Energy Games in the Eastern Mediterranean

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>In a nutshell Ioannis Michaletos sums up what</b><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue; color: yellow;">GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSIS AND MONITORING</span> </b><b>already posted in</b><b> <u style="color: black;">SEPTEMEBR 2011,</u> </b><b>regarding the Energy rush in the Eastern Mediterranean and its political implications.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> In September 2011</b><b> we wrote the following articles o</b><b>n subject matter:</b></span></div><h2 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b> </b></span></h2><h2 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b>WARMONGERING BETWEEN ISRAEL AND TURKEY</b> Friday, </span><span style="font-size: large;">9 September 2011</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></h2><h2 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/warmongerning-between-israel-and-turkey.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/warmongerning-between-israel-and-turkey.html</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b>TURKEYS MIDDLE EAST CHESS GAME</b> Friday, </span><span style="font-size: large;">16 September 2011</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/turkeys-middle-east-chess-game.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/turkeys-middle-east-chess-game.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b>MISSION IMPOSSIBLE – QUEST FOR NATURAL RESOURCES</b> Sunday, </span><span style="font-size: large;">18 September 2011</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/mission-impossible-quest-for-natural.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/mission-impossible-quest-for-natural.html</a></span></div><h2 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><b>NATURAL RESOURCE EXPLORATION, A WELCOME EXCUSE FOR WARMONGERING? </b>Monday, </span><span style="font-size: large;">19 September 2011</span><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h2><h2 style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/natural-resource-exploration-welcome.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/09/natural-resource-exploration-welcome.html</a></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On 16 December 2011 he wrote:</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Eastern Med. Energy Games </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">By : Ioannis Michaletos </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>16 Dec 2011</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Last October the government of Cyprus enacted for the first time in its history a process that may well lead it to become an important natural-gas production center, via the hypothetical reserves to be found just offshore this Eastern Mediterranean Island. In parallel, Turkey raised its tones, proclaiming its adamant stance against any exploration without its involvement, whilst Greece and Israel provided both tacit and explicit support towards Cyprus. </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Meanwhile, neighboring Syria is crippled by civil strife, and the whole region resembles a powder keg that may explode at any given moment, if one adds the already-explosive political situation in countries like Egypt and the wider climate in the Middle East.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cyprus</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">In 2006 Cyprus began looking into the possibility of hydrocarbon explorations in its exclusive economic zone, after a similar move by its southern neighbor Egypt that provided to the company Shell a 42,000 square kilometer concession for deep water researches. That development prompted Nicosia to negotiate successfully with Cairo their borders relating to the economic zones of each country. According to well-placed sources within the British energy market, Shell indirectly assisted these negotiations, wanting to have all legal matters settled in order to proceed in its own planning in the region.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOssbeX-WZ70oNwz4prnFWA6MywIlfQSkxhJIchFtebl9JG8oBvhnegDOvpKYP1zvi7X0ZAw0yyYoVmk5Y1ok12rUit4qC7DeqLGDOYY3au4BmXuG-G1bCM2OOUMQjCwEUEi5jKpAvayR/s1600/8216don8217t-sacrifice-talks-in-cyprus-for-natural-gas8217-2011-08-14_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOssbeX-WZ70oNwz4prnFWA6MywIlfQSkxhJIchFtebl9JG8oBvhnegDOvpKYP1zvi7X0ZAw0yyYoVmk5Y1ok12rUit4qC7DeqLGDOYY3au4BmXuG-G1bCM2OOUMQjCwEUEi5jKpAvayR/s320/8216don8217t-sacrifice-talks-in-cyprus-for-natural-gas8217-2011-08-14_l.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thereafter Cyprus awarded the French energy exploration company Beicip as well as the Norwegian PGS to conduct seismic researches in order to collect data for potential reserves. Finally a part of the zones researched, codenamed Block 12, was awarded to the Houston-based energy company Noble Energy to conduct its research drills, which started in October 2011 and are scheduled to be completed soon.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Additionally, Israeli reserves, named Leviathan and Tamar, proved recently to have significant amounts of natural gas. In short, the Eastern Mediterranean region seems to have capacity to become an important energy production site, a potential development that will affect one way or another global energy balance and especially the European markets. Cypriot media speculate that potentially tens of billions of dollars worth of reserves may be found, making the island one of the richest in the region and a magnet for a host of other energy-related industries.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Turkey</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_pcz1wbSI9a3AqJx_nGsCsLAcPk0tJB_MsoXf2Ync_PPzBiWsfEcScZho8aNxESqSsOkgPJOTpcu6fYhspUkZQnrREKK5N4qlgeskubb0YhkdwvqtoMdcnJUbslLxB_WC844AiL9iUuC/s1600/800px-Baku_pipelines.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_pcz1wbSI9a3AqJx_nGsCsLAcPk0tJB_MsoXf2Ync_PPzBiWsfEcScZho8aNxESqSsOkgPJOTpcu6fYhspUkZQnrREKK5N4qlgeskubb0YhkdwvqtoMdcnJUbslLxB_WC844AiL9iUuC/s320/800px-Baku_pipelines.svg.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since 2007, Ankara has issued a multitude of veiled or direct threats against Cyprus, by not recognizing its right for an exclusive economic zone, let alone to proceed into research for hydrocarbons. The northern part of the island, some 37 percent of the whole, is still occupied by a 50,000-strong Turkish Army personnel, whilst since 1984 a self-proclaimed Republic of Northern Cyprus has been named, recognized only by Turkey.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">The basic points as laid out by Turkey regarding the energy issue are that the Republic of Cyprus does not represent the Turkish-Cypriot side (north); therefore until a final solution is found concerning the unification of the island, no energy investments should proceed. On a legal aspect, Turkey claims that the Mediterranean Sea is a landlocked one, thus its islands do not have rights to an exclusive economic zone. It is interesting to note, however, that Turkey itself has not signed the international maritime law convention for which it argues. Turkey traditionally views Cyprus as a dagger in its side and is afraid that the economic empowerment of Cyprus will force a solution to the Island's partition problem that will eventually stipulate the ousting of the Turkish forces from there, thus rendering the geopolitical expansion that Turkey has enjoyed in the Eastern Mediterranean since 1974.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Greece</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Athens is officially a guarantee force of the Republic of Cyprus, where the majority of the population is of Greek descent and has maintained an armed presence there since 1963. Over the years both countries have signed a series of bilateral defense agreements stipulating a pact that will throw both of them into battle in case a crisis with Turkey becomes an outright war. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Moreover, Greece is in the process of establishing its own exclusive economic zone in the Eastern Aegean, a move that Turkey opposes, since it hasn't signed the international maritime law. Turkey wants to find a solution with Athens based on a bilateral agreement, a kind of a special exclusion of the U.N. law, which has also become an E.U. law, therefore binding Greece. It is of importance to note that if Greece establishes its economic zone, it will border with that of Cyprus, thus effectively isolating Turkey from the economic exploration of the Eastern Mediterranean.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Israel</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tel Aviv has clearly sided with Cyprus over the past years in order to secure a potential extraction of natural gas from offshore reserves, thus acquiring energy security and making Israel for the first time in its history independent from energy imports to an extent, a crucial aspect in the exercise of policy of Israel towards its Middle Eastern energy-producing neighbors. Further, the Noble Energy Company that currently drills the Cyprus block is a U.S.-based one with a significant number of Israeli shareholders, adding another dimension to the issue. A triangular relationship has been developed between Tel Aviv-Nicosia and Athens, where ministers and officials from all of these countries mention the possibilities of constructing underwater natural gas pipelines for the transfer of gas to Europe and the creation of LNG stations.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">That sort of an infrastructure, which has been estimated to cost up to $30 billion, cannot be achieved unless stability prevails. Israel, having a number of adversaries like Iran, would like to attain as much stability as possible in its wider Sea region, hence the backing of Cyprus seems a precaution that will facilitate long-term energy-security planning and at the same time allow Israel to enchase its relations with the Southeastern flank of NATO and the European Union, which is Greece and Cyprus. Israel plans to invest $6 billion in the next four years in the natural-gas sector.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>United States</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since the late 40s Washington has enjoyed the role of overlord of the whole of the Eastern Mediterranean, where the 6th fleet is activated and where the interests for the American side run high considering the proximity to the Middle East, the Suez channel and the Caucasus on the north. Since Greece, Turkey and Israel are all considered U.S. allies by, American diplomacy has enacted a careful policy of reassuring all three that it will protect their interests, not wanting to witness a potential crisis in such a sensitive region.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">It can be safely estimated, though, that the potential of hydrocarbon reserves will shift American policy in favor of Israel and Cyprus so as to diversify the energy imports of the European Union, accomplishing in that respect the diversification E.U. energy reliance, decreasing dependency on Russia and the Middle East. Moreover, U.S. companies like Exxon Mobil have shown interest in participating in future rounds of explorations offshore Cyprus, according to local sources</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Russia</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Although potentially a discovery of large amounts of gas can affect future Russian exports to the European Union, Moscow seems fully supportive of Cyprus and Israel due to its long-standing economic and political interests in Cyprus and due to its overall strategy of diversifying energy consumption globally from oil to gas, thus acquiring a primal role in the world energy game at the expense of Saudi Arabia.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>European Union</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">The European Union is also supportive of the aforementioned, since it agonizes for its energy security and a potential discovery of new reserves by a Eurozone country such as Cyprus further strengthens its energy planning. French and German companies especially, being the dominant players in the European energy corporate environment, estimate they will be able to acquire concessions and strengthen their businesses worldwide. Europe will face an issue with natural gas imports sometime after 2020 due to rising consumption, decreasing North Sea reserves and increase in demand by the rest of the world.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Estimations</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">The potential reserves in the Noble Energy's Block 12 are estimated at 85 to 255 billion cubic meters of natural gas, and the neighboring Israeli ones at 700 billion cubic meters. Combined, they amount to an 18-month production of Russia, the largest gas producer in the world. Noble Energy estimates a 60 percent chance of geological success. Noble Energy has almost doubled its share price since 2008 based on its involvement in the Eastern Mediterranean hydrocarbon researchers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">The coming months will reveal the extent of reserves to be found in the Eastern Mediterranean. Should they prove to be as estimated, this will alter the geopolitical balances in the region. The cooperation between Cyprus and Israel will flourish, and in parallel Turkey may follow a more aggressive policy to secure its interests. It is more than certain that Cyprus will become more of a headline in the mainstream press, while the developments in the region will have to take into account the energy factor.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">The probability of a conflict cannot be excluded, although it is not significant due to already-established balances of power. Nevertheless, it should be stated that a deterioration of the domestic conflict in Syria or that of the nuclear project of Iran, along with any destabilization developments in Egypt, may have seismic ramifications, with Turkey and Cyprus near the epicenter.    </span></div>

