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Transportation projects receiving federal funding in the Greater Des Moines area are tracked and documented by the Des Moines Area MPO, which serves as the formal transportation planning body for Greater Des Moines metropolitan area.
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
The Transportation Improvement Program lists surface transportation projects that are eligible for federal aid within the planning area of the Des Moines Area MPO. The TIP covers a period of no less than four years and is updated annually for compatibility with the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.
For more information, please call or email MPO associate planner Andrew Collings at 515-334-0075 or email@example.com,
Federal Fiscal Years 2019-2022
Federal Fiscal years 2018-2021
Federal Fiscal Years 2017-2020
Federal Fiscal Years 2016-2019
Federal Fiscal Years 2015-2018
Federal Fiscal Years 2015-2018 Project List
Federal Fiscal Years 2014-2017
Federal Fiscal Years 2013-2016
Federal Fiscal Years 2012-2015
Federal Fiscal Years 2011-2014
TIP Amendments
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
Greater Des Moines Transportation Projects Map (TIP)
Map of projects in the Iowa Highway Five Year Improvement Program with amendments, FFY 2018-2022.
Source: Iowa DOT: Transportation Program Management System (TPMS)
Transportation Capital Improvement Program (TCIP)
The Transportation Capital Improvement Program (TCIP) lists transportation projects occurring within in the next five years in the metropolitan area and includes all projects, regardless of which government is sponsoring the project and whether the funding is local, state or federal. The TCIP includes only projects that are being actively worked on in some form, such as right-of-way acquisition, environmental review or construction.
Federal Fiscal Years 2016-2019 TCIP
Greater Des Moines Transportation Projects Map (TCIP)
Map of all federally and locally funded transportation projects in the Des Moines Area MPO planning area.
Sources: Iowa DOT: Transportation Program Management System (TPMS) and MPO member governments' capital improvement programs
Regional Priorities
The MPO annually develops a list of priority transportation projects to include in the Greater Des Moines Partnership's Policy Book for its trip to Washington, D.C. While in D.C., business and community leaders from Central Iowa meet with Iowa's congressional delegation to promote these regional priorities. The 2015 Priority Projects list includes 13 projects, ranging from trail connections to a bus-rapid transit route. All projects can be viewed in the maps linked below.
2015 Priority Transportation Projects Map
Interactive map displaying all of the 2015 Priority Transportation Projects.
To view a PDF version, click here


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PYEONGCHANG, South Korea - Chris Mazdzer of Saranac Lake is a hair away from bronze-medal position halfway through the Winter Olympic men's singles luge competition.
He placed fifth out 40 lugers in the opening round, and his strong second run moved him up to fourth place, with just one-thousandth of a second separating him from third-place racer Roman Ripolov of the Olympic Athletes of Russia.
Felix Loch of Germany leads by a substantial 0.218-second margin over Mazdzer. In second place so far is David Gleirscher of Austria, 0.188 behind Loch.
Article Photos
Chris Mazdzer of United States smiles in the finish area after his second run in the men's luge at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
U.S. teammate Tucker West of Connecticut stands in 18th place, and Taylor Morris of Utah is 23rd. West attended high school at Lake Placid's former National Sports Academy, and since USA Luge is based in Lake Placid, all U.S. lugers live there while training.
The final two men's singles runs are set for Sunday.
Loch leads, Mazdzer in pursuit in Olympic luge competition
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) - History says it's over, whether Germany's Felix Loch wants to believe that or not.
Loch - the two-time defending Olympic champion - is the leader at the midway point of the men's luge competition at the Pyeongchang Games, finishing his first two runs Saturday night in 1 minute, 35.299 seconds.
From there, it's a logjam: David Gleirscher of Austria is second in 1:35.487, Roman Repilov of the "Olympic Athletes from Russia" is third in 1:35.516, and Chris Mazdzer of the U.S. is fourth in 1:35.517 - a mere one-thousandth of a second from the bronze spot.
Time-wise, yes, that's close. But in 12 of the previous 14 Olympic men's luge competitions, the leader after two runs has gone on to win the gold medal. Loch went to sleep on the lead at the midway mark in 2010 and 2014, and now finds himself in position to join only Germany's Georg Hackl to win three straight Olympic men's luge titles.
"That's nice to know," Loch said. "The last two times, it was not a problem."
The only Olympics where the leader at the midway mark of the men's luge event didn't finish off the golden task were in 1980 and 1984. And in seven of the last eight games, the people who were first and second after two heats remained in that exact order in the final standings.
In fact, there's been nine occasions where the gold-silver-bronze order at the midway mark of the Olympic competition stayed exactly that way in the final standings.
That's good news for Gleirscher and Repilov. Mazdzer is looking to change all that.
The racer from Saranac Lake has struggled mightily at times this season, creating a bit of a crisis of confidence. Frustrated, he went to fellow competitors looking for a solution, and based on what he learned from them, he decided to rebuild his sled late in the World Cup season.
Now he's flying, and becoming the first USA Luge men's singles slider to win an Olympic medal is now squarely within Mazdzer's reach.
"The ice, it is so hard right now," said Mazdzer - whose sisters and girlfriend decided to show up in body paint on a frigid night. "Training wheels are off. For the Olympics, you've just got to go for it. ... I'm having a lot of fun out here. My family, friends are here, and it feels like I'm at home right now."
Mazdzer, a perennial World Cup contender, was 18th in the standings this season. But he wasn't the least bit surprised to be in a contending spot at the Olympics.
"You can either give up or you can keep pushing on," Mazdzer said. "I'm really lucky. When I kind of get mad and upset, my tendency is to work harder. And yeah, I'm incredibly happy with where I am right now. It's unreal."
Canada's Sam Edney is fifth, exactly one-tenth of a second behind Mazdzer. Edney is in the Olympics for the fourth and final time.

