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Thursday, December 31, 2009
Swami Maria Predicts
You see, now that I live in the woods, I've found an even more accurate soothsayer than myself. It's Harold, King of the Gypsy Squirrels.
Harold makes his predictions by leaving clues inside my swami hat, and they are as cryptic as they are wise. Only problem is...I have to interpret what those clues mean.
So let's see what he left me this time.
Mm...acorns, a bandage, and a ribbon. And here's one of my jump drives. Hey, I was looking for that!
Well, the acorns are easy. Gather yonder nuts and store for a rainy day. 2010 could bring hardships that are best weathered when you plan ahead.
The bandage...hmm. Either he's talking about the new and improved health care reform in the US, or he's using it as a metaphor to fix something broken. --same thing, I guess.
The jump drive I can interpret too. Technology will be going through another round of improvements. Expect more digital, less tangible.
The ribbon is tricky. It's bright and shiny, a piece of Christmas trim from a neighbor's package. Harold is a sentimental squirrel, an old softy who sings ballads and watches romantic movies. I'm sure he's telling us to keep the bonds with our friends and family strong and tight.
Wait a minute. There's something else in here. How odd. It looks like a small piece of charred wood. And it's warm to the touch.
Good old Harold. Could this be his wish that people wake up and treat each other with the warm embers of love and friendship?
[examines it for closer study]
[tosses it back outside]
Not funny, Harold!
That chunk of wood was warm all right. And slightly squishy. And ripe.
Bad squirrel. Bad!
I'm not even going to interpret that one.
Happy New Year, everyone! Don't pick up anything warm and squishy.
Three Dog Day (and Night)
There are 262 emails in my inbox. My physical mailbox was stuffed to the brim with gardening catalogs, magazines, (and bills). On my way up, I heard they had snow in Dallas.
Right now, it's a balmy sixty degrees in my living room. The dogs are tired and have crashed into their beds. Sheesh! It's not like they did all the driving.
Give me through the weekend to sort through my mail. If I can, I'll post again later today. It is after all New Year's Eve, and good manners dictate I should say something mildly prophetic.
It's good to be back. Now if I can only get my heat back.
What's new on your side of the world?
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Homestead Wish List
The chickens are a done deal. As soon as their coop and pen is finished I can start looking for chicks. I plan to buy locally so I can visit breeders directly.
The goats are still a pipe dream. Our property is fenced with typical barbed wire. The plan was to replace it with chain link but it turns out six acres of chain link is inhumanely expensive--even if we did it ourselves, which we planned to do.
So the next option is welded wire. There's someone a couple of miles from us who keeps gazelle and other hooved animals and he has what looks like 8 foot tall welded wire game fence. Six foot would be plenty for us. Goats are good jumpers, but I don't expect any pole vaulters among them.
Despite my wish for goats by 2010, I'd like to put it off until we build Greg's shop. This property didn't come with a shop so it was a given that one had to be built.
Most handy-spouses have a secret wish for a shop, but in Greg's case, it's non-negotiable. His current shop at Zannini South is 40 x 50, bigger than the average home, and it is chocked full from floor to loft with equipment and supplies.
I never deny Greg any tool he asks for. He builds me things and he fixes things. He's built everything from buildings to cabinetry, not to mention he's saved our bacon plenty of times with home repair, so if he tells me he needs something, I write the check.
Once the shop and fence are up, the goats can move in. I do have one super-secret wish. Something I have absolutely no use for but would love to have on our place. Many ranchers in our area keep either Great Pyrenees dogs or donkeys to protect their flocks of sheep, cattle or goats.
I would love to have one of these...
A little burro.
Greg is afraid I'll bring this little guy inside in inclement weather.
Who me?
Maybe I can talk him into it slowly. I have plenty of time until the shop and fence are up.
Wish me luck.
Do you have a secret wish for something in 2010?
Holding Court in the Country
My puppy has gotten big, don't you think? He's nearly 3/4 Tank's size now. Princess is more fluff than heft. I think she weighs in at about 13 pounds, less than1/10th Tank's weight.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Do You Stay Online?
Some of the sites I belong to have a feature that tells others when I'm online, that is, when the internet is connected to them, but I'm afraid that's misleading. I'm sure there's a way to turn that feature off, but I don't always find it.
So if you 'see' me online, it could be a mirage. Since I can't sit for very long, I pop in for a few minutes and check the cyber world before I disappear once more.
I used to dutifully turn off my computer if I was going to be off more than an hour, but an IT person at work told me I was doing more harm turning it on and off that often. It was best to leave it on. So I have, with no ill effects in all these many years.
It's certainly a more expedient use of my time than waiting for it to boot up. I mean, like what if I have a brilliant idea? (Hey, it can happen!) With my meager brain cells I could lose the idea before the darn computer wakes up. And don't even mention paper and pen. I can never find them when I need them.
So if you see that I'm "on", it's quite possible I'm actually out cutting brush, washing dogs, or...GASP...even writing. So I'm on, except when I'm off.
Does your computer stay on all the time?
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Cooking, Then Canterville
My provider says it's a glitch. Hmm...ya think?
Guess I know what I'll be doing when I get home--which will be quite a few more days from now.
The dogs will not stay still long enough to take a good picture with all three of them together. If they're sleeping, they're in separate corners. But if they're up, all three want to defy the time/space continuum and play like linebackers caught in a gravity well--even the little one who has no clue that the other two behemoths can crush her if they step on her. So I constantly have to supervise so she doesn't get too rowdy with them.
I gotta hand it to Princess though. She gives as good as she gets. And while Tank is cautious and is wary about where he steps, Iko is not so careful. He's the one I worry will step on her.
Greg's going to try his camera tomorrow. It's faster than mine and maybe we can catch them while they're flying by in a blur.
Much as I don't want to smell any more food, (still a bit queasy) I need to cook for man and beast today. Freezable make-ahead meals for the husband and chicken for the dogs. Then I'm going to lay down and watch The Canterville Ghost--the original with Charles Laughton.
I love that movie! Has anyone else seen it?
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Free Books
Choose one from the following:
I got some good stuff at clearance sales today. I focused on little items I could use as decorations for the gift trays I make my neighbors. I found some really unique ornaments including a couple of additions for my dog ornament collection. Maybe next year, we'll stay in one place and I can put up my tree.
I'm afraid it's not a great picture since there is so much shine and color, but part of the collection includes a cool hand blown glass flamingo complete with fishing rod, and a Mexican chihuahua. To the right, there's also a baby book of the Velveteen Rabbit. The really small baby books are great for decorating.
Friday, December 25, 2009
A Christmas To Remember
We weren't quite so lucky. Last week, Greg came down with stomach flu. Fortunately, he was with me and I could take care of him. Flash forward a few days and we end up at Zannini South.
1:30 in the morning and I jerk out of bed and rush to the bathroom. It went downhill after that. I slept on the couch with a wastebasket by my side. The worst of it only lasted 24 hours--but it was the LONGEST 24 hours I've ever endured.
If you'd have shot me, I couldn't have felt worse. Greg was a good soul and forced me to keep sipping water and mercifully ate his dinner as far away as he could from me so it wouldn't nauseate me further.
Honestly, you'd think I was a daisy, I wilted so fast.
I'm feeling better today. The dry toast stayed down this morning and I am able to check on (some) of my mail. I'm still not able to retrieve my mail from my regular email server. I switched browsers, but still no luck. The mail will have to wait until I get back.
So while it wasn't the Christmas we hoped for, at least we spent it together. In the end, it's not the gifts, the food or the glitter that's important--but who you spend it with. In that case, maybe it wasn't such a bad Christmas after all.
