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Thursday, May 19, 2011
Odd or Not?
The friend's parents have been divorced for a number of years and the mom is getting remarried. We've known about the wedding for a few months and I usually ask her how the preparations are going, because it's a good topic for small talk at pick-up/drop-off, and she seems really excited and always eager to chat about it.
The wedding is this weekend and there will be about 150 people (that strikes me as fairly large, but maybe not according to American standards). We were not invited to the wedding. Today, as we were doing kid pick up/drop off, the bride-to-be told my husband that they (the bride, groom, and the bride's kids) would come over to our place before the wedding, at 11-ish am on Saturday, all dressed up and in the limo, to say 'hi' and have some pictures taken with us.
That struck me as really odd and, in all honesty, ticked me off a bit. Why exactly are they coming over to our place to take pictures? If they wanted to share the wedding day with us, they should have invited us to the wedding, it's not like it's a small intimate affair. This way, they are honestly just disturbing our Saturday routine (which pretty much involves the kids lazily lying about watching TV, me talking on the phone while trying to wake up with coffee before preparing brunch, and my husband sleeping late after playing World of Warcraft till wee hours the night before). Are we now supposed to get all dressed up or what?
I suppose they want to show off their fancy limo, dress, and tuxedos, but still -- I think the whole thing is a bit rude, assuming we'd be available and interested in the showing off. We are not part of the event and they can show us pictures after the fact.
Am I the only one whom this strikes as weird or inconsiderate? Or maybe it is acceptable as a cultural peculiarity that I am not familiar with? Whaddaya think, Intertube friends: odd or not?
22 comments:
That's completely bizarre, and, in my opinion, completely rude of them. I've never heard of such a weird breach of etiquette - not inviting you to the wedding, but showing up at your house uninvited first to show off and show you what you'll be missing. I thought people usually squirm awkwardly to explain to friends why they're not invited to their wedding, not flaunt it! Can you just tell them you're busy that morning, but you wish them well? Maybe that would help them get the point that their weird behavior is not appreciated... I might be getting jaded as I get older, but I'm starting to think that going along with people's rude idiosyncrasies and playing on their turf is like feeding the dragon...
- May 20, 2011 at 1:01 AM
This is rude by my standards. I agree with postdoc's suggestion above: saying you will be busy and getting the message across their thick hides.
- May 20, 2011 at 1:11 AM
Could it be that it is their son who really would like to show off to his best friend? That would make some sense in my opinion. Otherwise I find it very odd but I am not an American.
- May 20, 2011 at 1:43 AM
Completely odd! (by my European standards...) but it could really be the son who wants to spend some time with his best friend, that would be the only half-acceptable excuse.
- May 20, 2011 at 1:55 AM
I agree with the commentors that it's unbelievably rude and also second (third?) the suggestion that this might be the son's idea. Maybe you can get your son to make some discreet enquiries?
- May 20, 2011 at 2:07 AM
- prodigal academic said...
Definitely odd (and I was born in the US).
- May 20, 2011 at 5:21 AM
- Alyssa said...
That is really odd, and totally rude. Like Postdoc said, most people squirm around trying to explain why they didn't invite certain people - not show up at their homes to take photos before the wedding. I would also suggest saying you're busy. Or, if you're feeling ballsy, say you've never heard of anyone doing that before and are they doing it with other people too!
- May 20, 2011 at 6:57 AM
1- odd and rude
2- I'm an american and think it's funny that you all assume that such rudeness might be an american tradition. we have such a good reputation!
- May 20, 2011 at 7:03 AM
As a US-born woman who read Miss Manners and Emily Post religiously growing up, this is definitely odd, and Miss Manners would have penned the most delightful put-down for their behavior. I agree with postdoc's comment. Their behavior suggests it never even crossed their mind to invite you (which also suggests that anon@1:43 am is on to something, since I don't like to think people are intentionally this boorish.)
- May 20, 2011 at 7:31 AM
It is odd, however people do a lot of seemingly odd things about weddings. Keep in mind that inviting more people cost a lot per person. If your family is 3+ people that may not be a trivial amount of money. It may be the case that they had a hard cap on the number of people to invite and you guys were borderline. They felt bad, so wanted to do something. Maybe the kid wanted to do something if he couldn't invite his friends family.
Given my experiences trying to plan a wedding I give people a lot of slack if I don't know the whole story. Weddings often have a lot going on under the surface.
- May 20, 2011 at 8:18 AM
- Rebecca said...
I concur that this is weird. It could stem from the son's desire to include his friend. But yeah I think if it is really inconvenient for you, then by all means decline graciously and say that you will enjoy seeing the wedding photos.
- May 20, 2011 at 8:20 AM
It seems odd to me. It also seems like something that might be more heard of in smaller towns. When the couple has grown up in a small town, knows a substantial fraction of the people, but still can't really invite everyone to the wedding this kind of traveling wedding party might seem to make more sense.
I have no idea if that fits. It could be a tradition one or both of the people grew up with but that doesn't match the current location.
It seems like a lightweight invitation (to be invaded) and thus needs only a lightweight refusal with regrets.
- May 20, 2011 at 8:31 AM
Odd. For sure.
- May 20, 2011 at 9:01 AM
- Dr. O said...
Odd for sure, even for us Americans. ;)
I agree that it might be due to her son wanting to share the day with his friend, though. Which inviting your family, even if it was later than the initial invites went out, would be a better solution. I also wonder if she's feeling guilty about not inviting you when she's shared so much about the planning, and this is her way of trying to alleviate that guilt/include your family. Either way, there are better ways to deal with the situation than stop by after and offer up a consolation visit.
- May 20, 2011 at 1:33 PM
- Dr. Sneetch said...
This is a tough one and really really odd. But if it were me I would get dressed, open a bottle of something and celebrate with them. For the kids sake.
To me it sounds like they got their group and don't want new friends (experienced this for five long years in previous place). But they still want to include you in the wedding somehow. This would make me feel bad, then mad as hell.
But just go with it for the kids and to make their day special and you can remind them what you did for many years.
- May 20, 2011 at 1:36 PM
- FrauTech said...
I should say too that 150 is considered small by certain types of people. So it could be they wanted to include you but chose not to given the relationship is between your sons rather than you. And that their boy wanted to show off his mom and new step dad and maybe whatever he's wearing or whatever (is he part of the wedding party?) hard to tell though.
- May 20, 2011 at 5:50 PM
Why don't you all dress like county bumpkins with those horrible big fake crooked teeth and mustaches and be sitting on the porch all prettified for them when they arrive? Make it memorable. Don't forget to give them a card your family all signed!
- May 20, 2011 at 6:41 PM
- GMP said...
Why don't you all dress like county bumpkins with those horrible big fake crooked teeth and mustaches and be sitting on the porch all prettified for them when they arrive? Make it memorable. Don't forget to give them a card your family all signed.
Thanks everyone for the comments! Yes, I agree that perhaps the reason is that their boy wants to share the event with his best friend, my son... If my son were older I hope they would have invited him alone, but at 11 he needs supervision for the event and they clearly didn't want to invite all of us. So I get that it may all be for their boy's benefit, but honestly the mom should've known better than to just inform us they're coming over on their way to the wedding to grace us with their presence.
I emailed her today that we actually had other plans and wouldn't be available, but that we wish them a fun wedding and all the best.
I should say too that 150 is considered small by certain types of people.
Wow... What would be considered big? What would be typical/average?
It's really hard for me to wrap my head around these numbers -- hub and I had a total of 10 people at the wedding (us and 8 of our friends from grad school). The whole ordeal -- the rings, my dress, his suit, the marriage licence, the chapel/minister fee, and food for all was about $1 K. And it was lots of fun!
- May 20, 2011 at 6:53 PM
- Namnezia said...
It is definitely weird. But for your kid's sake I would just humor them and then let it go. Its not worth getting mad/offended by someone else's rude behavior.
- May 20, 2011 at 7:59 PM
- Massimo said...
I think I am going to side with the hard-liners on this one. Maybe I am getting to be an old fart too, but man, some people need to be taught lessons every once in a while, or they'll keep being rude and inconsiderate -- and that is not kosher, and yes, even their kids need to learn that.
I would politely but firmly excuse myself and say "sorry, we shall be unavailable", and make sure not to give any reason, real or fake. Why should you explain why you are unavailable ? You don't expect them to explain why they did not invite you, now, do you ?
I don't know if the purpose is to keep their son happy or maybe that of throwing you a bone, some kind of "loser consolation prize", as in "you know, you did not make the cut but you were a close runner-up -- don't hate me for drawing the line right there... here, I'll let you take a picture with me, just make sure you don't step on my dress".
There are many reasons for not inviting someone at a wedding, and usually one should not take offense. One hundred and fifty is not particularly large, in my observation, but if that is what they can afford, they have to draw a line somewhere between "ins" and "outs". If in their mind inviting you would mean to be unfair to many other people to whom they feel equally close, thereby going above the maximum number, then it is fair that they make their choice.
But expecting that you be there for pictures on a Saturday morning ? No way Jose...
- May 21, 2011 at 10:25 AM
- May 21, 2011 at 10:54 AM
- Unbalanced Reaction said...
This is the strangest thing I've heard all month.
(and I work at a PUI!!!)
- May 21, 2011 at 5:40 PM