subset: commoncrawl


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I am still breathing (somehow) and typing, but mostly different things than blog posts. I accumulated a lot of material over the 3 months absence, and I am starting with the most urgent one:
only 11 days left until EXPO Milan 2015 ends.
If you plan to attend, first of all, let me warn you that the content below the cut might be a spoiler for you as it shows a lot of photos from the pavilions. On the other hand, those who cannot visit EXPO – feel free to skip all of the last-minute advice and go straight for the list and photos.
Without further ado, this is my personal ranking of the top 8 Pavilions:
1 – 2) Japan & Korea
- Showcase both national cuisine and global food issues and how they (can) contribute to alleviate them
- Good balance between amount of information conveyed and multimedia use
- Include a short WOW show
3 – 4) Kazakhstan & UAE
-- Showcase both national asects and global food issues and how they (can) contribute to alleviate them
- Both have really cool movies
- In summer, Kazakhstan had very good queue management with continuous dance and singing performances and cooling fans
5) Fab Food
- (located along Cardo, on the left side if you walk from the central cross with the Tree of Life behind your back)
- Learn about the food industry while playing retro arcade games
- Based on what I saw very much under the radar and might not have horrible queues
6) European Union
- EU is very proactive in terms of food and agriculture regulation and sustainability promotion, but it is normally really bad at conveying it to the citizens. The exhibition is actually the most citizen-friendly way to learn about what are all the laws really good for.
- Features a super cool animation that is nominated for film festival award
7) Israel
- Very engaging real-life show + movie interaction showcasing Israel's contribution to agricultural development in areas with lack of water.
8) Pavilion Zero
- It is the UN pavilion
- It shows a very strong, visual message about topics such as food prices and food waste
+ Buy your lunch at the
COOP Supermarket of the Future
+ Go watch the Tree of Life at night
Rating Criteria:
This list is definitely subjective – but I have visited every single pavilion at the EXPO and I dare say I have a good knowledge of the EXPO theme. First, the list only includes pavilions that are relevant to the topic of EXPO – food security, sustainability, food-related issues, contribution of the countries to improving the world food system etc. Pavilions acting as tourism ads or simply showcasing national food, even if they were beautiful and popular, couldn't make it here, because in my opinion the EXPO should have been an opportunity to bring to the attention of global public the giant issues food & agriculture have today, but also show best practices from all over the world to help solve them.
Second, I did not include very content-heavy pavilions either (e.g. Germany, Holland, France) even though they fit the theme perfectly. I think those are amazing for people who are really interested in the topic, maybe even have some background knowledge and have a lot of time. But if you go to EXPO as a regular person, spending most likely just one day there, I don't think they are the best choice. The pavilions I listed above have one more thing in common (on top of being relevant) – they are all very engaging, have strong visuals, clear message, WOW factors that will rejuvenate you after 3 h in a queue and they will let you leave with an inspirational feeling. And I think ultimately, experiencing a strong message will make you more inspired to get involved than being flooded with facts.
Additional advice:
As of last Friday, my parents who went as regular visitors claim that they only managed to visit 4 pavilions despite having a thorough briefing by me about everything. Queues were everywhere, too. As EXPO nears its end, it will most likely become even worse. Supposedly work days are even worse than weekends, but either way, bring a fully charged smartphone, headphones, extra battery or charger, water bottles and snacks (hopefully these will pass through security) to survive hours-long queuing. In summer, the longest queues were for Palazzo Italia (extremely overrated and disappointing based on my experience and my Italian colleagues) and Japan – often 4 hours long.
Time management
Buy tickets in advance, arrive one hour before opening time to queue up at the entrance nearest to your must-visit pavilion and then run the moment security opens. Still, you will not be the first in queue – because obviously the employees at EXPO working afternoon shifts will come earlier than you can enter to avoid queues. Before you get mad, most of them (us) are volunteers and thus enjoy this small privilege in exchange for tirelessly assisting visitors for free. So you should merely be prepared for having to wait even if you are the first visitor to enter the area. As for food, I personally think the restaurants at EXPO are overpriced and have long queues too, so I would just get a couple cheap sandwiches/chocolate bars/fruits at COOP. Future supermarket experience at suburb prices. You can eat as you wait in queues. As there is good wifi connection, it is useful to have fully charged phone/tab to kill time. I also suggest not wasting day time by going to see the Tree of Life show – the tree will be there after pavilions already close and I think it is way prettier at night, too. If you need to cross from one end of EXPO to the other, consider taking the EXPO mini bus.
What to bring
For entrance, be prepared for airport-level security. So no knives, liquids might depend on your luck. I suggest bringing an empty water bottle that you ca refill from the free water fountains. Dry food should hopefully be fine. Most queues are outside, so raincoat or umbrella is handy. Comfortable shoes are a must because you will walk and stand a lot. A lot of pavilions tried to make their content selfie-friendly, so a camera phone or a proper camera might be something you would regret not bringing. There are ATMs but I would bring some cash just in case – though the pavilion souvenir shops are really overpriced and especially in Asian pavilions, they are either selling stuff you can buy for 50% less in your neighborhood Asian supermarket, or weird stuff I have never seen on shelves in actual stores there (esp. Korea).
South Korea
Having spent 7 months in South Korea in a culinary science lab and meeting great chefs, going to innovative restaurants and attending a lecture held by soybean paste fermentation experts, I couldn't wait to visit the pavilion to see what will be showcased to people from all over the world.
If you find the shape of the pavilion peculiar, it is no surprise – the architecture is inspired by the Moon Jar, beautiful white porcelain from Joseon period. Compared to many other extravagant and colorful pavilions, it stands out thanks to the monochromatic white mass.
The interior is beautiful as well, and very artistic. As you enter, the wall features 3D names of Korean traditional food and its characteristics and above the inner entrance hangs a giant spoon and chopsticks – the cutlery traditionally used in Korea.
The first theme shows the nowadays very famous evolution of man from muscular hunter to obese burger-eater – a warning that straying from traditional cuisine based on wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, lean meat, tofu and beans, and cooking from fresh ingredients, has its consequences. Later on, you can see the contrast between the overfed man from the developed par to the world and starving undernourished child. Sounds cliché? Then think about how long have we been hearing that while some are obese, others are starving – for quite long, right? But it hasn't been solved yet… I believe this is also hinting at South Korea's rapid transformation from humanitarian-aid recipient to donor.
The exhibition transitions into showcase of the healthy aspects of Korean cooking, with a beautiful movie shown on robotic screens (should we bet which Korean company sponsored the pavilion? Haha). The art of fermentation is the central theme in this part, since that is certainly one of very unique parts of Korean healthy dishes – fermented products are considered to be extremely healthy versions of preserved fresh vegetables and beans.
Upon leaving the pavilion, you can check out the overpriced souvenir shop and fairly affordable bistro (by EXPO standards at least).
Japanese pavilion is not just my personal favorite due to my connection with the country – everybody at EXPO thought it was phenomenal. The intro rooms are beautiful, but hard to capture on a camera – they showcase paintings, calligraphy, holograms, and interactive projections. Unfortunately, my phone refused to work well with some aspects of the pavilion app, but most people could enjoy all of the interactive features.
The next section showed several recipes to create a complete Japanese menu (I was taking photos like crazy because of course these recipes must have been perfected before being featured at a world EXPO) and also all of the basic Japanese ingredients and dishes.
The next section then focuses on global food and agriculture-related challenges.
Finally, the last part – the most famous one – is a future restaurant where visitors are immersed in a unique experience of interacting with virtual food on a table screen with touchpad pen-like chopsticks, accompanied by a giant screen movie and real human hosts. I was mostly busy taking photos of all the showcased dishes as culinary inspiration for later, but the point of the experience was the art of seasonal, healthy, fresh food and sharing it with the loved ones – similar philosophy to the Korean pavilion.
Then I was really lucky to visit on day when several prefectures had a presentation in the restaurant area, so I left the pavilion with samples of green tea ice cream, green tea latte, and an assortment pack of different green teas!
The whole visit took 50 minutes, but if I have one complaint about the pavilion, it is that despite 50 min being a lot for one pavilion, I felt rushed most of the time as he whole group had to move at the same time.
As I mentioned in the intro, Kazakhstan was the only pavilion that tried to make the waiting less tiring for the (at that time) hour-long queue of tired visitors. The dancers and singers were alternating on the stage almost non-stop.
Kazakhstan focused on showcasing their major achievements in agriculture and proudly stated that "Kazakhstan will become the bread basket of the world… we have the resources to feed the world, let us show you". Since I guess that Kazakhstan reminds most people of Borat (>_______<) if anything, let's look at some of the facts they enumerated in their pavilion:
- Only 10% of Kazakhstan land is arable and the climate is harsh, yet they are a major wheat exporter – all thanks to a Kazakh scientist who discovered an efficient method of tending to the fields.
- Kazakhstan has a large livestock industry and great apples.
- They work on various initiatives to protect the Aral Sea.
- Aral Sea is probably not the best place to look for fish, but in the other Kazakh lakes, aquaculture is booming. To improve sustainability, sturgeon fishing was put on moratorium as a reaction to overfishing.
- For caviar lovers, caviar from Kazakhstan is removed from the fish by a novel method which causes only minimal damage to the fish.
- To reduce insecticides, satellites monitor locust outbreak hotspots, allowing targeted spraying rather than large-scale treatment.
At the end, you will watch a 3D movie showcasing nature and agricultural areas of Kazakhstan. Also, the 3D glasses are totally selfie-worth.
Before entering the pavilion, I was extremely annoyed. I waited for more than one hour in the rain (without an umbrella) and when I could finally enter, all I could see was an alley of ambiguous hologram screens showing stuff along the way of "there is not a lot of water and still we thrive". I thought that was it and regretted wasting my time in the queue.
However, suddenly another door opened and we were all hauled inside a cinema. As the next world EXPO host, UAE spent A LOT of money on their movie, which was a real movie with a plot, not a tourism ad. The movie showed that while today, rich people in UAE might not think much of wasting fresh water, it is a luxury that used to be hard to come by in the dessert and it took a lot of effort to get where UAE is today – and they (and we) still need to respect the resources that might appear abundant now. Also, the final song is really catchy – I think if there is a pavilion with the biggest potential to actually inspire people to become more sustainable, this is it. You can watch the movie on youtube since a lot of people filmed it and posted it.
Fab Food
Fab Food did an amazing job at making the food industry more approachable and loveable. While it does not appear to be a well-known pavilion, people inside were having a lot of fun at the interactive QR code machines and retro arcade games – with a food twist. The main point of the exhibition is to show people that the food industry and science and research have done a lot of good for the people (such as preventing people from catching tuberculosis from infected, untreated milk) and also to show what process is behind foods like meat or a can of tuna. It also deals with the main issues of global food security and proposes some approaches to tackling them.
OMG, these old-school game Italian dishes! <3
#TFF - Thought for Food Challenge
No wonder food safety was the test I scored in the highest in Dublin, haha!
While of course you can argue that it is obvious the food industry representatives will try to make themselves look holier than thou, I think that very often people, especially in developed countries, suspect every company except for the neighborhood farmer is trying to kill them with their food, and while "back to the roots" is not a bad movement per se, not many people would actually like to live without refrigerated storage, bacterial contamination control, canning etc.
I promise I am not suggesting the EU pavilion only because I worked there. Even though the exterior is extremely ugly and boring, the content is really cool, particularly for an institution that mainly issues things called EC (No) 2073/2005.
The whole point of the pavilion is to bring the EU closer to its citizens and to show the principle of tradition and innovation/research bringing the best results when combined. The metaphore for this philosophy is the story of Alex and Sylvia. Alex is a farmer who is clueless and hopeless with girls, but he's a really nice guy and he has talent in farming and baking. Sylvia is a smart as hell environmental scientist with a PhD with honors, but no boyfriend, because she is always holed up in her EU research lab. Guess who represents tradition and who is innovation. Their union is represented by bread, which is also a common staple food in all of EU.
So to understand, in a very funny and approachable way, all of the things EU does, you will get to see the 5D story of Alex and Sylvia. The movie is silent and animated, so it is perfect for any age group and it is really funny with awesome special effects (smell of freshly baked bread included – my stomach was growling non-stop when I worked in the movie room). Because the movie was submitted for an award, it cannot be streamed publically, hence you cannot find it on youtube (yet), but I hope it will be eventually released.
Unfortunately I think that most people won't think that the story was carefully crafted to show EU policies and missions in every small detail – though I certainly will not understand how anybody thought it make sense to show careful handwashing (food manufacturing hygiene rules, yo)… and then there's a hairy salivating dog in the kitchen! Try having that approved as a baker, seriously! Bu other than that, it is the cutest representation of EU you will ever see.
After the movie, you can play with interactive screens (still no ECs and Directives mentioned!) or take a photo with a sandwich animation based on ingredients from the "protected origin" list. And we also had free posters for the visitors to take home with Alex, Sylvia and he capital cities of EU.
I will skip because I have no photos of the movie and it can be summed up in what I said above.
Plus there is a competition for plane tickets to Israel and you can plant a tree virtually.
Pavilion Zero
This one is really hard to convey to you in written words as it is based on larger-than-life representations of agriculture, food and their issues such as food waste and losses.
Yours truly (back again)