Energy Games in the Eastern Mediterranean

In a nutshell Ioannis Michaletos sums up what   GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSIS AND MONITORING already posted in SEPTEMEBR 2011, regarding the Ener...

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One Day at a Time

It really has to be that logic at this point... "one day at a time".  The opportunities to fail or succeed in eating/drinking situations are never ending these days.  <br /><br />Last week it was our office holiday party.<br /><br />This week it was both a luncheon (with pizza from my favorite pizza place) and a happy hour for my coworker who is leaving our office for another division in our agency (please don't throw stones - I'm a government employee! eek!).  Miraculously, I made it through the luncheon without even so much as glancing at that pizza.  I sat and talked and talked the entire time and tried to ignore my rumbling belly.   Instead I opted for my own packed lunch, which I ate after his luncheon. <br /><br />Then I hosted this happy hour for him, but I didn't even want to go because I knew it would involve beer and possibly bar food.  I just didn't want to set myself up for failure, because at this point, I know I'm just not strong enough to resist such temptations, at least not two in one day!  So 2 large beers were consumed, and so were boneless wings.    <br /><br />The thing is, I really enjoy being social.  I particularly enjoy happy hours.  I'm not a drunkard, I just enjoy having a few beers and relaxing with friends.  How do you go to a bar and not have a drink?  Ok, it's possible, I'm sure.  Not for me, but for others with far more self control, sure.  But let me rephrase that.  How do you go to a bar and only have <i>one </i>drink?<br /><br />I think I failed to mention that I attended a holiday party this past Friday.  I only had 3 beers. They happened to be Bud Lights.  Do you know that 1 Bud Light (can or bottle) is 4 Points+?  And 3 of them are 11 Points+!!!!  Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_B553RUwdP0JIO1WAfJ08Jd3_sIkBMUqEkAOHYtVSvRHCAg1OJQORk9iiVNWzZQN9bIw0HTtsz9w8X4H896YvSTg_HIwinskQHn3gWF2vQAd-H8q2-g-QJPN2EF92Bpl2B4EjdagFs8/s1600/sarparty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_B553RUwdP0JIO1WAfJ08Jd3_sIkBMUqEkAOHYtVSvRHCAg1OJQORk9iiVNWzZQN9bIw0HTtsz9w8X4H896YvSTg_HIwinskQHn3gWF2vQAd-H8q2-g-QJPN2EF92Bpl2B4EjdagFs8/s400/sarparty.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel's getting so skinny - down to 218 lbs - I can really tell in his face</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I'm not trying to complain here.  I just want to put it out there: if you're struggling this very minute, trust me, you're not alone.  I made it through Thanksgiving fairly well.  I didn't expect Christmas to be so challenging, but guess what?  It has been. <br /><br />Lord help me! <br /><br />

Weight Loss Challenges One Day at a Time

It really has to be that logic at this point... "one day at a time".  The opportunities to fail or succeed in eating/drinking situ...

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A day once only imagined has arrived - a virtual International TeachMeet!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">S<i>ubmitted by Fiona Beal</i><br /><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: small;"> If you had told me several years back that the time would come when teachers around the world could share ideas in a group verbally, visually and virtually right from the comfort of their own homes, I would probably have laughed (to myself). But the day HAS come! I experienced it myself on Saturday 17^th December. Bart Verswijvel from Belgium, one of the organisers of this International TeachMeet said, prior to the occasion, “On Saturday I will have more than 25 visitors coming to my house (virtually). The visitors come from 15 different countries and they are from the 5 continents of the world. They are all teachers and they have a great story to tell. Doesn’t this sound amazing?” As it turned out there were actually 60 attendees, including 22 presenters from 15 countries and 5 continents.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Previous posts about TeachMeets</b></span><br /><br />Face to face TeachMeets are already happening in South Africa and I have written about them before on this blog, on several occasions, in the following order:<br /><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-not-hold-teachmeet-in-your-area.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-not-hold-teachmeet-in-your-area.html</span></a><br /><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-teachmeet-ideas-from-partners-in.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-teachmeet-ideas-from-partners-in.html</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/11/microsoft-introduces-teachmeets-into.html">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/11/microsoft-introduces-teachmeets-into.html</a><br /><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/11/elkanah-house-runs-with-teachmeet-idea.html">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/11/elkanah-house-runs-with-teachmeet-idea.html</a><br /><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/11/report-back-on-elkanah-house-teachmeet.html">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/11/report-back-on-elkanah-house-teachmeet.html</a></span><br /></span><br /><br /><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I also created a TeachMeet – South Africa wiki (</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://teachmeet-southafrica.wikispaces.com/">http://teachmeet-southafrica.wikispaces.com/</a>) e</span><span style="font-size: small;">arlier this year for anyone in South Africa to use if they organise a TeachMeet. This is a way of possibly keeping a record of our Teachmeets in South Africa,  </span></div><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Organisers and Presenters of the virtual International TeachMeet<br /></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />However, this is the first virtual International Teachmeet that I know of. It was organised by two of my Partners in Learning Institute (Seattle, July) colleagues, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">namely <a href="http://traveloteacher.blogspot.com/2011/12/good-vibrations.html">Arjana</a> (@abfromz) from Croatia and <a href="http://teacherinresidence.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/wonderful-world/">Bart</a> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">(</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">@BartVerswijvel)</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">from Belgium. Microsoft's Partners in Learning, Croatia,  have kindly sponsored the use of Microsoft Live meeting to host this and further International TeachMeets. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFN4qjEI2uQCJZtpfSkIrJiFE24nEUhltmWouCF0urAnYAAkbBmFemy7NmkqpJPBBKX1s4_l8hnqiMCZydJXJDYJUHSuMCGmuk5XB6mnGdCxfTe0SGSZPe2xG7ZJmB6M6hlK4fbqI229I/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuD34NuZmFy1LbtIDDzbiu07A33UDQ-j4KPTuo4HfcSDvZcRjb8nWAn4NRiMdIVpOyFs_v-BeLZ1bvaAgO6YCV2de7EE0_dLQ6eXFbOgBbkKHteuMuYDAGcniEdu4LuX5V3HaH2HIqCw/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The organisers and presenters at the first virtual TeachMeet</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">You can find the presenters' details here </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><a href="http://teachmeetinternational.wikispaces.com/Presenters">http://teachmeetinternational.wikispaces.com/Presenters</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What happens at a TeachMeet?</b></span><br /><br />At a TeachMeet the participants give a micro presentation lasting, in this case, 3 minutes of something they have done that combines the curriculum with technology and that really works well.<br /><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>A summary of the presentations</b></span><br /><br />Here is a summary of the presentations, compiled by Sonja from Croatia (@sonjalr):<br /><div id="__ss_10635684" style="width: 425px;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0px 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/TeachMeet_International/teachmeet-international" target="_blank" title="TeachMeet International">TeachMeet International</a></b> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10635684" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/TeachMeet_International" target="_blank">TeachMeet_International</a> </div></div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"></span> <br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>A video about the occasion</b></span><br /><br />Bart from Belgium made a video from the afternoon’s proceedings<br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DG_P22X-7U4" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Blogposts about the this international event</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />Some of the presenters and attendees have already written blogposts about the event</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">:</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Vicky Loras (Switzerland): <a href="http://vickyloras.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/itdi-and-teachmeet-professional-development-at-its-very-best/">Professional Development At Its Very Best</a><br />Jeannette James (Australia): <a href="http://currentsofmyriver.blogspot.com/2011/12/live-meeting-international-teachmeet.html">Live Meeting #teachmeet webinar</a><br />Arjana Blazic (Croatia): <a href="http://traveloteacher.blogspot.com/2011/12/good-vibrations.html">Good vibrations</a><br />Bart Verswijvel (Belgium): <a href="http://teacherinresidence.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/wonderful-world/">Wonderful world</a><br />Elinda Gjondeda (Greece): <a href="http://networkedblogs.com/rKWli">Reflections from #TeachMeet International</a><br />Chiew Pang (Spain): <a href="http://acliltoclimb.blogspot.com/2011/12/two-for-price-of-none.html">Two for the price of none</a></span><br /><br />In fact to get the summary and feel of the event you can look at the TeachMeet wiki that Arjana from Croatia created especially for the event. <a href="http://teachmeetinternational.wikispaces.com/">http://teachmeetinternational.wikispaces.com/</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Some of the Slideshare presentations </b></span><br /><br />Some of the presenters have made Slideshare or Authorstream presentations about their offering. There will be more I am sure.<br /><br />1) <b>Chew Piang from Spain</b><br /><div id="__ss_10639983" style="width: 425px;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0px 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/acLiLtocLiMB/wordle-your-imaginations-the-limit" target="_blank" title="Wordle: Your imagination's the limit!">Wordle: Your imagination's the limit!</a></b> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10639983" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/acLiLtocLiMB" target="_blank">Chiew Pang</a> <br /><br />2) <b>John Putt, a Head teacher from Wales</b></div><b style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 12px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/wjputt/john-putttm-int171211" target="_blank" title="John putttm int171211">John putttm int171211</a></b><br /><div id="__ss_10621765" style="width: 425px;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10621765" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/wjputt" target="_blank">wjputt</a> <br /><br />3) <b>Fiona Beal from South Africa</b></div></div></div><div id="__ss_10644966" style="width: 425px;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0px 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal/a-blog-can-be-a-fantastic-teaching-tool" target="_blank" title="A blog can be a fantastic teaching tool ">A blog can be a fantastic teaching tool </a></b><iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10644966" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding-bottom: 12px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal" target="_blank">fionabeal</a> <br /><br />I'm sure there will be more, soon. Ah, here are three more:<br /><br />4) Anna Loseva from Russia<br /><b>ELT workplaces with posterous blogs</b><br /><div id="__ss_10624957" style="width: 425px;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/annloseva/eltworkplaces" target="_blank" title="#ELTworkplaces">#ELTworkplaces</a></b> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10624957" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/annloseva" target="_blank">Ann Loseva</a> </div></div>5) Yitzha Sarwona from Jakarta in Indonesia<br /><b>Applying Dogma teaching in a Montessori kindergarten classroom</b><br /><div id="__ss_10646529" style="width: 425px;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/yitzhasarwono/teachmeetinternational-icha" target="_blank" title="Teachmeetinternational icha">Teachmeetinternational icha</a></b> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10646529" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/yitzhasarwono" target="_blank">Yitzha Sarwono</a> </div></div>6) Bookmark your dreams with Vladimira Michalkova from Slovakia<br /><div id="__ss_10631324" style="width: 425px;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/VladimiraMichalkova/bookmark-10631324" target="_blank" title="Bookmark Your Dreams">Bookmark Your Dreams</a></b> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10631324" width="425"></iframe> <br /><div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/VladimiraMichalkova" target="_blank">Vladimira Michalkova</a></div></div></div></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Further International TeachMeets?</b></span><br /><br />Next one? Of course there will be more, possibly in  February 2012. The next event to follow in this line is the first International Student TeachMeet that Bart is setting up for 7 February 2012. Details can be found here: <a href="http://studentsmeet.org/">http://studentsmeet.org/</a><br /><br />To conclude, I personally think that the benefits of using technology in education will be widely spread through the the TeachMeet concept. I love Teachmeets!</div><br /></div>