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The Rebel Alliance is on the run from the Empire. After losing a powerful ally in the planet Arrochar, the Rebels are back in hiding trying to find a new base of operations to plan their takedown of the Galactic Empire. It is in hiding that Princess Leia receives a distress call from Seren Song an intelligence agent planted deep within the Empire. In "Star Wars" #19 from Dark Horse Comics writer Brian Wood with artists Carlos D'Anda and Gabe Elaeb begin an all new adventure following the heroes of the original "Star Wars" movies as they go on a rescue mission.
The new story takes Luke, Han, Leia and Chewbacca to the junkyard planet of Lotho Minor where they discover they are not the only ones searching for Seren. The bounty hunter IG-88 has beaten them to the scene and all he cares about is how he will spend the credits he'll receive when he turns in his bounty.
What Wood does so well in "Star Wars" #19, as he has the previous 18 issues, is take the fast paced action fantasy plots of the movies and turned it into an episodic adventure that allows for greater exploration of the "Star Wars" characters. In this issue, Wood gets into the head of Princess Leia, a hero with the burden of leadership placed upon her shoulders. Not only does she wrestle with the diplomatic pressures of being first a Galactic Senator and Princess of Alderran, now she is becoming the face of the Rebellion. It is a position that does not leave much time for friends old and new.
The introduction of IG-88 to the series adds a new threat to the rescue team. Instead of running from Imperials, they now are facing an assassin droid heavily armed and pursuing his targets with deadly accuracy. The battle with IG-88 takes place between his ship the IG-2000 as it comes across the Millennium Falcon in orbit above the junk planet.
D'Anda's art brings the world of "Star Wars" to life making each character recognizable from their portrayals in the movies but bringing his own animated style to the book. The result is a fantasy filled adventure that moves as quick on the page as the movies on the screen. Whether it is the character moments of friends discussing their lives or spaceships battling through the skies D'Anda delivers stunning things to look at with each panel.
Colorist Elaeb accentuates D'Anda's art by allowing the artists true line to stay clear on the page, while adding that additional pop to the story. The tone of the colors is brighter and more developed than the bleaker colors of the movies but they do add a punch to the narrative that compliments the style of D'Anda's art.
"Star Wars" #19 is the penultimate issue in the series by Wood, D'Anda, and Elaeb. To bring their series to a close they start the final arc of two issues bringing the original four heroes of the "Star Wars Saga" back into focus and exploring their relationships. If you have not been following this series, "Star Wars" #19 is a great time to check it out as the story does not rely on past continuity but showcases the characters we already know.
Find "Star Wars" #19 at your nearest comic book retailer. Click here to use the Comic Shop Locator to find your nearest store.
Want to read "Star Wars" #19 instantly? Visit the Dark Horse Comics Digital Store and start reading now.

