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Everytime we come to the airport, we see more and more positive changes. This time we are enjoying delicious Haitian coffee. As we were beginning this blog, a gentleman approached us and wanted to talk to us. Charlie Priestly is the President of COLIBRI-HAITI S.A.; his company takes care of all the aircrafts here at the airport. We had a wonderful conversation and learned a lot about this facility. Of course, we invited him to Jacmel.
Monthly Archives: January 2014
On the way to the airport!
Part 2: Finally, after 4 years, they have their own room…
Melinda and Jean-Philip are now settled in their new home (room) of their own. Before we left for the States, we visited them. They are so happy with their own home. This time we were able to give them two new pillows. This is the first time in their lives they have pillows. For Melinda and Jean-Philip, there is no place like home!
Riley Fuchs of St. Gabriel Parish, Saddle River, NJ, was so moved by the plight of the Haitian children that she decided to help them in a very tangible way. On the occasion of her seventh birthday, Riley did not receive gifts for herself, but she wanted the gift that keeps on giving. She asked her guests to bring items for the children of Haiti. This picture is a testimony to the other children's generosity and the joy that Riley experienced by giving rather than receiving. In Riley's own words: "I felt really happy to give these toys and shoes to the children of Haiti!" Thank you, Riley, for this beautiful example of love and generosity! Mesi anpil. Bondye beni ou.
Donation of school supplies finally arrives in Jacmel
During the month of October, Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Maywood, NJ, collected school supplies and books for our mission here in Haiti. The whole parish was involved in the project. On December 3, we received notification that the pallet of over 30 boxes had arrived in Port au Prince. The next day, we thought we were going to pick up the donated boxes. This was only the beginning of a long process. We went to the place to which the email directed us, to the terminal where it had been delivered. We learned that first we needed to go to Seaboard Marine Ltd., which is on the other side of the city. We are so grateful for Fritz, our driver! We had to pick up the paperwork, and then we needed to go to the bank for a certified check to pay for the paperwork. Next we were sent back across the city to bring the papers to a "broker," (these are men and women who deal with customs). After we met with the "broker," he could not begin the process because the pallet had been sent to the Felician Sisters, Attention: Sr. Marilyn Minter. We do not have legal status in Haiti, only as individual persons; my license name is Minter, Marilyn M. After many phone calls to New Jersey to the coordinator of the pallet, we could get the name changed on the paperwork. This took two days. After all that, we came home without anything. We believed that this would take at least a week. We experienced a real time of Advent waiting.
Every other day we would call the "broker" and write him emails (in Creole), always being told tomorrow or next week; and so we waited. We worried that the waiting time meant that we would be paying more taxes for the boxes sitting in the terminal. We wanted the boxes for Christmas in order to distribute the items to the poor. We were afraid that the taxes would be more than what the parish had sent to us. Finally on Tuesday, January 14, we received notice of the amount that was needed to be pay for taxes. We were in shock at the amount of tax we had to pay with certified check. We were taxed $13 USD. We thought we were reading the paper wrong because it was in gourds. The certified check had to be sent to Port au Prince that day so we could pick up the boxes the following day.
On Wednesday, January 15, we went to Port au Prince and got all the boxes. We brought them here to Jacmel, and our boys helped us unload the truck. The next day we got ready to distribute the school supplies. We thank Fr. Larry Fama, Pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish; Bill Cromwell, coordinator; and all the people who gave to our mission here in Jacmel. We are so grateful to all of you! We also thank the New York Yankees baseball team for the backpacks. Mesi, mesi anpil. Bondye beni ou.
Our mission makes new friends.
Two days ago we were introduced to Fr. Jean-Pierre, who came for our 6 a.m. Mass to celebrate the Eucharist for us. He was in the seminary with Fr. Kontan, who usually celebrates Mass for us. Fr. Jean-Pierre is now in the Archdiocese of Boston. He came back to Haiti with friends from the Archdiocese: Fr. Bill, from Sts. Monica and Lucy; a group of mission pilgrims from St. Martha, Plainville; and a group from St. Mary's, Wrentham, MA. Yesterday and today, the mission pilgrims came to celebrate Mass with us in our chapel. Additionally, a group of them came for our English classes and met our students to have conversations in English with them. It is a blessing to make new friends.
Finally, after 4 years they have their own room…
Today, January 12 is the 4th anniversary of the devastating earthquake that destroyed most of Haiti. On that day many lives were lost and families were torn apart, homes were lost and people's lives were destroyed.
Melinda and John Philip, sister and brother lost their parents and home that day 4 years ago. Melinda is now 22 and John Philip is 12. They both now are in the 5th grade. Since that day they have lived with relatives and friends, living in difficult conditions, being hungry and sleeping on chairs because there was no space for them to lie down. We met them a year ago when they began to participate in our english classes and food program. Now Melinda not only learns english but assists us in our Mother Angela kitchen in feeding our hungry children. Yesterday, we were able to help them rent a room. Besides a few clothes they did not have anything else. We found two mattresses in our container, some furniture, sheets and towels, cooking utensils, table and chairs, and some other household items to get them started to be on their own.
The Lord planned the day, we had help from friends and got the truck from Bishop Launay to transport the things needed for their home. The truck could only get to a certain point on the road where they now live so we needed to carry everything down a narrow path. We thank those of you who made it possible for Melinda and John Philip to have their own place now and depend on God's providence to continue to help them in the future.


