Monday, June 30, 2008

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."

- Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

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Sunday, June 29, 2008

Healing Weeds

I was interested to read this because red clover is so common around here, and I wanted to note this for future reference.  The article didn't include pics so I had to look them up. I'm not sure how exactly you would prepare these to use but I'll have to look that up some other time.  Maybe in a tea?  Or in salad?? 

If you do eat weeds, be sure and pick them in an area free from toxins and animal waste, of course.  And as with anything, you should consult a medical professional before treating any illnesses with herbs.  Especially if you are taking prescription medication.



Chickweed: Add to salad.  Nourishes lymph and glandular systems. Good for cysts, fevers, inflammations, yeast overgrowth and fatty deposits.



Large photo without blooms



Dandelion: All parts (root to flower) are beneficial. Good for liver, urinary tract, female reproductive system, insomnia, arthritis, hypoglycemia and diabetes. Has cancer- and virus-fighting properties. Sap from a cut stem may be used to treat blemishes, corns, stings, warts and other skin problems.  (I think we all know what it looks like - I knew I should be cultivating them instead of killing them!!)

Nettle: Can sting. Gather carefully and tincture or cook. Great source of calcium, good for regrowing thinning hair, kidneys, adrenals, respiratory system, asthma and other bronchial and lung complaints.




Larger photo with blooms

Red Clover: A friend just bought an herbal supplement for women that had this in it.  Good for menopausal women. Used in traditional spring tonics to purify and revitalize the entire system. High in calcium. Useful for bronchitis and other respiratory conditions.

 

Source:  The Healing Weeds in Your Yard

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A visit from the raccoon family

As if we didn't have enough animals wanting to live on our porch, Mrs. Raccoon thoughtfully brought her whole famn damily to have a late dinner.










Yes, they're sooooo cute. But we can't have them thinking they can live on the back porch! *sigh*

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Saturday, June 28, 2008

FestivALL: Capitol Street Art Fair

This is the last weekend of FestivALL 2008, and I managed to talk The Husband into going to the Capitol Street Art Fair.

We had lunch at the mall and walked over from there.  This is Fife Street, with painted catfish hanging.  Apparently painted catfish are associated with FestivALL in some way but I don't know why.  They are all painted differently, kind of like those cows I used to collect.



There was music



And dancing. That is one tall lady



Capitol Street taken from the Lee Street intersection



There were tents like this lined up in the street with West Virginia artists exhibiting and selling their work inside. There were so many amazing artists!! I wanted to buy something from everyone.



There's me shopping for cat art, which I seem to be collecting. I am a collector of cats and cat art. Standing to the left of me is artist Pamela Gatens - see end of post for photos of what I bought.



Here I am shopping some more, this time with artist Jeanne K. Cochran. Jeanne is one of Husband's coworkers. Until this week I didn't even know she was an artist! I did already know she was an amazing person who I like a great deal. Now I am also a fan of her art. That's her husband Ric (seated) she's talking to, who also works with Husband.  They are both also musicians and Ric writes poetry, including haikus for the back of her note cards.  Ric's Haiku Blog



When we were done at that tent, I wanted to see some more but it was hot and humid and I was covered in sweat. I knew Husband was hoping we were done, so I sent him to get the car and arranged to meet him at his office after I finished going through the tents. I probably should have just gone with him, because I didn't see much more of interest.

The bellydancer was pretty cool - I didn't manage to get a picture of the front of her though.



After I finished on Capitol Street I wanted to go to the antiques on Hale Street. Along the way I passed the drive thru exhibit in the alley behind my office. I should have gone through it but didn't.



Eventually I made it over to Husband's office and cooled off inside before we left. We stopped at the Capitol Market to pick up fresh cucumbers, zucchini and yellow squash.



They had music there too!



We headed home and stopped in Pinch for gas. The storm was coming and it started raining before we made it to the house.



