right. Nor would I take offense. If anything, I'd applaud them for being concerned parents."
McClure said his sons, who are now 28 and 25, were taught about guns at an early age so he always felt comfortable knowing that if they were around guns at someone else's home, they would know how to conduct themselves.
Some studies show that parents who do have guns in their own home assume that their children either don't know about them or have not handled them. In many cases, though, children's accounts differ from their parents. A study by the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine showed that 73 percent of young children knew the location of their parents' guns but only 61 percent of parents said their kids knew.
Rebecca Tibbetts, 43, is a mental health nurse who lives in Portland with her husband. Their son is 23 now, but when he was growing up, there were only rifles or shotguns in the home. Tibbetts said her husband owned a handgun but she wouldn't allow it in the house.
"A handgun is different," she said.
She wouldn't have minded if another parents had asked if she had a gun at home, but said it never came up. On the issue of guns in general, though, Tibbetts said she was shocked to learn that her husband's handgun had never been registered and that registration of firearms is not required.
"I'm not anti-gun and I'm not an NRA supporter either, but we register our cars and even our dogs," she said. "I don't know why we don't register guns."
Michelle Belanger, 34, of Old Orchard Beach, said she and her husband don't have children but she wouldn't hesitate to ask other parents about guns.
"Especially now, you hear these awful stories about accidental shootings, why would you chance it?" she said.
Belanger said she and her husband are on opposite sides of the gun debate. After Sandy Hook, he was tempted to buy an assault rifle in case it was banned. Her response was to get rid of all their guns.
Awareness of guns and gun safety in the home has been heightened in recent years. In addition to the Brady Center's Ask Campaign, the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that all pediatricians ask parents about guns. Steve Feder, a pediatrician in Boothbay Harbor and board president of the Maine Chapter of the AAP, said it's a safety question, and not one that is meant to imply judgment about someone's parenting style.
"In my experience, as long as it's brought up appropriately, I haven't had anyone take offense," he said.
However, Priest, the father of four from Lee, said he was "very offended" when asked about guns during a recent visit to his child's doctor.
"I was quick to point out that I also have cleaning supplies, paint, medications, and matches and I make sure to keep them out of children's reach too," he said. "Why (was there) no concern about those as well?
Feder said doctors ask a variety of safety-related questions, and he said parents shouldn't be shy either.
Staff Writer Eric Russell can be contacted at 791-6344 or at:
Twitter: @PPHEricRussell
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Obituary: Norman A. Gagne Sr.
Obituary: Gary P. Farrell
Obituary: Michael K. Nazemetz, DVM
Obituary: Karen "KK" Sue (Dahms) Brown
Obituary: William Edward Kopacz


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NAI Global is a leading global commercial real estate brokerage firm. NAI Global offices are leaders in their local markets and work in unison to provide clients with exceptional solutions to their commercial real estate needs – both locally and globally. >>
NAI Global offices are leading local firms who have chosen and been chosen in kind, to be part of a cohesive global organization that is actively managed for peak performance. Each office is united around a shared commitment to exceptional service. >>
NAI Global offices are free to act quickly and creatively on your behalf. Local leaders take your business personally and deliver a superior level of service that can't be duplicated elsewhere. That's 375+ offices and a team of over 6,000 professionals around the world, all taking your business personally. >>
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In-depth local knowledge is a critical component to navigating the dynamic commercial real estate market. This statistical data gathered from our primary, secondary and tertiary markets and their submarkets and micro-markets, combined with the experience of our service professionals, provides you with the insight and resources to make informed business decisions.
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Our local offices cover economic, property, market and cultural interests, with the aim of informing our clients regarding news that affects commercial real estate values. Local research, along with the input of our regional teams, produces intelligence that conveys historical and future predictions in quarterly reports, annual reviews and customized reports covering market trends, significant transactions, and local economic and demographic data.
NAI Global is a leading global commercial real estate brokerage firm. NAI Global offices are leaders in their local markets and work in unison to provide clients with exceptional solutions to their commercial real estate needs. NAI Global has more than 400 offices strategically located throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific, with over 7,000 local market professionals, managing in excess of 425 million square feet of property. Annually, NAI Global completes in excess of $20 billion in commercial real estate transactions throughout the world. NAI professionals work together with our global management team to help our clients strategically optimize their real estate assets.
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Rio Grande Valley including Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy Counties.
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Platform: PC
In Star Trek Online, the Star Trek universe appears for the first time on a truly massive scale. In this massively multiplayer online game from Cryptic Studios, players can pioneer their own destiny as Captain of a Federation starship. Or, they can become a Klingon Warlord and expand the Empire to the far reaches of the galaxy. Players will have the opportunity to visit iconic locations from the popular Star Trek fiction, reach out to unexplored star systems, and make contact with new alien species.