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by Tragedy88
Disclaimers: These are my characters, all mine, even if they bear a striking resemblance to a certain warrior and bard. Sorry MCA/Universal you should know by now that I can't resist. But, so ya know, in no way do I make money from this. It's just my own sick, twisted fun.
Sex/Violence: Lots. More then the usual eps of Xena, and more then my usual stories. This is a tough city, a tough neighborhood where just about anything does and will happen. This story depicts love between two members of the same sex, so if this is illegal or offensive, read elsewhere. This story also depicts an act of rape, but no graphic sex scenes. Sorry folks, just not my style.
Anything else? Don't know about that yet. Guess this story has an R rating because of the violence and potty mouth language. Um, that'd be all now. Go ahead and read. Delve into my twisted mind, if you dare! :)
Feedback most welcome at firstname.lastname@example.com
"Where to?" Cadence asked, glancing to her right at Tony's pale, shattered face, then to the mirror and the stoic face of one very grouchy Shane Delante. When she got no answer she sighed and made her way to the abandoned warehouse, Tish's Corvette hot on the CRX's tailpipe.
She drove the little car into the side alley and parked, grinding the parking brake up with a little more force then necessary. "Lock the doors," she ordered as she stepped out. Tony popped the seat up for Shane to scramble out of the back and moved off to the side. Shane locked the door and slammed it shut.
The Corvette pulled up behind them and Tish, Casey, Molly, Ripper and Dorsey all piled out.
Ripper, who Tony had only met once before in passing, held up the sagging, splintery boards for everyone to shimmy under and into the dark hallway. They made their way down the hall with Casey complaining about something or other to Dorsey. No one else said anything.
Once in the room the cooler was broken open and beers passed around. Cadence refused like she always did but Tony sat with a chilled can in her hand, studying the members of Shane's posse.
Ripper was nearly as tall as Shane, her tanned face in a perpetual frown as if when she looked at the world all she saw was the filth. She was dressed in her customary jeans ń 505 button fly Levis ń and her usual basic T-shirt, the front pocket crammed with a cigarette pack. Ripper was good looking, in that tom boy way. A baby butch.
Tony grinned slightly. Her gram would be astonished at all the things that had crossed her mind since moving here; her now gutter humor and her blatant cursing... And the way her heart fluttered every time Shane's eyes met hers. Which they were doing none too frequently at the moment.
The blond haired teen sighed and tucked her feet up under her thighs. She gripped the beer can tighter as she raised it to her lips and took a long swallow. Ick... guess it's one of those things that has to grow on you.
She took another swallow and turned her attention to the conversation at hand.
"So she pulled up her shirt and flashed Coach," Dorsey was saying. Chuckles went up around the room and when Dorsey turned to her expectantly she realized she'd missed a vital part of the conversation. She smiled, unsure, and Dorsey flashed her a quick grin before returning to the incident in the girl's locker room she'd been talking about.
Ripper and Dorsey, it appeared, were both on the girl's basketball team. And it appeared their dislike of the coach was mutual. Conversation flowed back and forth, Tony picking up odds and ends here and there and bantering back and forth with Casey about the fiasco in their gym class the day before the funeral.
Some rather large girl had sat out the game of volleyball the gym teacher had made them reluctantly start. The ball had gone flying out of bounds, popped the girl on the head and sent her careening back into the metal bleacher behind her. All was fine, until the girl tried to get back up. Her butt was pinned between the narrow metal bleacher and the runner board.
Before Tony knew it she had a grin plastered across her face and the constant tension in her shoulders kept rolling out with each bit of laughter. Whether it was the company of friends or the three cans of beer she didn't care.
By the fourth can she was sprawled out on the floor beside Ripper and trading dirty jokes. She had no idea she knew so many. Ripper's lean face was flushed red with laughter and Casey had already escaped once to a bathroom somewhere to relieve herself.
Shane was somewhere between her fourth and fifth can, but she had a higher tolerance. She kept an eye on Cadence keeping an eye on Tony. And finally she kept an eye on Ripper and Tony. She watched with narrowed eyes as the usual 'don't touch me' attitude Ripper worked hard to maintain diminished and she touched Tony's shoulder or knee, smiling constantly.
With a start Shane realized she was jealous. Ripper was 'out' and, as she always said, she 'planned to stay that way, even if it meant getting stabbed in some back alley for being a perve.'
Ripper was honest, to the point of being blunt. It was one of the reasons Shane liked her so much and got along with her. No bullshit. The touching was subtle though. When it came to that kind of thing the nearly 6 foot, well muscled girl was almost shy. Who the hell had decided to give her the tag Ripper?
The only thing Shane had ever seen her rip up was the court or a nasty report card.
For a long moment she nursed her beer in complete silence, narrowed eyes still watching. Then, in one long swig, she finished the beer, got up and fetched another one and plopped her long frame down right between Tony and Ripper.
Tony glanced up with a smile. Her face was flushed and her eyes glimmered in the dull light coming from between the wooden slats on the broken windows. Shane couldn't blame Ripper one bit for wanting to touch her.
Shane blushed and mumbled a 'hey.'
"Hey Shane, didja know that Ripper said I was cu-"
"Tony, Shane doesn't wanna hear what I think," Ripper interrupted with force.
"Oh." Tony turned to look at her new friend, and even through the haze of alcohol could see her discomfort. "Ok."
"Isn't your Gram gonna wonder where your at?" Shane discreetly changed the subject.
Tony's brow furrowed as she tried to remember where her Gram was. "Oh, oh no. I told her I wasn't gonna come home ta night."
One elegant eyebrow arched. "Where did you tell her you'd be?"
"At Cadence's."
"What if she calls there?"
"She doesn't have the number. Neither do I for that fact." Tony's head swiveled around till she found Cadence. "Oh, there you are! Hey!"
The light, chocolate skinned girl smiled patiently. "Hey yourself." She got up and joined the little group, leaving Casey where she was, passed out cold on the floor.
More conversation, more beers and hours later everyone was either sleeping or passed out somewhere on the dusty floor. Tony being one of the ones who'd passed out, Dorsey and Casey the other two.
Tony woke with a groan, clutching her stomach. She struggled to sit up as a wave of nausea hit her churning stomach. With a dejected moan she crawled on her hands and knees over to Shane's side.
"Shane, Shane," she whispered urgently, shaking the teen's shoulder. "I'm gonna be sick. I need a bathroom. Now."
Blue eyes popped open in the semi-darkness. Shane stumbled to her feet and brought Tony up beside her. The girl moaned and clutched her stomach tighter.
"Not gonna make it..." Tony mumbled and slapped a hand over her mouth.
Shane swept her up in strong but tired arms and hurried to a door at the end of the room. She pushed it back on broken hinges, went through quickly and stepped into a tiny portal of a bathroom. There was barely a spec of light but she led Tony to her knees beside the cracked toilet and gently held the girl's hair back as she leaned over the toilet, just in time.
For several minutes Tony exhausted everything still inside her from the food at the hall while Shane absently rubbed gentle circles across her back. When Tony finally collapsed back against her chest Shane chuckled.
"What?" Tony demanded in a cracked voice.
"Bet you're not gonna do that again, huh?"
Tony just groaned and pushed off of Shane's body to stand. The room tilted and twirled dangerously and she was glad when Shane's strong, sure hands caught her up and held her tightly. She leaned against Shane, face pressed against her chest.
The smell of cigarettes, salt and shampoo that was just so Shane curled protectively around her. She inhaled deeply and pulled away, embarrassed. "Sorry," she mumbled.
"S'ok," Shane replied, slightly flustered. It felt so right holding and comforting Tony. She didn't really want to let go. But she did when she felt Tony shrugging away. "Come on, there's an old cot in the other room you can lay on and get some sleep."
The cot looked like a left over war relic, but Tony sank into it anyway, ignoring the slight smells of mold and mildew.
Shane hesitated. "I'll be in the other room if you need anything."
Tony's drooping eyes widened in alarm. "It's dark in here," she murmured.
"It's not that dark." Shane surveyed the room and her eyes landed on the boarded window on the other side. With purposeful strides she crossed to the window and reached up, tugging down a board. A neon burst of light from the bar a half block down, filtered in and sent a shaft of light across the bottom of the cot. "Better?" she asked.
"No," Tony whispered.
Shane's brow furrowed together and it dawned on her that this wasn't entirely about the darkness of the room. She realized, too late, that she shouldn't have let Tony drink so much. That the pain would come back so much harder once the alcohol was gone. She sighed and made her way over to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Stay here with me?" Tony blurted out, thanking the gods that Shane probably couldn't see the crimson blush rising from her neck to her cheeks.
"Scoot over then."
Tony eagerly scooted over as Shane settled her long legs on the small cot and laid down beside her, their arms brushing lightly together.
For a while there was only the sound of the squeaky springs as they both tried to get comfortable.
"Does... does it ever get easier?"
Loaded question. "Yeah." Shane regarded the ceiling and the shallow breathing of her bedmate. "But not for a long time."
"Will I always miss her this much?" Tony turned her head to see the darkened profile, wishing she could see Shane's eyes.
The springs squeaked as Shane rolled onto her side and propped herself up on one elbow to gaze solemnly down. "It's ok to miss your mom. You love her."
Tony regarded her silently. "I told her... I told her I hated her." Tears sprang to her eyes and she didn't bother to wipe them away as they spilled out.
"You didn't mean it. You were just angry."
"But it's the last thing I ever said to her! She killed herself... because of me!"
"Hey," Shane said, startled. "C'mere." She opened up her arms for Tony to wriggle into and held her friend tightly. "You're sorry, aren't you?"
"Yes," Tony choked out.
"Good, then she knows that." She traced her thumb down Tony's cheek and gently tapped her in the chest, right above her heart. "She knows that, in here."
"My gram, before she died, told me that the dead can hear our thoughts. She said that each night she told grandaddy she loved him and he heard her." Shane brought her arm around Tony's back and settled her securely against her chest. "So your mom knows."
"But it's still my fault," Tony whimpered.
"No. Your mom had her own problems Tony," she said forcefully. "She couldn't face things and she wimped out. Simple as that. You're the strong one. You're the one that's still here, still fighting and living..."
It was probably the most she'd ever heard Shane say in one breath before. "What if I don't want to be here?" Tony whispered and pulled slightly away, straining to see two pale lakes of blue.
Shane's heart jumped in alarm and skidded to a stop inside her chest. No! Not when I just found you! "Y-you don't mean that do you?"
"Sometimes I think I do." Tony listened intently to Shane's heart beating right beneath her ear. The way it seemed to start and stop, running a marathon in between. "But not... not..."
"But not what?"
But not when you're here.... "I don't know."
Exhausted, they slipped into sleep, a mass of tangled arms and legs.
"How are you doing today, Tony?" Anna took the opportunity to kneel beside Tony's desk, while the other students were busy scribbling in their journals.
Dull blue-green eyes glanced up at her and Anna sighed inwardly.
"I'm fine," Tony said. She went back to journal writing.
"I'm sorry about your mom," Anna stood, glancing across the room. "If there's ever anything I can do?"
"I'm fine, really." But Tony didn't look up from the paper.
Awkwardly Anna laid a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze before going back to her desk.
Tony's pencil stilled as the words blurred into a jumble. She looked across the row and met Cadence's frank stare. They smiled briefly at one another and went back to work.
A few minutes later Ms Stewart asked for volunteers to read what they'd written. Of course no one volunteered so she randomly called five names. Cadence was one of those names, and so was Tony. Her heart hammering against her ribcage Tony waited her turn.
Reluctantly she stood before the students who were all older then she was. Another one of those nightmares; almost as bad as standing in front of a class in just your underwear.
In a quiet, shaky voice she began. "I dreamed last night, in black and white. I have not dreamed for many years."
A few eyes turned to Tony expectantly.
"The darkness began and there, beyond the horizon, was a horse bathed in silver moonlight. Atop the stallion was a knight."
A few more ears snapped to attention as Tony stood straighter and more self-assured.
"The metal armor gleamed in the moonlight, face plate masking the rider's identity. The horse and rider sat in tandem, waitingÖ for something. A cry pierced the night air and the knight issued a war cry and they raced down from the mountain top, banner flying in the air."
Tony cleared her throat and let the paper fall to her side as she closed her eyes and relived the dream. "Darkness all around, the knight raced to the source of the scream. There, in the black and white meadow a maiden was in trouble. It was hard to tell the trees from the shadows, and the warriors from them both. Undaunted the knight rode down, pulling a sword from its sheath in the saddle."
All eyes and ears were on Tony, including the teacher and a very surprised Cadence.
"With amazing strength the knight slashed and twisted the blade, sending each and every warrior to their death. The knight jumped from the horse and knelt beside the fair maiden. Pain lanced through the knight's heart at the black blood seeping down the front of the maiden's dress. 'Shhh,' the knight said in a deep voice. 'I'm here now.' The maiden open pain filled eyes to look at the knight. 'I've waited for you,' she said. Behind the mask the knight nodded. 'I know.' And the knight pushed the mask back to reveal-"
Just then the bell rang. Several students jumped up and raced out the door while several others rang out in a chorus, "What happened?"
Tony just grinned. Saved by the bell. "The knight pushed back the mask to reveal the only splash of color in the entire dream."
"What color?"
"That's for me to know and you to find out," Tony smirked. They groaned and shuffled out of the room. Cadence lingered as Tony picked up her books. She was about to say something when the teacher asked if Tony could stay a moment.
"Sure, what's up?" Tony glanced at Cadence with a slight shrug, as if to say, whatever, see ya in a minute? The dark skinned girl nodded and waited in the hallway just outside the door.
A few moments later Tony emerged with a strange look on her face.
"What is it?" Cadence immediately asked.
"IÖ IÖ um, she asked me if I wrote a lot and if I had more shorts like that." Tony glanced around the hallway as if lost. Cadence grabbed her arm and led her to an empty classroom.
"What for? Why did she want to know?"
Tony plopped down in an empty chair. "She thought I should write for the school paper."
"We HAVE a school paper?" Cadence's eyebrows rose, the shock evident in her voice.
"Sort of. Apparently." Tony didn't elaborate.
"What's the problem then? It was a good story." The dark girl crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall to study Tony a moment. She really is a pretty girl. I can see why Ripper would like her. She's kind of got that I'm an innocent girl I need taking care of look. Of course she's really the exact opposite... Cadence shook her head and focused in on what Tony was saying.
"... never thought of doing anything like that. I only write for myself and assignments in school, ya know?" Tony looked up expectantly.
"Then do that. Write for yourself still. I, well I could help you sort through stuff you wouldn't mind sharing... if... um... you wanted that is?"
Tony smiled. "I'd like that."
"I bet Shane would like to read them too."
Wide green eyes looked up at Cadence. "I um don't think so. Not yet anyway."
Cadence shrugged as the bell rang. "We'd better get going."
I hate gym class! Tony groaned as she tried to pull up to the bar again. She glanced at Casey, showing off beside her, on her 5th pull up. She dropped a foot down to the waxed gym floor.
"Scarletti! Get your butt back up there and do five pull-ups."
No way... "I... can't." She huffed out.
"Get up there, now."
Casey glanced over the top of the bar and saw Tony breathlessly shake her head 'no.' Then she looked at the coach who was storming her way.
Uh oh. Casey slowly and quietly lowered herself down.
"Get up there!"
The coach was right up in Tony's face now, even though she was bent over, clutching her knees and trying to gain her breath and still her racing heart.
"I... I... said I... can't." Tony stood, her breathing eased slightly, but her heart beating faster as she squarely faced the short, muscular coach.
"Don't tell me you can't!" He pointed a finger at her, in full drill sergeant mode. "I will not accept can't on this floor!" He jabbed his finger closer and closer to emphasize his point.
Casey stalked up silently beside Tony. The coach blinked and turned on her. "Trevors, get back to the bar!"
"No, sir!" Casey barked and the coach glared at her. She put her hands on her hips, sleeveless tank top prominately revealing the panther tattoo on her shoulder. "Break time, girls!" she called out to her classmates. A collective sigh went up and the girls came down from the bars to stand with the others that had been waiting for their turn.
"Trevors," Coach growled, low enough that only Tony and Casey could hear. "I will not tolerant insubordination in the ranks." He jabbed a threatening finger at Casey's chest. Her eyes turned icy as he poked her.
She stepped up against his finger, bending it back and got right in his face. "And I will not tolerate..." she laid a hand on his chest and shoved him back, raising her voice at the same time, "you touching me!"
He grabbed her hand. "Enough. I'm tired of you gang girls thinking you run the whole damn school!" His grip tightened with each word.
And, if it was possible Casey's eyes got icier. She tore her hand from his grasp and swung furiously. The gym was shrouded in dead silence as the coach staggered and grabbed his bloody nose.
"You, bitch!" he cursed.
"Ok, now that was uncalled for." Casey smiled, angry but enjoying the thought of pummeling the little man senseless. That stupid crew cutÖ and the fact that he thought he was still a marine. "Stand up straight, soldier," she sneered.
Coach felt his nose for a second, making sure it wasn't broken, then put his hands on his hips. "Principal's office, now," he growled, barely keeping his anger reigned in. He wasn't going to loose his job over some damn little girl.
Casey smirked. "Make me."
"You too, Scarletti," he pointed at Tony, "go to the office." He hadn't seen a tattoo on that one.
Tony glanced at Casey, then moved to the door. The coach began to follow. "Now, Trevors."
Casey resisted the urge to kick the man in the ass. She briefly considered kicking Tony's too as she moved easily down the hall ahead of them. Instead she sighed and followed them both to the principal's office.
Everything about the principal was 'well groomed' and cowardly. From his impeccable dark tie that said 'I'm just like everyone else' to the dark suit and loafers that said he was just like everyone else.
"Coach Hester, what seems to be the problem?" the principal asked.
"Insubordination in the ranks, sir." He nodded at the girls, glaring at Casey longer then Tony. "This one," he hooked his thumb at the blond, "refused to do pullups. And this one," he pointed at Casey, "broke my nose."
"I did not!" Casey said indignitly. "He touched me."
"I did not, you filthy liar."
They were almost nose to nose before the principal held up his hand. "Enough. You, Miss Trevors have been in this office far too many times and the year has barely begun."
Casey seemed about to protest, but the principal spoke again. "You are suspended for a week for the physical mistreatment of a teacher."
Tony stood silenty, watching as Casey struggled to keep her fists at her sides and not end this in bloodshed.
"I didn't do anything wrong. That idiot was yelling and poking and Tony. Then he touched me." Casey seethed.
"Is this true, Coach?" the principal asked.
"No way. She jumped in while I was explaining to the new girl that I don't accept quiters in my class. And then she just started hitting me, for no reason."
Casey's mouth sagged open. Her fists clenched and unclenched.
"That's not true!" Tony cried increduously. "I couldn't do the pullups and coach started screaming at me. Casey was just defending me."
"By punching a teacher, Miss Scarletti? That's not the way to go about these things. I transferred you to senior classes because I thought you were mature enough to handle it." The principal crossed his arms across his chest and looked down his nose at Tony.
"I am mature enough to handle it," she sputtered.
"I don't see it that way. And since you apparently started all of this I'm going to suspend you for a week as well, so you can think this over carefully. If I decide you are mature enough you will be allowed to return to classes with seniors."
His look at the door and Coach's smug smile were dismission enough and Tony grabbed Casey's arm and pulled the glowering girl out with her.
"I can't believe he suspended me!" Tony cried as they left the school doors and headed out into the bright afternoon sun.
"I can't believe it either," Casey said, dangerously calm. After all this time that bastard principal still didn't realize just what he was dealing with when he came up against 'the panthers.' He'll learn not to mess with ME soon enough.
They walked to where Shane usually parked her bike. It wasn't there.
Tony sighed. "God, don't tell me she's disappeared again!" She threw her hands up in exasperation and slapped them down against her thighs.
Casey grinned suddenly. There, in the far corner was the coach's car. She grabbed Tony's hand and dragged the sputtering girl along behind her to the rusted out station wagon.
"Hey," Tony protested.
They pulled to a sudden stop beside the car. "Payback's a bitch," Casey muttered and slammed her elbow through the window. It wasn't the shatter proof glass so it imploded on impact. She popped the lock even as she dug into her jeans and pulled out a pocket knife. As she flicked it open she hopped into the drivers seat.
"Get in Tony."
She shook her head, blond bangs falling into her eyes. "No way."
Casey looked up with a grin akin to madness. "See ya later then," she shrugged and ducked down to splice the wires together.
Tony stepped back as the car sputtered to life. Casey pulled out in a squeal of tires and black smoke. Wide eyed Tony raced from the parking lot and ran half the way home, deciding suddenly, at the apartment doors that she couldn't face her gram, and made her way aimlessly down the streets.
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subset: commoncrawl