My only regret was that the beautiful dinner I planned for Greg was ruined. We'll try again on his next day off and I'll make it up to him.
I should be back on my feed by tomorrow. Just in time for after-Christmas shopping.
Fresh air and clearance sales. That always makes me feel better. LOL.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas from Princess
Merry Christmas from your kid, Mel and Ed! She's running up a tab for dog cookies and massages.
This message was pre-recorded so Princess can hold court at Zannini South. She might be a city girl, but she likes to run with the big dogs. (Photos to come)
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Christmas Goodies
As usual, you can contact me through this blog, but the only email I'll be able to respond to is at my super secret email address. We're still having trouble retrieving my regular email when I'm at Zannini South. If Greg doesn't mind, I am going to try to change his browser to Firefox and see if that fixes the problem. If it doesn't, I won't be able to answer you until I get back.
I will have a special holiday message on the 24th, and might even post sooner, depending on my schedule.
I was forced to get all Martha Stewart on my neighbors. They gifted us with the most amazing food. There was no way I could compete with that. So I baked some very simple muffins and cookies and dressed them up on a pretty tray.
I begged my friend, Mel, whose dog I'm dog-sitting, for some ideas, but she didn't get my email in time. She's still in Brazil and has limited access to a computer, so our communication is always delayed.
Mel, is kinda like a reincarnated Martha Stewart. I'm not kidding you, the woman should be on television. She's that good. Everything she touches looks magical.
Mel has tried her best to rehabilitate me, and fortunately, some of her teachings have stuck, so I'm not a total loser in the gift giving department. They may not be Martha Stewart pretty, but they come from the heart.
If you'd like to create a gift for your neighbor, here are some ideas.
• One silver tray from the Dollar Store. It's actually pretty nice for what it is--it's metal, with a stamped design.
• An oven mitt, pot holder or Christmas themed kitchen towels.
• Cookie cutters in various designs. You can probably find these in the Dollar Store too, but I got a big box of assorted metal cookie cutters during the after-Christmas sales last year.
• You can also include a nice Christmas ornament.
• Pre-wrapped Christmas candy
• Nuts in their shells
• Baked goods
Insert the mitt, towel, or pot holder in one of the cookie cutters. Layer the baked goods by variety if you are doing more than one. Dress with nuts and packaged candy. The mitt and cutter can be a centerpiece or you can create something more asymmetrical.
Wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap and a bow.
I apologize for not posting the completed tray. I started doing a series of photos showing each layer, but then my camera died, so I never got to the last step of adding the nuts and tiny muffins. But you get the idea. (Shown here are cranberry iced cookies--my absolute favorite cookie.)
Do you give gifts to your neighbors? What do you like to give?
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Tales of Terror: The MGB Story
I don't mind snow, and though I gripe about it, I don't really mind cold either, but I get very cranky when the roads ice over--especially when it's black ice.
When we lived in Chicago, Greg used to practice driving on ice with his MGB. We'd get out in the middle of a giant parking lot on an early Sunday morning and he'd practice correcting for spins and loss of brakes. Fun times.
I kinda miss that old car. We put a lot of miles on that baby--and then I wrecked it. Yup. I admit it. I wrecked his beautifully restored, mint condition MGB.
We had just moved to Texas and realized I needed to learn how to drive because there was no public transportation in the city we lived in, and worse yet, everything was too far to walk. Not like Chicago, where you can hop a bus or simply walk to the neighborhood shopping district.
So I asked Greg to teach me to drive. Worst. Mistake. Ever. Wives, NEVER let your husbands teach you how to drive--especially if all you have is his vintage sports car.
Our marriage survived the driving lessons and soon he was taking me out into the boonies to practice on more complicated terrain. We stopped at a stop sign and being a stick, he warned me to give it a little extra gas when I hit the clutch.
Unfortunately, we were on a gravel road, and I gave it too much gas. I gunned it, scrambling off the gravel and across a ten foot ditch making us instantly airborne. Who says cars can't fly?
When we landed, I plowed through the woods, missing EVERY single tree in this forest. To this day, I don't know how I missed them all. It was like being in a mine field. I just kept turning the wheel until I ran out of trees.
I kept hitting the brakes, but I wasn't slowing down enough. Greg pulled up the emergency brake and pulled the keys out of the ignition.
All this happened in a matter of seconds. It is taking longer to tell you this story than it did to occur--it happened that fast. When we finally stopped, we just sat there stunned. And I started crying!
Not because I was hurt, but because I knew I had murdered his much loved car. Greg noticed the smoke coming from the hood and he jumped out and rushed over to my side to help me out. I remember he kept asking me, "Are you hurt? Are you hurt?"
I kept shaking my head and crying. I KILLED his car. How was I ever going to face him again?
We'd only been married a year and like most newlyweds were still trying to sort each other out. I was absolutely certain that car meant more to him than I did. Let's face it, his idea of a great date was working on that car. What else was I to think?
But he showed me.
He pulled me out of the car and hugged me, so grateful I was okay. He asked me why I was crying and when I told him, he started laughing. "It's just a stupid car. You're the only thing that matters."
Cue: Big sigh. I knew I had a keeper then.
We got our car back from the shop six weeks later, but by this time I discovered AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. Why did no one ever mention this modern miracle before? I loved it and in no time I was giving Greg a run for his money.
As a matter fact, many years later, I was driving his car and one of his friends saw it on the road. He didn't know it was me on the wheel and he teased him and said: "Man, you were hauling the other day. You were going so fast, there was fire streaking from under the tires."
Big mouth!
I was busted.
To this day, I won't speak to that guy. (Kidding, but I do give him the evil eye.)
Who taught you how to drive? Stick or automatic?
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Chicagoans Don't Have An Accent
Despite having lived in the south for more than three decades, my accent still carries its Chicago roots. --though I can speak Texan when necessary. :o)
|What American accent do you have?
Your Result: The Inland North
You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
|The Northeast
|The Midland
|The South
|The West
|North Central
|What American accent do you have?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz
Friday, December 18, 2009
Avatar: Mini Review
That aside, let me simplify this movie into a short statement. It borrows from Dragonriders of Pern, John Carter of Mars, Dances With Wolves, and the black southern Baptists at the edge of town. There is nothing really original about the story, but that's not a deterrent. I didn't mind the borrowing at all.
I did mind the gawd-awful stereotypes given the military and suits. Military & suits: bad guys. Scientists & natives: good guys. Can we please do something a little more original here?
What I did like very much about the movie is the theme of balance within the natural world. It appealed greatly to my inner tree hugger self without coming across as silly or New Age.
The special effects, I'm sure you've heard by now, are obscenely good. Some of the CGI was slightly unnatural with the minor 'beasts', but it compensated with excellent pacing, keeping you from concentrating too hard on the weaknesses.
Speaking of pacing--a little slow in the beginning, but once Jake gets on the inside, it never lets up.
Characters: Mixed bag. I would've liked to have gotten a little deeper into Jake's character. I think he was a little glossed over to make way for the aliens. Neytiri, the alien love interest was far more developed and multi-layered.
The bad guy colonel was way over the top and two dimensional, but that could be Cameron's liberal politics showing. --Very bad call, Cameron. Makes you looks like a simpleton.
Avatar was visually stunning and I'm sure it would have been enjoyable had I seen it in 2D instead of 3D. If you can separate yourself from the politics, it's also an okay story.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Talk To The Paw
I am dog-sitting and Princess is a very high maintenance pooch. But she belongs to one of my best friends and I couldn't bear to see the little thing stuck in a kennel.