subset: commoncrawl


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I found the Bread In A Mug (S) recipe on page 265 of THM. I was looking for something to catch the gooey yolk from my over easy eggs. We can't have almond flour, so that was out. I wanted a savory bread, so we subbed all flax meal for the almond flour. After some reading on the internet, I discovered that you can sub flax meal 1:1 with almond flour. Originally I had skipped over recipes that called for almond flour, but I might reconsider some of them now that I know we can swap flax meal 1:1 with almond flour.
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flax meal
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- herbs and spices as desired
- Stir well.
- Microwave for 1 minute.
What I was looking for was a savory bread that would nicely soak up the drippy yolk from my over easy eggs. I didn't want something dry or anything weird tasting. I love the taste of the yolk and this bread does not over power that. This easy flax bread has a slightly nutty flavor. It is not dry. It was easy to spread butter on. Overall it was awesome!
I am looking forward to changing up the flavors by trying different combinations of spices and finding different uses for this Easy Flax Bread.


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Throughout this week, I'm sharing recipes that enable you to get rid of the Easter leftovers you may have had over the weekend. Yesterday, I shared one that would help in using some of the holiday ham, called "Creamed Chicken and Ham". In case you didn't get this recipe, here's the link to it:
You may have quite a few Easter eggs that need to be used. As far as safety goes, as long as the eggs were refrigerated more than they were left out, they should be safe to eat. However, if you have your doubts, it's much better to throw them out than to risk any food-borne illness.
The recipe I'm sharing is for an "Egg Sandwich Spread". You may be thinking that egg salad isn't anything very special. However, this one has some interesting additions, including olives and chopped pecans. It makes a different, yet flavorful, sandwich spread or it can be served as a dip with crackers, chips or fresh vegetables.
This recipe uses five hard-cooked eggs, though six can be used if you prefer added volume to the salad. This makes a total of 3-1/2 cups of spread, so this can be multiplied according to how many eggs you have on hand and how many people you may be serving! If you're doing some post-holiday entertaining and you need to make a large number of sandwiches, this would be the very recipe that would be of service!
As I mentioned, it calls for chopped pecans. If you have walnuts on hand, those would be good to use, too. You can chop these as coarse or as fine as you would like, according to personal taste. I like this salad "chunkier", so I chop them coarse.
This salad is very good on any bread, though I prefer it on whole wheat or rye bread. Any cracker would go well with this spread and any vegetable would go well with it, too. Make it ahead so it'll chill and the flavors will blend together.
Let's keep at getting the leftovers out of the way, with this one enabling you to use some Easter eggs!
- 5 hard-cooked eggs (6 if a slightly larger volume is desired)
- 1 cup chopped stuffed olives
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Serve as a sandwich filling or with crackers, chips, or fresh vegetables. Yield: 3-1/2 cups spread.


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New radiation oncologist joins Banner Health
GREELEY, Colo. (Sept. 13, 2013) –Radiation oncologist Jeffrey Albert, MD, MPH, has joined the team of providers at Banner Health Clinic, specializing in Radiation Oncology. The network of providers cares for patients in Greeley, Sterling and Loveland.
Dr. Albert earned his medical degree at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville. He completed an internship at the University of Texas in Houston and a residency at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He specializes in treating all types of cancer.
His care philosophy is to provide the highest quality of personalized care to his patients. He also strives to empower each patient so they can make informed decisions about their treatment options.
Dr. Albert will see patients in these locations:
- 1801 16th St., Greeley
- 2050 N. Boise Ave., Loveland
- 615 Fairhurst St., Sterling
He joins radiation oncologists Elizabeth Ceilley, MD, and Brian Fuller, MD.
To make an appointment, please call (970) 350-6680. For more information about physicians at Banner Health, visit www.bannerhealth.com/bmg.
About Banner Medical Group
Banner Medical Group, Banner Health's employed physician group, is a team of more than 900 physicians and more than 3,300 total employees located in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. BMG doctors and other providers care for patients in a variety of care settings. BMG primary care providers like pediatricians, internists, family medicine physicians and obstetrician/gynecologists staff Banner Health Clinics and Banner Health Centers. For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.com/bmg.