Now for photos of what I purchased. First, from Pamela Gatens.  I bought one matted print and a couple of bookmarks (the bookmarks had different cats on each side)







Next, the art of Jeanne K. The matted print I purchased is "Stonewall Lake". This photo doesn't do it justice.



I also bought two notecard. This one is "Forest Floor" - sorry my photo is blurry.



On the back of each notecard is a haiku written by her husband



This one is "My Day in the Sun"



Finally, artist Ron Refsland. He does a lot of wildliife and cats. So more cat art for me. I love bluejays too.



I recognized his work immediately, because I had purchased one of his watercolor prints at Tamarack last year and it's one of my very favorite paintings.



So that's all for now. There's all kinds of stuff going on at FestivALL today and tomorrow, but we aren't planning to go to any of it, unfortunately. I am so impressed with FestivALL and its organizers - they have done a fabulous job. I'm just sorry this is the first year I've actually made an effort to attend, but it certainly won't be my last. It's a wonderful thing for our city!

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Friday, June 27, 2008

Can you have too many friends?

Today I was having lunch with 2 of my 3 closest girlfriends (who I refer to as "the Girlies") and mentioned that I was planning to have lunch next week with a couple of people I met on Twitter and saying how I didn't even think I would stay on Twitter, I just tried it out for fun, but have met some fun new people there and found I really like it.

I don't remember what her exact words were, but she said something like why was I interested in meeting new people, she didn't have enough time for the friends she has already and she just doesn't want any more new friends. She just couldn't understand why I would want to do this.

She is not online, so she doesn't understand that being friends with people online it's easier to "spend time together".  We don't have to hang out in person, we learn about one another through our blogs and interacting through comments and Twitter and e-mail.  And we can do it whenever we have a few spare moments. 

I didn't really answer her or try to justify why I like meeting new people.  But I thought about it, and thought what I would miss if I decided not to have any new friends. 

I have met some of the most amazing people online.  Some of them I've met in person; some I hope to meet in person; and some of them I'll never meet in person.  Some of them I know will be my friends for life.  Some I know I could show up on their doorstep and they would take me in (at least for a night haha).  

They have inspired me, made me laugh, made me cry, taught me about life, taught me about myself, helped me learn about places I've never been, let me live vicariously through them as they did things I'll probably never get to do, supported me when I've been down, cheered for my successes, grieved with me, prayed for me, gave me advice, and loved me just for me.

I am grateful for all of them, those I am still in contact with and those I'm not.  I wouldn't have missed meeting them for the world, and I don't want to miss out on some of the other amazing people I know I will meet in the future.

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Bear in the Kanawha River!

This is near where I walk a lot!  A bear was in the WSAZ studio lot, jumped in the Elk River, swam to the Kanawha and across the Kanawha River, then crossed Route 60 while law enforcement stopped traffic.

WSAZ got video too

http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/22007839.html

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Skinny Cow

I finally got to try the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches this week.  I was eating the Klondike Slim-a-Bear 100 calorie sandwiches and they were just fine. My friend had told me about Skinny Cow but I'd never seen them in our store.  My local Kroger has them now.

And O. M. G.  They are sooooooo good!!   Much better than the Klondike. Not that I'm dissing the Klondike - they are good too and have less calories. But the Skinny Cow you would never even know they are reduced calorie.

We got the chocolate/vanilla combo and both flavors were good. They have 140 calories and 1.5 grams of fat (.5 g saturated). I am definitely a convert.  It looks like they have other products too, I hope our grocery store will start carrying them.

http://www.skinnycow.com/index.php

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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Tru Heeros

cat
more cat pictures

OCM and Acne

Since I've been doing the OCM, [oil cleaning method] I have had a couple of episodes of large bumps coming up on my face.  They went away on their own after a few days.

This week it happened again and one of them is on my eyelid.  Yesterday I tried to cover it with makeup but I think that made it worse because now my whole eyelid is red.  After looking around online I realize this is a type of cystic acne.

"Cysts are a form of acne that occur when the oil gland over-produces, then becomes clogged, then infected by bacteria."