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The most recent Robin Hood-related news stories breaking in the global media!
Robin Hood's popular role in the traditional "Babes in the Wood" pantomime has secured him a place in the Isle of Man Post Office's fun filled set of stamps celebrating the world of pantomime at Christmas. His trademark "hat with a feather" features on the 1.86p stamp - one of a series of six designed and illustrated by The Fresh Group.
The collection of stamps reflects some of the nation's favourite pantomimes and each stamp incorporates a metallic silver Queen's head and an iconic image in an array of vibrant colours. The 45p stamp shows an image of the ruby slipper from The Wizard of Oz; the 77p stamp depicts Captain Hook's hook from Peter Pan and the 95p stamp features the lamp from Aladdin. Snow White's rosy red apple is featured on the £1.13 stamp with a bite taken out; a £1.24 stamp features an image of Dick Whittington's knapsack and stick and the £1.86 stamp features Robin Hood's hat.
Maxine Cannon, General Manager of Isle of Man Stamps and Coins, said "We are pleased to present our Christmas stamps for 2016 with a set of iconic images from one of the seasons best loved traditions, the pantomime. We hope that both those sending their post at Christmas and collectors alike will enjoy these beautiful stamps."
The stamp collection comes with a text by popular British panto performer, Christopher Biggins and can be purchased at www.iompost.com/panto
Bob White, Chairman of the World Wide Robin Hood Society commented, "The inclusion of Robin Hood in this delightful set of colourful stamps shows yet again just how popular the legendary Sherwood Forest outlaw has become. In fact, in recent years, many productions have reflected this by re-titling the traditional pantomime "Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood."


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Winter Inspections For Ottawa Roofing
Make Sure Your Roof Is Ready For The Upcoming Ottawa Winter Ottawa winters can be brutal. The cold can be unbearable, and the amount of ice and snow that arrives keeps us shoveling and salting constantly—at least, it certainly feels that way, sometimes. Ottawa roofing has to hold up to the rigors of the season, … + Read More
Steel Roofing Offers Durability And Style
Consider A Steel Roofing Company For Durability And Design Steel roofs are the practical way to go when investing in a new roof. The benefits of installing a steel roof for your home are worth the extra cost, as the longevity of the roof will pay off in the long run. In addition, the various … + Read More


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Wien, Austria
Wien or otherwise also known as Vienna has many historical buildings. Classical music is very popular here. Wien would be a place to go if you love classical music and would like to explore the many buildings in the city centre. Of course one can always make a trip out to Salzburg where I heard is really beautiful. We didn't go as it was a short stay for us in Wien. We explored the city area mostly with a rented bike and it was really fun riding all over the city in the beautiful autumn weather. One of my favourite picture taken from outside the barricade setup at one of the cathedral (can't recall the name). No photography is allowed inside the cathedral.


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Melting & Tempering Tanks
Our stainless steel chocolate melting/holding tanks have been specially designed to ensure easy operation, easy cleaning and most of all, reliability.
Our standard models are 500kgs (MT500) and 1500kg (MT1500), but we can easily make any size you require from 250kgs to 3000kgs.
Features (MT250 and upwards)
- Robust, triple-skin construction with fully insulated water jacket
- Constructed from 304 stainless steel [food-grade]
- Digital thermostatic temperature control
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- Agitator speed 35 rpm
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- Heated outlet butterfly valve
- Top-mounted or bottom-mounted motor [as required]
- Sloped internal tank base for efficient drainage


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Exhibition Run: 18 February – 9 April 2017
Exhibition Venue: Ground Floor Gallery, Ayala Museum, Metro Manila, Philippines
Press Preview: 17 February 2017, Time: 9AM – 6PM; 18 February 2017, Time: 9AM-6PM
Ayala Museum, Metro Manila, Philippines and Singapore-based gallery Richard Koh Fine Art, with the support of the Royal Thai Embassy in Manila, will be co-presenting the exhibition of contemporary Thai painter, Natee Utarit.
Entitled Optimism is Ridiculous: The Altarpieces, the exhibition will run from 18 February to 9 April 2017 and is part of the artist's Optimism is Ridiculous series, which began in 2012 and has been featured in various galleries in Asia.
The Altarpieces is Utarit's critique of Western modernism. It is a satire of modernism and capitalism, and tells of its seduction of local customs and traditions. Consisting of a total of 12 works, these works are composed of multiple panels forming a diptych, triptych, or polyptych, following the tradition of classical religious paintings with elaborate frames and settings.
Utarit's interest in Western religious painting stems from his appropriative approach to classical art. "In my paintings here I offer an interpretation of the world and various beliefs that appear in the Western world from my own Asian perspective," he says.
Optimism Is Ridiculous: The Altarpieces is a traveling exhibition with Ayala Museum in Makati City, Philippines as its first stop. It is scheduled to coincide with the 2017 Art Fair Philippines.
After its Manila run, the exhibition is scheduled to head on to Indonesia and Singapore.


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NEW YORK — The United States will be the host for the World Cup Golf Championship for the first time in seven years when a field of 64 golfers from 32 nations compete at La Quinta, Calif., Nov. 18-24.
Howard L. Clark, chairman of the International Golf Assn., said a $743,000 purse--fifth largest in golf history--will be offered. In addition, the IGA pays for competitors' airfare, meals and lodging.
The winning duo shares first prize of $200,000, with $25,000 going to the individual champion.
Spain is defending champion on both counts. It won the team title last year and Jose-Maria Canizares won the individual crown.
Qualifying rounds involving players from 29 countries will be held at three sites.


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The wide satin band in light charcoal and rose is hand draped around the crown and stitched into place. Three stunning flowers are nestled around olive velour leaves and perch gracefully to the side.
The 3 1/4 inch flowers are hand pressed on antique flower irons, are then embroidered and finished at the center with crocheted flower buttons. The brim has a wired welt edge finish.
Isabelle is made using a lucious vintage ribbon and therefore is a limited edition hat.
Click on image for larger view, image opens in new window.
All contents copyright (c) 2006 Couture Creations.Website design and hosting by IQnection


text: Wall hooks and knobs are a great way to add some extra detail to your walls or existing furniture. Our minimalist wall hooks create a sophisticated look and are perfect for hanging mirrors, frames or apparel from. All of our hooks and knobs come with the necessary screws to attach them to your wall or drawer.