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The Muskoka North Good Food Co-op is a not-for-profit, social enterprise with the mission to provide the region access to the best regional, sustainable, safe and environmentally conscious foods through the development of a community-owned grocery store and community food centre.
Now with two locations!
Come and visit us at Kent Park in downtown Huntsville (Brunel and Main Street) across from Algonquin Outfitters.
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Teknetics Rain and Dust Cover Set (T2 / Fisher F75)
Designed to Fit Teknetics T2 and Fisher F75 Metal Detectors
Protect your investment, cover your meter. Don't let rain and dust reduce your detecting power. Features easy on and off velcro, clear-view panel that allows you to see the meter and adjust settings. Gives protection from rain, mist, swirling dust, dirt, mud, etc.
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Hailed by critics as a "profoundly moving portrait", an "appeal to your heart and gut", and a "gripping story, eloquently told", He Named Me Malala is set to debut commercial-free on Monday February 29th on National Geographic Channel US and globally in 171 countries and 45 languages.
On Monday, February 29th at 8/7c pm, the National Geographic Channel will present the exclusive global broadcast television premiere of the Academy Award winner Davis Guggenheim's feature documentary He Named Me Malala. The critically acclaimed film is an intimate portrait of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai which will leave you reinvigorated and inspired.
Malala was targeted by the Taliban and severely wounded by a gunshot when returning home on her school bus in Pakistan's Swat Valley for daring to say that girls should attend school. "This incredible and critically acclaimed file left movie audiences applauding this young woman's journey and left them wanting to make a difference".
The documentary offers a look into Malala's life both before and after the attack. She was 15 at the time of the incident, when she was singled out, along with her father, for advocating for girls' education. The shooting sparked an outcry from supporters around the world. Malala miraculously survived and is now a leading campaigner for girls' education globally as co-founder of the Malala Fund. The film delivers an inside glimpse into this extraordinary young girl's life - from her close relationship with her father, who inspired her love for education, to her impassioned speeches at the United Nations, to joking around at home with her parents and brothers.
Leading up to the television debut, Facebook fans can show their support to the cause by changing their profile picture using a custom-designed animation. On Twitter, users can contribute by using the hashtag #withMalala. For every profile picture changed and each tweet sent with the hashtag, 21st Century Fox, in partnership with NGC and National Geographic Channel, will donate $1 to the Malala Fund, for a total donation of up to $50,000.
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Review Wire Media for 20th Century Fox. I received information to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.