teachmeets A day once only imagined has arrived - a virtual International TeachMeet!

S ubmitted by Fiona Beal If you had told me several years back that the time would come when teachers around the world could share ideas in...

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stick a fork in her

She's done. And Zelda is her name. She and I have spent so much time together it was only right to attach a name to my outbursts - as in, "Damn it Zelda, why didn't you tell me you had this big chip on your left side?!" (in the interest of full disclosure, she's been done for a few weeks, but with all the holiday hysteria, I've been <strike>lazy</strike> otherwise engaged and haven't taken her picture.)<br /><br />I gotta say I have never been this indecisive with a <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/11/unpainted-arizona.html" target="_blank">project</a> before and I blame my new "try to plan things out, think ahead a bit more and don't just throw stuff together you freak" outlook. Many, many plans are on deck for our living room, which is where Zelda will live, so I had to plan for what she will be surrounded by in a few weeks (you hear that Luke) rather than what she is currently surrounded by so I'm not "sprucing" her up again down the road.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69OXbY4UrBGhT-8RjWljBkbKjXzVWUK7dXB258t9OER1Om2HztY0f3yn430JtXIc8HSI6_8vYaSpwtzoRHxsThRacOXfdgDnusebj_1eap0fDBxY7ckcaTYHI5pLRp_Dhs1wQaoDY71pt/s1600/PB080838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69OXbY4UrBGhT-8RjWljBkbKjXzVWUK7dXB258t9OER1Om2HztY0f3yn430JtXIc8HSI6_8vYaSpwtzoRHxsThRacOXfdgDnusebj_1eap0fDBxY7ckcaTYHI5pLRp_Dhs1wQaoDY71pt/s320/PB080838.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My $15 garage sale table - before.</td></tr></tbody></table>For example, she is sitting pretty between two old slipper chairs that could use new cushions. And while those aren't in the budget right now, Santa did get me some pillows I've been stalking on Etsy that will jazz up those chairs. Real nice Clark. (name that movie).<br /><br />So with the pattern on those pillows, as well as the pillows that will be going on the recovered sofa just across from Zelda (see I told you, many plans) there will be a lot going on. That nixed the idea of adding a pattern to the table, as I had originally thought. But Zelda has such interesting little details I did think she deserved a bit of flair to her.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4ohQ9MRPWjfEYqfzCKmz4KGQIvm96tJDlTQ_EcyBffMT3taJ8dOLoCbGC2lv7phD-j2sBGK7ocSz4RSPpprm3ynjP_WDQEiOIA61i4YIxVhSepCerzy_mjOQgN8ewK0SoL-Jyhq8gE7c/s1600/PB080837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4ohQ9MRPWjfEYqfzCKmz4KGQIvm96tJDlTQ_EcyBffMT3taJ8dOLoCbGC2lv7phD-j2sBGK7ocSz4RSPpprm3ynjP_WDQEiOIA61i4YIxVhSepCerzy_mjOQgN8ewK0SoL-Jyhq8gE7c/s320/PB080837.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor table top</td></tr></tbody></table>With all of this in mind I started with a paint color I had used on the corbels in my <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/p/kitchen.html" target="_blank">kitchen</a> by the name of <a href="http://nellhills.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=70&zenid=qvs601ahjnk0763r7jjdrnhv15" target="_blank">Dusty Miller</a>. Its one of those great colors that changes as the light changes. Its blue, its gray, its almost white at times. Versatile...and since I had some left over, free.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlfynGrPKe0qqsrlJ1hQaNL1WDskOxul5UXHt-YrepH8rRusGoy3zzJUabFdgPtyFxea_hd2IEwd3Jk_bgYyyMG0RuY81_ciN-hKTm_-3C2Z7CBeO1UcIdlU77udybuaNuNueIT0ce3yM/s1600/PC201946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlfynGrPKe0qqsrlJ1hQaNL1WDskOxul5UXHt-YrepH8rRusGoy3zzJUabFdgPtyFxea_hd2IEwd3Jk_bgYyyMG0RuY81_ciN-hKTm_-3C2Z7CBeO1UcIdlU77udybuaNuNueIT0ce3yM/s320/PC201946.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sanded and Dusty Miller'd</td></tr></tbody></table>I then added the smallest bottle of paint I could find - a tube of Martha Stewart Craft Paint (for wood) by the name of Highlands. I love the blue and green together. Oh Zelda, you will look so so nice with my new pillows.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMo4iiNFYYoMbKS4tkTWbYWX6WGsLm6rlbfEez5D-_mKDNkEpifcniJr9SRjSurLe-sspFshRxT6Mtu91YGKaGaq0efeil4Bi7AIxNALFLh8hand_P5v2l3_h_-ujixDY6CFyyE6PSiEa/s1600/PC201950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMo4iiNFYYoMbKS4tkTWbYWX6WGsLm6rlbfEez5D-_mKDNkEpifcniJr9SRjSurLe-sspFshRxT6Mtu91YGKaGaq0efeil4Bi7AIxNALFLh8hand_P5v2l3_h_-ujixDY6CFyyE6PSiEa/s320/PC201950.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My $15 table, after.</td></tr></tbody></table>I had planned for new hardware but whoever installed the current pull drilled two giant uneven holes, (Damn it Zelda!) so new hardware would have required filling in the holes with wood glue, sanding, re-drilling etc. And to be honest, once I painted the pull, I thought it worked for her. Every old girl needs a bit of funky jewelry.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7OPkRP7Mult1B87t8Nfga2Gtv_qALOD7fVOM_RHjn4mFGA_SOsKlSXFdlymNFLr-9sQr7ytxNkUlW8SLiIDkYrjBc1HamZnfWNHtpdvvAwtv1oWFLaGyT4CCWUwK7ivWCLQvB_DUkrc_/s1600/PC201952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7OPkRP7Mult1B87t8Nfga2Gtv_qALOD7fVOM_RHjn4mFGA_SOsKlSXFdlymNFLr-9sQr7ytxNkUlW8SLiIDkYrjBc1HamZnfWNHtpdvvAwtv1oWFLaGyT4CCWUwK7ivWCLQvB_DUkrc_/s320/PC201952.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I love her 'dipped' feet and her painted...molding, for lack of a better word. I had painted all of the molding but it started to look a bit crazy even for me. So I followed that standard fashion advice - Look at yourself before you leave the house, and take one thing off - I'm paraphrasing of course.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4gn3heI4mBR6NGK58jJ_jUfSa3RKzwe4jdNhvbEs0oEeoGI0HX4-pDqHTaeEUf1M52tXbJQuViHea1qdGlxhTVTu5sqruQwmKL9RNRpFy_Lbr8iMVYTEp5Ds8N1RP8RUjMhXlcuYW8Ws/s1600/PC201954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4gn3heI4mBR6NGK58jJ_jUfSa3RKzwe4jdNhvbEs0oEeoGI0HX4-pDqHTaeEUf1M52tXbJQuViHea1qdGlxhTVTu5sqruQwmKL9RNRpFy_Lbr8iMVYTEp5Ds8N1RP8RUjMhXlcuYW8Ws/s320/PC201954.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Try painting those feet in a straight circular line. Impossible. <br />She will get a touch up after the holidays.</td></tr></tbody></table>So there she is. By no means perfect, but certainly a bit happier. And I love her, big chips, weird dents, flame-like hardware and all. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EkUeComnHGH0pisB6vzna2bMCiAOG5bBhNlkUpK_p99fXD37NEMzHI7z04-kK_4A39GHQIQWkKR839RbBiyatwSbI4ohPZFWKvvEAk-bPRgJzBtngmxQ5Y4moRG1JF6eK0vWlUMsE8Ly/s1600/PC201955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EkUeComnHGH0pisB6vzna2bMCiAOG5bBhNlkUpK_p99fXD37NEMzHI7z04-kK_4A39GHQIQWkKR839RbBiyatwSbI4ohPZFWKvvEAk-bPRgJzBtngmxQ5Y4moRG1JF6eK0vWlUMsE8Ly/s320/PC201955.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't tell from this angle, but I did paint her molding on all sides.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Her lower level has already become a landing place for toys and she has been a Barbie dressing room on a few occasions. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: left;">Welcome to the family Zelda.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVGgAV75n1dUANheFkVUf2get-t-UZEjJtlHXF4p0FpMNKWnF1w46AlOipI4wQ-60vEdFEG7-Fzdtx0ZJcPhEzFW7rZYRPKrWlAxA7uLe2FShNbzgR2_iTmFP5EU9k4nk8_e5h-RrbzMu/s1600/PC201964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVGgAV75n1dUANheFkVUf2get-t-UZEjJtlHXF4p0FpMNKWnF1w46AlOipI4wQ-60vEdFEG7-Fzdtx0ZJcPhEzFW7rZYRPKrWlAxA7uLe2FShNbzgR2_iTmFP5EU9k4nk8_e5h-RrbzMu/s320/PC201964.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zelda dressed for Christmas</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Have you crossed any projects off your list recently? Have you ever tried to paint a straight line on a circle?</div><br /><br />