That's got to be it.  I'm going to stop doing the OCM.  I may use the oil occasionally but I think I'm doing it too much or not getting it all off or something.  Now the infection has spread on my eye, I believe.  I'm using antibiotic ointment and I think that will take care of it eventually. I was going to call my eye doctor, I was starting to think I had pink eye this morning, but I'm certain this is what it is.

Since I've talked about OCM here, I wanted to be sure and mention it. Some people have great success with it but my experiment with it is over.

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Dr. Oz, Brian Weiss & Past Life Regression

A detailed summary of Tuesday's Oprah show, with photos:

Does Past Life Regression Work?

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Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Swami Vidyadhishananda

Swami Vidyadhishananda is in the area this week.  I had the opportunity to see him last year and it was a wonderful experience.  He is speaking at larger venues this year because it was so crowded last year.  I really would like to have gone to tonight's lecture on mediation.  All the lectures are free.  If you are interested in this kind of thing, here's his schedule:

http://www.geocities.com/selfwv/08lectures.html


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Ma'heo'o Reiki

I think I am going to take a class on this

Ma'heo'o is the Cheyenne word for Great Spirit, Great One or God. Ma'heo'o Reiki was created by Sheryl Carter. A preview of her manual is on Google Books:

Ma'heo'o Reiki (A program of spiritual healing, growth & development

Ma'heo'o Reiki combines the healing energy of Reiki with the ancient wisdom of the Native American peoples. The reiki energy harmonizes with the frequency of Mother Earth.  It can be used for healing and connection with the elements. It teaches us to live in balance and harmony with everything around us and bring that energy into our auric system.

Ma'heo'o Reiki uses symbols derived from Native American Peoples and Mother Earth. There are several (5, 6 or 7?) symbols incorporated into this healing system. The first 4 represent the elements (Earth, Air, Water and Fire) and allow us to connect with and channel Mother Earth's energy. When that energy is combined with and activated by Great Spirit, it promotes great energy channeling ability, use of healing light and color, higher intellect, grounding, and promotes calming, peace and relaxation.

This system can bring you into contact with your spirit totems, give you your sacred name and balance your body with the elements.

There are 3 attunements. The first two enable a better connection and heightened sense of the elements through Mother Earth. The third is the master level which connects you with Great Spirit.

Sources/More Info:

http://www.sacredenergies.com/maheoo.html

http://www.universalclass.com/i/crn/5803.htm

http://www.powerattunements.com/ma'heo'oreiki.htm

http://www.spiritsofnativelight.org/ma'heo'o_reiki.htm

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Monday, June 23, 2008

Psychic Kids

Watched last week's episode yesterday. Not bad. Not great. Reminds me a little of The Paranormal Project, which is also on A&E (maybe same producers). But interesting nonetheless. Every week I think they focus on different kids. Last week 2 of them could see spirits and 1 could see auras and had some kind of healing ability. The point of the show is to help kids and their parents understand and deal with their gifts.

http://www.aetv.com/psychic-kids/index.jsp

Brian Weiss on Oprah again

The second part of Brian Weiss is on Oprah tomorrow. Set your DVR! I hope I remember too. I'm trying to put it on my Google calendar so it will email me later to remind me but can't get the calendar to come up :/

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Hail storm

Wow, Frame (which is like 10 miles from us) had several inches of hail! It looks like winter! This link has a news video. Looks like winter!

http://ping.fm/pG8Ul

We had hail, but not much and not as big as last time. Last time it was like quarter sized hail. Today it was like skittle sized hail. LOL

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Saturday: Eating, Shopping & FestivALL

After a false start (Husband forgot his cell phone) and a stop at his work place, we eventually made it to O'Charley's for cedar plank seafood goodness (Husband likes the salmon, I like the tilapia).  We hadn't been there for awhile and it seemed particularly good today.  Our waiter must have had too many tables or something because he didn't come around very much two other waiters assisted us with drink refills and the bill.  I hope he splits his tip with them.