Tank and Iko are behaving themselves, but I have to remind Iko that our little dog-guest isn't a chew toy, even if she does squeak. Tank is the funny one though. Princess follows him around with these big cow eyes, while the Tankster plays hard-to get.
Iko, on the other hand would love nothing more than to play with her, yet she ignores him completely. Her puppy-love belongs to the big brawny guy with the attitude.
That Ditto-House post I did the other day got triple-digit hits for two days in a row. I noticed it was fourth from the top in the Google returns. Gotta love keywords.
Want an easy recipe to give as a gift? Here's my recipe for Rum Balls.
1 package (9 ounces) of vanilla wafers
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup rum
1/4 cup corn syrup
More powdered sugar (for coating)
Crush the wafers. Mix with sugar, pecans, and cocoa. Blend in bourbon and corn syrup. Shape (big) marble-size balls then coat with extra powdered sugar. Store for several days before serving.
Anybody have a special recipe they like to give away as gifts? I'd love to see them!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Ditto House
I don't know who snapped this photo, but if it's you, I'd be glad to give you attribution. I did hunt down the story for the Ditto House.
Apparently, Dave Nosek decided if he can't beat them, he'll concede gracefully. Nosek's neighbor always puts out a brilliant light show every Christmas. Rather than compete, he simply points drive-bys to the house next door. For the full story go here.
My neighbors are too far away to try anything like this. But I think the idea was brilliant!
Do you decorate the outside of your house? How would you describe your Christmas decorating style?
Saturday, December 12, 2009
I'm Dreaming of a DVD Weekend
Thankfully, we have yet to receive Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Greg will pay dearly for that choice. This is where the "for better and for worse" clause kicks in.
I won't see Greg for another week and although we have some work planned there will also be great sloth fests of movie watching, pizza and margaritas. I can't wait!
Are there any old movies you particularly like? I'm always looking for recommendations.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
I'm Writing--Honest!
I must be the slowest writer on Earth. My friends have been telling me that I need to get another book into the hands of my editor before I lose the momentum I've created.
They are absolutely right. At night I hear their voices, haunting me to get it in gear and write. But therein lies my dilemma. I have two books ready for an editor, but I decided to shop them around to other publishers and that takes time. Not that I don't love my publisher. My goodness, they've treated me well, but this is a business and I want to expand my reach.
I RE-started work on Touch Of Fire's sequel. It scared me at first because all I could find was the original story and not the new plot I liked better. I finally found that mischievous file on a jump drive and opened it up to take a look. It was good! It gave me that giddy feeling, the one I had when I wrote the first book.
My ducks are finally in a row and I hope 2010 will be the year things start jumping again. A lot is going to happen in the next two years, both professionally and personally. And new prospects have cropped up in the last two weeks alone, opportunities that need to be nurtured if I want them to bloom.
My only regret is that these new prospects will limit my time on the homestead and that makes me sad. When you're in your 50s (and up), choosing long-term projects requires careful reflection.
I don't want to lay on my deathbed and complain I spent too much time writing/working/traveling and not enough time with the people I love. I've become far more selective on how I spend the time I have left.
Funny story:
Greg and I went garage saling recently and we ran into a young guy who smiled at me and said, "You don't recognize me, do you?"
And I'm thinking: Oh lord, who is this guy? And what must Greg be thinking that young fellas out of nowhere are recognizing me?
The guy is still smiling and says: "A lot of people don't recognize me without my uniform."
(This is where I get funny.) "Okay…refresh my memory. Did you arrest me recently?"
He gets this dread look on his face and he says: "Uh, no. Maybe I'm mistaking you for someone else. Aren't you the author?"
Now I'm grinning from ear to ear. This guy recognizes me as an AUTHOR! "Yes, I'm an author." (I say this in my most Stephen King voice.)
"Oh good," he says relieved. "I'm your vet."
I only started going to this vet a few months ago and I must have mentioned what I do.
Made my day--but I really need to pay more attention to faces.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
What's With The Rage?
Every once in a while Scalzi says something I agree with. He hit the parrot on the head with his recent posts on low paying markets. It started with his post called Aspiring Writer Stockholm Syndrome followed by a later post called Final Notes...
What amused me was the apparent outrage from writers who thought Scalzi was being harsh.
Point #1: Many of the attacks I read appear to be from writers who were pubbed by these low-paying and no-paying markets--or want to be pubbed by them. They're responding defensively, assuming (in error) that it's a personal attack on their decision making.
Uh--no. It's simply an issue that should be addressed.
Do you care if a stranger gives away his property? No, of course not. But if you knew he wanted to make some money on it, wouldn't you advise him to look for a better deal rather than settling for the first person who was willing to take it?
Point #2: Almost all of them seem to ignore the fact that Scalzi was giving his opinion on his blog. It's not written in blood, guys. If you don't like it, move on.
One of the reasons I stopped posting markets on Market Mondays is because I got tired of seeing so many low or no-paying sites. If you're good enough to be published. You're good enough to be paid a decent rate.
There are, of course exceptions to every rule.
Some markets like Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet is known for showcasing the best writers. They don't pay much, but they make up for it with their outstanding reputation within the SFF community.
Other markets, small and relatively obscure are good for work you KNOW is not fit for traditional zines. It's quirky writing for quirky venues. I have a few friends who write bizarre little stories that don't fit anywhere else. I still wish they got paid more, and I'm sure they do too.
Few people, if any can make a livelihood from short stories. Even pro rates are paltry. If you want to make money writing short copy, get into article writing.
And if you're doing this for clips, would it kill ya to get paid for it?
Finally, to the 'artistes' who think payment is overrated... When you're alone at your keyboard, go ahead and call it art. But the moment that sub is ready for sunlight, and you want an editor to love your 'baby', it becomes a business transaction--whether you like it or not. The publication doesn't want 'your baby' because they think it's cute, they want it because they think it will sell zines. Don't romanticize it into something sublime.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Will e-Readers Save Reading?
Coming from an advertising background, it was the commercial that fascinated me. I analyzed the images and music they used, and by jingle, they (Kindle) was right on the pulse of the market. The music was zippy, the colors were vivid and the images bordered on the surreal. They were targeting young adults with disposable income. Bingo!
Last week, Greg sent me an ad for a Sony reader at Walmart, in which they were also throwing in a $25 gift card into the mix. And before that, I interviewed a big name author (I'll give away her name as the interview draws nearer) and she made some interesting observations about e-publishing and SF and fantasy.
Best of all, prices for e-readers are coming down. I think we may be a year or two away from total immersion, but the revolution is well on its way.
2010 may be the year we welcome a new legion of readers.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Tell Me What To Do
I'm a glutton for cute.
This video clip was created using PQDVD. I had so much fun putting this together and it was super easy to build. Me like easy!
I've already built several for my friends and family.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Dog-Powered Stump Grinder
At least he's not eating live trees. He's slowly stripping this stump down to a nub. I figure he might be done with it by winter's end. Greg is pleased. He doesn't have to grind it down now.
You know the worst part? He drags in these big chunks of bark through the doggie door and into my studio. I've dealt with a lot of rotties, but hand to heart, I have never encountered a puppy with so much jaw strength. You should see him with his Kong toys. I can't even squeeze it under my foot, yet he gnaws on it as if it were soft chewing gum.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Countdown to Hibernation
We always get excited when we get snow. It's rare and it's brief, but it reminds me of growing up in Chicago.
It'll warm back up into the 50s next week, but we should be on the chilly side for the next three months. Chilly, as in Maria needs a jacket anyway cuz she's a wus. My family in Chi-town would laugh at me, but I don't care. I don't like being cold.