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$15.00 - On Sale
Released: 2005
This limited edition 12" features a previously unreleased Katalyst track 'Let The Music Talk' featuring Ru C.L. Also features Katalyst favourite 'Showtime'.
This 12" was primarily for release in the UK distributed by Cargo.
Credits: Side A 1. 'Let The Music Talk' produced by A. Anderson (Katalyst) vocals and lyrics by R. Campbell. Side B 1. 'Showtime' produced by A. Anderson (Katalyst). Recorded at M2 Studios. Manufactured in the UK.
Side A
A1. Let The Music Talk - featuring Ru C.L
Side B
B1. Showtime


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Promotion & MarketingAs an entrepeneur there is one very important question to ask: 'How can I generate more revenue?'. The answer to this question can be found in these two factors: visitors and presentation.
Below you can find a few tips to generate as much revenue as possible from your website:
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You can do this by exchanging links with larger websites. A link exchange is a deal where you place a link on your ownite to another website, and that other website will place a link to yoúr website in return.
You can also use avertisement. Advertise at relevant websites to make your name known or use the advertising possibilities of search engines, such as Live Search en Google.
2. Give some thought to the layout of your page
When an customer visits a website for the first time, he will ask himself: 'Is this interesting for me?' This process only takes 5 – 10 seconds and no more than one follow up page. To keep your visitor on your website as long as possible, you must have your products positioned correctly and logically.
3. Provide clarity to your customers
You can give your customers clarity about your products by having a clear product description. MobileMoney™ has created several promo texts for the entire assortment for you to place on your website. So start placing these texts.
4. Keep your customers interested
Unique promotion, leading products and fun offers are great ways to keep your existing customers interested. You can consider a banner campagne for a new game or a special around the holidays.
To help you get started, MobileMoney™ offers you a few banners. These are adjustable in color and text, so you can maintain the unity within your layout. Take a look at our banners?.
MobileMoney™ has also created several specials, which consist of a compilation of the best products with the same theme. Take a look at the complete overview of all the specials.
A third option we offer is sending out newsletters. This method of promotion can be very successful, when used correctly. Make sure your newsletters contain actual news, something fun and unique. Other than that, it is important to pay attention to the frequency, so your newsletter will not be considered as SPAM. Get started with our mailing creator.


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I don't get sick very often. In the 11 years that I've had diabetes, I've had many, many, many high and low blood sugars. I've many bad health days and many good health days, but I haven't had very many sick days—as in, sick with a virus or a cold. The one very bad no good bout of sickness I can recall in the past decade, however, was the first week of my year studying abroad in France. I arrived to that country alone, in September 2012, with bright, eager eyes, one suitcase, and pretty much no comprehensible French language skills. I knew no one in the entire country—entire continent—besides my French study abroad advisor and an American girl, Dana, I met in the Madrid airport who was also headed to my program. That first night in France, Dana and I drank red wine under the southern French sky and I remember looking up at the stars and exclaiming to her, This is just the beginning. I'd never felt so free, so elated, so overwhelmed and sure I'd made the right decision, in my life.
We had two free weeks before classes began. Those first few days, Dana and I wandered around the cobblestone streets of Aix-en-Provence, eating crêpes, meeting other foreign exchange students, and trying to string French sentences together, horrifying everyone with our terrible accents.
About five days in, I started to feel sick: weak and hot and cold and lead-headed and just generally terrible. I spent a few days drinking a lot of tea and hoping things would clear up on their own, because I did not have the language skills to even navigate a drug store, and I also didn't know where a drug store was.
Alas, my tea-prayers did not work, and a few days in, I woke up with pink eye.
I emailed my mildly helpful study abroad advisor, and asked her what I should do. She sent me the address to the closest walk-in clinic. It was a 30-minute walk. (To be fair, everything was a 30-minute walk from my dorm.) But apparently, I had no other options. My new friend, Annie, an exchange student from Canada, went with me.
We circled the streets trying to find the place, and after showing a few people the scrap of paper I'd written the address down on, we landed at an obscure building on a side street near a French university. Something else to note about the south of France: every building is obscure, and basically every street is a side street.
We opened the door and entered a windowless room. The room was lined with chairs, much like a normal waiting room, but there was no reception area. No sign-in sheet, no ticket machine, nothing. After bumbling around in confusion for a few minutes, we just took a seat and figure we'd wait to see what happened (this turned out to be something we did a lot in various situations.) There were a few other people waiting—a young couple, a mother with her child, a man by himself. After ten minutes or so, a door opened from the corner of the room, and a man and woman emerged. The woman said Merci and left, while the man—the doctor—stood waiting with the door open. The young couple got up and went with him. The same happened with the mother and child, then the man. We realized people just waited their turn, then went. They were trusted with this responsibility. What a concept.
When it was my turn, Annie stayed in the waiting room and I took her portable French dictionary with me into the doctor's office. I'd Google Translated some medical phrases I thought I might need to know, so I brought those, too, on a sheet of paper folded in my pocket. Very luckily, the doctor spoke English.
The office was normal, clean, organized. Like a doctor's office one would find in the states, only his also had a desk space—half doctor's office, half principal's office. After he examined me and declared, yes, pink eye caused by an untreated viral infection (I didn't mention all that hopeful tea I'd treated with), we went over to his desk where, because I'd only been in France for a week and didn't yet have la Sécurité sociale (health insurance) I paid 20 euros out-of-pocket for the appointment. 20 euros! And he was apologetic. God bless socialized medicine.
Annie and I then navigated the pharmacy, where there also happened to be an English speaking pharmacist working. I got my medicine. I paid barely anything for it. I took it. I got better.
I got back to being obliterated on a daily basis by how perfect Aix was, how delicious the baguettes and pain au chocolat and red wine were, how frequent and fresh and bustling the open air markets were, how gorgeous the mountain-view was from my bedroom window. I learned the language, I learned the city. I reminded myself that I'd brought myself to this beauty.
A few months later, when I still didn't have la Sécurité sociale (French paperwork moves at a glacial pace) and I was about to run out of insulin, I knew what to do. I knew where to go. I'd navigated the French healthcare system once, and I did it again. And again later, when my French speaking skills were stronger and so was I, thankfully, as none of the doctors or pharmacists spoke English this time around.
All of this to say: life with diabetes presents unexpected, unimaginable challenges.
So does life with any human body.
Always with me, I carry my glucose meter, test strips, insulin, syringes, pen needles, juice boxes, granola bars, glucose tablets. I am as diabetically-prepared as I know how to be.
And still, the unexpected arises. All I know to do is rise to meet it when it comes.
This post is part of Diabetes Blog Week 2017.
Today's prompt is: Diabetes and The Unexpected
Diabetes can sometimes seem to play by a rulebook that makes no sense, tossing out unexpected challenges at random. What are your best tips for being prepared when the unexpected happens? Or, take this topic another way and tell us about some good things diabetes has brought into your, or your loved one's, life that you never could have expected?
Still, the unexpected arises. was originally published on Coffee & Insulin


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GOEX materials are used in many durable, unique and sophisticated signage and display applications.
Learn More
GOEX produces food safe plastics in a controlled environment with strong emphasis on quality and safety practices.
GOEX meets the highest standards and demanding requirements of the medical thermoforming market.
GOEX materials are fundamental in creating functional, portable and appealing packaging solutions to help deliver your products to market.
The FSSC 22000 food safety and quality management system is an ISO-based food safety management system certification that provides worldwide recognition and acceptance by food manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. Read how this applies to GOEX as a food packaging material manufacturer.
GOEX is certified to be in conformance with ISO 9001:2015 standards. This accomplishment demonstrates the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer regulatory requirements and demands, helping organize processes, improve the efficiency of processes and continually improve them.
Check out what is new at GOEX! Read our current edition of the GOEX Sheetline: Volume 21...READ MORE
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Visit GOEX at the medical device packaging industry's annual education forum for updating technical knowledge, exploring the leading edge of industry trends and connecting with the who's who of the industry. March 10-12, 2020 Charlotte, NC. Booth 47...READ MORE


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Provided for Review
I have some gorgeous piCture pOlish shades to share with you all. These are the other three lacquers I was sent to review along with Scandal and they do not disappoint. I'm going to start with my favorite of the three, Chillax.
Chillax is a beautiful jade green creme. It applied wonderfully, the formula was great. The color in photos shows a little more aqua than it actually is, so please keep that in mind.