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Christmas in America
Mary Sicilia, Felida
When I was 8, my parents began running a boarding house in Duluth, Minn. It was my mom, dad, me and nine "guys" for Christmas Eve and every other eve for that matter.
Mostly they were Great Lakes shore men or steelworkers — all of them were immigrants or first-generation Americans — from Finland, Sweden, Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Poland and Wales.
One or two of them spent the holiday with their families, but most were alone. At least as alone as you can be in a household of 11 grown adults and one very chatty child.
Each year, everyone gathered for a fine dinner and then we exchanged simple gifts, most of them lovingly but clumsily wrapped by the men. We came from different cultures, spoke several different first languages, had widely varied political and religious viewpoints, but Christmas Eve, we were all the same — human beings longing for home.
One Christmas Eve, a particularly snowy night as I recall, Mr. Ragoni, our Italian boarder, returned home from Mass sometime around 2 a.m. I remember I could hear him whistling as he rounded the corner at the end of the block. I snuggled deeply into my quilt and began to drift to sleep. With his arrival, everyone was safely home.
But suddenly I heard him stamping up the front steps loudly. The door bell rang wildly. "Buon Natale, Buon Natale!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Wake up! Wake up! It's Christmas in America."
Suddenly the sleeping house was alive with lights and slamming doors. Men appeared from every corner of the house, mostly in ragged long johns, sweaters and boots. Running into the cold night air, they shouted, heads thrown back in laughter, eyes ablaze. They stooped down, packing snowballs to lob at Ragoni and one another. Most of the men were in their 50s, 60s or 70s, bent by the burden of impossible work, rendered silent much of the time by the weight of difficult lives. But at that moment in the earliest hours of that Christmas morning, they were little boys, running and ducking and laughing wildly.
After awhile, the uproar died down. They stopped fighting and started shivering, stamping off the snow, stomping up the stairs. My dad got out the wine, we toasted one another and, in eight different languages, truly wished each other a Merry Christmas.
Coming home for Christmas
Sharon Crisp, Mount Vista Neighborhood
My Christmas memory doesn't include gifts, good food or visits with cousins, although they did likely occur.
I remember Christmas Eve when I was 4. World War II was in progress.
I was in the car with my dad returning home from some errand I don't remember. It was pouring down rain, a dark Vancouver night.
He suddenly pulled to the side of the road, reached across me and pushed open the passenger door. There stood three soaking wet sailors. "Get in," Dad said. It wasn't unusual to pick up hitchhikers.
Three huge men scrambled in. I was moved to the back seat to sit between two of them. My head didn't reach their shoulders. They were so wet their peacoats steamed.
I cannot smell wet wool without remembering that day, how the sailors laughed and in big voices said they were heading home for Christmas, how grateful they were for the ride, how I loved listening to the conversation, how unafraid I was.
It was truly a memory gift to me, an opportunity each time I smell wet wool to remember those sailors and all servicemen and women.
A special Christmas feast
Wanita L. Gray, Smith Tower
I didn't know we were poor when I was little because Mama never told me we were. We lived on welfare and Mama's dressmaking.
I always had 10 cents for a Saturday movie on Clark Street in Chicago, where I grew up with Lincoln Park for my playground.
I didn't think about not having a tree because we waited until Christmas Eve to get one cheap, but I wondered why our three-room flat wasn't decorated yet. Mama said with a twinkle in her eye, "This year is special."
I found out how special when I went into the front room and found a quilt spread on the floor, candles in the middle, and a can of cold pork and beans.
"This year we are cowboys around a campfire telling stories," she said.
She didn't mention that our electricity and gas were shut off. I actually felt sorry for all the other kids.
(Note: Dedicated to my strong, unique, joyful mother, Lydia Bottenhagen.)
A gift to us all
Tawnya Melton Mueller, Battle Ground
Many years ago when my mom started a new Christmas Eve tradition, I don't think she realized the forever gift she was giving to our family.
It was always tradition that once it was dark enough to turn on the red lights on the house, it was time to gather around the Christmas tree to open our gifts.
One year, my mom told my dad, brother, sister and I that she wanted to take a few minutes before we opened gifts to share her feelings.
She said she was thankful for all that she had been blessed with and told each of us how much she loved us and how proud she was to be our mother. Then she invited the rest of the family to share something if we wanted to.
Now every year before we open all the brightly wrapped presents, we take time to share what is in our hearts with our family.
Over the years, my cousin and her family have moved back, my siblings and I have married, babies have been born.
Our family has grown and so has the love! On Christmas Eve, as we sit in front of the tree, we each take our turn to reflect on the blessings and challenges of the year. We take the time to talk to each person and tell them how we feel about them, how proud we are, how thankful we are for them and share stories and memories of the year.
The words are honest and heartfelt. Our hearts are full. It is one of the few times that I see the men in our family shed tears.
With our busy lives, we don't see each other a lot and we rarely take the time to say how much we love and care about each other. But on Christmas Eve, around the tree, we share something so incredibly precious.
The love that fills that living room on Christmas Eve is truly a gift. It's a gift from God, a gift from my mother, a gift that I will always treasure and a gift that I hope you will share with your own family.
The perfect tree
Jennifer Tyger, Camas
According to answers.yahoo.com, perfect means something that is as good as it could possibly be.
Every year my husband and I ask each other if this is the year we get an artificial tree. After all, they are perfect. And each year our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughters ask us to go out and cut a tree down.
We always decide this is not the year and head out to the tree farm with them. Of course, they laugh at us because we just cruise the ends of the rows and find a tree. One year we even took a discarded tree that someone cut down and left.
This year was no different, except that they asked us to go with them a little farther and we would find the "perfect tree" like they were going to get.
We walked along chatting, and they told of the memories of our tree selection, the chubby tree that was bigger around than tall, the one with the empty side, and of course they brought up the discarded one.
But then, as a teacher, I thought of my former students. Not one was perfect. They all came in September with imperfections, but it wasn't what one focused on, but what they were to become.