We then stopped in Circuit City so I could get a thumb drive type card reader for me to carry around and get pics off my cell phone.  I wish I'd waited and gotten one online and looked to see what kind of memory card my camera had because it doesn't work with my camera memory card.  Not a big deal though, I use a cord and just hook the camera up, and it would have just been an extra bonus. But if I'd waited and looked around I'm sure I could have found one online and it probably would have been cheaper too.  At any rate, I have it now and it works great and now I don't have to ask Husband to get the pics off my cell phone anymore.

Speaking of cell phones and memory cards, whose bright idea was it to put the Razr's memory card UNDERNEATH the battery??  It makes no sense.

Anyway.  FestivALL started yesterday. It's a 10-day arts festival in Charleston. There are tons of things going on at different locations, all of them art related in some way:  art exhibits, music, plays.  This is the first time I've really attended any of the events. I'm not sure why. I think it's such a great thing for Charleston to have, and I really want to support it, so I'm trying to attend at least some things year.  So after we left CC, I drug (dragged?) Husband downtown.

We parked at Husband's office and walked down the boulevard to the the Smoke on the Water chili cookoff.



They have a good sized part of the boulevard blocked off.  Since we had just eaten, we didn't sample any of the chili, but it sure smelled good. However, it was a little too hot and wasn't that pleasant walking around. We stopped and talked to some of Husband's coworkers. They had two stages with music, and when we were there Julie Adams was performing on one of them.



We left the boulvard and walked down to Davis Park, where they were having "Art on a Stick." I don't know why they call it that. But it was a great place for it, nice and shady. This park is one of my favorite areas of downtown. I used to work across the street from it and had lunch there a lot. Now if I have time I try to walk through it in the morning.



There was live music




and local artists offering their art for sale.




I enjoyed looking at everything. There I am walking around, in the blue shirt toward the left.



There was a nice variety of different types of art. I purchased this cat picture by Andrea Anderson and framed it when I got home. I wasn't able to get a picture of it without the reflection, I'll have to work on that later.



Andrea seemed very sweet and she had some beautiful drawings of figures that I thought were just amazing. One was a large one she did entirely with her left hand when her right was injured. I felt drawn to her for some reason and that's why I chose her art to purchase. I googled her after I got home and found several mentions of her. I didn't find any of her art online but I did discover she's also in a band called The Buttonflies out of Huntington. She plays banjo! But it's not a bluegrass band, It's an alternative kind of thing. Neat sound, check them out at the link. Maybe I'll be able to catch them live some day.

There were also exhibits around the park, like this one.  They are tiles. I don't know what it's called. I only had my camera phone so I couldn't get a closeup.




We left the park and headed back toward the car. Along the way I saw some art hanging in the alley behind my office but I didn't know why.  After looking at the schedule, I realize it was a drive thru exhibit!  Very cool. I wish I'd known, we would have driven through.

Along the way we stopped at Art Emporium.  I frequently walk by this shop in the mornings and there is a collection of pottery in one of the windows with this wonderful tree design (she calls it Tree of Life) and I have been wanting a piece. So I took this opportunity to buy one.  The artist's name isn't on it and now I have forgotten it. I think it might be Susan Greg but maybe not. I've emailed them to ask. I know she is a native of Charleston but lives out of state now.  I would love to have more of these pieces. There are mugs and plates and vases and even a gorgeous table with the design on top.  I really like trees.



We arrived at Husband's office hot and sweaty and went inside for a bathroom break. Then we enjoyed a cool cup of spring water in the green room before heading home.




Looking forward to attending more FestivALL activities later in the week!

FestivALL 2008 Schedule
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Jojoba Oil

I think I'm going to add this to my OCM mixture. 

Jojoba oil is actually a liquid wax and is different chemically than other oils. It's particularly good for moisture control, protection, and emolliency. It's obtained from the crushed bean of the jojoba shrub, which is native to the southwestern U.S.  Natives have used the oil and seeds for hundreds of years for healing, dietary supplement, appetite suppressant, skin conditioner, windburn, sunburn, cooking oil; hair/scalp treatment, hair restorative and a coffee-like beverage.  The Incas massaged it into their scalp to promote thick lustrous hair.