The greenhouse is not finished. We decided to cover the length of the greenhouse with one layer of sheet metal along the side with the gap (see picture), but I ran out of husband before he got the job done. I rushed to cover the openings at either end then cobbled together a makeshift barrier for the 10 inch gap on the side before it got too cold. I have plants out there and I don't want them to die now.
We are still getting cherry tomatoes and jalapenos. My snow pea vines are also still producing. In the greenhouse I started some bok choy and brussel sprouts. I also got a nice surprise when the onions I thought had died came back to life.
I have very sturdy plants. I guess they have to be if they live with me.
I'm a little disappointed we needed to compensate for the extra width on one end of the greenhouse, but it is an awesome greenhouse nonetheless. If I had built one, it would have never been this big, so the inconvenience is negligible.
To save money, we decided to use a combination of plastic sheeting for the body of the greenhouse, and corrugated clear panels at the end caps rather than panels for the whole structure. There is no telling how long the sheeting will last. If we have to replace it too soon, next time we'll spend the extra dough for the panels. I went with the sheeting because I knew it would go up faster and right now time is of the essence.
Framing the back end. The weather turned against us before we could do the other side, but Greg says he won't have any trouble finishing it.
This is the gap we ended up with on the last twenty feet of the structure. The ironic part is that we measured the circumference--but at the opposite end, which required exactly a 20 foot width of plastic. This end was ten inches more at the widest.
Emergency cover up. It's not pretty, but it's sealed, at least until I can trick Greg into coming back to finish the job.
Bought a 40lb bag of wild bird seed for my feathered friends. I don't worry about them during the warmer months, but I imagine it's hard for them to find food when the trees lose their leaves. It's nice to watch them land at the giant feeder and eat to their hearts' content.
The squirrels have been circling the pole, but not a single one has tried to scale Mount Feeder. It's got a dome at the top and two more along the pole to keep them from a successful ascent. I'm waiting for a crack team of squirrel Special Forces to rappel off Black Hawk helicopters and raid my seed bin.
Mmm...roast squirrel.
Greg bought his home entertainment system and we even got it local. I'm not a sound aficionado but it seems very nice. We kept waffling between a Samsung system that got some good reviews and the Bose.
The Bose won, despite the $$. The best way I could describe it is that the Samsung was good, but it felt like someone was yelling at me. The Bose, even from several yards away had an elegant sound, as if someone was speaking to you. The sound was very clear and distinct regardless how soft or loud it was. Since we watch so many movies, I thought it made for a good investment. It should last us the rest of our lives.
Da boys enjoying their new theater system. The other boy is at the camera. You can barely see the edge of the tv, but the picture is incredibly clear. I still prefer my old fuzzy tv, but I wasn't allowed a vote since I'm a convicted tech offender.
I bought a dryer to replace my dead one. I went with a Whirlpool Cabrio to match the washer I bought when I moved here. I hated to buy another digital machine because I'm always afraid the computer brain will die out on me, but the washer has been phenomenal and was worth the extra money. It has no agitator, yet the clothes come out super clean on very little detergent and water. It's one of those high efficiency machines. I was skeptical, but the results have made me a believer. I hope the dryer is just as good.
After all these expenses, I am through shopping for a while. Other than finishing the greenhouse and future chicken house, I plan to become a hybernaut for the next three months. Hybernaut--a word Greg made up to describe someone (me) who cocoons during the winter months and plots stories of world domination and future gardens.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
More goodreads News
Goodreads also has regular book giveaways. Winners are randomly selected by goodreads, but their algorithms take into account how active you are on the site and the kind of books that are on your shelves.. Damselfly, aka Deborah Kalin, is also putting her book, Shadow Queen up on the giveaway board, so be sure to check it out. I didn't see the book at the time of writing this post, but it should be up soon.
Speaking of freebies, Dear Author had an interesting post the other day on whether we're more likely to read a book we've paid for over a book we received free. The comments were all over the map. I have to agree with the post that there is a better chance that I will read a book I paid for over a book I received for free.
I think the reason for this is that if I paid money for something, I want to read it, whereas if something is free, I am slower to respond. I do read anything my friends send me first, followed by those freebies that pique my curiosity.
A few months ago, when the big publishers were trying to push their authors through e-books, I downloaded a bunch of titles for free. Have not read a single one. These are NYT bestsellers and other big time authors, but they were quickly forgotten.
The freebies that I want to read are stored on my jump drive, so I can read them wherever I happen to be near a computer. The others sit forgotten on my hard drive, waiting for that elusive day when I have nothing to do. --like that's ever going to happen.
Giving away print and e-books is still the best way to gain a following and I am all for giving away books as long as the recipient really wants them and is not just hoarding or (gasp) reselling the books. Books are meant to be read and a gift should always be appreciated.
I know I will read more e-books when I get my reader. Prices for readers are coming down and the competition is fierce for our business. ...I can wait.
I really would rather read books on a lightweight reader than lug around a book. Just bring it down to a price I can live with.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Calling All Goodread-ers
Damselfly took pity on me, and friended me. After browsing her friend list, I did discover one other author I knew, but that was it.
I could have made it easy on myself. Goodreads like many other social networks is capable of scanning your email address book to find your friends on their site.
But...you knew there had to be a but. By now you know how paranoid I am when it comes to online societies. I don't want any outside source poking its nose through my address book. It is vast and it is private. I don't want to risk either receiving or passing any viruses.
This leaves me with manually typing in names, but I found out by accident that if my real friend didn't post his profile with his name as I know it, it doesn't recognize him.
If you are on goodreads and would like to rub noses, you can find me as Maria Zannini.
Of all the online book networks out there, I like goodreads the best. It was the easiest to navigate and it didn't seem intrusive or cutesy.
Homesteading news:
There was a setback on the greenhouse front. One end of the greenhouse is taller than the other end. The plastic sheeting we're using did not account for such an anomaly. Great chest beating and yowling ensued.
The saga continues.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Movie Review: Inkheart
Mo (Fraser) is a 'silver tongue', and when he reads aloud, he can transport the characters and elements out of books into our world.
We were delighted to find Paul Bettany in the movie. Bettany is superb in anything he plays. And Helen Mirren as the eccentric old aunt was equally as charming.
I'd heard this movie got mixed reviews, but since I speak to so many writers and readers on this blog, let me assure you, YOU would not only understand the film, but like it as well. It's about books, about how they come to life, and about the writer and how we imagine our characters and our worlds.
I can heartily recommend this movie to any writer or lover of books. Don't forget to watch the bonus feature called "Eliza Reads to Us". It's the final passage of the actual book where it tells you what happened to all the characters.
If I had any regrets, I felt it was too short. There were so many other books I wish they had explored, and I would have loved to have seen more back story to the main characters. You could tell that the eccentric aunt (Mirren) had led a most interesting life, and the fire juggler (Bettany) had a lot more underneath his character than what was shown.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
What DUNE Taught Me
One of our recent buys was DUNE, the film treatment for Frank Herbert's book. Being hard core sci-fi types, it was a hard movie to like. When it captured the book's original flavor, it was great, but when it tried to cram the epic within a neat time frame, it failed big-time.
I think Greg and I read this series back in the 70s, and even today we can recite entire passages, so the movie was a visual vehicle for what we already knew. But I would imagine huge chunks of the movie would be nonsensical to someone who had not read the books.
It's a shame. Epics on the whole are very hard to capture on film. It's even worse when it's a Dino de Laurentis production. I never saw a film maker so intent on overworking a movie. I think he's gotten less heavy-handed in later years, but I still cringe when I see his name on the credits. I expect it to be an elephant in toe shoes.