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A New Model Bathouse For The Industrious Classes
Those working class chaps, eh! No one denies you need 'em – for toiling in your factory or down the docks, but oh boy, don't they just whiff!
The issues surrounding the lower classes' personal hygiene had been exercising sturdy nineteenth century minds for some time. Not only did they have to live in the same vicinity as the labouring hobbledy-hoi, they had to sniff them too. By 1844 it things had got so bad that a public meeting was called at Mansion House, open to anyone whose nostrils were offended by poor people, to try to deal with the stench.
It was decided that the only thing to do was for decent middling sorts to put their hands into their pockets and raise a subscription, enough to create a wash house to show the paupers how to keep themselves clean and decent. Of course, for them, it was very much an act of charity. "It is Christian, " wrote one benefactor, "and it is politic in a worldly sense; it is a beginning towards the salvation of soul and body, by cleansing the boady and purifying the mind; it is an earnest in part payment of a debt due to those who labour for us."
The Model Establishment was opened in Goulston Square in the City in 1847, and, to the delight of the committee, they even brought in a few shillings. It seemed that once the workers actually had somewhere to bathe they were quite happy to keep themselves clean.
An Act of Parliament was passed to allow boroughs to raise some cash (on the security of the rates) to build local baths and wash houses. Greenwich was an early adopter. Our bath house for the industrious classes was on the corner of Royal Hill, I think where the Borough Hall is now, and it was a huge success.
The bath and wash houses seem to have been pretty much of a muchness in design. The floors, the divisions between the zinc baths and wash tubs were made of slate, and each cubicle had a looking glass, a seat, pegs to hang up clothes, and 'other little conveniences.'
It cost 6d for a first class warm bath with two towels. I'm not sure what else a first class bath included, since if you paid 2d you could get a second class warm bath and the only difference the book mentions is that you only got one towel.
In the laundry, there were wringing machines, drying chambers, ironing boards and a "very ingenious" glass and slate roof to create the best conditions for drying clothes.
The Victorian book I've been reading about it raves about the benefits for both rich and poor of the system, saying that it will "encourage the philanthropist to psursue his search for opportunities to benefit the poor withouth sacrifcing their independence, or lessening their inducements to continue with cheerfulness their daily toil."
It's also boasts that other countries are following Britain's lead - France is just about to erect bath houses in Paris and Belgium and the United States are thinking about it.
The book (I wish I knew what it was called; I bought it as a ripped and torn fragment, in several pieces and with no cover; I'm not even sure of the date) is staggered to find that "the anxiety of poor women to use the laundry has proved to be fully equal to that of the men to use the baths," but it also accepts that not everywhere was quite as clean as Greenwich. Takeup "in the dirtiest and poorest districts" was low, even when "the charge for its use is so low as to place it within the reach of all but paupers." In 1849, to try to get the buggers to wash, they stopped charging altogether, and "tubs, well supplied with hot and cold water were opened gratuitously to the poor during the whole period that the cholera was raging, and yet but few availed themselves of the advantages so offered."
I'm not entirely sure when the Greenwich Baths disappeared; I'm assuming when the new Borough Hall was built in the late 30s.
the attachments to this post:


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The CTA Brown Line will be undergoing construction this weekend, and shuttle buses wil replace service between Belmont and Southport, according to TransitChicago.com. In addition, trains operate between Kimball and Southport, and between Belmont and downtown.
The CTA encourages travelers to allow extra travel time between 4 a.m. Saturday, March 10 and 7 p.m. Sunday, March 11.
For more information, go to transitchicago.com.


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A Visual Guide to Finding Your Ideal Anti-Aging Product
If your approach to anti-aging is strolling down the aisle of your local drugstore or Sephora, picking up whichever product sounds the most appealing, going home, and slathering it on, we've got some news for you: Unfortunately, you're doing it wrong. Anti-aging products need to be selected carefully and should be as tailored and specific to your skin type as your usual skincare. Just because your friend swears by retinols doesn't mean you should also become a retinol devotee. As such, with the help of Dr. Karen Hammerman of Schweiger Dermatology Group, we put together a visual guide so you can hone in on the ideal anti-aging ingredient for you based on your goals and needs. Go ahead, find your miracle ingredient below!
Okay, did you find your ideal ingredient? Good. If you're curious as to why this specific ingredient works best for your skin type and needs, keep scrolling to read Dr. Hammerman's explanations for each.
"These are used for anti-aging to smooth wrinkles and reduce the visual effects of aging. Peptides are a portion of larger protein molecules used in the body to communicate with and direct skin cells to behave in certain beneficial ways, such as producing more collagen or thickening the support structure of the skin, which are all essential for dry skin."
"Ceramides will help repair skin and can increase hydration and moisture in the skin. Moisture loss can exacerbate the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles."
"Antioxidants, such as vitamin C, will help to decrease damage from free radicals as well as protect it from future damage. Vitamin C also has the ability to lighten skin discolorations from sun damage. Vitamin C–based antioxidants are best for helping treat uneven brown pigmentation."
"Argan oil is loaded with vitamin E and fatty acids, which help soften fine lines. It's also an antioxidant, so it will help protect the skin and prevent future fine lines from forming."
"Licorice extract is a natural and gentle skin lightening alternative to hydroquinone. It's also an effective treatment to reduce redness and inflammation, which can go hand in hand with dry skin."
"The gold standard ingredient for treating sun damage is hydroquinone, and when used with a retinoid [Ed. note: pictured below], you'll receive noticeable results in a shorter time period. Once your desired lightening has occurred, you can stop using the hydroquinone."
"A prescription-strength retinoid such as Retin-A will check two boxes: First, it fights breakouts by controlling oil production and increasing skin-cell turnover, minimizing the potential for clogged pores. Second, that speedy turnover provides anti-aging benefits, helping skin tone appear more even. Use at night only!"
"Though you probably associate the word 'acid' with 'harsh' and 'abrasive,' hyaluronic acid is the exact opposite. It's a humectant, meaning that it draws out water from the air and dermis (the skin that lies below the surface)."
Interested in how the rest of the globe does anti-aging? Check out the fascinating skincare routines of women in Korea, London, and beyond.


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Kitchen Makeover | Part 1: Diving In Head First
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
11 comments :
Can't wait to see the progress! BTW, I don't know why it would be weird to keep your lawn mower in our kitchen...isn't that normal?! ;)ReplyDeleteReplies
lol ~ I know right?! My favorite part about the photo above is we were conscience enough to sit the lawn mower on top of trash bags ~ as if heaven forbid the kitchen get any dirtier ~ ha!Delete
Man oh man....it took us 6 months to make our kitchen functional- we hooked up the plumbing on Christmas Eve last year. I ugly cried so many times...and we are still not done, we still have so many finishing details to do- but I love (almost) every minute of it. So fun, can't wait to see part two!ReplyDeleteReplies
TANIA ~ holy smokes! I just pulled up your blog ~ so cute by the way ~ your kitchen is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I love the concrete counter tops and what you've done to the house ~ my oh my! It's unrecognizable from the MLS listings!!! Go girl, go!Delete
Thank you so much! :) So super sweet!!! I still have a few things to do but we are almost there...yayyyyDelete
I look forward to what happened next with your kitchen. I'm about this close to doing the same to my kitchen floor. It's ugly, it's old and it's coming up around the edges... baiting me to rip it up!!ReplyDeleteReplies
do it..do it...do it...Delete
how's that for peer pressure :)
Came across your blog through another blog and loved the first post I read. After looking around some more I realized I knew the author... small world! So happy to see you are doing well! Love reading your blog!ReplyDeleteReplies
Tori?, as in FD Tori?! I'm at the edge of my seat ~ do tell! Sorry, your blogger profile pic is too small for me to recognize. Feel free to drop me a line and say hello at michelle @ironandtwine.com :)Delete
Yes it is! Sorry, I can't reply via my phone and don't have much time to sit behind my computer. :) I sent you an email a few weeks ago, but I'm not sure you received it. Your house is lovely! Hope you're doing well!Delete
Can't wait to see more!ReplyDelete


text: Just a quick post to say that I am trying to get back into the swing of things! I have one more college class left this semester, so hopefully that will help some! And I've begun baking, so that's a start. I'm hoping to do a couple of recipe posts, and maybe a craft or two. I haven't crafted in awhile! I still have pictures from our trip to Legoland in October that I'd like to share. In the meantime, here's Morgan meeting Buddy!


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Markets of many people
Stock Photography By Christina Jablonski
In the mornings the markets open around the world. They offer fresh fruit and vegetables, cheeses, fish, meat and flowers. Some also sell a range of clothes and household items, handicraft and artisans work. Whether they are small and temporary like those on the streets of Baracoa or the permanent ones in Xochimilco, Dolac or Oaxaca, they are all meeting the needs of their own people and each is an expression of their culture.


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Was My Parents' Divorce My Fault?
If you are wondering if your parents' divorce or separation is your fault, you are not alone. Most children of divorce at some point believe that their parents' split up had something to do with them. Maybe you think if you had behaved better they would still be together. Perhaps you wonder if you weren't involved in so many extra-curricular activities if they wouldn't fight so much and would still be together. Maybe something happened on the day your parents told you about the split, and you're convinced that what you did that day caused them to split up. Regardless of why you think you caused your parents' divorce, there is one thing that you need to know for certain:
In other words:
Divorce is an adult problem and a decision made by one or both of your parents. You did not cause it, and there is nothing you could have done to prevent it. That's why we developed the W.I.S.H. worksheet below. This two page worksheet is designed to help you to work through why you view your parents' divorce as your fault and understand that it is not. In four easy steps, you can help yourself to move past the guilt that you have been carrying. Those four steps are:
- What caused the divorce?
- I did nothing wrong.
- Say Something
- Help Others
Click on either of the images below for a printable pdf version of this worksheet.
FOR THE ADULTS: If you are printing this worksheet for kids, consider printing it on the front and back of one page.


