Christmas – The Holiday That Calls for Generosity

This time of year, we all look forward to receiving gifts — to finally getting those things we’ve dreamed about, without spending a dime. But Christmas is not just about receiving. It's a time to be generous, to spread happiness, and most importantly, to show humanity. It’s often said that the good deeds done at Christmas are never forgotten. Many institutions need help during the holidays. Orphanages, already filled with sadness, always welcome a break from their daily routine. A small material donation — toys, clothes you no longer use, or even homemade cookies — can make a world of difference in such places.  

Soup kitchens and homeless shelters are also places where your help will be welcomed with open arms. The magic of Christmas Night should be shared with as many people as possible — family, friends, and even strangers. A celebration that spiritually unites millions of people around the world should be about generosity, kindness, and sharing joy. Christmas is the perfect time to remember everything that brings us happiness, the good we’ve done throughout the year, and the blessings we’ve received. It’s also the time to be thankful and try to bring a smile to those who aren’t as fortunate. This is the true spirit of Christmas.

Bird Feeders

Today I went to the store and bought some hangers and the small feeders. Note the feeders do not have a lot of seed in them. There's a reason for that. It's almost impossible to keep seed dry here during the winter. My chair is just inside the door so I figure I can put out small amounts and add more as needed. It's easy for wet seed to mold and clog the holes. No, I'm not crazy. That is a hummingbird feeder. There's one breed that lives here in the Willamette Valley the year around. Occasionally we've put out a feeder and I do remember going out every few minutes to wipe the snow off so the hummingbirds could get to it. Bob just called me to the window and we have a hummingbird at the feeder. That didn't take long. I am under no illusion this arrangement will keep the seed dry. My best hope is that it will help since they're hanging under a covered patio and I put out a source of water. So far the hummingbird is the only customer we've had but the feeders went up late yesterday afternoon. Now about that nice plump gray squirrel that crosses my patio multiple times a day. When I went to the store I contemplated getting a squirrel feeder and putting an ear of corn on it but my experience has been that they will rip the corn cob off and take the whole thing, feeder and all if necessary. I did buy a small bag of squirrel food and will put a handful out everyday. I'll explain to him the system of sharing, he gets his and the birds get theirs. I'm sure he won't want to make me unhappy.

Picture Hanging

What I love about picture hanging is there are no rules. Many of you have written to me asking about specific sizes and patterns used in photo collages like these from past posts, but the fact is, with any photo collage, when you are hanging them you may only have a few pictures to hang, but as the years go on you'll add onto it. So, I say no rules! Just hang them as you see fit. This obviously can't apply every picture hanging project, there are some that are more complicated and would definitely require some more tricks and planning, and patience. There's tons of great tips out there as well for ways to easily hang your pictures.

Rock to The Top

Entrepreneur, broadcaster, and author of the best selling and highly motivational book Rock to the top, What I learned about success from the world's greatest rock stars, Dayna Steele shares success secrets from legendary rock stars including Van Halen, Aerosmith, and KISS. She shows how you can use their ideas and techniques to become a business rock star. Dayna Steele is my internet radio show guest on Blog business success, hosted live on Blog talk radio. The show airs live on this thursday. Entrepreneur, broadcaster, and author of the best selling and highly motivational book Rock to the top, Dayna Steele shares success secrets from legendary rock stars. You will learn how show business techniques can be applied to business; the power of networking and getting help where needed; how to build and protect your brand and its image and how to organize a business as if it were a rock stage stage show. Dayna Steele is an entertaining and inspiring motivational keynote speaker and the author of the best-selling business book Rock to the top from the world's greatest rock stars. She reigned for years as Houston's "First Lady of Radio", building a large army of fans known as "Steeleworkers" at local rock radio station.

Meet Hypnosis: The best Technique to Treat your Pains

Hypnosis is the best choice for most people suffering from diverse forms of pain, anxiety, and also for the people who want to quit smoking and lose weight. Throughout history to our present time hypnosis has been commonly used and is being used as a natural healing tool all over the world. Today we speak of hypnosis in the UAE, specifically, hypnotherapy Dubai.