The part I hated the most was that the characters' thoughts were dubbed into the movie. It's intrusive at best, and peppered throughout the entire movie, it becomes mind-numbingly tedious.
But it brings to mind that this is the way the book was written. It was set in an omniscient pov, the standard narrative for a book of that era.
This explains why I was so confused when I first started writing fiction. Few people write omni anymore--let alone do it well. Yet, this is what I grew up with, and what I enjoyed. To write differently seemed almost sacrilegious. But as I expanded my array of reading, I realized that omni was not just "dated", but lacking.
Tight 3rd pov is much more engaging and exciting. It's the tickle of not knowing what every person is thinking that keeps the suspense rising as well as the interest. It was my epiphany as a reader and a writer. And I owe it all to Dune, the book and the movie.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Turkey Day Stressors
The dining chairs I have been waiting to go on sale ALL year have gone down to an incredible steal--but only for one day--Thanksgiving. Who opens their stores on Thanksgiving!
And finally, Greg tells me we must go shopping for a home entertainment system. I had promised him and now he calling in my note. [Maria looks up to heaven and asks, why now.]
Am I stressed?
Well, maybe the ovens have me a little concerned.
-I can line dry until I get my dryer.
-Greg can order his entertainment system online.
-And I know he will be a dear and buy my chairs on his own, while I tend hearth and home.
But the ovens... If push comes to shove, we might have to barbeque our turkey this year. LOL.
Maria, always with a backup plan.
Wish me luck!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Cooks Don't Stuff Themselves
Speak for yourself.
Any woman (or man) who has cooked an entire Thanksgiving meal all by his lonesome is too TIRED to eat by the time the food is laid out and picture perfect.
I nibble on this or that--mostly the side dishes, but I save my feasting for the weekend to truly enjoy my labor.
It's a lot of work! Am I not right, fellow holiday cooks?
Not that the menfolk don't help, but for the most part Thanksgiving meals are by and large cooked by the women in the family. Greg, who always appreciates how hard I worked at putting together this feast has always washed dishes by hand and put up the leftovers. It's a tradition in our family now. And that's a perfect trade off for me.
By the time the bird, the side dishes and the desserts are made, all I want to do is put my feet up. I don't want to look at food, much less eat it.
My joy is in presenting something extra special for my family and friends. Once my part is over, I want people to eat as much as they want at my table. It doesn't bother me in the least that I'm too tired to eat. This is my gift to my guests.
I'm thankful they cared enough to spend the holiday with me. I'm thankful we have enough to share. --And if they want to thank me, they can clear the table.
I'll feast later--after I've recuperated.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Prudent Penny: Black Friday Deals & Decisions
Black Friday, for those of you who don't know, is the day retailers pull all the stops to get you into their stores. In the US, it always occurs the day after (US) Thanksgiving, which of course is always a Friday.
I thought they called it Black Friday because it's the one day retailers should be in the black despite any ill economic forecasts, which is true. But according to Wikipedia, the first modern use of the phrase appeared in 1966 to describe the traffic conditions on the day after Thanksgiving with all the shoppers out and about.
Originally, it was used to mark the 1869 stock market crash.
The vet I used to work for told me that's what he calls his wedding anniversary--but I'm sure he was kidding. ;o)
I don't shop on Black Friday. There is simply nothing I want so badly that I would be willing to risk life and limb among the hordes of rabid shoppers. They won't let me bring my sword and crossbow to the battle anymore--so I ain't going. It's dangerous out there.
We tried years ago and picked only one store--Best Buy. Worst. Mistake. Ever. People were parking on the sidewalks, on the grass and even along the highway. It was madness! Somehow we lucked out and found a spot just as someone was leaving, but it was shoulder to shoulder with every other shopper--and I'm short! There's no air down there for me.
We left disgusted. The one thing we came for had already been sold out. Mind you, the store had been opened only ten minutes by then.
We swore, never again.
So now I watch the crowds on the news, eat turkey sandwiches and pecan pie then curl up on the couch with Greg.
But if you are the diehard type, allow me to make it worth your while.
I found this site that lists all the major retailers who will have big sales on Black Friday. If you absolutely must shop, scan these flyers for potential deals.
If you must go out on Friday, here are some tips for saner shopping.
• Eat before you go out. You don't know if and when you'll have time for a bite. Restaurants are crazy too. Those hordes of locusts have to replenish themselves after they empty all those store shelves.
• Study your flyers and make a strict list. Buy only what you need. The retailers are trying to separate you from your money and will use any means to do it. Think with your head and not your emotions.
• If it's an item you must have and you can muscle your way in, shop EARLY. I mean it. Get there before the store opens and stand in line. You can't be everywhere at once so decide which item is worth most. Then work your way down the list of stores and hope your other items haven't sold out.
• Work as a team. Grab husbands, sisters, older children, and your crazy Aunt Tilly and assign everyone to a location so you can expand your reach and find things more quickly. Make sure your cell phones are charged so you can check in with each other.
• Leave little kids at home, please. Not only is it no fun for them, but it's a prime way to lose them or get them snatched. Leave them at home and keep them safe.
• When it's all over, go out to a nice restaurant far, far away from the retail center. Collapse into your chair and toast yourself for a job well done.
Cheers! My sofa and I salute you.
More Prudent Penny posts.
Copyright © 2009 Maria Zannini -- http://mariazannini.blogspot.com/.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Swami Maria on Harlequin Horizons
While everyone is demonizing Harlequin, it's quite possible that it's a logical and lucrative move.
What?! Are you crazy Swami Maria?
Well, that's always possible, but let me finish.
Do I think Harlequin creating a vanity press is unethical?
Yeah, I do. But only when they were going to name the subsidiary Harlequin Horizons. The name Harlequin implies a respectable company. Publishing virgins and those desperate to see their names in print aren't going to care that it's self-publishing, they've got that Harlequin pennant to hang on to. They can squee to all their friends that they were published by Harlequin Horizons.
Do I think it's going to hurt their brand?
Nope. The average Harlequin reader is not a writer. They don't know squat about self publishing or why it's a stigma. And they don't care. They're never going to see a Harlequin Horizons book (or whatever they end up calling it) unless a family member shoves it at them.
It matters to us, but we're not the majority of the readership.
But Swami Maria, why is this a logical move on Harlequin's part?
Because it makes them MONEY. I've been studying Harlequin's business moves for several years and they've been alarmingly intuitive about where the industry has been headed. Most notably, they were the first major publisher to embrace digital. Now all the other big houses are playing catch up.
Do I like this business model?
Absolutely not. It sucks.
Money flows to the author. We were weaned on this. It was hammered into our heads. Money flows to the author.
Yet all it takes is one giant company to make one tiny move and that philosophy falls by the wayside.
This is one business model I hope does not work. But knowing human nature as I do, I have a feeling I'm clinging to false hope. Not only will it will work, I'm afraid it will become especially lucrative. There are just too many people out there with a "book idea". Frustrated with the traditional route, they just as soon pay for the privilege and hope for the best.
Harlequin wouldn't have gone this route if there wasn't a demand for it. And I will bet dollars to donuts, they're not the only ones with this plan on their drawing boards.
To add insult to injury, it's been reported that Thomas Nelson of WestBow Press offered a finder's fee to agents who refer new authors to his company. While most agents seem appalled with the advent of major players owning vanity presses, I've no doubt some will be lured to the dark side by way of kickbacks for services rendered. How many take their thirty pieces of silver is yet to be ascertained.
Take a look around. Self publishing companies haven't dwindled despite all the education and advice we give newbies. On the contrary, they're growing, and now the big boys want to play too.
How do you stop an entire population of wannabe authors?