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What has Steve Carell been doing besides trying to avoid the apocalypse? Promoting his new film Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (it's a charming romance; you can check out my review here) he joined Jon Stewart to promote the many new books he has written, including a history of Egypt post-Mubarak and a biography of himself as written by Steve Jobs.
All of this, he reminded Stewart, would have been impossible back when he was on The Daily Show working for the Worst Boss in the World.
I love the light-handed way Stewart's guests promote their films; we know why they're on, so they might as well amuse us along the way.
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.


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Do you have a photo of Benjamin?
Lost to gun violence on May 6, 2016 in Lillington, North Carolina.
Benjamin and his 21-month-old sister were killed by their mother, then she killed herself.
News sources:
Also killed were:
The people with the most candles in the past 24 hours are featured on our homepage.
Ask your friends to light a candle or come back tomorrow to light another candle for Benjamin.
You can add to Benjamin's profile:
Other nearby fatal shootings:


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The theme this month was "Children Are a Gift From God." I focused on children! Those are my daughter's footprints I snuck in there! Here's what I came up with:
I had to break it into two parts, because its nearly a full kit. Be sure to grab both Part 1 and Part 2!
As always, I really really appreciate comments or emails (firstname.lastname@example.com), and make an effort to respond to every one! I would really love to see some pages people have made with my things, and I'd love to share them here!
Thanks for stopping by! Your next stop is the fabulous Karen Diamond Designs. Here's the whole list, to help you find your way around:
Sairi Designs
Touched By a Butterfly
Scrappin' Sisters
Callaluna Creations
Karen Diamond Designs
Digiscraps n More
If you lose your way, head back to the train station at Sairi's blog!


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OK....This is a long one so you may want to grab a coffee or join me with a chardy....!!
Here goes....The day started at 4.30am after a TINY 4 hour sleep when I headed off to Camberwell Market....Considering there was NO market last week I thought the Treasures were a bit 'light on the ground'....In any case, when Mr SVJ rocked up to take me to breaky, I put on my BRIGHTEST smile & confessed to having spent the grocery money & in the same breath, asked if I could borrow $35- to complete my final purchase....hahahaha....He agreed of course HOWEVER, I have to transfer funds over tomorrow to the grocery account AND make him coffee for the week....The THINGS I do....hahahahaha....!!
Anyways....I left the market around 9.45am for home where I unloaded the van of the Hard Rubbish Treasures from yesterday, & cleaned the items purchased at the market.
Then it was off to the storage unit, to SQUEEZE in another 15 items I've set aside for the SVJ Extravaganza....!! Now although the NEW storage place is just around the corner, there are ISSUES with access & yadda yadda yadda so the dropping off of stuff is NOT a quick process....hmmmmmm.....
Home again by 11.45am to take some pics of stuff from Camberwell & yesterdays HR, download to make sure AOK followed by a quick coffee & out the door to the Hard Rubbish....!
As the HR's a fair distance away, I didn't make it 'on site' until around 1.15pm....!! I drove around for a couple of hours & it occurred to me that I wouldn't make it home in time to take pics of my loot so I took pics on the road while I still had some light....!
Finally made it home around 5.30pm when I received a phone call from the EVER GORGEOUS Miss Holly whom I 'met' through eBay several years ago & who is currently in Australia with her beau on business....!!
I was THRILLED to hear from this LOVELY lady & must say....If you are EVER in the need of Vintage Christmas Treasures, PLEASE visit Holly for a VISUAL feast the likes of which I can pretty much guarantee you will not have experienced before....Her pics will make you melt & if you are NOT a Vintage Christmas fan....You WILL BE....In my 10 or so years on eBay I've bought quite a bit of stuff from the US & Holly is the ONLY seller who has made me feel 'special'....With a LOYAL following though I've ONLY ever managed to win ONE item but I tell ya....That ONE win was a SENSATIONAL experience.... :o) !!!!!
OK....So I chatted to Holly for a bit & then realised, due to the echo on the line her mobile/cell was diverting to her US carrier which would be costing her a FORTUNE so we said our goodbyes.....!!
After a quick check on dinner, I was on the treadmill for my run followed by shower & dinner....!!
PHEW...And here I am to chat about my finds....!!!
So Mr Underwood below is the reason I needed to borrow $35- from Mr SVJ....It was $45- all up & I was THRILLED to find it as I missed out on TWO on EAster Saturday when I attended the clearance sale as I was bidding against a Melbourne dealer & they BOTH went for close to $100-....SEE....If you STICK to you guns you'll be rewarded in the end.... :o) !!
I've taken what is for me an 'arty shot' as a salute to the ever talented junkalicious SUE at Vintage Rescue Squad....If you've been living under a rock & haven't found your way to Sue yet, please pay her a isit.....Sue put together an AWESOME Junking Calendar for 2010 naming ALL of the MUST ATTEND Flea Markets & Shows in the US....I am the proud owner of TWO of these babies & recommend them HIGHLY....!!!
Now I must hit the hay....I really am ready for a trip to the land of NOD....!!
Wherever you are, I hope your weekend was PEACEFUL & FILLED with Treasures...!!
Cheers for now,
Tamarah :o)
PS: To my Bonnie Doon mate Wendy....THANK YOU for conquering your 'technofobia' & working out how to leave comments on my blog....It makes me SMILE big time to see one of your notes.... :o) !!!


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Posts: 879
Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2005 9:29 pm
Location: Canada, Ontario.
Spin Me In Circles
He snorted, turning away, looking around. Arch had encouraged him to get away for a while, especially since he had just arrived this morning. More time to get to know people, the other stallion had said firmly.
Spin had yet to meet the two mares who he now lived with, but was told that one was fairly hostile, and the other was...Odd.
He looked up, relaxing while he watched the clouds move slowly across the clear blue sky.


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Alexandra is founder and Head of the Munich studio that has been IXDS' second location since October 2013. Together with Verena Augustin, Alexandra is running IXDS' overall operative business. With her degree in business administration and profound experience in user-centered service and product innovation, Alexandra is a true hybrid of business and design.
After some years at strategy consultancy The Boston Consulting Group, she transferred into the creative business when she joined Sapient's User Experience and Business Design teams. There she was responsible for leading international teams in the telecommunincations and media sector. Alexandra then joined Swisscom Switzerland where she was responsible for launching a new cross-channel service before she failed at her own startup – a digital service for self-improvement and task management.
Alexandra says, "The best thing about IXDS is that we are a company that will never be finished. We are proud of being a living prototype in all that we do. Come up with new ideas, try them quickly, iterate and bring everything that we do to a new level."
On her fifth day, she enjoys the exhaustion and freedom of climbing up or skiing down mountains, or the inspiration that comes from visiting museums and exhibitions in Munich.
Connect with Alexandra on LinkedIn.


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In 2013 Georgia Hardinge collaborated with River Island to produce a 14 piece Spring/Summer collection for their successful 'Design Forum' line - an initiative that gives emerging young designers the opportunity to design a small collection for the popular high street store.
Inspired by the Swiss sculptor, H.R. Giger, Georgia designed the collection with the female form in mind, drawing upon Giger's dark imagery and echoing the depth of his work in her sculptural prints. The dramatic showpiece pictured above, is a perfect representation of this and was displayed in their flagship store on Oxford Street, London.
"I have a fascination with sculpture and love to transfer this 3D way of working into clothing - the main showpiece which is shown in the film was sculpted to flatter and mould around the female silhouette." - Georgia Hardinge, "I absolutely love what River Island are producing at the moment - there is a definite buzz around the brand and they are really bringing something fresh and new to the high street."
To watch the River Island Design Forum X Georgia Hardinge award winning fashion film, click here.