You envisioned the possibilities of what they could be: perfect. As the classroom year passed by, they did become perfect in my eyes.
Rough edges smoothed and loose ends made straight.
You see, just like our perfect tree this year with the crooked top, it was what we envisioned it would become. As I finish decorating our tree, I stepped back and thought to myself, yes the perfect tree, just like each of my students had become.
An unusual Christmas dinner
Suzy Correa, Prune Hill – Columbia Summit
I wanted to have a picture-perfect American holiday the first year my German soon-to-be son-in-law came to our house for Christmas.
But I've never claimed to be a good cook, so I was understandably nervous.
Honestly, I thought the bird was defrosted when I put it in the oven. OK, it did seem slightly icy, but I was in denial.
I left russet potatoes for my husband to put in at the right time. I figured baked potatoes were a sure thing.
He stayed home to guard the food while the rest of us went off to church. What could go wrong?
I came home and opened the oven to peek at the food. Not only was the bird barely brown, the potatoes had exploded all over the oven walls. I had forgotten to mention piercing them before putting them in to cook.
Mortified and hungry, I tried frying hunks of lukewarm bird, which tasted awful.
There was nothing left to do but laugh, eat salad, deviled eggs, rolls and a lot of German candy that he had graciously brought all the way from home.
He was such a good sport, I knew why he was a keeper.
Special gifts from Santa
Carol Monroe, Battle Ground
On Thanksgiving day, we always got a $20 bill from Grandma to purchase our tickets at the Frederick & Nelson department store in Seattle for breakfast with Santa and to have our pictures taken.
The day after Thanksgiving, the kids in our family always made out our Christmas lists and sent them to Santa, with pictures cut out of the Montgomery Ward catalog. Then we'd put up our tree and wait for Christmas Day.
Under the tree would be a big gift for each of us, wrapped with our favor color bow. Inside the box would be a picture of the gift that we would be receiving after Christmas (the same picture that we sent to Santa).
We had little gifts under the tree, but our special gift would be coming via Montgomery Ward about five days after Christmas.
At that time, we didn't have the privilege of shopping earlier, because all the sales happened after Christmas.
My mom and dad told us when we were younger that this was the agreement they had with Santa, and we certainly believed them.
If you think about it, we had two Christmases.
My husband and I have carried this one step further. Each year, we prepare a letter listing 14 things we want to do with each other for the following year. This is our gift from Santa to each other.
Each year we complete what is a wonderful blessing for both of us.
A visit from Santa
Roberta Marchand, The Heights neighborhood
My husband and I told our children that sometimes Santa came to visit good little children in person when they were very good.
It was 1962 and we had three little ones ages 6, 4 and 2 years. We were waiting until we could leave our own home to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Christmas Eve dinner and the opening of gifts. Of course the little ones were very excited but were being very good.
It just happened that my sister got her hands on a Santa suit. So it was all set for Santa to come to see our children.
We heard a knock on the door and we said, "Maybe it is Santa." We opened the door and sure enough there he was.
The children were very shy and just stared at him. He gave them a gift and talked to each of them and then said that he had to go and finish delivering toys to other good girls and boys. When he left we got the children busy talking about the visit of Santa. They wanted to see him fly off in his sleigh but when we opened the door, he was gone.
Gingerbread implosion
Marlice A. Bryant, Truman neighborhood
Having been invited to a gingerbread house decorating party, I decided to put together a sweet little 6-by-6-inch house in the 20 minutes before running an errand.
The directions seemed simple: "Stand up walls and glue together with royal icing. Attach peaked roof and hold for one minute until icing sets." No problem. I'd been baking and icing cakes and cookies for the past 40 years or so.
I set up shop on the living room love seat in order to keep watch on squirrels that kept raiding my suet cake in the redbud tree. But as I worked, a corner of siding broke off. I wasn't worried. I just added a little more icing to fix it. It would be a snow-covered cottage after all — what's a little more snow?
I stood up the sides, attached the roof and held it together. The sides didn't meet at the corners like the picture on the box. I had 15 minutes. A headache started behind my eyes.
A squirrel leaped on the fresh suet cake! I had to move fast. The gingerbread house was getting more solid by the minute. I wiped my hands on a wet washcloth, opened the front door and screamed at the squirrel.
Fluffy, an adored long-haired cat who'd been watching the house construction with fascination, apparently got frightened at my loud voice. She careened off, leaving white hairs in the icing.
I couldn't get the offending fur off. Well, white hair and white icing — maybe this was what the "mortar" needed? We weren't going to eat the darned thing anyway! I had 10 minutes left and the instructions said "hold for one minute until icing sets."
But everything collapsed inward. It imploded in a brown-and-white muddle. All the pieces were covered with icing. The cottage was completely covered with snow. I could add frosting sugar for sparkle, just like real ice crystals, I supposed. I found new energy but had somehow acquired an eye twitch.
By 10:30 a.m. I was holding three intact walls, one broken wall and two roof pieces. They didn't match up. There was a one-inch gap in the roof. I planned to pretend this was a sunroof. Or maybe a chimney hole. I added more icing and watched as it dripped down the edges and puddled at the corners.
I moved the whole shebang to the kitchen counter and got ready to go. The cottage collapsed onto the floor. So I walked out and slammed the door.
Hours later, when I got home, the icing still hadn't set. That cottage was doomed from the beginning. So I picked up a little "ginger kid" and ate him.
Memories of Christmas
Helena (Hotvedt) Snyder, Washougal
When my parents and older brother were released from Japanese concentration camps during World War II, they were sent to Australia, where I was born in 1946.
They waited for visas to come to the USA, and when I was 4 we entered via New York.
We finally settled in Glendale, Calif.
One of our first Christmases in our new home, we had a beautiful Douglas fir. Mom hung candy canes and glass bulbs, and back then Dad would wrap the ends of candles and clip them with wooden clothes pins to the branches.
At night he lit the candles, unheard of today! We would get together with other Norwegian (Dad) and Dutch (Mom) immigrants, where a play was held before St. Nick arrived.
One year I played the main part of Santa Lucia with a crown of lighted candles on my head.
Another fond memory was Dad singing along to the novelty Christmas record "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas" by Yogi Yorgesson. I still play it every year, but now my son sings along.