Giving Thanks to Our Troops
Whether you know anyone serving out there or not, wouldn't it be nice to let them know you're thinking of them?
It only takes a few seconds. Tell our kids over there how grateful you are.
Please pass this link around and let's send them a bunch of cards!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Prepping For Thanksgiving
Turkey: Have you checked the prices at Wal Mart lately? They were selling turkeys for 33 cents a pound. I bought two good sized birds and I'm trying to make room in my freezer for another one. I usually spend 60 cents a pound for chicken thighs and legs when I cook for the dogs. 33 cents is a whole lot better than 60. I can chop off the legs for Greg (which is a treat for him) and cook the rest for the dogs.
Don't forget that most stores will start dropping prices on key ingredients the week of Thanksgiving. STOCK UP. You won't see that value again on that many items for the rest of the year. They drop some prices down around Christmas, but around here, Thanksgiving is the best time of the year for food value.
The best values I've seen this week was on chicken broth, canned vegetables and nuts. Every store is different, so it pays to browse their flyers and see what their loss leaders are. If you're in the vicinity, stop in and stock up.
What am I doing to prepare for company?
• Deep clean my house five days before company comes. That means windows, bathrooms, ovens and spare bedrooms.
• Put the frozen bird in the fridge four days before roasting.
• The day before Gobble Day, marinate the bird in salt water for at least six hours.
• Start saving my leftover bread pieces and add it to a pan of cornbread that has been cubed and frozen.
• Side dishes: This year, I'm having mashed potatoes, asparagus, herbed cauliflower, and baby peas and pearl onions. I will wait until the day before to get fresh asparagus, but peas I buy frozen, and the potatoes and cauliflower I can buy ahead.
• Salads: Salads are my specialty, but since I will have a lot to do that day, I will rely on already prepared salad greens with which I can add cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumber, carrots and feta and then toss with a special dressing.
• Desserts: I get a reprieve! I'm having my guests bring a desert each. I will have Blue Bell vanilla bean ice cream as an accompaniment though.
Speaking of guests, don't be afraid to ask them to do something or help with the vittles. I don't know of anyone who wouldn't want to chip in where they can.
Our last summer party was so hectic, I didn't get a chance to visit with any one person for very long. For this dinner, I want to be able to talk to my guests and enjoy my dinner.
What do you do to prep for a big day? Any tips?


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Sorry, I realized this after I sent the message. I want to do: CHECKOUT /the/baseline/selector/some/file.c Label: which-baseline <DAV:apply-to-version> Thus, getting a working resource for "file.c" from baseline "which-baseline". This is premised on the fact that a baseline-selector operates just like a regular VCR, but that it sets up the children to come from a particular baseline. Does this sound right? If not, then is there a way to do this? Would I have to create a new baseline selector, UDPATE it, then CHECKOUT/apply-to-version? (I hope not because that doesn't scaleas well) thx, -g On Tue, Jan 16, 2001 at 11:43:42AM -0500, Geoffrey M. Clemm wrote: > Ah, good! Something not about options (:-). > > From: Greg Stein <email@example.com> > > Consider that I have a collection under baseline control. I want to check > out a specific version resource (to get a working resource) from a specific > baseline of that collection. > > Or in other words, you want to checkout a particular baseline to get > a "working baseline"? > > I believe the order of operations would be: > > PROPFIND /my/coll > <DAV:baseline-selector> > > CHECKOUT /the/baseline/selector > Label: which-baseline > <DAV:apply-to-version> > > I'm presuming that the latter will create the working resource for me. > > The "Label" header makes the CHECKOUT method apply to the specified > baseline (rather than to the baseline selector), so the DAV:apply-to-version > argument is redundant. > > Cheers, > Geoff -- Greg Stein, http://www.lyra.org/Received on Tuesday, 16 January 2001 12:50:57 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 20:55:46 UTC

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The 2-Minute Rule for sexKneel on the ground together with her lying on the sting with the bed. Increase among her legs and talk to her to help her leg by wrapping her arms close to her hamstring just under the knee. With 1 hip raised, she'll manage to add some motion to assist in your stroking or to help move you to definitely the perfect location.
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From the seated position, use your finger to "draw" a circle close to your clitoris. Get started gradually and enhance pace and force, based on your response.
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or make 4 interest-free payments of $16.25 AUD fortnightly with More info
Belvedere Set
The Belvedere underwire set encapsulates sophisticated design elements with comfort and support.
Intricate stretch lace with scalloped edging promises a beautiful seamless fit. Alongside contrast lace panels across the back tied together with a touch of Kat's creative flair through fancy elastic detail.
This set is complimented with lace trimming around the cups for an element of surprise & an innovative touch.
Now all thats left to do is grab a martini and you're on your way.
Fabrics & Care;
My fabrics are delicate, please handle with care.
- Cold hand wash only
- Dry flat in shade
- Store me in my care bag
Fitting Room;
Model wears size Medium / Small & is a 10C, 8 bottoms.
Tip: If you are in between sizes, we always recommend going up a size for extra comfort.
For more detailed sizing help check out our size guide here;
Style ideas;
Kat Tip:
This piece looks effortless and cool under a plain white tee.


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I am looking at exporting customer addresses to ERP system and i looked into the documentation and did not find anything related to it.
Is there any good way to export customer addresses to an ERP system ?
Hi Asim,
you can use the Export Data Addin for that task and also you will need to extend your ERP service to import the xml received from the Dynamicweb Export Data Addin.
You can read more about that here.
So in the Export data addin scheduled task you can select the"User export activity". The job which should be selected in this drop-down needs to be: Dynamicweb/User provider as a source and
Xml provider as a destination job.
In the data integration job you can select which table/data you want to export: addresses, users, etc.
Regards, Dmitrij
You must be logged in to post in the forum


text:
Browser does not support script.
Telephone: 01604 523530 / 523560Fax: 01604 523724
Situated in Area D, the centre is adjacent to Emergency Assessment Unit and is signposted at the Cliftonville entrance and again at the X-ray department.The nearest car park is Car Park One. There is parking for disabled at the Cliftonville entrance.
Click here for the hospital map
Finedon is an inpatient and day case department. (emergency and elective)
Renal treatment therapies include: Treatment for Acute Kidney Injury, In-patient/out-patient care of patients with chronic kidney disease, Renal replacement therapy – Peritoneal and Haemodialysis, Diagnostic Services, Ultrasound guided Biopsy, Fistula formation, Insertion of temporary and permanent vascular access for Haemodialysis, Insertion of Peritoneal Catheter for Peritoneal dialysis, Treatment for all dialysis access problems.
The Kidney Centre has its own dedicated facilities for in-patient and Day Case care in single sex accommodation. There are 16 in-patient beds and 2 day-case beds. There are 10 single rooms, each with its own bathroom. There are 2 four bedded bays, (one for male patients and one for female patients).We also offer therapeutic Plasma Pheresis as a treatment.
Please ensure you bring:
You may also want to bring:
Storage space is limited. Please bear this in mind when packing for your stay with us, and don't bring clothes you will not need. Some areas will encourage you to wear your day clothes when appropriate, however space remains limited so minimal requirements are appreciated. The trust cannot be held liable for your belongings, and labelling your items clearly is recommended.
Please do not bring
A porter and if necessary a Nurse, will escort you to the ward and Nursing Staff will carry out observations and admit you to the ward.
Meals are served at the following approximate times:
There is a choice of cereal and bread at breakfast times. Each patient will be given a card to select their lunch and dinner choice for the next day. Vegetarian selections are available and special religious, cultural or vegan meals are available on request.