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You are currently browsing the monthly archive for April 2017.
No one was truly sure how it had happened. How do such things happen, anyway? And how long before they are noticed? It's hard to tell. Yet so it was, in the little town on the hillside; the prosperous little town full of healthy, hardworking people. A happy town known for its hospitality and generosity in abundance.
Years later, when someone would ask, no one could say for certain when they'd noticed. It had been subtle at first, just barely perceptible in pants that felt loose, shirts that didn't fit as well through the shoulders. Perhaps it was the very intimacy of these discoveries, the individuality of them, that kept people from noticing, right away. Perhaps it was the subtlety of the change: a pound gone here, another there, over the course of years. Slowly, though, the whispers began. First, about thelosses that others were enduring: parents in the schoolyard, talking in murmured euphemisms, of how their own parents seemed somehow to be fading; how, perhaps, have you noticed? the shop owner? the principal? the city councillor? is it just me, or…?
No one remembered how it started; no one remembered when. But they remembered the first time someone said it, during a town meeting. They remembered how the mayor had been reassuring, but unconsciously hitched up his own pants, just a bit. They remembered how the town doctors had gone to a conference in the valley, how they'd been relieved to know it wasn't just their town, how they'd been reassured, when the doctors came back sure it was just an infection. These things happen, you know. Feed a cold, you'll be fine.
They remembered how, at the town meeting called to hear the doctors' report, a tiny girl had suddenly leapt almost out of her mother's arms; had made the whole room laugh as she cried, "I FLY!"
The reassurances of that meeting, and the question of a virus that would disappear with rest and nourishment, had sparked a sudden bustle of recipes. They were exchanged in whispers, argued over, bragged about. Choice ingredients disappeared from the market, following one fad, and then another, only to be kept hidden in the back of pantries. Neighbors grew suspicious of one another, as they borrowed a cup of sugar and saw the pantry door, once thrown wide, was now kept half-closed. Community dinners, once lavish affairs, became more simple, as precious nourishment was kept within the family to try to stem the infection… or whatever it was, because no one could quite isolate it. And no meal, no expense, could stop what was, by this point, apparent: the town was getting thinner.
The terms used varied, depending on the person; the more politically savvy would say people were "leaner," but everyone recognized that for the tact, the spin it was. The simple truth was that the adults in the town losing weight. Less so the kids, though the age varied: somewhere between eight and twelve, thereabouts – the age of maturity, the age of awareness. The town was getting thinner, and the wind that blew down the hill seemed sometimes as if it would blow them all clean away.
Meetings were called. Very soon the doctors' findings treated with derision. Other specialists were called in: nutritionists, who called for a traditional diet; coaches, who recommended new workouts to hip music; consultants, who suggested treating the kids before they got it too… and not a few snake oil salesmen, as will happen, in situations like this. At every meeting, the townfolk became less convinced, and more skeptical – after all, nothing had ever worked, why should the new suggestions? And so the snake oil salesmen weren't the only ones dismissed, after halfhearted attempts at working out to music that felt unfamiliar, or at treating kids for an ailment no one really understood anyway.
More than once, at a town meeting, the little girl had interrupted. Having soon grown too big for her newly-tiny mother, she would flap her arms and run up and down the aisles of the school auditorium where they all sat hunched up against the wind. The first time it had been cute; quickly, the adults, tense and anxious, asked her mother to remove her and not to bring her back, this little one who couldn't understand the terrible gravity of the town's problems.
But no one could remember how it began. Surely, something had changed? Some thought that perhaps, if they could just remember; just find the missing ingredient; the thing they'd had then, before the problems began… but as the years went on, the unity of the town began to splinter. Younger people, plagued with the same affliction, blamed their elders for not doing more, sooner. The elders blamed their children for not being more invested in finding a solution. They all blamed the wind, against which they struggled daily, wasting precious calories, having to fight to remain upright. Community dinners became tense affairs, with bland food in small dishes so there was hardly enough for those who brought the food, let alone for those who wandered in, hungry and tired, in need of hospitality. Indeed, it seemed that the whole town was collapsing inward: the stores closed, their owners weakened and tired. The roads cracked, potholes sank, street sweepers came less and less often. Volunteers kept up the flower beds, until their bodies grew too frail, and the wind rattled the weeds that sprang up in abundance.
The city council tried to step in, but dealing with a crisis like this was beyond anything they'd ever had to do, and they sat, looking at one another around the council table – at the gaunt, drawn faces, prominent collarbones showing under loose, ill-fitting clothes – debating for the twentieth time the same idea.
Town meetings were somber, bitter affairs by this time, lively only when they were antagonistic. On their way out, people were known to joke that they felt even thinner than when they'd gone in, and there might have been truth to that… but it was hard to tell. The children of the town were, by now, accustomed to adults who appeared almost skeletal, their eyes prominent above sharp cheekbones, their hands that seemed to be just a collection of bones wrapped tight in dry, leathery skin. Adults who leaned into the wind, struggling as though against an invisible assailant. And this sharp and brittle collection of people exchanged sharp, brittle words, as pointed as their elbows, seeking solutions and just as quickly picking apart the suggestions with bony fingers.
The little girl, not quite so little anymore, stood quietly beside her mother – old enough now to be allowed in the meetings; no longer flapping down the aisles after cutting her finger on the protruding hip bone of a former shopkeeper. She stood and listened to the wind, rattling among them through the old, leaky windows and the cold, hissing words. In a moment when the wind stilled, and silence hovered, she spoke her solution to the ever-present problem, her words still full and round and childish: "We could fly…"
Brittle, hard laughter crackled around the room until the mayor looked thoughtfully at the child. "Perhaps," he mused, his voice tight, "it's the one thing we haven't tried." The room, shocked into deathly silence, gaped at him. He shrugged, a gesture that seemed to put him in danger of collapse. "The wind is the one thing left to us, if we can harness it…" Each word fell from his thin, fleshless lips, as the crowd drew its collective breath.
It wasn't that simple, of course, though it was not quite as hard as people would remember. No one wanted to leave the town. And between those who reluctantly began tearing down, convinced it was the end, and those who held on, certain it was their own bodies being torn apart, it was astonishing that it happened at all. Both sides were convinced that death was imminent. They saw it clearly in the walking skeletons who implemented tise final, desperate plan: the flying machine made of the schoolroom floors, the store counters, the mayor's desk; nailed together with the accusations of precious materials held back and hidden safely away; sealed with the hopes born of desperation, that death might not come today; weighted down with the fears – on both sides – that this attempt, with everything at stake, would fail. For as the people grew lighter, as they grew to resemble walking bones, the possibility of flight weighed heavier among them until it seemed that even the strongest wind could not lift them from this place where they were rooted.
Finally, the flying machine was ready. Finally, the will of the people would be put to the test. Finally, the work of their hands would lift them out of the desolation that had once been a prosperous and happy town. And in the years to come, everyone would remember how it happened that the people – mere bones by that point -took their place within this creation of theirs, this product of their hopeful anxiety, their despairing dreams. In the years to come, everyone would remember how the wind came up and blew over them, rattled through them; how they shivered once and seemed to fall apart, how they could not move.
And then…
No one was truly sure how it had happened. How do such things happen, anyway? And how long before they are noticed? It's hard to tell.
The little girl – the annoying one, the outspoken one, the bothersome one, with her crazy ideas about flying – was she among them, where they lay in the midst of all that was so precious? Was she still in the village? or up on the hill, looking upon them, her eyes full, spilling tears of grief, of compassion? No one could say, and no one would quite be able to remember, in the years to come, how long it was before the breeze stirred down the hill, through the village, around the flying machine; how the girl lifted her arms, leaned back, easily, gently, let the wind catch her lightness… let it catch her up as a parent lifts a beloved child to carry her to safety.
And how did it happen? How do such things happen, anyway? that the breeze brought her words back to stir among the bones of the people; words like the rush of summer wind:
"It is not the work of our own hands that we need. We cannot control the wind. It is not ours. But we can still fly."
And the wind, soft, gentle, round and warm and full of promise, moved over those who had been reduced to their hardest parts. And the bones trembled with possibility, as they felt themselves take flight.
The hand of the Lord said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord God, you know."
…he left Judea and started back to Galilee. But he had to go through Samaria. -John 4:3-4
There are just moments in scripture that make me feel bad for the disciples.
In John's gospel, the disciples' call story follows directly on Jesus' baptism. Those first disciples are present, there at the Jordan, and they take John's word for who Jesus is, and follow accordingly. From there, more join in, following the word of mouth invitation to "come and see." And goodness, do they see! Those first experiences with Jesus were exhilarating: the wedding at Cana, where he turned water into wine must have felt like a joyful, easily appreciated sign. And even as Jesus, in Jerusalem for the Passover, drove out the money lenders and vendors from the Temple, it must have been fun to be behind him, watching this moment of purification. It seems like a moment that would be almost as intoxicating as the wine.
If what you knew of your teacher was wisdom, power and wine, it strikes me that it would be pretty easy to follow. And so I wonder if these new disciples didn't relax a bit, as they traveled Judea and Galilee? I wonder if they didn't get a bit lulled into ease and abundance?
And then they went home. Back to Galilee.
And Jesus had to go through Samaria.
It seems like a throwaway line in the Gospel; it's not part of the lectionary text in this story, after all, how important could it be?
Samaria is the land between Judea and Galilee, home to those utterly despised by Judeans and Galileans alike. Contact with a Samaritan would render a Jew ritually unclean; travel through the region was therefore unsafe. Although the direct line to Galilee could go through Samaria, no practicing Jew at time would take that particular route, but would go up the far side of the Jordan, so as to avoid the Samaritans. So as to avoid contamination.
But Jesus had to go through Samaria
I wonder what the disciples thought of this. What did they think, as they approached Sychar and went to buy food from those whom they would have shunned, normally? What did they think, when they arrived back to find Jesus talking with a Samaritan – and not just a Samaritan, but a woman! A woman who had the audacity to look Jesus in the eye, to express her own opinions, to ask theological questions, to push and prod and examine him? We're only in the fourth chapter of John's Gospel, and the honeymoon is already over.
For us, here and now, this scene is not surprising. This is, after all, the Jesus we've come to expect: the one who doesn't abide by social graces but lives in God's grace, in every interaction. I think sometimes we forget that the disciples didn't have the full picture. They didn't know how the story would end. They didn't entirely know what they had signed up for when they had been invited to "come and see." They didn't know the grace, the power, the resurrection, as we do. So they are far more shocked than we are to find Jesus hanging out with a Samaritan woman (not an immoral one, as tradition holds, but still a woman from a despised people). We are not surprised that Jesus' first illustration of the words he spoke, just one chapter before, "God so loved the world that he sent his son…" should remind us that the world God loves includes Samaria. We are not surprised and how the story develops from there, and chuckle tolerantly at the surprise of the disciples for whom this is a startling development; who might be just starting to question who it is that they have chosen to follow.
We are not surprised when it happens to the original disciples, when it's told in hindsight, when it's a story. So why are we surprised when it happens to us?
That Jesus had to go through Samaria was as shocking to the disciples as it would be to us to find that he had to go through Syria, or Iran, or Sudan, or Somalia, or Libya, or Yemen, to find someone who would recognize the presence of God. I feel bad for those early disciples, shocked out of the joyous honeymoon phase, because I am a disciple myself who sometimes wishes that being church was all water into wine and turning the tables of corruption. I feel bad for them, because often enough, I don't want to go through Samaria.
It's a hard thing, to see the folks whom we've pushed to the margins as being beloved of God, as being part of the world God loves, as being able to make known to us the presence of God in ways we had not yet fully understood. It's a hard thing, when those we follow call us to walk a path we've resisted all our lives, a path that feels unsafe and uncertain. It's a hard thing, when discipleship calls us to question our assumptions, calls us to love those we have been taught to despise, calls us to choose compassion over sectarianism, calls us to risk our status in polite company – to choose the company of the "unclean", uncomfortable, and often unwelcome. It's a hard thing, when following Jesus takes us to the margins, to the place where we are called to see the humanity of those whom we may have long excluded, whom we have called dangerous, or unworthy, or simply "other." It's a hard thing when being the church that follows Jesus makes it feel like the honeymoon is over, and leads us through Samaria.
It was a hard thing for the disciples then, and it is hard for us now. The call into the places we fear and avoid is every bit as hard to discern for us as for the disciples. But we who chuckle at the discomfort of the disciples could learn a bit from them, as well: these people who followed, even when it meant going through Samaria; even when following took them into uncomfortable, unclean spaces. We could learn from those who were taught how to accept hospitality from the "other", the despised and rejected. We could learn from those who, against all their instincts and learned prejudices, followed Jesus, whom they were still learning to trust.
Even into Samaria.
The Samarias of our world might not look as they did to the disciples, but they will still be the places that we have written off, or the people that we have rejected. Our own walks through Samaria will be the ones that call us to question our assumptions and check our privilege. And they might just make us as confused as the disciples; just as uncertain of our path, and those who lead us along it.
There will be times when we look at our leaders – our pastors and modern-day prophets – and say, "You're going to make us go through Samaria?" And we will long for the simplicity of wisdom and wine, of sweetness and abundance, of truth spoken to external powers, rather than to our hearts. I hope, that when those moments come, we will remember that sometimes it is only in Samaria that we find the presence of God revealed, that we see the full extent of God's love for this world.
Because it is when we allow ourselves to be led into Samaria, when we find that we have to walk that path, that the expansiveness of God's grace is truly revealed. It is in the Samaritan woman that we remember that God's love exceeds our human limitations, and includes those whose exclusion we justify. It is in the Samaritan woman that we remember that the Body of Christ, the world that God loves, cannot be contained by human borders or judgments, but that God is present among those on the margins, among those whom we consider irrevocably "other." It is in the Samaritan woman that we see God as God, rather than as a reflection of ourselves, and we remember why, despite our discomfort, we had to go through Samaria.
My prayer for us all is that we will end up spending a lot of time in Samaria; a lot of time seeking God in places we have not dared to venture for a long time. My prayer is that we will trust in one another, and in the God who is beyond our understanding, and in so doing create anew a church in which grace abounds, in which love abides beyond all that we have experienced to this point, and that you will accept the hospitality to stay in the margins, the unexpected places where God is revealed.
Even if it means going into the places of uncertainty and discomfort.
Even if it means going to places you'd rather avoid.
Even if it means going through Samaria.