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April 17, 2015 – Boca Raton, FL — Simon Roy, VP of Marketing & Client Services for Premier Tech Chronos, opened his interview by observing, "Companies today are producing more products over more SKUs. This makes flexibility in packaging and handling a matter of significant concern." Tune in to watch the Premier Tech Chronos segment airing on Bloomberg Asia Pacific (as pd. prog) on April 19, 2015 at 3:00pm HKT. Check your local listings for airtimes.
Tim Dolan, Sales Director, Premier Tech Chronos, underlines his company's unique positioning by stating, "Innovation drives our company, and it is at the root of how we approach the packaging problem for our clients. We offer improved robotic solutions"
The Director of Operations for the company, Phillip Edwards, adds, "Advanced robotic palletizing solutions provide our customers with simple and quick ways to modify their palletizing needs, and we put a priority on intuitive operations and easy-to-use operator interfaces."
Premier Tech Chronos is recognized as a North American leader in robotic case packing and palletizing. Started in 1989, the company now employs more than 1,000 people and, contrary to other robotic integrators, uses only one brand, Fanuc Robotics, in its robotic products. Premier Tech was awarded the Centennial Award for producing more than 100 robots per year.
The company specializes in looking at a company's packaging needs and developing a unique solution fitting the specific production needs of the client. Premier Tech has facilities across the globe, including Brazil, China, India and Thailand. Many companies needing high-speed automatic palletizing turns to Premier Tech for customized solutions.
Roy concludes his comments by noting, "Robotics came late to packaging, following increasing use for industrial applications. We continue to push the envelope and use the latest robotic advances to bring even more options and solutions for our clients.
JL Haber, Vice President of Programming of Corporate Review, states, "Logistics is increasingly a central competitive factor for many companies and industries. Learning about such innovative approaches as Premier Tech displays in solving everyday business problems is why our viewers tune in." To learn more, watch the Premier Tech Chronos segment airing on Bloomberg Asia Pacific (as pd. prog) on April 19, 2015 at 3:00pm HKT. Check your local listings for airtimes.
About Corporate Review
Corporate Review is an award winning business and health program that is independently produced by MMP (USA), Inc. The show provides its viewers an in depth opportunity to find solutions to the industry problems from some of the top business leaders from across the world. With more than 5,000 companies participating on over 500 shows, Corporate Review continues to be the premier and targeted outlet for the latest business and health stories. Corporate Review airs on cable networks to over 100 million potential television households.
For specific market-by-market air dates and times, please email firstname.lastname@example.com. For more information, please visit www.corporatereview.tv
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text: The current mortgage turmoil reaches deep into rental markets, according to new research on rental housing market dynamics released today by Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. The new study, funded by MacArthur, finds that the current housing debacle not only adds to the number of households competing for low-cost rentals but also threatens renters living in foreclosed properties with sudden eviction. It concludes that policy makers at all levels of government should focus more attention on those renter households severely harmed by the current mortgage market turmoil.


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How Social Media Is Making Over the Fashion Industry
Technology made its mark at New York Fashion Week this year with the rise of social media on the runway.
One study from eBay Deals looked into data from five social networks during NYFW and found more people are using social media for wardrobe advice, inspiration and the latest trends. Top fashion accounts live tweeted from the shows and two brands, Badgley Mischka and Bergdorf Goodman, co-previewed their collections exclusively on Pinterest. Fashion-related tweets doubled from last year's events and profressional photographers made use of Instagram.
As the New York shows comes to a close, social media will be a major factor at London Fashion Week starting Friday. Fashionistas can keep track of events and viral moments through a live feed that curates tweets and pictures from attendees. Check out the infographic, below, for more stats. What do you think of the fashion industry's use of social media? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Image via Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images. Infographic courtesy of eBay Deals.