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Hospital provider fee bill debuts with a twist — a GOP sponsor
House Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst introduced the long-awaited legislation to revamp the hospital provider fee program, a move with significant implications on how the state spends money.
The measure — House Bill 1420 — ends the current hospital provider program and replaces it with a new system dubbed the Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE), which is exempt from TABOR limits. A related measure — House Bill 1421 — spells out additional state spending on transportation, education and more if the first bill is approved.
The new program would eliminate the need for taxpayer refunds for the foreseeable future because it removes the hospital fee from the revenue cap — a roughly $730 million reduction.
The co-sponsor of the bill is Sen. Larry Crowder, a Alamosa Republican who is breaking ranks to sponsor the bill. The Republican-controlled Senate remains opposed to the bill — Hullinghorst called it a "stalemate" — meaning it is unlikely to advance to the governor's desk this session, despite Crowder's support which gives it enough votes to pass if it made it to the floor.


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GARYTALK.COM – It was great to see Candice Bergen on "The Late Show" with Steven Colbert recently (Wednesday, September 26, 2018). She was there to promote her return to television and CBS's iconic "Murphy Brown" sitcom. She spent most of the time reminiscing about more than the old version of the show. A lot of the time was taken up telling Colbert about her date many years ago with our current president, Donald Trump, when she was a sweet, young, 18 year old student in the early 1960s.
Mainstream News Is NOT The Enemy Of The People.
GARYTALK.COM – Most true Journalists are NOT "the enemy of the people" and do NOT produce and publish "fake news" for their readers and viewers to consume, as the 45th United States President, Donald J. Trump, attempts to mislead his followers to believe. Coming from a career of gathering and reporting news as a Journalist for several decades, now that I'm semi-retired, I can't resist weighing in on what's been happening recently. President Trump is constantly confusing the issue, and, possibly purposely, or inadvertently, causing extreme harm to the American democracy, in many ways, but to narrow this down a bit, this is about his claims of "fake news". Calling it that is far from the truth.
Facebook Trying To Police Campaign Manipulation
GARYTALK.COM – Facebook is ramping up it's efforts to respond to the real threat to the United States democratic process this country's intelligence agencies are warning about. The social media giant's members were inundated with disinformation, misinformation and other campaigns meant to steer voters' choices at the 2016 ballot box. There is fear that the persuasiveness of highly suspect untrue details being spread like wildfire by, sometimes, unsuspecting users via the Facebook Friends "sharing" posts to one another, may affect upcoming elections. Facebook has introduced at least one wrung in it's plan to get voter truth back into the election system by turning off one possible avenue of misinformation. Let me explain.
Keeping Busy In Retirement Makes Life Satisfying.
GARYTALK.COM – I've not written anything for my GaryWords section of Garytalk for quite awhile. It's not that I've taken a vacation, or anything as pleasurable as that. It's quite the opposite. During my retirement years, I've been partially busy writing and editing content for eight websites. Additionally, I've been occupied with curating and processing photos for optimal internet viewing on and for the same websites. I also maintain each of the websites as webmaster, which requires a little, internal, technical work now and then. But, that's not all.


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Chaotic United (2019)
Chaotic United
Nuclear District
Chaotic Green
Alycraft Red
Hurricane Violet
Tidal Gray
These options are not supported, and may cause the page to display incorrectly. They exist purely because removing them would be lame, right?
Hey there, player! If you are reading this, you probably found some kind of code somewhere and are wondering how to use it! If this is the case, keep reading. Alternatively, you might have abused the codes system and have been suspended. If that is the case, scroll down to the very bottom. Perhaps you are just one of those people that like to read these kinds of pages. In which case, have at it.
Finding out what type of code you have:
There are varying codes that are used in varying places. You can figure out what kind of code you have by checking the format of it.


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Yesterday, as I was commenting on Mark Bittman's article about feeding the world, I had the nagging feeling that I was forgetting something. It didn't take long for that forgotten factor to wash over me, so to speak, as I sat down to watch "60 Minutes" on CBS. The very first story was on depleting the water supply. The initial focus was on the Central Valley of California which, according to the story, is the source of 25% of the nation's food supply. The drought in California has led farmers to start pumping groundwater to irrigate crops and the groundwater level has been steadily dropping, leading not just to depleted underground aquifers, but also to land subsidence--the surface is dropping.
But California is not the only story. By means of NASA's GRACE satellite, it is actually possible to indirectly measure the loss of groundwater throughout the world. In northern India, for example, the researcher interviewed on 60 Minutes published an article in Nature back in 2009 in which he and his collaborators concluded that:
...the available evidence suggests that unsustainable consumption of groundwater for irrigation and other anthropogenic uses is likely to be the cause. If measures are not taken soon to ensure sustainable groundwater usage, the consequences for the 114,000,000 residents of the region may include a reduction of agricultural output and shortages of potable water, leading to extensive socioeconomic stresses.Last night's story updated the map, and since 2009 the situation in India has only gotten worse.
Another key region in which this is happening is in the already volatile Middle East--which is already parched enough as it is.
Jay Famiglietti: Turkey's built a bunch of dams. Stored a bunch of water upstream. That forces the downstream neighbors to use more groundwater and the groundwater's being depleted.It is not clear at this point whether there is any clear solution to this problem...this is not good.
Lesley Stahl: Oh my.
Jay Famiglietti: We're seeing this water loss spread literally right across Iran, Iraq and into Syria and down.


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These are our active School of Living Committees. If you would like to learn more about any of these groups or would like to contact one of the chairs or working members; please email: email@example.com or use our contact form.
Deborah Fisher, Chair
Ahimsa Village Education
Bob Flatley and Kelle Kersten
Community Growth Fund (CGF)
Brenda Carr, Chair
Michaelann Velicky and Deborah Fisher, Co-Chairs
Ethical Investments
Jerome Liss, Chair
Farmland Access Project (ad hoc)
Karen Stupski
Finance (formerly "Development")
Karen Stupski, Chair
Heathcote Education
Karen Stupski, Chair
Rita Jane Kiefert and Ann Wilken, Co-Chairs
Technical Assistance (Land Sub-committee)
Karen Stupski
Membership & Elections
Paul Harne, Chair
Courtney Dowe and Taylor Quilty, Co-Chairs
Bob Flatley, Chair
Strategic Planning (ad hoc)
Brenda Carr
Board Development (ad hoc)
Brenda Carr