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In Art, Room 17 first experimented with cool yellow and cool blue and a little white to see what interesting colours we could create. At the same time we were learning how to hold our brush correctly in a twisting motion. These are our results.
Our next step was to add more white to create a background on which we could paint the silhouette of a tree branch. Practising the tree branch was essential and a challenge for many of the children. It seems simple BUT you need to try it - it is DIFFICULT especially when the brush hairs want to go in another direction! However, the children were very pleased with the results.
Here are some of our final results. What do you think of them?
Now we have begun our second painting inspired by a video lesson.
Firstly, we painted a background using the same twisting method using cool blue, cool red and white. What colour do you think the cool blue and cool red make?
Can you see the white chalk line on this picture. I wonder what that is for? The children can't wait for this week's lesson when they are going to practise painting something tall, black and interesting.
Did you guess Room 12? Well here they are?
Yes trees! The children learned how to draw the trunk first then starting at the top holding the brushes on the side to make the branches. They also learned that if they make a mistake then it can be used in a positive way. Where there were smudges there are now hills and ground.


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Pann: Idol groups that survived out of 42 groups debuted in 2012
1. [+145, -9] I've seen BTOVIXX since they debuted so I know how hard they struggled ㅠㅠ I hope they do better. For me, BTOB has the best vocals and VIXX has the best concepts ㅠㅠ
2. [+96, -1] In 2012 alone, 42 idol groups debuted. If we include all groups that disappeared without a broadcast appearance, there's more... Honestly, it's successful enough that they're still promoting and releasing albums after debuting in 2012.
3. [+87, -20] 2012 was slayed by PSY
4. [+76, -17] EXO was called SM's first flopped group and they used to perform at elementary schools. After a year, they won #1 for the first time and rose to a group that's breaking records. They had 3 traitors, a lot of dating rumors, and they get hate all the time but they're still stable. I'm not a debut fan but I'm so proud. EXO saranghaja <3
5. [+68, -1] The common thing between those groups is that they were nugus when they debuted. It must've been hard for them since there were 42 groups... They became popular step by step. I'm so proud of them and I hope they have a good future ahead of them. I wish the best for VIXX and all groups!
Pann: The common feature between 2012 debut groups
(EXO, BAP, BTOB, VIXX, AOA, and EXID had a hard time to get popular)
1. [+204, -9] It still tears me up to think they did shuffle dance in front of elementary school kids. How can you say they had it easy? How can you ignore their effort?
2. [+202, -8] Ah~ So EXO did shuffle dance at an elementary school thanks to SM's full support~ Oh~
3. [+201, -5] When EXO debuted, they performed at a rice festival event in Chungju, got rice, and came back to Seoul on a small carnival. They sang their debut song at an elementary school and started from the bottom. From 2012 to 2015, they rode on 2 carnivals and finally got their first van in 2016. You don't know how toughly SM raised EXO. Since they were trainees, they went to volunteer to deliver coal to a shelter, wore bracelets for comfort women, attended events to sponsor for ALS, donated blood, joined RCY volunteer group and still volunteer until this day. I don't understand why people say EXO got popular easily. You guys were calling them a flop, and now they're too popular? They even had a long hiatus.
4. [+38, -0] Honestly, GFriend and Twice debuted in the right time. GFriend doesn't even have a visual member that can be promoted but their company gives them good songs and their slippery stage was issued. This is why they were able to get popular, which means that if they bring a bad song, they could flop instantly.
5. [+30, -0] In 2012, EXO was a rival of BAP and BAP was winning all rookie awards. I was a fan but even I was nervous that EXO was flopping. And their 1-year hiatus was so tiring ㅋㅋ They were preparing Wolf comeback during that year. Honestly, it seems that they were also preparing Overdose in advance. You can't ignore their effort.