stick a fork in her

She's done. And Zelda is her name. She and I have spent so much time together it was only right to attach a name to my outbursts - as in...

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Friend Making Monday: Have You Ever

I really should participate in this fun little blogger social activity more often.  <a href="http://www.alltheweigh.com/2011/12/fmm-have-you-ever-and-some-other-things/">Kenlie @ All the Weigh</a> hosts this weekly event.  Go check her out if you haven't already - she's already lost more than 100 lbs and is still going strong.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.alltheweigh.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/FMM1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.alltheweigh.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/FMM1.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>FMM: Have You Ever?</b></div><br /><b>1. …traveled outside of your home country?  If so, where?</b>  I've been to Canada. haha.. .I'm not a brave flyer.. but I have big dreams of going to Europe some day.  I'd also love to go to Japan as well.<br /><br /><b>2. …performed on stage in front of at least 1,000 people? If so, share some details!</b>  Never. <br /><br /><b>3. …watched an episode of Jersey Shore?</b>  I have, but no by choice.  I was at a friend's house and they were watching it.  I'm not a fan.<br /><br /><b>4. …baked a cake from scratch?</b>  <b>If so, what’s your specialty?</b>  I have many times.  I've done carrot cake and this pumpkin layer cake that I make every year for Thaksgiving for Joel's family.  This year I'm going to try my hand at a <a href="http://m.bhg.com/recipe/layer-cakes/red-waldorf-cake/">Red Waldorf Cake</a> (like red velvet) for our Christmas Eve dinner at Joel's grandparents.  So excited to try it out!<br /><br /><b>5. …worked in a grocery store?</b>  No.  Does a drug store count?<br /><br /><b>6. …dated someone who was your best friend first? </b> No - Joel and I were perfect strangers.<br /><br /><b>7. …made a difference in someone’s life during Christmas?</b> I hope I have by providing donations of gifts/money or just by bringing a smile to someone's face when they open a gift I've given them.  But this is all speculation on my part :).<br /><br /><b>8. …been on TV?</b>  Yes, as a child.  It was the local news.<br /><br /><b>9. …had cosmetic surgery?</b> No and I don't ever plan on it.<br /><br /><b>10. …learned a second language?  If so, what else do you speak?</b> I did learn French in both high school and college.  While that proved useful in Canada, in the U.S., particularly in Washington, DC, it would be much more advantageous to know Spanish.  Someday.. once I get done w/ these nursing classes!<br /><br />Now you try out these questions and post your link at Kenlie's page!  Happy Monday!

Friend Making Mondays Friend Making Monday: Have You Ever

I really should participate in this fun little blogger social activity more often.  Kenlie @ All the Weigh hosts this weekly event.  Go che...

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OBSESSIVE WEIGHING: A SIGN YOU EAT EMOTIONALLY

<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You should see the weird looks I get when I tell my hCG protocol patients not to weigh themselves. And the responses I get are very predictable: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">         </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“But I read on the Internet I’m supposed to weigh every day!”</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">         </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“How am I going to know if I should do an 'apple-day' when weight-loss stalls?”</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">         </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“If I don’t weight myself how am I supposed to know if the protocol is working?”</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">         </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“The only reason I’m doing this is to lose weight, so what am I going to use as motivation?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The amount of fear and anxiety people have after I suggest they not weigh is not surprising. In general, people only pay and enlist in diets because they hate how they look and are disgusted by their body fat. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most people have physical ailments because of their obesity, such as sleep disturbance, symptoms of adrenal fatigue (tired, lack of motivation, etc.), heart burn, hair-loss, skin problems, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>high blood pressure, decreased libido, hot flashes, high cholesterol, poor body-image, embarrassment in social settings, and many more issues associated with having too much fat and resulting fat hormones. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">They’ll tell you these symptoms are profound reasons to lose weight, and they’ve convinced themselves these reasons are why they are enlisting in the hCG protocol. However, their main focus and source of motivation is centrally focused on watching the scale go down. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the first week, they notice significant relief from most, if not all, of the symptoms listed above. Patients profess how amazing they feel. But if the scale doesn’t budge one day−they're discouraged, and if weight on the scale stalls more than a few days− they're irritable and frantic. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They quickly forget about how good they feel, and the incredible relief they get from their physical ailments. If weight doesn’t go down (no matter how physically theraputic the protocol is) they really don’t want to continue to restrict themselves from eating. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once reward and motivation from the scale loses momentum, so does their desire to continue restraint, and in order to feel compensated for following the protocol, they rationalize a reward: cheating. What does this reaction to the scale tell you about their intentions? Do all of the hormonal ramifications that cause disease and early death, really have anything to do with why they are doing the hCG protocol? If so, why does the scale have such a large influence on motivation to continue the protocol or not? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You could notice the obvious improvements in energy, how much better you feel, how sleep has markedly improved, and how heart-burn and hot-flashes have disappeared, but if the scale doesn’t go down like you thought, the effort isn’t worth it. Worth what? If you’re not experiencing physical hunger, what are you giving up? Most likely, you are feeling emotionally deprived. This emotional deprivation is why people say it takes “self-discipline” to follow the protocol restraints, and why weight is used as bait or emotional reward.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Emotional delights, entertainment, fun, ego protection, and all reason we eat that have nothing to do with hunger, are what causes feelings of deprivation when dieting. People feel punished, even when there isn’t hunger, and there’s relief from hormonal ailments and symptoms that plagued their body. We’ve been confused to believe that weight is the problem, and not our emotional desires to eat. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Americans have been so misguided by the diet industry to believe that weight is a plague, and is the only reason you need to pay them to eat less. Yes, you pay a multi-billion dollar industry to eat less, to obsess over your weight, and to feel guilty about food. And you do this over and over again, even though this approach has never worked. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When did you start obsessing over weight? I bet it started with your first diet. They taught you weight defined success or failure and since then you’ve probably defined your value based on weight. Do you constantly feel guilty when you eat, and do you tend to binge eat whenever you don’t eat perfectly? The diet industry has caused major emotional problems by selling weight as the problem, and judging food emotionally. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because of how judgmental and extreme the diet industry is, most people feel vulnerability and guilt when they eat. When you emotionalize what you eat, you lose your ability to make rational decisions. For example, most people have enough intelligence to understand a bite of pie is very different than a piece of pie, which is very different than eating the whole pie. However, when you’ve been taught pie is bad, one bite is just as bad as a piece, and is no different than eating the whole pie. If you’re going to have a bite you might as well eat the whole thing! Sound familiar? If this is how you think, you’ve fallen victim to the diet industry, and as a result you may have an emotional eating disorder. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I suggest you stop weighing yourself so you can actually fix the cause of the problem. Monitor the profound physical relief you get when you stop eating emotionally, and how emotionally vulnerable you feel without eating. Change the definition of diet, so that success is measured in a decline in the desire and need to eat emotionally. Think about it this way: if you didn’t like eating excessively or emotionally, would you have a weight problem? Would you have to “battle your weight”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you didn’t like eating for fun, for entertainment, and for emotional reasons you wouldn’t feel deprived by eating less and you wouldn’t need to weigh yourself as reward. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The goal is to eat less, because you want to, and with this−you’ll never obsess over your weight again.</span></div>

OBSESSIVE WEIGHING: A SIGN YOU EAT EMOTIONALLY

You should see the weird looks I get when I tell my hCG protocol patients not to weigh themselves. And the responses I get are very predicta...