Hypnosis is a set of techniques created to enhance the state of concentration, minimize the distractions, and increase responsiveness to suggestions to alter one's thoughts, feelings, behavior, or physiological state. If you didn’t know, hypnosis is a practice used to assist other types of mental health therapies and medical treatments. People are different so they respond differently when it comes to hypnosis. The only way to be hypnotized is to focus your mind and spirit in the attempt to meditate on your condition, goal or issue. Hypnosis is also a state of conscious awareness which most people experience often, many times each day.

Hypnotherapy has three important values:

• Absorption, or a state of focused concentration or attention;
• Dissociation, where the client’s perception of the external environment diminishes;
• Suggestibility (the capacity of an individual to respond to verbal communication). 

People talk about the hypnotic state of mind in many ways like, “being beside oneself”, “out of body experiences”, “daydreaming”, “tuning out” or a meditative state. Hypnosis has also helped in the evolution of the relationship between psychologists and people who need them. It is well known that our society needs more help from therapies like hypnotherapy. However hypnosis is a process that requires time and openness to new dimensions. The collaboration between science and hypnosis leads to an evolution both in emotional and physical, and represents an increasingly used alternative to conventional medicine and therapy.

What's Happening?

Nothing, no phone call, no email, no nothing. It's 10:20 a.m. and we've not heard a word. Will they come at noon, this afternoon, or this evening? Will they come at all? I have no phone numbers to check on them. We woke up to heavy rain this morning. By now the roses have lost their splendor. Sometimes after a light mist or rain you can get beautiful photos of roses with rain drops on them but not today. This rain is hard enough to beat the petals off. I have located a nursery where they can purchase an Austin Griffiths Manzanita in a one gallon container for $12.99. The coast? Not today baby.

A Better Day

We picked up a very different couple at the hotel this morning than we'd seen the night before. They'd rested well, had discussed their situation and realized a four week road trip was too much. They had canceled reservations for the rest of the trip through Washington, Canada (not the post secondary blog) and South Dakota. When they leave here on Tuesday morning they will be heading home. They seemed relieved. They put an ice chest of medical supplies in the back of the van. If he checked his glucose or gave himself injections I never saw it. Not a medical term was heard all day. She's very horticultural minded and was quickly lost in all the beauty surrounding her as we drove to the coast. It felt like I was riding with a talking plant encyclopedia. She'd never seen plants grow so big, trees so tall, wildflowers so beautiful and on and on she went. It is true she can not walk long distances but she can walk about two blocks. Rodger would drop us off then park the car, and return to pick us up. Once she saw a bridge over a small rushing stream and walked to that. It rained off and on most of the day but we managed to do and see what we needed to. The weather looks much better here this evening so I'm hoping we'll have a good day at the rose gardens tomorrow. I'd really like her to see it at its best. Oh yes, the manzanita bush is on again, so we'll pick that up tomorrow afternoon.

My Tiny Apartment

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you will know that I want to be out in the country. Well, that itch has been getting larger everyday. I just cannot do, what I want to do in a tiny apartment. My landlords will not allow sheep or alpacas. So, I need to find a way to get to the first step... land. Most people will say, "get a loan." I don't want to work with a bank. I want to pay cash. So I am going to get a part time evening job when my husband can be home with our boys until I have enough capitol to start up a few simple things I can do from the apartment like sell mushrooms, micro greens, and seedlings. I also need some capitol to get a few projects started for Etsy or Artfire, I have not decided which. Have I ever mentioned that I lead a non-boring life? Seriously, if there is a dull moment it is because I am staring into space from lack of sleep.

Is it Really the Dog?

I had one person adopt a dog who was fearful. The dog was clearly abused. The dog was wonderful with kids in the foster home and was just very sweet and loving. The dog would get scared if you reached for him really fast or made a loud noise. he was clearly hit often. he would never growl or snap. Very sweet dog. Anyway, so the dog gets adopted and about a week later... I get a call from the adopter the dog bit him in the face. This is not behavior I would have ever expected. I tell him I will make arrangements to have the dog removed from his home asap and after 10 day bite hold he will be euthanized. I felt horrible! Then I find out the story... the adopter was on the ground, eye level with this medium sized dog, in his face holding a toy and growling at him. Why would you do that? You are going to get eye level with a dog you have only had less then a week and growl at him. Why? The adopter said he wanted the dog to play with toys. So you were forcing him? You get a stupid ass badge for that one! 