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Chris Tymchuck now leads the estate planning & probate department at SeilerSchindel
Unique Legal Blog
COVID 19 (Coronavirus), Your Family Needs a Plan, Part 4. Get a Health Care Directive
What Is Guardianship?
COVID 19: Your Family Needs a Plan, Part 3
Chris prepared an Estate Plan for my partner and I. I work in the legal field but know very little about Estate Planning. Chris met with us on several occasions describing our options and asked many questions to determine our needs. She was patient, but touched base periodically to keep us on task. She made several recommendations and explained her reasoning thoroughly. She also provided insight into tax laws and displayed a strong knowledge of these and their ramifications. She responded promptly to follow-up questions and put together a comprehensive package for us. She provided clear and easy-to-follow instructions during the planning phase as well as during finalization of the documents and our responsibilites thereafter. I Greatly appreciate her desire to make sure my partner and I both understood our options and were 100 percent comfortable with our final decisions. Thanks to Chris, we now have protection in place for each other, our assets and our last days on earth. She provided great service at a reasonable cost and she has become part of our family through this process. Eric & Ryan
Chris provided my family with much-needed expertise and professionalism during the probate process after losing a loved one....I was so impressed with her work, I decided to have Chris help my mother with estate planning. Again, her efforts were thorough and professional but with just the right amount of humor in her approach to make my mom feel good about this difficult topic. She put both of our minds at ease knowing that final wishes will be clearly spelled out. Chris is truly one of a kind and I give her my very highest recommendation to anyone needing help with their estate planning.Donald H.
We went to Chris with questions about trust vs will and what was the best options for our needs. Chris listened and asked questions. She was attentive, engaged and made suggestions that were tailor made for us. In addition to her expertise with estate planning, I really appreciated her insights about being proactive in our affairs. She clearly explained everything with grace and humor. I have had occasion to work with attorneys before working with Chris, and I can say without hesitation she is one of the most knowledgeable in her field. She also has an excellent understanding of people and life situations that provides a depth and quality to her information. She is thorough and diligent in preparing documents. I would enthusiastically recommend Chris Tymchuck to my friends and family! Stephanie H.
Chris helped me work with the court and title company to sell my parents' home when I learned it was subject to a Medical Assistance lien...her assistance was well worth the fee...She was involved at every step of the process and kept on top of the court, county and title companies until the deal was done. Her participation had a calming effect in just knowing I had someone watching out for me even though I live in a different state. Chris W.
Chris provided my family with much-needed expertise and professionalism during the probate process after losing a loved one. Her insight and wisdom was invaluable in making sure that everything went as smoothly as possible. Given that I was the personal representative for the estate, I knew that I could trust her to provide me with advice and support to successfully complete the probate requirements. Chris always responded quickly and thoughtfully to my questions throughout this experience.
Donald H.
After our daughter was born, my partner and I knew we needed to make legal arrangements to protect our family. Chris helped us figure out everything we needed to do, walked us through the decisions we needed to make, and did a great job explaining all of our now-indispensable documents. Thanks to Chris, we know our daughter will be taken care of if anything happens to us.
Jessica and Penny
If you are a same-sex couple that understands the importance of a carefully constructed estate plan, but have uncertainty about your legal rights or simply don't know where to begin, contact Chris Tymchuck. She lead us through the adoption process, and eliminated guesswork when creating legal documents that protect our family including wills, health care directives, and powers of attorney. Estate planning can be challenging, causing undue stress and anxiety. We have peace of mind with Chris as our trusted advisor, and recommend that you work with her to assure that you have confidence in your plan as well.
Julie G.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
The first post in this series discussed the life events that may necessitate revising your estate plan. In this post, I explain what to look for within each specific document to ensure the plan still meets your needs.
1. Review your Will and/or Trust
Whether you have a Will or a Trust, there are certain provisions you should review to ensure that crucial document still meets your needs. Below, I provide a list of elements of these documents that are most important to review.
a. Personal Representative (also known as the Executor) and Trustee designations
The individuals and/or institution you name should be those you consider responsible and trustworthy. If you designate more than one individual Trustee, consider whether they will be able to work together. In addition, it is a good idea to discuss with them your reasoning for any "out of the ordinary" provisions you may have included in your documents, such as disinheriting a child or making unequal distributions among children.
b. Beneficiaries
It is important to regularly review who is designated to receive your property after your death, including any monetary gifts you may make, to ensure you still want that person/institution to receive that gift. Do you still talk to that friend to whom you are giving $5,000? Does your child still owe money on that loan you refer to in your documents? Don't laugh, I've seen it done!
c. Gifts of Specific Property
If there is any specific item of property, such as a family heirloom or jewelry, that you want a particular person to receive, you should update your documents to incorporate that gift. In Minnesota, you may draft a simple document giving personal property – NOT cash or real estate – to a specific person. Before you ask, yes this means a car. So, instead of marking everything in the house with multi-colored stickers, you can draft, sign, and date a document listing the item and person to whom it should be given.
2. Review your Financial Power of Attorney.
This is the document that allows the person you name as agent to handle financial and business matters on your behalf. I tell my clients that this is the most important document in your estate plan as it is valid immediately upon signature. As such, it is essential to review who is named as your agent regularly to ensure that person continues to be someone you trust to deal with your bank accounts, sign your name to documents, etc.
3. Review your Health Care Power of Attorney or Health Care Directive..
Your health care power of attorney appoints one or more individuals to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to make those decisions yourself and, if you filled it out, communicates to your doctors your wishes for end of life care. Review your health care power of attorney to ensure the persons you have appointed as your attorneys-in-fact are individuals you trust to make major medical decisions for you and who are mature enough to handle that responsibility. It may also be wise to appoint at least one person who lives in the same city or state as you and would be more accessible in case of an emergency. You should also review the wishes you have expressed in your living will for your medical care. As medical standards and procedures evolve, your wishes may evolve as well. If you haven't already, review and discuss your wishes with your designees.
4. Review the Beneficiary Designations on your Insurance and Retirement Plans.
I know, I know. We are back to beneficiaries again. But, for all the same reasons you should review the beneficiaries of your will or trust periodically, you should also review and assess the beneficiary designations on your life insurance and retirement plans. These designations are often overlooked by people when updating their estate planning. The last thing you want to do is update your trust to write out an ex or to disinherit a child but inadvertently leave that person as the beneficiary of your life insurance.
If your review turns up a desire to change any of your agents, beneficiaries, or anything else, contact our office by calling (952) 955-7623 or go to www.uniqueestatelaw.com to schedule an appointment to discuss your planned revisions.
Previous Posts
Coronavirus / COVID 19: Your Family Needs a Plan, Part 2
Coronavirus / COVID 19: Your Family Needs a Plan, Part 1
How Could the SECURE Act Impact Your Retirement?
What to Consider When Selecting a Guardian for Your Children?
What Is the SECURE Act?
Elder Care Mediation Series, Part 2: An Example
Elder Care Mediation Series, Part 1: What Is It?
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From within Hennepin County Unique Estate Law represents clients throughout Minnesota, including Minneapolis, Edina, Bloomington, St. Louis Park, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Wayzata, Maple Grove, St. Paul, and Brooklyn Park.
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This fun and helpful infographic comes to us from Adore Me, a New York based women's intimates brand, committed to making our products stylish yet comfortable, and unique yet affordable. Enjoy!
If there's one thing you can be sure of on your wedding day, it's that your best friends will be standing by your side every step of the way. Your bridesmaids are the ones who are SO excited to be a part of your day, just so they can celebrate with you and your future spouse! So why not make sure they're celebrating comfortably?
From dressing different body types, choosing a fabric, and knowing what to wear under the dress, choosing your bridesmaids' dresses can be a hassle. We've put together a few tips to make sure your brides are looking and feeling great on the big day!
Thank you, Adore Me, for sharing! For more information about Adore Me, please visit their WeddingLovely Vendor Guide profile.
What do you think about today's infographic? Let us know in the comments below!


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The noobs are catching on fast. Hazel! Do not tell them about negotiating/ diplomacy.
No need to confuse them with game details they don't need just yet.
Their normal lives are one big RPG; these are just different rules to work with. Each has a professional-level grasp of small unit combat tactics.