Jojoba oil is nontoxic, doesn't clog pores and is hypoallergenic.

Apply it directly to the skin to soften skin, reduce wrinkles and stretch marks, lighten and heal scars and promote healthy scalp and hair. Therapeutic uses include the treatment of acne, cold sores, and psoriasis.

  • Makeup Remover:  use a soaked cotton ball to remove eyemakeup, blush foundation and lipstick.
  • Moisturizer: Mix a few drops with your moisturizer or use it sparingly on its own.
  • Lip Conditioner:  Use a small amount on dry chapped lips
  • Cuticle Oil:  Massage into cuticles regularly to keep them soft
  • Hair conditioner:  Mix a little into your regular conditioner.  Apply a few drops to the ends of damp or dry hair to control frizz.  Comb through hair for a leave in conditioner. Add 1 tsp. to a cup of water in a spray bottle for a spray-on leave in condition. Jojoba oil also dissolves buildup from hair care products.
  • Body Oil:  Use it all over after your bath or shower.
  • Shaving: Rub a bit on your legs before applying shaving cream.

SOURCES:

Uses of Jojoba Oil

Jojoba Oil from the Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine

The Benefits of Jojoba Oil
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Friday, June 20, 2008

I had no idea Laurel Burch had died!

Laurel Burch - Obituary - New York Times

I love her art.

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United, We Blog for a Better West Virginia

The links for the posts in the West Virginia Day blogging project is up - lots of awesome posts!!

http://www.abetterwestvirginia.com/2008/06/20/united-we-blog-for-a-better-west-virginia/

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Celebrate WV Day

With some Almost Heaven West Virginia apparel!

I kind of forgot about this Cafe Press shop.  The design incorporates a photo of some blooms from my rhododendron bush.  I think I'm going to send my baby nephew who lives in Oregon a little shirt.



http://www.cafepress.com/wildwonderfulwv

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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Happy West Virginia Day!

On June 20, 1863, West Virginia became a state.  I was born in 1963, the year of our centennial, so I always remember the year :)

In honor of West Virginia Day, some WV Bloggers are posting about a "new stereotype" of West Virginia and/or highlighting something positive about the state in order to combat negative stereotypes.  I didn't think I was going to participate, because I really don't have any ideas on "new stereotypes."  But I saw someone suggest "highlighting the positive about West Virginia" and decided I could at least tell you about the West Virginia I know.

I was born and raised in West (by God) Virginia.  As a teenager and young adult, I wanted to leave the state to go somewhere more exciting and glamorous.  I'm so glad circumstances were such that I stayed here.  It wasn't until I matured that I began to realize just how fortunate I am to live here.  There is truly nowhere I would rather live.

It really bugs me to hear negative things said about my state and its residents. Of course, every time we judge something in a negative way, we do it because it makes us feel superior.  I try to keep that in mind.  Some people are simply ignorant and have never actually been here or have decided to judge an entire group of people based on the conduct of a few.  I would prefer to have a "who cares?" attitude.  Let people think what they want. That way they won't all want to come here and make it all crowded and ruin it. :)

When you ask people what negative stereotypes they hold about West Virginia, their answers might be things like poor, uneducated, marry their cousins, live in trailers, drive pick up trucks.  The first thing I would like to say is -- is there a single state in the union that has NO people who fit those descriptions???  Is there some utopian state of which I am unaware that is full of only wealthy, educated, house-dwelling, sedan/SUV driving people?  I don't think so.  Do we have more than our share of some of those things than some states? Possibly.  But what gives anyone else the right to judge that?  Are people who are poor and uneducated and living in trailers less valuable as human beings?  No, they're not.  And if you think they are -- if you think you are somehow "better" than they are -- then it is you who has the problem, my friend.