I did not have the dog euthanized. I gave the dog to a family who loves him! They signed a waiver saying they knew he had bitten and he has been fine in the home ever since. I just had another experience where was it the dog or was it the people trying to do too much in one day with a new dog? Now I sit and wait and try to figure out what to do. Do I end a dogs life because maybe the people messed up? Or do I re home the dog with a bite contract? I just don't know. It isn't fair that a dog should suffer b/c a human screwed up but I am sorry I am not loosing my house and everything I own because I placed a biting dog. And I am not going to be one of those rescue people who has 12 dogs with issues. Sorry I might be a dog rescue person but I still want to have a normal life with only 3 dogs and ones that I can trust 100%. I am just like everyone else I want a dog b/c it is fun to have a dog not a dog that adds stress to my life b/c every time someone enters the house he/she tries to eat you. No thanks!

Own Car for Relocations Abroad

Probably that each one of you have thought about it when you had to leave the country, either for vacation or for work. Each of the two options that have in hand carry advantages and disadvantages, as it follows. First of all, it is convenient, you feel comfortable driving it and it gives you on the road the possibility to make your own schedule by even leaving from your front door and not from the airport or railway station. You leave when you want, you make as many stoppages as you want and you choose the road to take (the easiest one, with beautiful landscapes, or the fastest one). The huge disadvantage of the own car for such a ride is that you'll have to drive for a very long distance, fact which is tiring and dangerous from a certain point if the tiredness accumulates and if you don't make enough stops to rest. Besides this, if you should reach fast from one country to another, you definitely won't make it. You should consider going to a rent a car company such as Rent a Car Bucharest that supplies a large variety of services, that also include the possibility of relocations services.

Hard Work

Taking in the Pits has been a lot of crazy hard work. They are wonderful dogs, sweet and loving and learn so quick. I want to spend every minute with them plus on top of that I have the other dogs I am trying to help. I have had some really long hours at work the last week or so and have some other things going on which I can't talk about right now that has been a bit draining. Don't worry it isn't anything bad... well unless I don't get what I want. We had an adoption event on Saturday. Only one dog got adopted but it was my sweet Nina who was thrown from a car and had road rash on her one side so bad that she is missing most of her hair. Nina: Labrador Retriever. When we took her in, it took 3 days for her to wag her tail. I am so happy that she found a home. She is just the sweetest dog ever. I had taken in 5 puppies on Thursday... can you believe not one was spoken for at the event?! Well one did go to a foster to adopt home today and I do have one application but for the same puppy. Hoping they will be interested in the puppy that looks just like the one they put an application in for. Oh I hope! I have so much going on I have had 2 dogs in boarding for over a week now. Yikes expensive. I am picking up the one tomorrow and Wednesday the other one goes to a foster to adopt home... and I really really hope that one leads to an adoption. That poor dog is so sweet and just needs the right now. So for 2013 has been pretty good... hoping that my good news comes this week... if it does I will be sure to let you know what it is ;)

Mini Book Review: Mijeong by Byung Byung Jun

Title: Mijeong. Author: Byung Byung Jun. Genre: Graphic Novel. Paperback: 240 pages. Publisher: NBM Publishing, Inc. (June 1, 2009). Description: In Chinese, ‘Mijeong’ means ‘pure beauty’. In the cold city, young people’s lives cross and spark for brief moments in this remarkably drawn graphic novel; Wounded characters, squashed by the daily hard realities of urban living whose destinies take sudden unannounced turns but their inner flames shine bright and wild, even for a brief time. From the girl who deals sensitively with an older man obsessed by youth to the group of friends who find their friend has committed suicide but feel they might get implicated, this engrossing collection of stories will transfix and move you deeply. My Review: Well, I am a fan of comics in general. I like whenever an author/artist deviates from the worn out plots we all see in your average Japanese manga and Korean manhwa; it is a relief. No sickly sweet romance with vapid females and emotionally distant men will be found between these pages. No cheery hero, who is constantly up-beat, even through immense trials. The stories come off as a bit melancholy, definitely. But there is a dash of humor...despite people dying and all. My favorite story was the manhwa artist one. The others were okay, but I wasn't hugely fond of them. Not sure if I would really recommend this for purchase, but feel free to get this one from the library. Rating 2.5/5.