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Giveaway Winner & Weekend Recap

Well let's get right down to business, shall we?<br /><br />The winner of the $40 Target giftcard was announced on Saturday evening on The Big Weight Facebook page, but just in case you (or the winner) missed that, the lucky person is:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thekrazycouponlady.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/target-Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thekrazycouponlady.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/target-Logo.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Jena Rae!!!!!!</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Jena Rae - please send me an email (thebighweight@hotmail.com) with your full name and address so I can get the goods sent to you as soon as possible :)... hopefully you can take advantage of those after Christmas sales!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">With the impending Christmas holiday, I don't know about you, but I've been SUPER busy.  I'm not only behind on my own blog, but I cannot keep up with my other favorites either!  </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">By the way, last Friday I had a small gain 0.8 lbs.  I didn't sweat it.   </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What I am sweating is that this weekend I baked over 300 cookies (for gifts, not for me!!).  So, what I want to know from you is this:  <i>is it even possible to bake cookies and not sample them????</i>  </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I started off really well - just kind of focusing on making the cookies, and not dwelling on how awesome they might taste.  Then I transitioned to cookies that I hadn't ever made before, so I wanted to give them a taste.  Ok - no problem.  A small piece of one cookie (then pawning the rest off on to Joel) was no biggie.  But then shortly there after it quickly went downhill.  All day Saturday, and for about 6 hours on Sunday, I baked the following: Oreo balls, Snickerdoodles, Melt In Your Mouth Sugar Cookies, VF's Chocolate Chip Cookies, Buckeyes, Peanut Butter Blossoms and <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/12/bhg-fudgy-cappuccino-crinkles.html">Fudgy Cappuccino Crinkles</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Let's just say that from Monday to Thursday, I have to be ON POINT with the Points+ counting.  I mean, at this point, I may very well have a gain on Friday as it is, but I am going to try very hard to redeem myself from this weekend's self-sabotage.  Lord help me!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thankfully all those cookies are tucked safely in my deep freezer... hard as rocks by now :).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'll leave you all with this:  </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyoWlB0MxYbQZ7_ruT29ROYz0WgKYqz_5MnefRv-tzjrmakALotFGKmCUTlApfBZm-xY_v1auFDOIgKGUF6LMX_r-pYq1c7K0HcyJ7jdyoiNH00g3VhTHL4dwAyxfuNOmI2EtKJBwsv8/s1600/hair.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyoWlB0MxYbQZ7_ruT29ROYz0WgKYqz_5MnefRv-tzjrmakALotFGKmCUTlApfBZm-xY_v1auFDOIgKGUF6LMX_r-pYq1c7K0HcyJ7jdyoiNH00g3VhTHL4dwAyxfuNOmI2EtKJBwsv8/s320/hair.JPG" width="294" /></a></div><br />For 4 hours on Friday, Kim at <a href="http://ladolcevitalaplata.com/">La Dolce Vita Salon</a> changed my hair color from blonde to purple.  Love love love!<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>

giveaways Weekend Recap Giveaway Winner & Weekend Recap

Well let's get right down to business, shall we? The winner of the $40 Target giftcard was announced on Saturday evening on The Big Weig...

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Annoying co-workers: Holiday edition

<br /><div class="ArticleHeadline" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: -30px;"><div class="hdr_org_bld" style="color: #ff6600; font: normal normal bold 18px/normal arial, helvetica;"><h1 id="articleHeadline" style="color: #ff7700; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br /></h1></div><div class="cbmsnArticleImage"><a href="http://www.bing.com/search?q=Frosty+the+Snowman&src=IE-SearchBox&FORM=msns07" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Frosty the Snowman</a> isn't the only character coming your way this holiday season. In fact, the annual arrival of mistletoe, garland and<a href="http://www.bing.com/search?q=gingerbread+cookie+recipes&src=IE-SearchBox&FORM=msns07" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">gingerbread cookies</a> can transform a normally rational and well-mannered employee into another person entirely.</div></div><div class="ArticleContent" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/6g/ar5l35x652pqz5pd226g.gif?time=10/28/2011%202:32:06%20pm" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/6g/ar5l35x652pqz5pd226g.gif?time=10/28/2011%202:32:06%20pm" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Here are some memorable individuals you might soon encounter, along with tips for making sure you don't cross the line from festive to annoying:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>The Not-So-Secret Shopper</b><br />This worker helps the overall economy but offers nothing to your company's bottom line. After taking excessively long lunch breaks to bag deals at the mall, the brazen bargain hunter spends the rest of the day shopping online. Responsible for countless hours of lost productivity, the Not-So-Secret Shopper rudely leaves others to pick up the slack.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Tip:</b> Don't let your gift list get in the way of your job duties. Even if your company has a liberal<a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/computer/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">computer</a> usage policy, err on the side of caution and save the shopping for after you get off work.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>The Human Holiday Display</b><br />This person pays no mind to the company dress code or office décor guidelines in December. Typically wearing reindeer antlers, a snowman sweater and candy cane pin, she transforms her cubicle into a blinding sea of blinking lights and tinsel. The over-the-top spectacle leaves fellow team members squinting their eyes and scratching their heads.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Tip:</b> It's fun to celebrate the holidays, but adhere to organizational and departmental norms when decorating your work space and yourself. Remember: everything in moderation.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>The Cookie Monster</b><br />Think that slice of pumpkin pie is protected because you put a sticky note on it claiming ownership? Think again. Unless you put a lock on the office <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/refrigerator/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">refrigerator</a>, no treat is safe when this sugar-craving sneak is roaming the halls. The sweet-toothed bandit also comes empty-handed to potluck meals and then shamelessly devours all the fudge brownies before anyone else gets a bite.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Tip:</b> Nobody likes a thief. Put the cake down slowly, and step away from the fridge. For more on this topic, see what happens when treats go missing from the office fridge at <a href="http://www.roberthalf.com/dont-let-this-happen-to-you" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">www.roberthalf.com/dont-let-this-happen-to-you</a>.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>The Sniffler</b><br />Holiday season is also cold and flu season. The germ-ridden "Sniffler" fails to think about the greater good, coming to work when he clearly should be at home resting. With a nose redder then Rudolph's, he coughs and sneezes his way through the day, oblivious to the risk he poses to co-workers and their holiday plans. The Sniffler believes he's displaying dedication, when in reality his frustrated colleagues are grumbling about his lack of consideration and common sense.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Tip:</b> When you're under the <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/weather/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">weather</a>, do everyone a favor by taking a sick day. If you absolutely must work, ask the boss if you can <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/telecommuting/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">telecommute</a>.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>The Party Animal</b><br />Regardless of how casual the setting is, the annual office party is still a work function -- not the best venue for letting loose. This fact eludes the Party Animal. Instead of viewing the get-together as an opportunity to strengthen or forge internal connections, this merrymaker overindulges in eggnog and creates all kinds of awkwardness. Inevitably, the entire company will be whispering about the Party Animal's regrettable antics by the next morning.<i></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Tip:</b> Allow yourself to have some fun at work events, but don't completely let down your guard. You don't need to be the life of the party to make an impression. Drink alcohol moderately, if at all, and don't pressure others who are opting to abstain.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>The Grinch</b><br />In sharp contrast to the workplace's most cheerful holiday enthusiasts, this frosty grump is well-known for having a bad attitude. He maintains a Scroogelike demeanor to make it clear he's not feeling festive and you shouldn't either. Full of cynicism, smirks and sarcasm, he finds a way to pooh-pooh everything. The <a href="http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Grinch&FORM=msns07" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Grinch</a> remains unaware that the constant griping, groaning and gossiping are incredibly grating.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Tip:</b> Some people don't get into holidays, and that's all right. What's not OK is trying to spread a "Bah humbug!" attitude to everyone else. Be mindful that strong interpersonal skills such as tact and diplomacy are critical to career advancement.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Not everyone at your company celebrates the same holidays, and not everyone celebrates with the same level of enthusiasm. What's most important is to understand and respect those differences. And if nothing else, stop swiping the sugar cookies.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Robert Half International is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 350 offices worldwide. For more information about our professional services, visit <a href="http://www.roberthalf.com/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">http://www.roberthalf.com/</a>. For additional career advice, view our career bloopers video series at <a href="http://www.roberthalf.com/dont-let-this-happen-to-you" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">www.roberthalf.com/dont-let-this-happen-to-you</a> or follow us on Twitter at<a href="http://www.twitter.com/roberthalf" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">www.twitter.com/roberthalf</a>.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div></div>

Annoying co-workers: Holiday edition

Frosty the Snowman  isn't the only character coming your way this holiday season. In fact, the annual arrival of mistletoe, garland and ...