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The Capitol Flag Room is a memorial to the loss of life given in the defense of freedom. But time has not been kind to New York's great Battle Flag collection. Over the years, dirt in the Capitol and the surrounding urban environment has soiled the flags. Excessive exposure to light and the method of storage - displaying the flags rolled and vertical - has caused significant damage. The New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Division of Military and Naval Affairs conducted a survey of the Capitol Battle Flag collection in 1997. All the flags were inventoried and 129 were examined and photographed. A program of care and the development of a flag archive was recommended to insure the long-term preservation of the collection.
Portions of the collection have been preserved and are back on display in the Capitol Flag Room.


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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is pleased to announce a call for nominations and applications for the 2016 Jefferson Science Fellows program. Initiated by the Secretary of State in 2003, this fellowship program engages the American academic science, technology, engineering and medical communities in the design and implementation of U.S. foreign policy.
Jefferson Science Fellows (JSF) spend one year at the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for an on-site assignment in Washington, D.C. that may also involve extended stays at U.S. foreign embassies and/or missions.
The fellowship is open to tenured, or similarly ranked, academic scientists, engineers and physicians from U.S. institutions of higher learning. Nominees/applicants must hold U.S. citizenship and will be required to obtain a security clearance.
The deadline for 2016-2017 program year applications/nominations is November 2, 2015. To learn more about the Jefferson Science Fellowship and to apply, visit the JSF website at:


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Scrappy Table Toppers
Don't worry if you don't have a robust scrap stash. These pretty table toppers only need a small amount of fabric. Plus, they come together quickly!
Saltwater Taffy
Raid your scrap bag to make this quick and easy tabletop quilt.
Bright Bits Mini Quilt
Make a bright, spring-inspired table topper using scraps of fabric.
Bay Breeze
The recipe for this table mat is simple-just mix together a batch of charm squares.
Floral Fancy
Sew a bright and whimsical table topper using an assortment of floral prints and bright borders.
Harvest Table
Using an abundance of prints in fall hues, whip up a Log Cabin table topper that has a Straight Furrows setting.
Scrappy Nine-Patch Quilt
Nine-patch and triangle-squares are the perfect combination for this tabletop quilt.
Table Matters
Setting a stylish table is easy with this colorful runner. Scrappy rows of squares set on point come together fast for dynamic effect.
Scrappy Triangles
Triangle-squares in a vibrant mix of colors add plenty of texture to a small quilt. A bias-cut stripe binding serves as a modern frame.
Sew Scrappy Volume Two
These 22 stash-busting quilt patterns are a fabric lover's dream. A variety of patterns and prints combine to create lively quilts that invite attention.
Peekaboo Patterns Table Topper
Scrappy prints come together beautifully in this table topper. In the Pinwheel units, bright fabrics peek through a solid background.
Neutral Territory
Pull all your medium-tone prints for a table topper that sparkles.
Green Acres Doll Quilt
A scrappy assorted of greens are highlighted with rich red sashing in a doll quilt that can span the seasons.
Columns of Color
Columns of bright prints stand out against darker prints for a dramatic quilt. Black squares in the centers of the columns give the columns a braided look.
Wheel of Fortune
A scrappy circle composed of a variety of blues, greens, and browns is the standout of this project. A fun border of smaller spheres and arches continues the rounded motif for a table topper with a whimsical look.
Scrappy Strip-Pieced Squares
If you're hooked on the look of crochet, here's how to get it with fabric rather than yarn. Craft each scrappy block from strip-pieced squares in six 1930s reproduction prints.
Scrappy Table Runner
Careful color placement of rich navy, olive, brown, and red is key to creating this three-block table runner of hourglass and Flying Geese units.
Scrappy Kaleidoscope Table Topper
An unlikely plaid creates an abstract circular illusion around the center Kaleidoscope block. Chose high-contrast prints for the asymmetrical borders to give your quilt a scrappy quality.
Scrappy Floral Applique Table Mat
Raid your stash to make this table mat and matching mug mats. Add a personal touch by finishing this project with large, hand-quilted stitches.
1930s Doll Quilt
Triangle-squares rotate this way and that to create the overall diamond pattern. A variety of feed sack prints are held together visually by the use of a single solid blue fabric.
Scrappy Charm Squares
Like shortcuts? A charm pack is perfect for this scrappy table topper's 2-1/2" squares and narrow strips.