Where am I?

So if you dont follow my twitter then you are probably wondering where I am and why I havent blogged... I have had several emails from readers asking if I am taking a break from blogging. The answer is no way! Blogging is my hobby and I enjoy writing it but sadly I have had to say goodbye to my laptop. He and I had many good times together and it brought me a lot of happiness! I am hoping to get a laptop for my birthday so I will be back in the new year I promise! I am still trying to stay apart of the beauty blogging world via twitter by sending out regular tweets with celeb beauty products, beauty tips and current discounts on beauty sites. To the companies: I have tried to email all of you with regards to products that I am reviewing. You have not been forgotten and I will blog as soon as I have a new laptop. For now anyway my beauties I can only apologise and thank you for all of your lovely messages! I cannot believe that this time last year I spent my time reading through blogs and now I have my very own! I absolutely love it, so no I am not taking a break from blogging I just don't have a laptop. I am currently sat in a library writing this to you all. Oh the days when I used to come to the library to do my homework. I feel 13 again! I will try my best to borrow someones laptop as there are 2 posts that I really want to publish before christmas! Also I will be counting down the days til my birthday on twitter incase you are wondering its the 31st of July! I think Ive rambled on enough and given you an update on the blogging situation. By all means if you want to email me feel free I reply to all emails and tweets.

Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone

Yes, there are wizards everywhere in Harry Potter. But I think they are just a medium through which the theme of courage speaks. I feel like this same story could be told about a boy who goes to school in America and learns he’s the son of a famous football player and has to live up to that, and make a difference. The fact that the series is about magic is the icing on the cake of a very human plight that would be captivating even without the magic. The magic isn’t taken too seriously by Rowling. It’s more a place to laugh and be awed a bit by the idea of “what if.” And I love that it is the magic itself that makes Harry so different and flawed in the eyes of his family. There are heroes in every culture. At Hogwarts, the hero is a little boy who must stand up against a ferocious wizard gone evil. But if little Harry stood strong against an abusive teacher, or an abusive parent, or an abusive mayor, the story would be as satisfying. Because this little boy who was kept in a cupboard for years and told he was nothing, is just beginning to realize he is something. Heroes can be born in cupboards, and be four feet tall with big glasses and mussed hair and no parents and little kindness in their life, and no friends. Heroes can change that; they can stand up anyway. 

 

 
Rowling frames heroism in a metaphor that translates well in any age, and I think that’s part of what people were trying to tell me, when they said, “You will love it because it isn’t just fantasy. It’s about a little boy no one loved, who realizes he has a destiny”. It’s not the most exquisitely written story I’ve ever read. But that’s not something I actually care about, in a good story. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a good story and Harry Potter coloring pages are great activities for kids. I have the next book in this series waiting on my bookshelf. I can’t wait to begin it. Would I ever re-read this book? Yep! Opening lines: “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense...”. Favorite Passage: “Ah! Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit-flavored one, and since them I’m afraid I’ve rather lost my liking for them, but I think I’ll be safe with a nice toffee, don’t you?”. He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, “Alas! Ear wax!” Favorite Character: Dumbledore: “To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin”.

Easy Homemade Soap

Soap can make us feel a certain way depending on the scent or color. It of course always makes us feel clean, but certain types of soap are best for us.Soaps with a wonderful aroma aren't cheap in the stores. That's why it is better many times to make your own soap the way you like it. I love washing with vanilla scented soap or sometimes a refreshing scent such as china rain. Soap scents can bring back many good memories. Soap in the stores nowadays just doesn't smell as good as homemade soap. You have to pay a lot of money to find a soap in the store with a good and pleasent lasting fragrance. You can make your own homemade soap fairly inexpensively and the scent would last and you can choose any fragrance you want. There are all kinds to choose from such as rose, vanilla, lavender and so many more.You can even put herbs, flowers or other things inside the soap such as toys or cute erasers. Would you like to try? We will start with a basic recipe. There are hundreds to choose from but it's always better to start out simple. Remember, sometimes it takes a few tries to get it right. When you get the process down it becomes easy and fun to create your own soap. Ever since I started making soap not even my husband wants to use another soap.