Visitors can bring in food and drink for you as long as it can be stored safely on the ward and does not require any cooking, heating or refrigeration. Suitable foods include fruit, biscuits, crackers, crisps and confectionery.
If you are having an operation or special test, your visitors should check with your nurse about bringing in snacks for you.
The 'Tele-Call' individual phone/tv/radio/internet system is available by each bedside. Each patient has a dedicated telephone line with an individual number, which can receive outgoing and incoming calls including international calls.
Credit vouchers to use the 'Tele-Call' system may be purchased in the hospital, and advisors are on hand seven days a week to provide assistance if required.
Flowers and plants are not allowed on the wards due to the risk of infection.
Please wash your hands using soap and water or the gel provided before entering the ward. Gel is found in dispensers inside and outside the doors to the ward.
Please report to the nurses station on entry to the ward and you will be directed to the person you are visiting.
Finedon Ward's Team consists of:
Specialist Registrars.
A Renal Dietician
Renal Psychologists
Nurse Manager
Specialist Renal Nurse
Access coordinator
AKI Link nurse
Nursing team with special renal nursing experience
While you are in hospital, you may be transferred from one ward to another. These transfers will be agreed with a consultant, and your relatives will be informed by ward staff where you have gone.
If you are in pain, discomfort or worried, please let the ward staff know.
Your medical information is strictly confidential and will not be passed onto anyone without your permission. But if you wish, staff will keep relatives informed about your progress.
Northampton General Hospital NHS TrustCliftonvilleNorthamptonNN1 5BD01604 634700


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These ladies were absolutely the best! We loved spending our day getting Morgan and her super sweet bridal party ready for the wedding at Hunter Valley Farm. The heavy rains that day had us all nervous but it cleared up just in time for this gorgeous ceremony. Congratulations Morgan and Jon!
Photography: Lillian Prince Photography


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Hooked on Cats
Susie cat sits next to me whenever I am designing on my computer (she is there right now). She has her own littled pillow that has to be adjusted daily. She also helps me stitch up the models by taking her after dinner nap on my lap as I stitch. Susie has a number of cat brothers and sisters, we are hooked on cats!! They are our companions and make our house a home. Hooked on Cats if for ALL the cat lovers and there are a lot of us! Eileen
Stitch Count
105 x 58
Suggested Fabric
28 count Antique Blue, Jobelan
Threads Used
Weeks Dye Work, DMC
Four Charms included
Copyright © All Rights Reserved


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A Basic Award Plaque Creation
I created this tutorial for those might want to run an award program from their websites and to provide some basic ideas for creating an award plaque to distribute to winners of your program. This tutorial was created on February 3, 2006. If it bears any resemblance to another tutorial on the net, it is pure coincidence. The skills that you will learn here are your own, and I hope that you will find them useful. In this tutorial, I will assume that you have a basic working knowledge of PSP and it is made for high beginners or intermediate skill levels. Remember to save your work often. You should have a better understanding of working with tubes, gradients, shadows, color adjustments, and shadow effects after following this tutorial.
You will need Paint Shop Pro, of course. I use Version 10.10, but it should also work in older versions. You can download a trial version of Paint Shop Pro from Corel.
Tube(s) of your choice.
Any gradient of your own choosing or the one we will create here.
Font of your choice. A good selection can be found here
In this tutorial I wish only to convey an idea and allow you to create you own design using the basic idea I will present. You may follow this tutorial exactly as written or simply embellish and alter as you desire.
Open a new image 400 x 400 transparent or the size you desire for your award plaque. You can always resize this later to your liking but I prefer to work with a large space and shrink it later just to keep it easier to work on.
You an use a solid background or if you wish a gradient is also a nice effect. Examples of both are below.
I used #b6a75a for the solid color plaque, and #c0a055 and #fdfc86 for the gradient pattern.
Your plaque should look like this or this...
Now let's add a border.
Image/Add Borders and use the settings as below - color white.
Using your magic wand with these settings select the white area of your border.
and your plaque should now look something like this.
Flood fill your border with a gold gradient or a color of your choosing.
Effects/3D Effects/Inner Bevel with these settings.
With border still selected - Effects/3D Effects/Drop Shadow with these settings.
Keep image selected and repeat, but change the vertical and horizontal to -2. You should now have this.
Save this as your blank. You can do many different things with it from this point forward an you can use this blank as your starting point.
Next we are going to add some embellishments and an area to put the winners site name on the plaque. I use graphics from a set of CD's I purchased commercially but you can find many in the public domain. Always remember to check copyright requirements for any graphics you use.
At this point I want to add some corner decorations so I found the graphic I wanted and opened it in PSP. Use shift D to duplicate the graphic and close the original.
As you add you embellishments, add each different graphic you use to a separate layer by right click on your layer palette and choosing "new raster layer. This makes removal and arrangement of graphics easier if you don't like something you've done as you are working.
Here's an example of what I did but use your imagination!
Now we need to add an area to put your text. Use your selection tool and choose the "rounded rectangle" and create an area to create a text input area. Again, do this on a separate layer. Fill the selection with similar color from your plaque.
Below is an example with a drop shadow added to make it stand out from the background.
Now you will want to create your various colored plaques if you are going to make a multi level program offering.
Adjust/Color/Red/Green/Blue - you will need to experiment here but you can come up with many different colors here by playing with the sliders. Just experiment and remember to save your new blank plaque under a new name each time you get a color you want.
These settings gave me a "bronze" color.
I created 4 different colors for my plaque by playing with the sliders. Resize the plaques to your liking and your all set!
Tip: Remember to work on individual layers so that you can easily change graphics & text as needed.
Export your finished graphics as a .gif or .jpg and your all set. Hope you enjoyed this tutorial.
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Up to date information on the Franklins and ministry opportunities in the Dominican Republic
Friday, February 20, 2009
Rain Rain Go Away
Rains have been non- stop for several weeks and have continued bringing mudslides and flooding. Our city Tamboril, has been among the worst affected areas in the country. The constant rains damaged 100 homes with the root of the problem being a sand mine that resulted in an enormous hole that filled with water and caused a landslide that destroyed 60 homes, two schools and a church. The town of Carlos Diaz about 4 miles from our location has been completely deserted due to the waters and landslides. The President of the country Leon Fernandez was here in Tamboril for several days directing recovery efforts. Spiritually, we are standing in the gap passing out tracks and taking the opportunity to pray and encourage those affected by the disaster. David (man pictured above) and I figure that there is close to 1000 people living in a gym (with only 4 bathrooms) just a few blocks from the church. There were so many affected, we decided to strike up a friendship with one family and help them the best we can. This is Glenis Santana with her sons Samuel, Wesley and daughter Wenifer. Glenis's husband is a mechanic and was out doing odd jobs while we were there. They have lost everything and currently have two mattress's between the five of them. It is a crazy situation in the gym, not a really good place for kids. Please pray that our church will be able to learn quickly the blessing of giving when so many around are in need of receiving. We want the people in our church to understand and practice that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
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The Food Almanac: Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Restaurant Anniversaries
Bozo's opened today in 1928. Founder Chris "Bozo" Vodanovich was one of many Croatians who created great restaurants in New Orleans in the 1900s. He relied on his connections with the fishermen in Plaquemines Parish to supply him with first-class oysters and other seafood. Bozo's became legendary, always packed with people waiting for the simple but meticulously fried and boiled seafood. Bozo's son–also named Chris–continued that attention to details until he sold it to Ed McIntyre in 2013. He renamed it Mr. Ed's Oyster Bar & Fish Grill and expanded the menu a bit, but the standards set by Bozo are still in place.