When I think of the people of West Virginia, I think of people who are independent, strong willed, loyal, hard working, and free thinking.  I think of people educated in institutions of higher learning and people educated by life.  I think of people who have monetary wealth and people who have a beautiful piece of land and a loving family and just enough money (and who are happier than any rich people I know).  I think of coal miners and artists and farmers and professionals. 

What I love most about West Virginia is the incredible natural beauty.  We have green rolling hills of farmland.  We have tall mountains covered in hardwood trees that turn into brilliant colors every fall.  We have clear, pure mountain springs that turn into rivers of raging rapids.  We have tall rocks and big lakes and narrow hollows (okay, hollers).  I live 13 miles from the state capitol, yet I can go outside on my back porch right now and hear nothing but crickets and look up into darkness and see a million stars with no city lights to spoil the view.  In West Virginia, we have room to roam.  We earned the title "Almost Heaven."

I wish you could see West Virginia and its people as I see them.  Do we have our problems?  Sure we do.  Plenty.  But not because we are West Virginians.  Because we are human beings.  And even with all our problems, I am proud to say I am a West Virginian.  West Virginia is and always will be my home sweet home.

For more posts about West Virginia, go to www.aBetterWestVirginia.com

Thanks to Jason Keeling of that site for the project.

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Flock

Got distracted from what I intended to do by Flock, a web browser built on Firefox that is geared toward using social networks - very cool, does a LOT, it's a little overwhelming at first.  But it makes it easy, log into your LJ (Facebook, Twitter, Picasa, Flickr, Blogger, and many others) and it will pop up and tell you what to do. Then it has a side bar where you can see the status of your friends on Facebook and Twitter, you can drag and drop text you want to share, it has a photo uploader that goes straight to Facebook or Picasa or Flickr, post a new blog, built in RSS reader, email. 

Too bad I can't use it at work.  Well I COULD but I'd probably never get any work done then!  LOL.  I likes it!  Typing this in the blog editor and going to post it to Blogger and LJ. Doesn't work with MySpace yet, it appears.  I don't know why I bother posting stuff there anyway, I don't think anyone reads it.


http://www.flock.com/

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West Virginia Historical Photos

WVU Libraries has made a bunch of historical photos from 19th and 20th century WV online. as part of their West Virginia History OnView collection. Very cool! Search or browse. It's supposed to have 50,000 images when it's done, but has 5,000 now.

West Virginia History OnView

Freebies

I started signing up for Freebies again, via the Free Stuff Times that I added to my Google reader. I love getting samples in the mail!!

Today we received a sample of Blue Spa natural cat food. Roscoe says it's VERY delicious. Unfortunately, it looks very expensive too, so I hope he enjoyed that sample. (go to their website, and you can get a free sample too).

Also in today's mail, from Lean Cuisine I got a cute little Live Laugh Celebrate charm! It's so cute. You can sign up to get one too, just go here Celebrate Your Moment.

WV Day Blogging

A group of West Virginia bloggers are planning to post something "defining their vision for a new stereotype of West Virginia" in honor of West Virginia Day (which is Friday). A guy who has the website www.ABetterWestVirginia.com came up with the idea. I am not planning to participate because I don't really have any ideas. But I think it's a good idea and am interested in reading the posts tomorrow.



Here's a newspaper article about it:



http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200806180620

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Firefox

I have been using IE7 at work and Firefox at home. I try to avoid downloading software onto the work computer because when I managed computers, it used to piss me off when people did that without asking. But I decided today I was going to go ahead and get Firefox (because no one seems to care around here).

I didn't pick a very good day to do it. I forgot today was when the new Firefox version comes out. I also forgot that Firefox is going for a world record of most software downloaded in a day. It was to be available at 1:00 pm eastern. But I can't get to the site. I was looking for something that mentioned the record and found they have a different website for the download (http://www.spreadfirefox.com/en-US/worldrecord/) but it won't come up either. I guess that shouldn't be a surprise! Like Oprah, they broke the internets.