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At Fusion BPO Services, we do things differently; we do things passionately and with fervor. We believe that the BPO industry is not exclusively about "outsourcing". However, it represents a continual process of growing one's business by acquiring new customers, retaining old customers and providing service excellence – a winning formula which pays rich dividends.
Fusion BPO offers a diverse range of services which includes garnering potential customers, managing data efficiently, or trouble shooting technical problems and administration issues. Our host of peripheral activities is aimed to take your business ahead through a blend of manpower, technology, research and analytics.
Feel free to contact us for all kinds of business process outsourcing requirements.


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Letsrun, home of the (in)famous message boards, is a self-proclaimed place where dreams become reality. It's a running website that provides unparalleled news on elite running and indeed hosts a "World Famous Message Board." But it has a bit of a website equivalent of a bad-boy reputation that might put you off and prevent you from discovering the plethora of useful information and tips to improve your running life that lurk deep within its recesses. I'm here to help you clear through the immature running fan-boy reputation and help you use the site to find great advice and useful information!
Letsrun was founded in 2000 by twin brothers, Weldon and Robert Johnson, also known as the BroJos. Their primary objective was to provide quality coverage of the elite running world because at the time, this type of coverage on the internet was next to nonexistant. Looking back, I remember being obsessed with Dyestat.com, a popular website that primarily focused on elite high school phenoms in the running world. But a news website for professional running? Nowhere.
Meet Letsrun. What started out as a pioneer in reporting elite running news became an instant cult hit among runners. Don't let the elite focus shy you away, either. Years of information in the form of message boards provides excellent insight, if you can tolerate the occasional (let's be honest, sometimes more than occasional) troll. I, myself, find the trolls to be entertaining.
Don't also let these so-called male dominated message boards stray you away either, ladies. The message boards are a haven for quality information; like shiny, little needles hidden among dirty hay. There are even highly respected female posters, such as txRUNNERgirl and jaguar1 (who also happens to be Camille Herron!). Wondering about running and birth control? There's a thread for that. Wondering where to put your key when you run? There's also a thread for that. Wondering if post nuptial shut-off really exists? Well, there's a very famous thread for that!
So don't be shy. If you haven't already, I encourage you to check out Letsrun. I know, I know! It's a scary prospect with all its notoriously troll-y reputation, so allow me to help you navigate the site to get to the good stuff. Here are some deets on the Letsrun staples and a few tips for sorting through the muck.
Letsrun Staples
World famous message boards. As mentioned above, you can search through thousands of message boards, some dating back all the way to the early 2000s! Some threads take off. Others are great topics but only a few have replies. And if you are brave enough to post your own, be sure to skip below to "criticism" to prepare yourself for, well, criticism! What's great about the Letsrun message boards is that many experienced and serious runners participate, so when you search for something like "running strollers" you are going to discover which running stroller works best for someone seeking to train at a high-level with a running stroller. While the majority of posts might be useless to most of us, this is the best place for message board advice from a collective of serious, successful and experienced runners there is at the moment (Speaking of which – Cinnamon, is that forum done yet?)
Black screens. The site pays homage to big events in the elite running world with "black screens." Black screens appear with a picture and caption of the event on the homepage when someone in the professional running world smashes a record. Or wins an Olympic medal. Or passes away. Lately though, the screens have changed colors during the Olympics.
April Fool's Day. If you decide to check out Letsrun on April Fool's Day, be sure to not be fooled by the news that Usain Bolt will be running the New York City Marathon or that Shalane Flanagan has quit running to become a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader. The BroJos have fun with the day and change the entire front page to include fake running news and mock threads. You can check out years past pranks here.
Beware of the Following:
Trolls. As mentioned above, many of trolls have been known to lurk on the site. Once you get the hang of the message boards, it becomes easier to spot them. Trolls like to kid, make up fake stories and at their worst, harass. A key feature of Letsrun is that it doesn't require users to register to use their message boards. Thus, the troll count is much higher than other sites. At the same time the anonymity and ease of posting lets the conversations flow at times.
Criticism. I'm always mistaken for a guy when I post a thread. I'll take it as a compliment, even when I'm mistaken for an insecure, whiny, and uneducated male. When I posted my first thread, I did change my identifying information but my question was for real. I don't remember the details of the post (I purposely forgot) but it involved questioning the legitimacy of the GED exam. Everyone bashed me for scoring so low. I remember crying my eyes out at the hatred, which likely seemed worse at the time. But for every bad thread there's a good one too. My thread on Once A Runner made the "On The Boards" section of the front page back in 2010!
So next time you have a few minutes, check it out and see if you can find a few diamonds in the rough. Of course, if you have questions about running you can always ask us or post them on our facebook page (where we promise not to make you cry with our responses), or you can go ahead and ask on Letsrun and see what happens.
Does Letsrun have a bad reputation in your mind? Do you frequent Letsrun? If so, what's your favorite thing about the site? If not, what don't you like?