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Dear Friends,
Scripture tells us, "Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning" (Ps. 30:5). We cannot grow spiritually until we exhibit a healthy faith that our troubled night will not last forever. Lamentations 3:31 says that "men are not cast off by the Lord forever."
As we wait out the storms of life, will we assert that God's compassion and mercy will come to our aid and that our loving God will not "willingly bring affliction" (Lam. 3:33)? Will we speak up for Him instead of speaking against Him? Will we say loudly and clearly that we believe He is fully aware of our suffering and the injustice done to us and that nothing escapes His notice?
Above all, will we be willing to accept hardship and testing, knowing that they strengthen our faith? If our answer to that question is, "I will, the Lord helping me," then we are well on the way to experiencing a faith that works morning by morning for every moment of our days!
I suppose it comes down to a new willingness to be broken by the circumstances of life that God in His sovereign grace permits. When you do that, your faith distress becomes faith developed, which can then be gloriously displayed by God to a hungry world. You can have faith in the loving compassion of a merciful God, who will, moment by moment and crisis by crisis, supply all the grace you need.
"Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love" (Lam. 3:32).
Jill Briscoe
Executive Editor
Just Between Us Magazine


text: Redressing Solutions Whether you require a new electrode, or a redressed electrode, Graphel Carbon Products' experienced team can help support all of your needs. We understand that all products have an expected longevity, and the redressing of electrodes significantly reduces customer cost, and increases return on investment. Graphel Carbon Products will assist you in managing the process to ensure you are maximizing service life effectively. Milled Ground Turned


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The "Motor Voter" law would require that anyone who is eligible but not registered to vote would be automatically registered when receiving or renewing a California driver license or state ID card. People who do not wish to be registered would have 21 days to opt-out.
Secretary of State Alex Padilla supports the bill.
"We ought to do anything and everything possible to ensure people participate, plain and simple," he says. "Recognizing that there's 6.6 million to 6.7 million eligible but unregistered Californian's out there."
Padilla saysCalifornia's voting system has evolved over the years. He points to the vote-by-mail system. Initially it was only available to people with specific needs, now there are permanent vote-by-mail voters. He says the same opportunity to improve the process exists with voter registration.


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- Home
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Brian J. Koos, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, and Vice Chair, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Vice Chair, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Member, Brain Research Institute
Awards and Honors:Brigham & Women's Hospital Brigham & Women's Hospital Oxford University Medical School USC University Hospital
Contact Information
Work Phone Number: (310) 794-7274
Mailing Address:UCLA OB GYN
Los Angeles, CA 90095
A selected list of publications:
Koos Brian J Adenosine A?a receptors and O? sensing in development American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology, 2011; 301(3): R601-22.
Maeda Takatsugu, Koos Brian J Adenosine A1 and A2a receptors modulate insulinemia, glycemia, and lactatemia in fetal sheep American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology, 2009; 296(3): R693-701.
Hwang Han-Sung, Maeng Yong-Sun, Park Yong-Won, Koos Brian J, Kwon Young-Guen, Kim Young-Han Increased senescence and reduced functional ability of fetal endothelial progenitor cells in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia without intrauterine growth restriction American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 2008; 199(3): 259.e1-7.
Koos Brian J First-trimester screening: lessons from clinical trials and implementation Current opinion in obstetrics & gynecology, 2006; 18(2): 152-5.
Koos Brian J, Kawasaki Yoshikazu, Kim Young-Han, Bohorquez Fanor Adenosine A2A-receptor blockade abolishes the roll-off respiratory response to hypoxia in awake lambs American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology, 2005; 288(5): R1185-94.
Koos Brian J Too much information or not enough? Editorial review Current opinion in obstetrics & gynecology, 2005; 17(2): 161-2.
Filkins Karen, Koos Brian J Ultrasound and fetal diagnosis Current opinion in obstetrics & gynecology, 2005; 17(2): 185-95.
Shi Lijun, Yao Jiaming, Koos Brian J, Xu Zhice Induced fetal depressor or pressor responses associated with c-fos by intravenous or intracerebroventricular losartan Brain research. Developmental brain research, 2004; 153(1): 53-60.
Koos Brian J, Kawasaki Yoshikazu, Hari Ashwinii, Bohorquez Fanor, Jan Calvin, Roostaeian Jason, Wilson Charles L, Kruger Lawrence Electrical stimulation of the posteromedial thalamus modulates breathing in unanesthetized fetal sheep Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 2004; 96(1): 115-23.
Koos Brian J, Maeda Takatsugu, Jan Calvin, Lopez Grace Adenosine A(2A) receptors mediate hypoxic inhibition of fetal breathing in sheep American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 2002; 186(4): 663-8.


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1703 SNOWBERRY, ANKENY, IA 50021 US Ankeny Home
1703 SNOWBERRY, ANKENY, Iowa
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- Bedrooms: 4
- Baths: 3
- Partial Baths: 1
- Lot Size: 0.293
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Beautiful 4 bedroom 3 bath home on a quiet cul-de-sac! The kitchen features granite counters, tile floor, huge pantry, breakfast bar, and stainless steel appliances. Rounding out the first floor is the cozy living room with gas fireplace, bonus room/den/office, and half bath. Plenty of space with 4 bedrooms on the 2nd floor, full bath, and laundry. The Master Suite has a full bathroom with dual sinks and very large walk-in closet. 3-car attached garage. The basement is ready for you to finish to your taste.
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"Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you."
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God."
It was one of the most pivotal moments in Mary's life. How many dreams did she have about her future? She was betrothed already, and would soon be married to a highly esteemed man. She had a flawless reputation. Her character was such that she was not just a child of God, she was a favorite. While she dreamed of the white picket fence and a yard full of kids, all two years apart, her Father had big plans for her.
I wonder what kind of disposition Mary had when remembering this moment as God's plans unfolded in her life. From that moment on, nothing looked quite like she thought it would. She was pregnant with no alibi. The man she was engaged to wanted to leave her. While the Bible does say Gabriel explained everything to Joseph so he wouldn't leave, it doesn't say anything about a town hall meeting so everyone else knew that Mary was still pure and virtuous. Her reputation took a fall. No wonder she immediately left town to go to Elizabeth's!
I've been thinking about this for days now. Mary's "blessing" probably felt like a curse sometimes. First the pregnancy, then the long journey on a donkey in her last trimester. Giving birth in a stable. Fleeing to Egypt not long after becoming a new mom. Raising a son whose thoughts were often otherworldly and strange. When Jesus was twelve, he told his mom he stayed behind in Jerusalem so he could "be about my Father's business." He wasn't talking about Joseph.
Gabriel had warned Mary about Jesus' mission. That he would be despised, rejected and crucified. I wonder how often she thought about that, and how gracious she was when her emotions overwhelmed her. Gabriel had told her a sword would pierce her own heart too. God's favor and blessings in Mary's life felt like pain and agony from the start. I imagine she lost perspective sometimes. I wonder if she ever knelt in prayer and poured out bitterness instead of praise.
More than anything, I wonder if perhaps we have gotten it all wrong. Have we decided that blessings in our lives are curses and vice versa? When trouble comes because of things we know are the will of God, how often do we lose perspective and struggle to hold on to promises? Likewise, how often do we look at the things of this world that distract us and keep us complacent and decide in our hearts that they must be blessings simply because of how they make us feel? We get comfortable and love it that way, but what would God be doing in our lives if allowed to have His way? Would it be any less His will just because it causes us turmoil?
As I thought about Mary, I realized that God didn't call her blessed because He had a life of ease planned out for her. I think He called her blessed because He had chosen her to bring glory to Him. In spite of all the pain, God trusted Mary to raise Jesus. She was His faithful servant and God was pleased with her. His gift just didn't always feel like a blessing. I wonder, though, if her response was always just as kind and gracious as it was that first day when Gabriel broke the news to her. She said, "I am the Lord's servant. Let your word to me be fulfilled" (Luke 1:38).
I'm not always that gracious. Actually, I'm not sure I'm ever that gracious. I want to be, and it's been my prayer for a while, but when God allows things that hurt – things that break me – I don't respond like Mary. I weigh the things God allows against the pain they cause and decide from there whether they are a blessing or a curse. But I think I'm doing it all wrong. The Bible makes it clear that oftentimes, walking in the will of God hurts something fierce. The pain doesn't make it any less the will of God, or any less a blessing. The blessing, after all, isn't in how much we benefit. The blessing is solely about the glory of God being revealed through our lives. It exists in the way our trials make us less worldly and more like Christ. If being broken was the will of God for Mary, and the will of God for Jesus, how can we expect it to be any less His will for us?
I believe we can take comfort in the fact that in all of the brokenness and despair, every person that endured the will of God in the Bible and was obedient, brought glory to God. Their stories have stood the test of time and remain to remind us that God's will is ultimately for our good, even when it doesn't feel good. May God continue to bless us, and give us strength to bear it.