OK, kids, ready to go for the record? The latest version of the free browser Firefox is set to launch at 10 a.m. PST today, and organizers are hoping so many people will download it, the Guinness Book of World Records will cite it for "most software downloaded in 24 hours." You can get Firefox 3 from the official "Download Day" site here.
...
Guinness doesn't have a current record holder for most software downloaded in a day. Firefox will be petitioning Guinness to accept its record as the one to beat.
...
As of 8 a.m. PST Tuesday, 1,687,332 had pledged to download Firefox. "We think 5 million downloads is imminently doable," John Lilly, CEO if the Mozilla Corp., told me today. That's 3.4 million more downloads than Firefox's previous record, set October 24, 2006, when Firefox 2 was released."


http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1815363,00.html

Monday, June 16, 2008

Wake up calls

"Many people have spoken of their illnesses as a 'wake-up call'. That means wake up and experience life--wake up and bless each morning, wake up and appreciate friends and family. I have heard people with critical illnesses say that their lives only really began when they were diagnosed. Why is that? Because whenever we are diagnosed with a critical illness, much of our superficial personal baggage is dropped in the first five minutes. Why do I act so arrogantly? Why I am pretending to be so tough? Why am I judging so many people? Why am I not appreciating all the love and beauty that surrounds me? Why am I avoiding the simplest and most important element of my being, the love in my heart?"

—Excerpted from A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Happy Father's Day

 


Me, Dad & Sis
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Cat Overload

Way too many cats think they live on my back porch

Saturday, June 14, 2008

How does your garden grow?

I mentioned that I planted an upside down tomato plant so wanted to show you its progress. I just bought a 14" hanging basket from K-Mart, cut a hole in the grass-like lining and stuck a tomato plant down through it. I used a plant that bears medium sized fruit. Next year I'll try a cherry or grape tomato I think. I added dirt (Miracle Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix) then planted basil on top. A lot of people plant flowers on top. I didn't think to take a picture of it when I planted it, but here's one from May 22. I planted it sometime at the beginning of May.



And here it is yesterday, June 13:



It's growing really well but hasn't had a whole lot of blooms and doesn't have any fruit on it yet. The tomatoes in the ground and in pots right side up all have more blooms and fruit on them already.

The basil is doing okay but not great. Half of it died already. I don't think I was watering it enough in the beginning. You really have to water the stuff in pots a lot.



My tiny vegetable garden. I probably have too many plants in this small space. From left to right better boy tomato, 2 cucumber, 2 green pepper, 2 more cucumber, and beefsteak tomato. The beefsteak was an accidental purchase, I really meant to get a grape tomato plant and it was in a flat with them and I didn't notice that's what it was until I got home. I have two pots back here not pictured, one with cherry tomato and one with a cucumber plant.



The first tomato, a better boy fruit.



Second bloom on my new rose bush (Brigadoon). I was hoping the flowers would more like my yellow hybrid tea in shape and size but so far they don't.



We recently cut down the large burning bush by the front door, so I sat some pots there until we decide what to put there. From left to right, cilantro and rosemary (same pot), green pepper, grape tomato and greek oregano. None of the green pepper plants look all that good and none have blooms on them. Something has been munching on the leaves.



I like how this little bed turned out. I've never liked how I had it, but this year I divided an everblooming day lilly and put it there and put purple pansies in between. Then added little garden tea light holders my sister gave me a few years ago I'd never used (they aren't practical but do look cute). Husband was cutting grass when I took this so that's why they are grass clippings everywhere.



I also have pansies in the concrete baskets and a few small pots.



The whole front porch. The hanging basket has red petunias in it and it is the poorest excuse for a hanging basket I have ever seen! I don't know what K-Mart did to these poor flowers. I got them for the humming bird but haven't actually seen him eating there. In planters I have white alyssum and blue forget me nots that are just starting to bloom, all from seed. I have a yellow calla lilly growing but no blooms on it yet.



Grape tomatoes - they are so cute and tiny