He broke out when he used a store bought soap so he says he just wants to use the soap I make. Heres the recipe, followed by a backlink that will help you find more recipes and soap and bath products to help you. I prefer melt and pour because this soap is not only easy to make but very gentle on the skin. Basic Recipe For Melt and Pour Homemade Soap. Ingredients: 1 pound clear melt and pour glycerin soap base, 1/2 oz (20-30 drops) of fragrance or essential oil, herbs or anything you want to add to the soap. Things you will absolutely need: a microwaveable container or bowl and a wooden spoon. Soap molds. Put the pound of m&p soap base in the microwave safe bowl. Place in microwave on high for 1 minute. Take out and stir. If not completely melted place in microwave on 1 minute. Keep checking until soap is completely melted. Next, pour the fragrance or essential oil or herbs, toys etc you want put in the soap. Stir and pour into soap molds. Let set about 2 hours. If mold still fells warm let soap set until completely cooled. Then pop out onto wax paper, wrap in pretty package such as plastic wrap with a bow or soap bags or boxes. Label soap and put what scent it is or use it right away. These makes really great and useful present gifts.

Relaxation Through Massage

Used to stimulate the libido, or increasing the ability of a person to respond positively to sensual stimulus, sensual massage represents a great method of relaxation in the first place. Used especially to prolong arousal and increase pleasure, this kind of massage is ideal for the prelude. Our great massage salon offers an unique experience, as soon as you enter in this world of pleasure. You'll have for sure one of the most sophisticated and luxurious experiences, greeted by our massage specialists, that will make you feel great, very comfortable that will revive and enhance the mind, soul and body. You can count on our discretion and you can trust that we are specialized in nude sensual massage and we use the best products, like the best oils to enhance all your senses and to transfer you in the world of sensations. Massage specialists will welcome you, whether you are a man or a woman and we guarantee you a maximum of sensual massage experience. You'll definitely have a an amazing experience that you will like to repeat from time to time, and why not bring friends or your lover. Each of our beautiful ladies is a very skilled maestro in the art of sensual massage so give them all the credit and they will make your day for sure. Let us know all your hidden secrets and desires and help you to turn them into reality.

A Promise and The Apology

Promises like apologies are acts of free will. They are given uncoerced. Given, not simply offered. A promise is a commitment, a pledge to do something or refrain from doing something. It is an act of honesty. It gives the person to whom the promise is made the confidence that something will be done or not done, in other words the promise will be kept. An apology is offered in the same way. It’s an admission of error. It’s an expressed regret for something we did that we deem wrong, incorrect. It is offered, should be offered, sincerely because the person truly feels remorseful for their actions. It is not offered because it’s expected but because it’s felt. An apology is not offered to get something back, it is offered because we sincerely regret an action that caused harm. Even if after we apologize we might err again. Promises and apologies are made with the desire to right the wrong without expecting anything in return. A promise is not made to get something in exchange, it is made because we simply want to make a promise that will yield a positive benefit. Promises are made with the intent to be kept.

They are not conditioned to "unless" or "only if". They are made to be kept. I have made promises that I intended to keep and many I have not kept. Many of the ones I failed were/are about my temper. Some made to my kids "I promise I won’t yell again". And when I have failed I have felt like crap. I have not rested until I apologized. Isn’t that the way we should feel when we break a promise? We can’t simply wipe our hands in our pants, shrug our shoulders and sigh "oh well, I couldn’t keep my promise". It is more than that. I have failed myself more than I have failed others. We are breaking not only a promise but the trust a person put in us. Breaking a promise is damaging. It hurts the person who trusted our promise will be kept. It damages the trust we have in them or they have in us. Promises and trust are not resilient. They cannot be broken and renew each time. Promises and Apologies are acts of honesty and thrust, if honesty is not present, they should not be made at all. They’ll only can cause damage.