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. . . Utmost happiness from the Sea up to the Stars . . .
From the white sand beach down to pretty blue sea and beyond the horizon up to the glittering stars above, it covers an area of over 400 rais (approx. 160acres) of land that accommodate more than 30 luxurious boat chalet fleet sat in the spacious fresh-water-lagoon. Near by, is the scene of 7-deck-floating-hotel, The Galaxy, that like no other, stands still over the-fish-abundant-lagoon amidst fertile rainforest where you can smell a distinctive freshness and purity of air all around you.
Standard Boat Chalet (Chom Dara / Chom Chantra) 22 sq.m., 22 roomsA haunting charm of valuable accommodation in the classical floating villa, built on an ancient wooden barge, decorated with pieces of quality teakwood neatly carved in Thai traditional style to reflect the country's heritage, blended well in harmony with a splendidly natural background.
Chom Dara
Chom Chantra
Deluxe Boat Chalet (Chom Natee) 35 sq.m., 16 rooms
Deluxe Bungalow (Baan Rim Than) 45 sq.m., 11 roomsA luxurious country home style, made of wood with spacious front verandah overlooking a sparkling clear stream flowing from the Prao Thalay Waterfall, Baan Rim Tharn or Canal Bungalows are close to the mountain and surrounded by aromatic flora of different kinds, offering the appreciation of beautiful nature, delightful fishes swimming about in the water, mixed together with the consistent sound of waves and a joy of cruising down stream.
Suite Room 18 roomsA two-storey Lanna Styling house is located on the hill overlooking the charming white sand beach, provides a universal standardized comfort, aspiring on family loving atmosphere and privacy as one's own sweet home, Here you can expose to fresh and cool sea breeze, scenic splendor of the Gulf of Thailand and Ao Bang Bao on the horizon in daytime and at nightfall
Most importantly, a luxurious bathroom is equipped with transparent roof top through which the moonlight beaming and stars glittering are above.
Suite Room (Chom Varee) : 55 sq.m.
Suite Room (Chom Talay, Villa 1st floor & 2nd floor) : 85 sq.m.
Grand Lagoona Suite (Chom Napha) 90 sq.m., 24 rooms
|We are proud to offer you, more than anywhere else, a world of privacy
o restored cruise ship and boat chalets sat on a beautiful land of over
400 rais (or 160 acres) at Bang Bao Bay. Aunchaleena Beach Front Resort has
been built to blend into the surrounding environment, between the
natural-fresh-water-lagoon filled -in by waterfalls from atop the
mountain that encompassed by the tropical rainforest, and the white sand
beach next to the blue sea.
There are several islands around Koh Chang where white sandy beaches meet coral gardens of the sea. Good snookering spots. We will take you there by our speedboats on a half day trip.
|Swimming Pool with Jacuzzi
|Massage Sala
|Motorized bicycle
|Fishing trip
|Diving Class
|Biking on the Beach
|Beach Volleyball
|Beach soccer
|:: Prao Talay Restaurant ::
Capacity up to 240 persons
:: Chankrachang Restaurant :: 7th Floor at The Galaxy
:: Beach Bar ::
|Prao Talay Restaurant
|Chankrachang Restaurant
|Beach Bar
|Pirates Beach Bar
|Internet Room
|Tour Desk
|Aunchaleena Meeting room
|Sala Kieng Chol
|Chulamanee Boat