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Businesses do really well online when they create "events" — as local promotion companies ranging from Zvents to Active.com have discovered. Home Depot has classes. Those are events. Brew pubs have free samples. Those are events, too. And so are REI's adventure trips. They all pop up on calendars, in search results, and in social media as well.
Brands can jump-start events too, sometimes in partnership with retail. Last night's Georges DeBouef and Burger Night" produced by WineTwits was a stellar example. GD, of course, is the original wine event company, with an annual event built around the pent-up demand every year for the release of its Beaujolais Nouveau.
WineTwits boasts 62,000 followers on Twitter, and has produced a number of events for wine brands and distributors, tying in with wine influencers and local retail establishments. It is part of a broader entity that produces similar events for spirits companies and also provides happy hours promotions (the original model, incidentally, for Living Social's deals).
Georges DeBouef's goals in having an event were clear from the get-go. It is marketing several red wines that it considers perfect summer time fare for BBQs – but consumers don't normally think of refrigerating red wine.
Working with WineTwits, GD put together an all star event. It hired Bob Waggoner from PBS' 'Ucook with Chef Bob,' to match its wines with several burgers; and arranged for a live, one hour Rachel Ray-like cooking and tasting Webcast in NYC. It also heated up demand by FedExing a trio of bottles to key influencers around the country, along with the burger recipes – dozens of whom tweeted away.
There was, in fact, a great deal of pre-event buildup on both WineTwits and #GDandburgers. It was a lot of fun, as the tweeters discussed their expectations for the burgers, their related shopping activities etc. 3,500 people have registered to participate in WineTwits' Virtual Tasting Network. Past virtual tasting events have involved wine bars (i.e. The Wine Loft) and wine restaurants (i.e. City Winery) and retailers (Stew Leonard's).
WineTwits founder Steve Gilberg tells us there were ultimately"hundreds of parties going on nationwide, generating thousands of tweets" and an estimated reach of 1.75 million people. Gilberg estimates that the event was probably less expensive than "the cost of a TV ad or a couple of full page ads in leading publications. It is certainly easier than having reps travel around the country and host events, which has been the industry's standard practice."
More importantly, from GD's perspective, "the …engagement with the brand is really powerful," says Gilberg. "You see people talking about your brand. And it creates such momentum."
For my part, my wife and I invited two couples over, and had a cookout featuring all three recommended burgers (which were quite excellent, although we liked the Portabella Mushroom Burger the most, along with the Beaujolais-Villages.) We got a real kick out of the Twitter stream before and during the event – there was a lot of interesting trivia given about the wines, and their native regions in France, as well as funny stories about individual events.
But we only paid attention to the cyber stuff for a few minutes. For one thing, we didn't want to spill wine on the iPads and smart phones. Mostly, we just had a really good time. Was the event a success? We'll certainly think about GD wines – refrigerated – for the rest of our summer meals.