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Surprises at St. Jude's

Today was my first Sunday visit to St. Jude’s the parish. I have visited St. Jude’s Ranch many times and have celebrated the Eucharist with gatherings of our deacons there in the Zabriske Chapel. St. Jude’s graciously hosts our deacon conferences at no charge. But this was my first Sunday visit, marking the actual return of St. Jude’s to the Episcopal fold. Bishop Katharine visited and Kay Rohde celebrated there, but the priest who served St. Jude’s was of a schismatic persuasion and was not willing to attend those services. So much of the congregation was not there either. Today, St. Jude’s is in some sense our oldest, in another sense our newest, Latino parish.<br /><br />The first surprise of the day was the turnout. Attendance at St. Jude’s is often around 15 to 20. On a big Sunday it breaks 40. Today we had 80 people, which packed the Chapel. They were engaged, singing the Spanish hymns a capella, fully participating in the liturgy using a Spanish translation of the Book of Common Prayer. Some of the attendance was no doubt due to the three baptisms – one early elementary schoolboy and two teenage girls. When I baptize older children and teenagers of Latino families, I always know there is a story there. I don’t know what it is, but there is a story. We are doing something important.<br /><br />After the service I did a little demographic research about where the congregants reside. Many of them are, in fact, from Boulder City. When we began work on restoring our ties to St. Jude’s, I was assured that there is only one Latino family living in Boulder City and they attend St. Christopher’s. It turns out there is an invisible Latino population in BC. I am not being ironic. It really is true. By patronizing different businesses, etc. it is quite possible for ethnic groups to inhabit the same space with minimal awareness of each other’s existence. But, as I expected, many of them lived in Henderson. Neither of our churches in Henderson has a Missa Espanol so the 20 minute drive to St. Jude’s works for them just for convenience. But a significant minority drive to St. Jude’s from Las Vegas. There are no more community churches. We are all destination churches. People drive to where they choose to worship.<br /><br />The next surprise came when I asked the teenagers, Cheyenne and Mia, in Spanish “Do you desire to be baptized?” They looked at me blankly. I thought it was my pronunciation; but Fr. Leslie explained that they did not speak Spanish. Oh my! Flashback to the ordeal a few years ago when I agonized over preparing and delivering a French sermon in Haiti only to learn afterward that the congregation did not speak French. They spoke Creole. So I found myself fumblingly trying to translate the questions I was reading out of a Spanish Prayer Book back into English. There goes another stereotype. <br /><br />After the congregation finished receiving the sacrament, they brought the children up for blessings. I have never done more blessings of children, not even at our largest Latino congregation in Las Vegas. There was a hunger for blessings. <br /><br />After the service, Christina Vela, the Regional Program Director for St. Jude’s (that means she runs the Nevada campus – there are two campuses in Texas) came by to meet me. That is a very positive gesture. If I am correct that Nevada Episcopalians share a sense of call to help at-risk children, then restoring our historic commitment to supporting St. Jude’s is a top mission priority.<br /> <br />Relations have been being maintained by folks like Sherm Fredericks who serves on the St. Jude’s Board. Connection with the parish restarted in earnest through the work of Fr. Bernardo Iniesta-Avila and his wife Lolita. It has been carried on by Fr. Leslie Holdridge. I am enormously grateful to them for their work at times when it was not at all clear that anything would come of it. They walked by faith and not by light; but the light is dawning. No worship space in Nevada has a holier feel than St. Jude’s. I feel blessed to have been there today and am eager to return.

Surprises at St. Jude's

Today was my first Sunday visit to St. Jude’s the parish. I have visited St. Jude’s Ranch many times and have celebrated the Eucharist with ...

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Europe's Islamic future

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>IF CURRENT DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS PERSIST, EUROPE TO BE MUSLIM BY CENTURY'S END</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #646464;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; width: 408px;"><tbody><tr> <td style="padding: 0in; width: 229.5pt;" width="306"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable"><tbody><tr> <td style="padding: 0in;"><br /></td> <td style="padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></td> </tr></tbody></table></td> <td style="padding: 0in; width: 76.5pt;" width="102"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Islam is on its way to become the most practiced religion in Europe. In a new book published by the University of Leuven, “The Iris and the Crescent,” sociologist Felice Dassetto says that Muslims will comprise the majority of the population of Brussels by 2030. The title of the book refers to the yellow flower symbol of Brussels’ region and to the Islamic emblem: While the first is decaying, the second is growing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Muslims now make up one-quarter of the population of the capital of the enlightened Europe and they are asking to use the empty churches for Islamic prayers. Since 2008, the top seven baby boys’ names in Brussels were Mohammed, Adam, Rayan, Ayoub, Mehdi, Amine and Hamza. Mohammed is also the most popular name for baby boys in Belgium’s second-largest city, Antwerp, where an estimated 40% of elementary school children are Muslim. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antwerp is also home to Belgium’s first Islamic Sharia law court, which began operating in September. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yet Belgium is not an isolate case in fact there are warning signs looming on the horizon that Europe risks being “overrun” by Islam. According to a recent report of the US Pew Center, Islam is already “the fastest-growing religion in Europe,” where the number of Muslims has tripled over the past 30 years. One third of all European children will be born to Muslim families by 2025. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Islam is the most practiced religion in the United Kingdom. In London, more Muslims attend mosques on Friday than do Christians churches on Sunday. The Oude Kerk, the oldest church in the city of Amsterdam, where the kings of Holland were crowned, is now a museum. The only “church” in the largest Dutch city that is crowded is the church of Scientology, a six-story building in the thick of the city center. Only 7% of Dutch Catholics now go to Sunday Mass and 16% of children are baptized. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">In Austria, which was 90% Catholic in the 20th Century, Islam will be the majority religion among Austrians aged under 15 by 2050. The French case also shows that the often exaggerated “Eurabia” threat is more a quality phenomenon of religious attendance than of demographic takeover. In France, there are now more Islamic mosques being build - and more frequently so - than Catholic churches, and there are more practicing Muslims than practicing Catholics in the country. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left; width: 300px;"><tbody><tr> <td style="padding: 0in;"><br /></td> </tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Overall, the total number of mosques in France has already doubled to more than 2,000 in the last 10 years. The best known French Islamic leader, Dalil Boubakeur, Rector of the Great Mosque of Paris, recently suggested that the total number of mosques should double yet again, to 4,000, to meet the growing demand. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, the Catholic Church in France had only 20 new churches built in the last 10 years, and formally closed more than 60 churches, many of which became mosques, according to research conducted by the French Catholic daily La Croix. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Princeton University’s Bernard Lewis once told the German daily Die Welt that “Europe will be Islamic by the end of the century.” At the time, Brussels’ political and cultural elites expressed outrage at the alarmist prediction. Yet if the current trends persist, Mr. Lewis may yet be proven right. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Article by Giulio Meotti </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #646464;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>

Europe's Islamic future

IF CURRENT DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS PERSIST, EUROPE TO BE MUSLIM BY CENTURY'S END Islam is on its way to become the m...

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'TIS THE SEASON...