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Mudgee has a dynamic and friendly community with a strong and diverse economic base, providing opportunities for future business development and growth. The Region attracts almost 528,000 visitors each year to experience local wine, food, sporting and cultural events.
Early Australian architectural facades and historic buildings still line the wide streets of Mudgee. Today boutique shopping, cafes and restaurants, markets and vibrant arts community give the town an edge and ambience which the locals revere and visitors covet.
The Mudgee Region is home to approximately 24,076 people. Most of the population is centred around the main centre of Mudgee and outlying towns of Gulgong, Kandos and Rylstone.
Population overview:
- Mudgee – 10,923
- Gulgong– 2,521
- Kandos -1, 315
- Rylstone – 920
The remaining population reside in the surrounding rural areas.
The Mudgee Region covers an area of more than 9,000 square km and includes the historic towns of Gulgong, Kandos, Mudgee and Rylstone in addition to many rural villages. The region stretches from the Wollemi National Park in the east to Lake Burrendong in the west and from the Goulburn National Park in the north to the Macquarie and Turon Rivers in the south
Distances from:
- Sydney – 3.5hrs drive or 40min flight
- Newcastle – 3.5hrs drive
- Wollongong – 4hrs drive
- Dubbo – 1.5hrs drive
The Mudgee Region has a skilled and diverse workforce employed in various industries. The primary employers in the Region include industries such as hospitality, tourism, viticulture, agriculture, mining and retail.
Mudgee has a warm temperate climate, that borders on a humid subtropical climate. Average summer temperatures range from a minimum of 15 degrees to a maximum of 30 degrees Celsius. Average winter temperatures range from a minimum of 2 degrees to a maximum of 15 degrees Celsius.
Living in Mudgee
Mudgee Region offers a vibrant lifestyle and prosperous economy which makes it the perfect place to live and raise a family. Visitors to the region experience a real country community with heart, soul and spirit.
Things to do:
- Golf
- Boating
- Fishing
- Horse racing
- Triathlons
- Art groups
- Car clubs
- Music festivals and other major events
- Wine tours
- Dining at wineries/cafes
- Local markets
- Yoga/fitness centres
- Touring surrounding historic towns
There is a strong supply of adequately zoned land available in the Mid-Western Region for residential, business and investment purposes. As at 30 June 2017, there were over 145 listings for purchasing lands, 140 listings for rural land and 7 listings for acreage. The residential housing market has experienced significant growth in the last 12 months across all major towns. Vacant residential land sites and lifestyle acre blocks around the region average at $170,000 for block of land, ranging from 600 square metres to 14,000 square metres. The average cost per square metre is $106.24 around the region.
Industrial land prices are significantly lower than in metropolitan areas and therefore, the Region offers opportunities for businesses to buy land for expansion without the huge outlays. Prices for industrial land vary depending on the exact size and location and site specifications, but generally average around $147 per square metre.
The median house price in Mudgee is $372,594, Gulgong $304,205, Kandos $206,770, Rylstone $291,348
A key feature of the Region's economy is its diversity. We offer jobs and business opportunities in a number of industries, including agriculture, viticulture, tourism and mining.
People in the Region are vibrant, energetic, artistic and intelligent. The quality and diversity of the local labour force provides the Region with a real competitive edge.
Our commercial, residential and retail diversity all make the Region an outstanding place to work and live.
Please see Our Jobs to view a full list of online resources for jobseekers.Our Jobs
The Region's schools are of a high standard and adequately cater for the needs of local school aged children.
There are 13 Primary schools in the Region catering for K-6 children (including 2 Catholic schools) and 4 High schools (including 1 Catholic school to Year 10).
There are also a number of private and community based organizations providing access to quality childcare for children in the 0 to 5 years age group.
Primary and High Schools
- Mudgee High School
- Mudgee Public School
- Cudgegong Valley Public School Mudgee
- St Matthew's Catholic School Mudgee
- Gulgong High School
- Gulgong Public School
- All Hallows Primary School Gulgong
- Rylstone Public School
- Kandos High School
- Kandos Public School
- Lue Public School
- Goolma Public School
- Lue Public School
- Ilford Public School
- Ulan Public School
- Bylong Upper Public School
- Hargraves Public School
- Hill End Public School
- Windeyer Public School
- Wollar Public School
Child Care Centres and Pre-Schools
- Mudgee Pre-School
- Imaginations Early Learning Centre
- Squeakers on Douro
- Squeakers Long Day Care Centre
- Puggles Child Care Centre
- Gulgong Pre School
- Happy Days Gulgong
- Rylstone Kandos Pre School
Other Education Facilities
- Mudgee TAFE
- Australian Rural Education Centre
- Red Hill Environmental Education Centre
Access to medical and health services is of relatively high standard for a regional area. There are doctors and visiting specialists based at medical centres in each of the major towns, as well as a major hospital in Mudgee which includes a maternity ward. There are smaller hospital facilities existing or in the process of being developed in the smaller towns.
The Region has a number of government agencies and departments with a local presence including:
- Business Enterprise Centre
- Centrelink
- Roads and Maritime Service
The Region has a number of banks and credit unions for the community, including major banks such as NAB, ANZ, St George, Westpac and CBA, and credit unions such as Family First Credit Union and Newcastle Permanent.
The Mudgee Region hosts more than 50 events and festivals annually which draw big crowds of both local and visitors.
Featured Events
- Gulgong Henry Lawson Heritage Festival
- Mudgee Small Farm Field Days
- Kandos Street Machine
- Mudgee Wine & Food Festival
- Rylston StreetFeast
- Mudgee Running Festival
For a full list of upcoming events please visit www.midwestern.nsw.gov.au for further information.
There are more than 40 cellar doors to sample locally produced wines, a thriving art community with world class galleries, historical villages to enjoy lunch, shopping or one of the local museums, bird watching and natural indigenous heritage experiences, national parks and nature reserves, an excellent range of cafes, pubs and restaurants, boutique and antique shopping, community & farmers markets with outstanding local food products and arts and crafts, horse racing, miniature railway, fishing, canoeing and farm visits.
There are 10 local sporting grounds and 2 regional sporting grounds accommodating the majority of sports within the Mid-Western Regional Council area. All sporting fields have amenities and parking facilities.
The Glen Willow Regional Sporting Complex, located on Pitts Lane, Mudgee is the region's premier sporting facility catering for a variety of sports and events.
The Glen Willow netball complex has 20 courts and associated amenities.
Mid-Western Regional Council has three pool facilities within the Region that are located at Mudgee, Gulgong and Kandos. There is also a wide range of gyms, fitness centres and classes including yoga, boxing, boot camp, karate, pilates, personal training, circuit, spin and zumba.
Football (soccer) Club the Mudgee-Gulgong Wolves, touch football club the Mudgee Mudcrabs, rugby union team the Mudgee Wombats and rugby league team the Mudgee Dragons are just some of the sporting clubs in the region.
Whilst some of the local favourite places to eat are in the CBD, there are also some fabulous places to dine not far from town. Nestled amongst the vineyards you will find restaurants and cafes at local wineries, renowned for quality food and wine.
There is an array of shopping in the Mudgee region with a great selection of boutique shops, chain stores and supermarkets. Mudgee's main shopping centre is situated along Church and Market Streets with all stores within easy walking distance. However some larger stores are situated out on the eastern side of town.
The smaller towns of Gulgong, Rylstone and Kandos offer a unique shopping experience with an eclectic array of shops and boutiques.
For a full list of local attractions please visit: www.visitmudgeeregion.com.au
To view all featured events see our regional events calendar.
Regional villages and towns
Gulgong is an old gold mining town, was the childhood home to Henry Lawson and is also the only town to feature on the old ten dollar note! Today, much of the 19th century character of the town remains, contributing to its appeal as a tourist destination.
Once a private village, Kandos is now a progressive town with a quirky underground arts community, and all nestled at the foot of the very grand Coomber Melon Mountain.
Rylstone's charming 19th century streetscape was settled in the 1830's, making it one of the oldest settlements west of the Great Dividing Range.


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By Andrew Liszewski
With more and more electronics being packed into vehicles these days there's a greater risk of accidentally leaving something on and draining your battery. Then when you really need the power for something useful like starting the car, you're out of luck and are basically at the mercy of strangers.
The Brain Battery is a simple looking device that is connected to the positive terminal of your vehicle's battery. It continually measures the voltage in the battery and if it drops below the level necessary to start the vehicle for a prolonged period the Brain Battery will disconnect the battery from the vehicle's electrical system. The battery will then typically recover or at least will retain enough charge to properly start the engine.
The Type I Brain Battery has a reset button on the unit itself that needs to be pressed if an electrical cut-off has been triggered and retails for $39.95 for a 12V version and $49.95 for a 24V version on the Brain Battery website. Type II and above models include a wireless remote for resetting the unit and retail from $49.95 up to $69.95 for an RV-compatible model.
[Battery Brain] VIA [Tech Digest]


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Orrin W. Fox's used car lot was located at 2345 East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, when this promotional photo for Fox, dated by the source was taken in 1933. At that time due to the Great Depression, it was a buyers market, and Fox's signage reflects that situation. The newest cars in the front row are a pair of 1933 Fords, and the oldest is an early Model "A" Ford Tudor.
Perhaps the most unique car in the line up is a semi-customized late Model "A" Roadster with aftermarket smaller diameter wire wheels with lock rings, an unusual spoke arrangement, and fitted with odd looking hubcaps. In addition, the windshield is raked further back than original, it is fully accessorized and has added pin-striping and bright metal trim strips on the rear fenders.
Share with us what you find of interest in this photo courtesy of the Pasadena Public Library.


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Because, I mean, puri sabzi!
Saute onions with ginger and garlic in a little oil. Add salt, turmeric, cumin and coriander powder, and then add tomatoes and a little garam masala. Take off the heat and grind for 2 seconds so it's still pulpy. Return to the pan and add paneer. Cook till done; garnish with coriander.
Puri dough is similar to rotis, except there's oil involved. Knead whole-wheat like you would for aata except throw in a little oil. Knead it to be smooth and stiff, not soft like for rotis.
When you roll these, make them smaller than you would for rotis. Roll in one direction, and roll with oil instead of dry flour. Make sure the oil is very hot before you fry these. Gently lay one in flat and let it puff up. Switch sides and take it out before it browns too much.
Stuff your face.


text: On Fri, May 03, 2002 at 08:58:18AM -0400, Scott R. Burns wrote: > Manual, > Is this is relation to your attempt to get amanda running on your > machine per the Amanda mailing lists ? More or less. The chg-scsi driver deal with it just fine; It's just annoying me when I want to check which tapes are in the rack :) > I believe I also have the same problem on my V1.5.2/i386 machine. Yes, this part of the code hasn't changed. -- Manuel Bouyer, LIP6, Universite Paris VI. email@example.com --


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Custom built OWB, IWB and Competition holsters. Holsters can be designed for right or left hand carry. Light rail mounts available on most styles. A variety of color options to choose from. If you can't find your model in our online shop, please let us know. We may still be able to custom build your holster.Choose Your Holster
We GUARANTEE our products for life and provide FREE SHIPPING within the USA on all orders over $60 (and a flat rate of $4.95 for orders in the USA that are less that $60).
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You can connect to our wifi network via your laptop, tablet or smart phone. You may also use the computers with internet connection in our language laboratory.
Use of mobile telephones
In order not to disturb your fellow course members, we kindly request you to use the cabin in the cloakroom on the ground floor if you wish to make a phone call. Using a mobile telephone in other parts of the building is not allowed unless you are using silent mode applications. We urge you, however, to turn your mobile telephone off before entering the language laboratory in order to prevent any possible interference with the audio system there.