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Elmohamady makes loan move
by Stuart Vose
Egyptian international joins Hull.
Winger Ahmed Elmohamady has joined Npower Championship side Hull City on a season-long loan.
The Egyptian international links up with former Sunderland manager Steve Bruce, who is now in charge at the KC Stadium.
Elmohamady, 24, joined the club from ENPPI in August 2010, initially on loan before making the deal permanent the following summer.
The Basyoun-born midfielder has made 60 appearances for Sunderland, scoring one goal, and figured as a substitute at Arsenal on the opening day of the season.


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News & Events
Vocal Master Class
"Roars and Whispers"
Signup next week
Monsters University is pleased to announce an intimate evening of conversation with one of the world's leading practitioners of vocal nuance, as we welcome Natasha Demonstrova for an exclusive masterclass focusing on technique and improvisation.
Demonstrova is an accomplished spoken word artist and leading corporate communications consultant. A trusted advisor of dignitaries and CEOs worldwide, she recently received the Gladstone Award for the advancement of communication arts.
A writer, singer, business leader, and renowned public speaker, Demonstrova is the epitome of scholarly artistry.
To learn more or reserve a seat for the masterclass, please contact the Communications division.


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Important delivery notice
The products on this site are only delivered to UK addresses. If you require delivery to another country please visit one of our other sites below.
Biennials live for 2 years, whereas perennials live for longer. As a general rule, biennial and perennial seeds should be sown in spring, but some can be sown in autumn as well. Many varieties will self-seed after flowering, giving you even more plants!
Echinacea purpurea 'Double Decker'
ConeflowerMore info
Red Hot Poker 'Traffic Lights'
Kniphofia hirsuta, Torch Lily
An intriguing dwarf red hot poker with unusual red, amber and green flower spikes. First year flowering, adding interest to borders and containers. Height: 30-40cm (12-16in). *Sow Sept/Oct to flower the following season. More info
Achillea millefolium 'Cassis'
YarrowMore info
Sedum 'Rock Garden Mixed'
Sedum rupestre, Sedum spathulifolium, Sedum album, Sedum aizoon, Sedum reflexum, Stone Orpine, Reflexed Stonecrop, Spoon-leaved Stonecrop, White Stonecrop
Harvest permitting includes: S. reflexion, S. spathulifolium, S. album hybrids, S. aizoon and many others in full foliage and flowering colour range.More info
Erigeron karvinskianus 'Profusion'
Erigeron karvinskianus, Fleabane, Mexican FleabaneMore info
Achillea ptarmica 'Double Diamond'
Yarrow, Sneezewort
Compact bushy plants are smothered with mainly double, dazzling white pom-pom flowers. An improved selection of this fabulous first-year-flowering hardy perennial, growing to 30cm (12") in the first year and 80cm (32") in the second. Achillea 'Double Diamond' is ideal for the front and middle of borders, as ground cover or as low hedging where it will attract bees and other beneficial insects. This elegant Yarrow also makes a lovely cut or dried flower. Height: 80cm (31"). Spread: 60cm (24"). More info
Echinacea purpurea 'Lustre Hybrids'
ConeflowerMore info
Echium pininana
Tower of Jewels, Giant Viper's Bugloss, Tree Echium, Echium pinnifolium
No wonder this is also called Tower of Jewels or 'Pride of Tenerife! Exceptionally tall flower spikes packed with either rose or purple-blue flowers, interspersed with silver-green lanceolate leaves.More info
Eryngium giganteum 'Miss Willmott's Ghost'
Eryngium giganteum, Sea HollyMore info
Echinacea 'PowWow Wild Berry'
ConeflowerMore info
Eryngium alpinum 'Blue Lace'
Sea Holly, Alpine EryngoMore info
Helianthemum Collection
Rock Rose, Sun RoseMore info


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Smashed Yalecrest windows prompt warnings to car owners
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — As exercise-minded neighbors set off on their morning jogs early Tuesday, they noticed something amiss.
Windows had been smashed out of numerous cars parked on the quiet, tree-lined street. Sandy Underwood, who usually rises at 4 a.m. in anticipation of her 5 a.m. run, didn't even realize at first that her own car was a target.
"I came out early to do some stretching and a runner had come by and said, 'Your car just got hit.' She said, 'Your windows got busted out,'" Underwood recounted.
The woman told her she had seen even more broken windows down the street.
"'I already called police, because I'm nervous,'" Underwood recalled the woman saying, before explaining: "She's out here running by herself."
Two other runners told Underwood they were counting the number of cars that had been vandalized in the Yalecrest neighborhood near 1900 East and 900 South and counted as many as 52. A community council member sent an email warning that dozens had been targeted. Salt Lake police detective Rick Wall said the actual number reported to officers was much smaller — more like five or six.
"The number's irrelevant," Underwood said. "It just keeps happening. We've been hit three times."
In eight years, Underwood said her car stereo was stolen and other vandals busted a window in her Range Rover while trying to steal the rims from her vehicle. Thieves succeeded in nabbing one rim before her husband chased them off. The damage Tuesday was limited to the window, but she said it was clear someone rummaged through the glove box and center console. They ultimately took nothing.
"We need the police throughout here to help us out," Underwood said. "It's a big problem."
Wall said there is nothing about that specific neighborhood that would make it a prime target for vandals and car prowlers.
"It appears at this time that it's probably just a random act," he said. "For whatever reason, these individuals decide to do this."
In reality, the detective said similar things can, and do happen everywhere. He said it's happened in his own neighborhood and to his own car and will continue to happen as long as people leave valuable items in their cars.
"We know, city-wide, car prowls are a big problem and it's just because, oftentimes, people leave those items in there (and they) are very tempting to some people," Wall said. "We as citizens make it appealing by leaving stuff in our car. When people see items in their cars, it's a temptation."
Wall said that as long as the criminal behavior pays off by yielding money or expensive items, vandalism and theft will continue to be an issue. The solution is for each individual driver to better secure their cars and protect their belongings.
"That's really what it is," Wall said. "We need to take opportunities away from those offenders and not give them a reason to make us a victim of a crime. There are things we can do to prevent ourselves from becoming victims of crime. Things like, make sure we park in lighted areas, that we have cars well-locked, that we don't leave items in the car."
Rachel Manwaring, another resident of the 1900 E. 900 South area, was lucky. Her car window was smashed, but she said she thought to bring in her laptop computer and her wallet — things she doesn't always do.
Still, she said there were other items the vandals left behind. Her cousin left her wallet in her car and it was untouched.
"It was weird," she said. "They just broke in the windows and went across to our glove compartments. ... I think it was some sort of intense prank or something. I don't know. It's just weird that they just break in all the windows and don't take anything."
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Galina Signature gown from David's Bridal
This is my wedding dress I wore for my wedding – the wedding was in June last year, and I wore it for approximately 5 hours total, and haven't worn it since. It is the DREAM wedding gown if you like anything traditional or non-traditional. I was worried it would be too "leggy" but it was just perfect!
- Label Size: 2
- Street Size: 0
- Bust: 32
- Waist: 25.5
- Hips: 32
- Height with Shoes: 5'9
- Alterations: The dress was bought a size 2 but was altered down to a 0. I also had the neckline altered to a sweetheart shape which I think looks amazing and better than the original design! Those are the only alterations done to the dress other than a bustle. I had the bustle made to look exactly like the ruching on the front of the dress. I didn't have it hemmed at all since it was open in the front, I knew I wouldn't trip
- Color: Ivory, White
- Silhouette: Fit to Flare
- Material: Embellishment, Organza, Tulle
- Neckline: Strapless
- Style: Applique, Beach, Glamorous, Modern, Ruching, Ruffles, Vintage
- Condition: Used
- Original Owner: Yes
- Has Original Receipt: Yes
- Preservation Method:
- Terms of Sale: All Sales Final
- Location: Lenoir,
- Will Ship to: Anywhere at Owner Expense
- Payment Methods Accepted: Escrow.com
Please read our BUYER'S GUIDE before purchasing a dress online.