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kingdom-biz.net/uploads/Fireplaceanimated.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://www.kingdom-biz.net/uploads/Fireplaceanimated.gif" width="400" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful...which means it's a perfect time to snuggle down into a favorite chair, remote in hand, and decide: DVR or DVD?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">With Christmas just a week away I've picked a few long-time holiday favorites to watch along with one or two that have come into my life more recently...</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBtLp90JyyMnHCuFOv1cwj54GBSrtfiBFOH-n2iutRJkgRxw1egWViTfrVy-GbJZ9h7DHRSPQNkhYBR5piMH_1rFaYp98BVa5_6ghKevg0xW5Q3U8ZGvMjLQBIDL1iYxpsziUzwBRHI6v/s1600/remember.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBtLp90JyyMnHCuFOv1cwj54GBSrtfiBFOH-n2iutRJkgRxw1egWViTfrVy-GbJZ9h7DHRSPQNkhYBR5piMH_1rFaYp98BVa5_6ghKevg0xW5Q3U8ZGvMjLQBIDL1iYxpsziUzwBRHI6v/s320/remember.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Remember the Night</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Remember the Night  </i>(1940), directed by Mitchell Leisen from a Preston Sturges' screenplay, debuted on Turner Classic Movies a few seasons ago, which is where I first encountered it. A jewel! Fred MacMurray stars as an Assistant D.A. who falls for thief Barbara Stanwyck during the holidays. With Beulah Bondi, Elizabeth Patterson and Sterling Holloway, music by Frederick Hollander (known for his work with Marlene Dietrich). <i>Remember the Night</i> is a compelling tale delivered by a very sharp script and a superb cast, qualities that should establish it as an enduring holiday classic.  </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;"> </span><a href="http://jimlanescinedrome.blogspot.com/2011/11/remembering-night.html" style="color: #990000;">Click here</a> for more on <i>Remember the Night</i> from <i>Jim Lane's Cinedrome</i>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />I've already watched <i>Meet Me in St. Louis</i> (1944) once this season. It is Vincente Minnelli's simply magical confection of 100% pure fine-spun Americana. Set in turn-of-the-century St. Louis, the film follows "a year in the life" of the Smith family. Margaret O'Brien famously portrays precocious (annoying?) tyke "Tootie" Smith to the hilt, but it is Judy Garland as Esther Smith who glows as the film's centerpiece. And there are the songs, now classics, she introduced in the film..."The Boy Next Door," "The Trolley Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." I'll probably watch <i>Meet Me in St. Louis </i>one time more before the holidays are over.<br /><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqMwBMNVHzPByrSFaYa39v322mdfzdnykTlSQDkv8jfwUd-4-AaPz9vLjONsBcPvINdvSj7P9EkalYqz6pOinTfUknZMtrRghxCTMN8SZswqeHWO793Je1xEXPtWVmkqWD6SYWalFT4aF/s1600/Connecticut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqMwBMNVHzPByrSFaYa39v322mdfzdnykTlSQDkv8jfwUd-4-AaPz9vLjONsBcPvINdvSj7P9EkalYqz6pOinTfUknZMtrRghxCTMN8SZswqeHWO793Je1xEXPtWVmkqWD6SYWalFT4aF/s320/Connecticut.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Christmas in Connecticut</i></td></tr></tbody></table><i>Christmas in Connecticut</i> (1945) has been on my "every year" list for a while now.  I can't resist this home front romp about a career woman (Barbara Stanwyck) with zero homemaking skills who falls for a Navy vet (Dennis Morgan) who dreams of home cooked meals and every domestic delight.  Last year I blogged about the movie and the year in which it was released, 1945. It was the year World War II ended, the year American troops were finally home for Christmas. <a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-in-connecticut-1945one.html" style="color: #990000;">Click here</a> for my 2010 reflection on <i>Christmas in Connecticut</i>.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>The Shop Around the Corner </i>(1940), is my favorite film of director Ernst Lubitsch and contains one of James Stewart's finest performances along with the best of Margaret Sullavan, Frank Morgan and Felix Bressart. I posted on <i>Shop</i>, a must-see film,<i> </i>just a week or so ago...<a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2011/12/shop-around-corner-1940-lubitsch.html" style="color: #990000;">click here</a>, if you missed it. <i>And </i>if you've missed the film so far this year, it airs in just about an hour (Dec. 18, 10am Eastern/7am Pacific) on Turner Classic Movies.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEy0fhbeluelof4uNZlb0NELJMLDg_TNFj3as_xaLbtNTzcdqPVdpiVEMjfWgmA7wMgZvYVJNAhtTnmjDgooPqeQHSLK7misSfZxgNOyYsbN2p6gn_aAwsnXYxD8lw05jx7eHbVoMamqXT/s1600/Cary+as+Dudley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEy0fhbeluelof4uNZlb0NELJMLDg_TNFj3as_xaLbtNTzcdqPVdpiVEMjfWgmA7wMgZvYVJNAhtTnmjDgooPqeQHSLK7misSfZxgNOyYsbN2p6gn_aAwsnXYxD8lw05jx7eHbVoMamqXT/s320/Cary+as+Dudley.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Bishop's Wife</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In<i> The Bishop's Wife</i> (1947) Cary Grant stars as an angel...typecasting at its finest, I'd say! I first saw <i>The Bishop's Wife</i> in the 1980s and, when I discovered it, was surprised I hadn't heard of it before. Now it surfaces every year, everywhere, a seasonal standard (and it will air once more on TCM  this year - late on Christmas Eve). The fine cast includes David Niven, Loretta Young, Monty Woolley, Gladys Cooper, James Gleason, Sara Haden and Elsa Lanchester. The film's yuletide sentiment is reflected throughout and nicely encapsulated in the Bishop's final sermon, "Let us ask ourselves what we would wish for most, and then let each put in his share. Loving kindness, warm hearts and the stretched out hand of tolerance. All the shining gifts that make peace on earth." </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">...Because she does it so well, here's Peggy Lee singing a holiday standard that expresses my wishes for each of you (click to listen)...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8n1yapgYn8o" width="420"></iframe></div>

Christmas in Connecticut Meet Me in St. Louis Peggy Lee Remember the Night The Bishop's Wife The Lady Eve (author) 'TIS THE SEASON...

  The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful...which means it's a perfect time to snuggle down into a favorite chai...

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need vs want

With Christmas a week away, we've had a lot of discussions around here about need vs want. I don't need anything for Christmas, but I can always find plenty of wants when I go to the Antique Mall just right down the street.<br /><br />So this will be my fix, my 'wake up on Christmas morning fun' to satisfy my wants. Because even though (almost) all of these are yummy, I don't need any of them.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZZbLcucnc_gWmxhrbxcne-sy3_0m4Nl432WoO6k8fc2gSm-OmdZNNTkvRelh4xIUPmMjud-cKc6ZuRgkidG368nRj0S_68-wgXLhwCxCWtlMj-criHL2VB_0NYFNP5p1KSx0aSUCXSXD/s1600/IMG_0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZZbLcucnc_gWmxhrbxcne-sy3_0m4Nl432WoO6k8fc2gSm-OmdZNNTkvRelh4xIUPmMjud-cKc6ZuRgkidG368nRj0S_68-wgXLhwCxCWtlMj-criHL2VB_0NYFNP5p1KSx0aSUCXSXD/s320/IMG_0743.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Yummy (don't ask my why I keep using that word) teapot with my favorite - polka dots. A disco tea set. I think it is a bit blurry because I was so excited. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9N5HMdYIYNjBko7qVFSInmS57Yp9h8fCbiiZQRcrv-RIPLkGiEn6bAJOcXjPTUdJ2jgJfpuxtDxGatveRpfTtd1yeRpj1JjOLqKJrm8m9aJLK26cMGeVNXt2L8-O9ozjUAzh6F50g6a2/s1600/IMG_0744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9N5HMdYIYNjBko7qVFSInmS57Yp9h8fCbiiZQRcrv-RIPLkGiEn6bAJOcXjPTUdJ2jgJfpuxtDxGatveRpfTtd1yeRpj1JjOLqKJrm8m9aJLK26cMGeVNXt2L8-O9ozjUAzh6F50g6a2/s320/IMG_0744.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Great for lighting up the deck and only $20. Holla.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJITIecAE0BxVXbJ24LTOd9xqybK20l43gGsjV8IdcfDpMMwX3kt5hvPpJ_dsd3_cDABA_dNTYhH1Ki6mnBiwt05Fa_KEtxYPOGhUrCgtyfb3198iQ_1upqAnayP8svxMZrcHq_STOFmoL/s1600/IMG_0826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJITIecAE0BxVXbJ24LTOd9xqybK20l43gGsjV8IdcfDpMMwX3kt5hvPpJ_dsd3_cDABA_dNTYhH1Ki6mnBiwt05Fa_KEtxYPOGhUrCgtyfb3198iQ_1upqAnayP8svxMZrcHq_STOFmoL/s320/IMG_0826.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> No, not Julia Child. To the left. A book of House Beautiful issues from 1908-09. Great for a magazine subscriber. Very cool.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjfHStSK29ZxW_fMFhuK75MJSzLEKM4XA2L1Pbg8ArT9hxgdGlWxQf4pmMeTqSngwXfZV4ZtbZLMIFtZH6pzT2TsCwb-OLCZobZEtAZej58pmw77pcd5gCpoEZQXTNCo2CDv_7J2FXrIk/s1600/IMG_0828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjfHStSK29ZxW_fMFhuK75MJSzLEKM4XA2L1Pbg8ArT9hxgdGlWxQf4pmMeTqSngwXfZV4ZtbZLMIFtZH6pzT2TsCwb-OLCZobZEtAZej58pmw77pcd5gCpoEZQXTNCo2CDv_7J2FXrIk/s320/IMG_0828.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Vintage silver ornaments at $1.50 a piece. I think these are awesome enough to stay in a bowl all year round.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_yPcKJEp4Ozj2uugZR7evUijrrL8Tep-ZDasjkNMt8Y9LHkCfT9cNpAOMxrkL0RwSvZ8dHIxb3sAZuFXLVqZbzil6oHDbWKlM__lwdqPloSySETwVdVgNeNmEsV_2r182WKZG1YLGx1SF/s1600/IMG_0831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_yPcKJEp4Ozj2uugZR7evUijrrL8Tep-ZDasjkNMt8Y9LHkCfT9cNpAOMxrkL0RwSvZ8dHIxb3sAZuFXLVqZbzil6oHDbWKlM__lwdqPloSySETwVdVgNeNmEsV_2r182WKZG1YLGx1SF/s320/IMG_0831.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Bamboo bar cart - perfect for my disco teapot.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHGqvtiGdutA3OCLVNHrfXXFTW0CaJexrsTFRxJYL34CxcynlqncZzl5dyGK6BZ-7D5BIk3y0pO-xacYsgqu3czmLrVXYkmoypiJfn04o2rXyItibiP-9kOQkkThRPMo-xHVGOnbupmPf/s1600/IMG_0832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHGqvtiGdutA3OCLVNHrfXXFTW0CaJexrsTFRxJYL34CxcynlqncZzl5dyGK6BZ-7D5BIk3y0pO-xacYsgqu3czmLrVXYkmoypiJfn04o2rXyItibiP-9kOQkkThRPMo-xHVGOnbupmPf/s320/IMG_0832.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I saw a similar one on Etsy. Gold. Bamboo. I see a theme developing...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvoUCtHrnKEmlatrnQM7PyxTARlfVUxFLWFMHH0xoCo-Vvim3OrBq4eSYxtb_eMhJSMdQLC19skmOOI2IzkmEht7IE_fkx-Cbk5uYwQiSEutWZ4y8-3c_WSh7OPRExNH0TeFTmr4IMnjD/s1600/IMG_0836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvoUCtHrnKEmlatrnQM7PyxTARlfVUxFLWFMHH0xoCo-Vvim3OrBq4eSYxtb_eMhJSMdQLC19skmOOI2IzkmEht7IE_fkx-Cbk5uYwQiSEutWZ4y8-3c_WSh7OPRExNH0TeFTmr4IMnjD/s320/IMG_0836.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Funky sconces for my fireplace.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTRMjWQLg-di1DyAV01wXZ1Rg_GGShE6ASv7pCg1YsAyJTjUjiFAZ1Kpp9GSkbMQCf0HoPajxoSCJBBhvlYfNP_IQ8HqkF4bWdV8Khob0Yyy9u3DHSzMQvCm51F1CN_CE3qPpy81p4GhD/s1600/IMG_0834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTRMjWQLg-di1DyAV01wXZ1Rg_GGShE6ASv7pCg1YsAyJTjUjiFAZ1Kpp9GSkbMQCf0HoPajxoSCJBBhvlYfNP_IQ8HqkF4bWdV8Khob0Yyy9u3DHSzMQvCm51F1CN_CE3qPpy81p4GhD/s320/IMG_0834.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These have been in the store forever and their color is awesome. Next time I have a spare $2500, I'll consider it. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSEzlJrAq834aoM-Xa2GBzlrYmDrzD56zP4orHQPO_wYkixsUkMFNSjEbI6mipPOXfFS2uFePIqXIEU10o8CjhgToxlqHtRogENLZ82fcK6dxp3vHn2V3Y3bxl_SgcdkTH6w-ZFtoZO-g/s1600/IMG_0835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSEzlJrAq834aoM-Xa2GBzlrYmDrzD56zP4orHQPO_wYkixsUkMFNSjEbI6mipPOXfFS2uFePIqXIEU10o8CjhgToxlqHtRogENLZ82fcK6dxp3vHn2V3Y3bxl_SgcdkTH6w-ZFtoZO-g/s320/IMG_0835.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>And this does not fall under need or want but 'what the hell'. Where are your pants dude?!<br /><br />What is on your list? Anything you secretly hope to get even though you don't need it?<br /><br />