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This is an update from Helen Findlay, who first shared her familys' story with us in 2009
THE FINDLAY REPORT was first published informally in 2006.
It was written by me and other family members and relates the experience that my 85-year-old father, James went through in trying to get appropriate care after he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.
It contains a day-by-day account covering four months detailing what was happening to him and the activities of health and social care services around him in the community, in a care home and in hospital where he eventually died. It also contains recommendations from us about how his experience of care could have been so much improved and enabled him to have had a 'good' end of life experience.
From the diagnosis of MND until my father's death was just seven weeks. In those seven weeks we all lived a lifetime. They were weeks coloured by stress, problems, despair, feelings of helplessness, intense sadness and tears all because of the way that my father was treated, as well as what the disease was doing to him, the way my mother, Joan, who had dementia was treated and the way we, his children and other family members were treated. But it was a time that was also coloured by mounting anger. And it is the anger that is still driving my family and me on in pushing for the problems and solutions that we identified to be implemented not just locally with the care services where my father lived but also nationally as what happened to him can be multiplied many times over.
If you want proof of this then you only have to read the accounts of what happened at Mid-Staffordshire Hospital detailed in The Francis Report.
Mix this in with a general attitude towards the elderly in this country, that seems to range from indifference to contempt, then you have a potent mix. Just have a read of what Ann Clwyd MP has to say about what happened to her husband who died in hospital or the recently published Filkin Report called 'Ready for Ageing?'
This hasn't all just started in society generally or in the health service, it's been going on for years. People decided to close their minds to problems while governments continued to just throw money at the NHS and then shut the door on it without going back to find out how things were going.
I always knew when THE FINDLAY REPORT came out that it would be a long process, that it would take years of constant pushing and persuasion by us to have our recommendations even listened to, taken seriously and then possibly put into practice. I know that it has been having an influence because of the numbers that my family and me have been distributing to people around the UK and abroad over the last 7 years, many of whom have been passing it on to other people – it runs into hundreds at least. This includes health and social care professionals at all levels; academics; government ministers, MPs and Prime Ministers; local councillors; civil servants in local and national government departments; officers in third sector organisations; government regulatory bodies etc.
Our report is still appropriate and copies are still being requested. I know for a fact from the feedback I have received from people who have read it that it is being used in training courses for future healthcare professionals studying at university and college; in palliative and end of life care nursing courses; quoted in research reports and books on issues around health and social care also as an example of service user involvement; used by professionals to help inform their day-to-day work on caring for people at the end of life. It has also helped to inform the work of the NHS End of Life Care Programme and the work of the National Council for Palliative Care (NCPC).
I am a member of the People in Partnership service user group at NCPC and a Dying Matters Champion. If you want to know what good palliative and end of life care should look like and how to ensure it happens then visit their websites at www.ncpc.org.uk and www.dyingmatters.org
We will keep on going as a family with our Findlay Report. It's a testament to my dad's courage. Not a lot has changed in the 7 years since we published it and if it takes another 7 years so be it, and another seven after that, we will not waiver in our determination. We will continue to use The Findlay Report to try and improve attitudes and practices towards elderly care generally, whatever condition a person may have, as well as particularly to keep trying to improve the end of life care experience for everyone so that it is the best that it can be for the person and all those concerned about them.
Maybe the three F's – Findlay, Francis and Filkin – together can provide a catalyst for change. It is possible – it just takes will and determination to want to do it.
Helen Findlay
March 2013
If you would like more information please contact Helen
PDF version here – THE FINDLAY REPORT
WORD doc version – THE FINDLAY REPORT
Can we request that you share this report as wide as possible.
Thank you
Tags: palliative care


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Who wants to go to Google or break out the library of programming books every single time you get stuck on something? Below is a compilation of extremely useful cheat sheets, which can be printed, laminated and placed nearby for easy reference while doing your web development and design. Everyone has moments where a function cannot be remembered, and that is where these cheat sheets can be lifesavers. Bookmark this page for an easy portal to all of the cheat sheets, or an individual page if you find it helpful. Please don't hesitate to post any cheat sheets we neglected to include, for this is about sharing knowledge.
http://www.addedbytes.com/cheat-sheets/php-cheat-sheet/ Continue reading 25+ Must-Have Cheat Sheets for Web Developers


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If you are suffering from any kind of lower back pain, and you're looking to start your weight loss journey, you might find yourself wondering if it's even possible. After all, how is anyone expected to get a decent workout in, let alone work out on a regular basis, with crippling back pain?
With over 31 million Americans suffering from chronic back pain, and the suggestion that 1/3 of American adults are obese, it's a wonder if anyone feels good these days. The problem is, your extra weight may be contributing to your back pain. But if you feel you are so debilitated because of your back pain that you can't work out, how are you supposed to lose weight and get healthy?
Today we're going to explore ways to end the self-fulfilling prophecy that you cannot lose fat, get strong, and stay healthy with low back pain, despite the fact that a heavy exercise regimen might be out of the question.
The best thing you can do for yourself while trying to lose weight with lower back pain is manage the pain with your back pain specialist.
Back pain can be extremely limiting and not just in a physical sense. If you are someone that has been "dealing with" low back pain for years now, it can be easy to succumb to negative thoughts such as giving up when it comes to weight loss. After all, if you don't feel well because you're in pain, how are you going to stay motivated to lose weight?
Research shows that the first line of defense when it comes to dealing with low back pain should be pain management. This includes medications (if needed) but also helpful methods such as:
Dry needling
Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization
Myofascial release
Individualized exercise routines
If you find yourself riddled with lower back pain, and in the Fulton area, check out 360 Physical Therapy & Wellness. We know how frustrating it can be if your goal is weight loss but you feel stuck because of pain. We also understand that pain and the ambition to get healthy can be just as much a mental battle as it is a physical one. So, contact us today and see how we can help you get on the right track to managing your pain so your weight loss journey can truly begin and you can focus on getting healthy rather than "dealing with pain" every day.
Nutrition plays a key role in how much fat you lose during your weight loss journey. In fact, it is often said that you can't out train a bad diet.
Eating unhealthy foods more often than not can lead to weight gain. In addition, the extra weight you carry around because of your unhealthy eating habits puts extra pressure on your spine, which can cause you to have lots of lower back pain.
If you take the time to manage the foods you're eating on a daily basis, you'll notice that not only are you losing weight, and that your back is starting to feel better, but that your mood is better, your sleep is better, and your productivity is better too.
One of the best ways to get a handle on your eating habits, without committing to an extreme fad diet or making yourself miserable is to participate in what is known as intermittent fasting.
Here are some things you should know about intermittent fasting before deciding whether to give it a try:
Eating Windows. Intermittent fasting involves restricting your eating window to a set time each day. For instance, you may decide to fast for 16 hours and eat your normal meals during the 8-hour window that works best for you (e.g. noon to 8pm). The amount of time you fast and the hours in which you eat are entirely up to you. Just remember, the point is to not eat for more hours than you do eat.
Calories Count. Though intermittent fasting is less restrictive than most diets, calories still count. After all, if you 3,000 calories worth of carrots every day, despite carrots healthy, you'll still gain weight. Though you don't have to count every calorie you ingest if you don't want to, it's important to be mindful of what you do eat.
Optimal Health. In addition to losing weight because you give your body time to digest food properly and rest in between eating windows, intermittent fasting has been known to help improve immunity, brain function, and other cellular and metabolic processes.
In the end, intermittent fasting is a unique approach to better nutrition. It's also a great way to promote healthy living without having to restrict yourself too much or irritate your already hurting back.
When you sleep at night, your body regulates the hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is responsible for helping your immune system stay strong and keep your metabolism on track. However, if you fail to get enough rest, your body loses control and cannot regulate the cortisol released into your body. This can cause your body to store more abdominal fat than is needed.
In fact, it has been suggested that the less you sleep, the more you eat. Not to mention, when you feel tired during the day, you're more likely to make poor food choices because you're exhausted and you're looking for a pick me up (which is typically unhealthy).
Aim to get a solid 7-9 hours of sleep per night so that your body can break down the unnecessary fat stored in your body. You'll see that waking up each morning you feel refreshed and ready to take on the day – making only healthy choices that aid in your weight loss.
Not to mention, you may find your back pain decreasing when you get adequate rest because you're giving your body enough time to heal itself.
Stress and physical pain have a complex relationship that even now is hard to understand. But what experts do know is that while stress may not necessarily cause low back pain, it definitely holds the potential to make it worse.
When people stress out, they tend to tighten their muscles and create tension. This tension, when it lasts for extended periods of time, oftentimes begins to ache and turn into chronic pain.
People tend to hold tension in different parts of the body, such as the:
Lower back
The connection between stress and pain shows us how the mind can have a powerful effect on our physical well-being. It further shows us that sometimes, while we may not think we can do something (such as become healthy and lose weight because we have chronic pain) that it's really just the mind having an overpowering effect on us.
If left unchecked, stress that causes an otherwise healthy person to experience a lot of pain may lead to more stress and pain. This perpetual cycle puts that person at risk for being unable to enjoy the simple things in life, such as staying active, enjoying friends and family, traveling, and much more. It also has the potential to feed into that person's desire to lead an unhealthy lifestyle and forget trying to lose weight.
The good news is, once we understand this connection, and begin to identify moments when stress is exacerbating our pain, we can begin to overcome this self-fulfilling prophecy that we cannot enjoy life and lose weight with low back pain by using our mind over matter.
Dealing with lower back pain is never fun for anyone, no matter how minor the injury is. And as someone that has lived with chronic low back pain for a long period of time, it can be easy to give up on simple things such as getting healthy. Especially when your pain makes it nearly impossible for you to exercise your body.
The good news is, if you have lower back pain that is preventing your from exercising the way you want so you can achieve your weight loss goals, there are plenty of other ways to improve your wellness so you can get back to enjoying your life.
If you live in the Fulton, Maryland area and want some guidance when it comes to managing your lower back pain so that you can begin your weight loss journey, contact us at 360 Physical Therapy & Wellness. We will work with you on an individual basis to find the underlying cause of your pain, rather than just treat the symptoms. We'll then develop a plan that will help you treat the cause of your pain, get back to doing the things you love, and prevent future recurrences.
Take charge of your life and realize that you don't have to live in pain. You also don't have to forgo losing fat because of your painful condition. Everyone has the ability to make small changes for the better and achieve a happy, healthy lifestyle that's free of pain.