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Whatever your needs, you will be satisfied with the Golden Bay Beach Hotel's selection of rooms. If you're looking for something extra special why not try a grand suite or a junior suite with its very own terrace, shared Jacuzzi and sun bed. The hotel also has 160 standard rooms that are all equipped with a private bath or shower, satellite television, air conditioning and tea and coffee making facilities.
Réservations -
0800 940 014


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New Shoal Article on java.net
By alexismp on Dec 09, 2007
Most GlassFish subprojects (Grizzly, Metro, Woodstock, HK2, Jersey, mq, Mojarra, ...) can be used independently from the application server. Project Shoal is no exception. This Group Management Service used by GlassFish clustering can also be applied to other use-cases.
Community members Juan Pedro Danculovic and Diego Naya have a nice article over on java.net covering in a single place most of the Shoal features. It goes into the definition of all the basic terms such as Group, Member, Member Token, Spectator, Core, Group Management Service, Components, and Signals. The article also covers how to integrate your own code into the clustering infrastructure (not only for Java EE applications, but SE applications too). Given the artifact's size (JARs are less than 2MB), together with a stripped-down GlassFish v3, the possibilities become very interesting.
Previous Shoal resources include:
• Previous Shoal posts
• Other introductory Shoal article
• GlassFish podcast interview about GlassFish Clustering and Shoal


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Lawn care Schedule: Yard Maintenance Tips For Every Season
Even though you and your lawn are still soaking up the summer sun, it's never too early to start preparing for harsher weather. Taking care of your yard is year round business, even after you put the mower and hoses in storage.
We've got you covered with lawn care schedule and tips on how to finish out the summer, gear up for the months ahead and give you a head start on a flawless-looking lawn yard next spring.
Year-Round Lawn Care Schedule
Summer Lawn Care Tips
- Your mower will be in high gear for the remaining hot summer months. Be sure to mow at the highest blade setting to prevent grass blades from shredding and encourage root growth.
- If it's not restricted, be sure to water your grass regularly and in the morning hours, when it's most efficient. This is especially important if you will be leaving on vacation.
- Avoid walking on a dry lawn as it can cause more damage to grass and soil.
- Now is the time to perform routine summer mower maintenance. Be sure to check filters, fluids and the spark plug. If you don't have one at home, pick up a lawn mower tune-up kit.
Fall Yard Care Tips
- As the weather begins to cool, fertilizing your yard is critical. This will provide an added nutrient boost to your soil that will keep roots growing during the dormant winter months.
- Seeding your grass in fall will protect it during winter, and it can also help repair lawn damage from the hot summer months.
- Blow or rake leaves from your yard at least once a week. Not only will this keep your yard looking clean, but leaves can block sunlight from reaching your grass and soil, causing dead patches come spring.
- When mowing season is complete, safely winterize your riding mower or store your walk behind mower.
Winter Lawn Maintenance Tips
- In late fall or early winter, depending on where you live, your final mowing of the year should leave your grass as short as possible to prevent grass blades from bending under the weight of snow. This will also reduce the risk of snow mold.
- Clear your yard of outdoor furniture, pots, logs and other decorative items. If these are left on the lawn they can create dead patches come spring. Periodically check for debris when snow cover occurs.
- Keep your sidewalks clear of ice and snow to discourage people from walking across the grass.
- Prep your snow blower to tackle the season with a routine snowblower maintenance check.
Spring Grass & Mower Maintenance Tips
- Once the snow clears, fertilize your grass again. This will replace reserves that were used up during winter, and get your yard ready for growing.
- Treat your lawn with a weed prevention spray to prevent growth of pesky crabgrass and other grassy pests.
- Don't clear your grass clippings – the lawn can recycle these shreds to encourage growth.
- Take your lawn mower out of storage and get it ready for another mowing season with a spring mower tune up.
Follow this lawn care schedule. Share your maintenance tips in the comments section!


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The business of animal care; after recently attending a Pet Expo, it became apparent that pet related businesses are on the rise. Wow, there seems to be a new outlet for pet care and products every day. We, as stewards, of pet care need to read carefully the information regarding the product for the pet we are considering this product for. Pet products like cars are coming into our country every day and the protection for our pets is not held in the same high regard by all manufactures.
Read what is on the label. If it is unknown to us we should look it up and be sure it is safe for our pet. Most of us have cell phones with access to the internet and can look this up. If not take the time to go home or the library to establish in our own mind this will not harm our pet. Most producers of pet products are happy that we take this amount of concern while purchasing pet supplies. There are some herbs, products, toys and just food which are very harmful to our pets. This is also true of our environment. While camping recently a friend took their poodle with them and the pet ate something which turned out to be poison. There are two lessons here, one watch our pets and stop any unsolicited treats; and second teach our pets to listen. Obedience Classes are very inexpensive compared to medical care because our wonderful friend eats something they should not or ran into the road.
Our pets can even get hurt in our own yard. This is where our supervision and vigilance is so important. Pets' do not discriminate what will hurt them or even kill them. Antifreeze is a great example of what will kill but every year people lose pets to this seemingly act of saving money by changing our auto oil and not properly disposing of it.