need vs want

With Christmas a week away, we've had a lot of discussions around here about need vs want. I don't need anything for Christmas, but ...

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What you should know if you have a stroke

<div style="color: red;"><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Please note:  if you don't want this entire post, I beg of you, scroll to the bottom and read the part about stroke symptoms. It's extremely important. Paste it into an email and send it to everyone you know and love.</span></b></u></div><br />Where has the time gone? I haven't posted for four weeks. Have I really been that busy?  <br /><br />I have been busy with trying to keep my sister's medical and financial manners in order. It's not an easy task and not one I would wish on my worst enemy. Lesson learned from this catastrophic event: DO NOT HAVE A DEBILITATING STROKE! More on this later.<br /><br />I've been busy with work. I'm back at it and have a giant, scary project in front of me. Scary, as in I don't know how the hell I'm going to meet my deadline.<br /><br />I've also been getting back into a daily exercise routine, which is something that was severely lacking for the last three months. Since my sister's September 21 stroke, I have not made myself a priority. My sister was number one on my radar. I fell into second place.<br /><br />I read my last post and actually laughed out loud. I was really in the spirit of weight loss the day I posted that entry. Then I went to Fairbanks for a week and got caught up in the circumstances surrounding my sister. Weight loss and my health weren't important anymore.<br /><br />Then I came down with the flu while in Fairbanks.  Right in the middle of my week that was jam-packed with tasks. Somehow I made it through it, after holding up in my hotel room for 24 hours, living off of NyQuil. <br /><br />Then it was back to work, to a world from where I'd been missing for most of four months. Since I broke my wrist August 6 I've either been out on extended illness leave for my wrist or on PTO for my sister.<br /><br />I forgot what normal felt like. It's actually kind of nice to sit in my cubicle, in front of my computer and think about something other than my sister's tragedy. Her health and how I'm going to pay her bills, and function as her guardian and conservator have consumed me for the last three months. Stepping back into my real world was nice, but a shock to my system.<br /><br />The last two weeks I've been exhausted. All I want to do is sleep. I'm not sure if it's the after effects of the flu or post traumatic shock syndrome of dealing with all things related to my sister. It's probably been a combination of both.<br /><br />I didn't follow Weight Watchers nor did I count calories or track my food. Not even for a single day.<br /><br />The past week I made it to the gym four times, two 30-minute workouts, one hour and 20-minute workout (Thursday) and yesterday for an hour. I feel my strength and energy coming back, although my left arm is still weak. Three months in a cast has pretty much decimated most of my muscle in my left arm. I still use 15 or 20 pounds on my right arm, but only 10 or 12 pounds on my left arm. Even the lighter weights are a struggle. I guess it'll just take time.<br /><br />My weight today at home is 183.4. Since I was 184.4 at Weight Watchers four weeks ago, this means I've really gained a pound or two (since I weighed with clothes and after breakfast at Weight Watchers). If you're wondering, I'm going back to Weight Watchers today.<br /><br />Considering all I've gone through in the last four weeks, there will be no "beating up of Diana" today. If there's one thing I've learned from the last four months, it's don't sweat the small stuff. There's enough big shit to worry about in life without worrying about the minutia. <br /><br />Two pounds will come off easily, and the other thirty or so will come off too (albeit not quite as easy). I feel back in control of my eating and exercise. I care about what happens to me. I don't want to end up like my sister, stressed out about life, with high blood pressure and having a stroke. Trust me, you really don't want to go there. It's truly a fate worse than death.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Read this!</span></b>  </div><br />I took the information below from <a href="http://www.stroke.org/">www.stroke.org</a>. A family member that talked to my sister at 10 a.m. on the day of my sister's stroke said later that she had slurred speech that morning. Since my sister doesn't drink, this was a definite sign of a stroke. The family member is a trained CNA, and has taken numerous nursing classes. Yet she didn't recognize the slurred speech as a symptom of a stroke. She has expressed great remorse about this, but it doesn't matter now. It's too late for my sister, but maybe this will help someone else.<br /><br />My sister wasn't taken to the hospital until 10 p.m. that night. Twelve hours after her first sign of having a stroke. This unfortunately sealed her fate to a life of being unable to speak, paralyzed and bedridden. If only she'd been taken to the emergency room that morning, things probably would have turned out so much better.<br /><br />Please read it and remember it. The most important thing is to remember is get to an emergency room as quickly as possible. Time is critical. There's a drug they can give you that will actually stop the damage from the stroke. It's called a t-PA drip (one of the clot-busting drugs, there are others). The doctors in Fairbanks told me about it, but you have to get it within three hours of the first stroke symptom. It doesn't always work, but it gives you a fighting chance. My sister got to the hospital too late, and it's ruined her life.<br /><br />Every minute-and-a-half, on average, someone in America suffers a stroke.<br /><h1 class="title"> Warning Signs of Stroke</h1><br /><span style="font-size: 120%;">Learn the many warning signs of a stroke. Act <span class="subheading">FAST</span> and <span class="subheading">CALL 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY</span> at any sign of a stroke.</span><br /><br />Use <span class="subheading">FAST</span> to remember the warning signs:<span style="font-size: 120%;"> </span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbN4vQVe5H_wvdurdHVWgqRwCleRaD45lXBcJeFvVQXUU_Ks13WW6LKCykkONMJeMevkx9PJgs2jLIX-NpCQ_r4fgryc5kxYKK0skqscWq9NFp-BBvy7DbKAvOiHfUgmubry4flANwlvKc/s1600/stroke.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbN4vQVe5H_wvdurdHVWgqRwCleRaD45lXBcJeFvVQXUU_Ks13WW6LKCykkONMJeMevkx9PJgs2jLIX-NpCQ_r4fgryc5kxYKK0skqscWq9NFp-BBvy7DbKAvOiHfUgmubry4flANwlvKc/s640/stroke.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><span class="subheading">NOTE THE TIME WHEN ANY SYMPTOMS FIRST APPEAR.</span> If given within <i>three hours</i> of the first symptom, there is an FDA-approved clot-buster medication that may reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke. There are also two other types of stroke treatment available that might help reduce the effects of stroke. <a href="http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=treatment">Read more about stroke treatment</a>. <br />Learn as many stroke symptoms as possible so you can recognize stroke as <b>FAST</b> as possible. <a href="http://www.stroke.org/site/DocServer/FAST_walletCard_2011.pdf?docID=8342" target="_blank" title="2011 FAST wallet card">Click here</a> to download the FAST Wallet Card to keep a reminder of stroke warning signs with you wherever you go! <br /><div class="subheading"><b>Stroke symptoms include:</b></div><ul><li>SUDDEN numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg - especially on one side of the body. </li><li>SUDDEN confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. </li><li>SUDDEN trouble seeing in one or both eyes. </li><li>SUDDEN trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination. </li><li>SUDDEN severe headache with no known cause.</li></ul><div class="subheading" style="text-align: center;"><br /><b>Call 9-1-1 immediately if you have any of these symptoms</b></div><br /><br /><br />

What you should know if you have a stroke

Please note:  if you don't want this entire post, I beg of you, scroll to the bottom and read the part about stroke symptoms. It's e...

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