Food Calendar
This is Sourdough Bread Day. Sourdough is to San Francisco what New Orleans-style French bread is to our town. It's served everywhere a local flavor is desired. It's an interesting product. The making of sourdough begins with a mixture of flour and water set out in the open to capture free-floating yeasts from the air. (San Francisco is supposed to have the best airborne yeast in the world, but that has never been proven.)
The yeasts begin leavening this starter dough and multiplying. More flour and water are added–as well as milk and sometimes sugar or potato starch. When enough active starter is made, some or all of it goes into a batch of bread flour, where over a period of hours it leavens the dough. Most of that gets baked into bread, but some of it is kept unbaked, to continue feeding the yeasts. That's used to make the next day's batch of sourdough bread, and the process is repeated.
Long-time San Francisco bakers claim that their sourdough starter has been developing this was continuously for decades. All the above is the original, artisan's method of making sourdough. In actual practice, most bakers of sourdough also use a commercial baker's yeast to help the process along. (They say it improves the taste, but the purists call this a shortcut.) It's great bread, no matter how you slice it.
Gourmet Gazetteer
Meat Camp, North Carolina is 125 miles northwest of Charlotte. It's where the extremities of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky come together. That's the richest part of the country in terms of the number of towns with food names. It's rolling, mostly wooded countryside there at the junction of Meat Camp Road and Little Creek Road. Meat Camp drew settlers in 1799, and was so named because a cabin where hunters stored meat was there, on a prominent rocky patch of grown. It has always been a knot of civilization, and has a few houses and even a church. Finding a restaurant is harder. A five-mile trip up a winding country road brings you to the Mountaineer Restaurant in Trade, NC. Another eatery called Sharpie's is near there.
Edible Dictionary
concrete, St. Louis concrete, n.–A milkshake made with frozen custard and a minimum of milk. It's mixed thoroughly to become so thick that if you turn the container upside down, the milkshake will stay put. It needs to be eaten with a spoon rather than a straw. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis is the place most famous for it.
The Old Kitchen Sage Sez:
If you make a good yeast sponge, you are evermore committed to taking care of it the rest of your life. Or you're not a true bread baker.
Deft Dining Rule #235
A restaurant that serves just enough bread is more interested in its food cost percentages than your pleasure. [Note: Most chain restaurants don't serve bread at all anymore.]
Annals Of Food Writing
Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, physician and author of The Physiology of Taste, was born today in 1755. His witty, appreciative tome was the first modern book on the subject of fine cuisine and dining, and remains definitive. His most famous quotation was "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are." Here are two more:
"A dessert without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye."
"The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of the human race than the discovery of a star."
Food And Sports
Rusty Staub was born in New Orleans today in 1944. After a long and distinguished career in baseball with Jesuit High School, the Astros, and the Expos, he moved to New York and was adopted by Mets fans. He was popular enough that he opened Rusty's, a restaurant that served Cajun food to New Yorkers for twenty-one years. He remains a gourmet and oenophile. A very nice guy, he is an ardent philanthropist.
The Saints
This is the feast day of St. Hugh, the patron saint of Grenoble, France. A dish noted as being the the Grenoble style almost always includes capers. It's also where the potent Chartreuse liqueur comes from. St. Hugh donated the land on which Chartreuse Abbey, where the potent beverage originated, was built. Perhaps this explains why St. Hugh is also a patron saint of headache sufferers.
Food Namesakes
Apple Computer was founded today in 1976. . . Otto von Bismarck, the chancellor of Germany in the late 19th century, was born today in 1815. (A bismarck is a kind of filled doughnut) . . . Actor Wallace Beery came out onto the Big Stage today in 1885. . . Billy Currie, who plays many instruments for the group Ultravox, was born today in 1950. . .Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker got married today in 1961.
Words To Eat By
"Ex ovo omnia. Everything from an egg."–William Harvey, British physician, born today in 1578.
Words To Drink By
"Burgundy makes you think of silly things, Bordeaux makes you talk of them, and Champagne makes you do them."–Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, born today in 1755.


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For homeowners, a functioning septic tank is a need making it an essential system that need to be maintained. If a septic system is not preserved, there can be a variety of consequences such as flooding in the cellar or building, vital parts breaking down creating interruption, drain back up into the home, as well as a lot more.
Because of this residential plumbing services are crucial not just for preserving a pipes system, yet also for expanding the life of the plumbing system. The life expectancy of a septic tank with appropriate care as well as maintenance has to do with 25 years. Consequently, it is important that you take care of your pipes system.
Finding A Emergency Plumbing Contractor Around Shippensburg
The professional solutions of a plumbing professional will help you keep your plumbing system. Below is a checklist of key residential plumbing solutions provided by plumbers: Septic tank Cleansing and also Fixing Over time, the septic lines could fill out with waste. When this takes place, clogs could create causing drain line back up. To avoid particles blockages, a plumber has the devices to completely clean sewer lines. Furthermore, a plumber could send a video clip evaluation electronic camera through the system to obtain a visual of the condition of the inside of the pipelines.
Local Resources: find a plumber
Furthermore, an expert plumbing technician has the capacity and also tools to drain a septic system which is a something every home owner need to have done every one to three in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania depending upon just how much the sewage-disposal tank is utilized. Pumping a septic tank is required as it avoids too much sludge from gathering in the storage tank which could create issues such as damages to the sewage-disposal tank as well as sewer back up in cellar or drain field.
Completely cleaning up the septic lines and having the sewage-disposal tank pumped will certainly prolong the life of the sewer system. It will also help protect against costly fixings and a costly septic system replacement. As well as cleaning services, a plumbing technician could additionally mount septic systems, whether it is for a new house or a home owner is obtaining a septic system upgrade.
Other Links: residential plumbing
A plumbing technician could also create a drainpipe area and restore a septic drain submitted without causing damages to the residential property. Septic tank Installment: A plumbing technician can set up the septic tank network, consisting of the sewage-disposal tank, as well as drainpipe area. Service Pipes Fixtures and also Pipes Parts Plumbers are skilled and qualified to deal with all parts of the pipes system. They clear obstructions, deal with such components as faucets, bathrooms, sinks, tub, pipes, pipeline installations and also connections, hot water storage tank, etc. They can repair components that are damaged, used, and also damaged such as replacing a ruptured pipe. They could additionally set up the plumbing for a new space such as a restroom. They have the expertise to locate as well as fix issues and they have the devices, products and also equipment to do the fixing appropriately.
A plumber could also add items such as natural bacterial enzyme ingredients to the septic system to make sure microbes absorb the waste as well as maintain the septic lines tidy and also free of odors. When you hire a professional licensed plumbing to preserve as well as make ideal repair works when required, you benefit from the understanding and proficiency needed to correctly keep the pipes system working. Furthermore, plumbings could provide annual inspections of the system making sure every little thing is in correct working problem. They will supply suggestions on how you can preserve the plumbing system on an everyday and regular basis.
Without household plumbing solutions provided by plumbings, significant troubles will certainly happen which could lead to long-term damages and costly repair bills. Residential plumbing technicians maintain the pipes system in good health and also prolong the life of the plumbing system.


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Beattie, J Martin and Dickson, W E Carnegie (1926) A Textbook of General Pathology for the Use of Students and Practitioners. Third Edition (B37T). william Heinemann (Medical Books), Ltd.,, London.
Martin Beattie, J. and Carnegie Dickson, W.E. (1926) A Textbook of General Pathology. William Heinemann, London.
Mendiola, Nemesio Blanco (1926) A Manual of Plant Breeding for the Tropics. Manila Bureau of Printing.


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