I believe in freedom........I know that rules and laws make us feel safe, but they take away our freedoms. Where is the boundary between safety and freedom? Is a camera in your living room OK? Or is it OK to have cameras in every room? Is Big Brother really watching? Is history really being rewritten? Do we have choices? Are we free?
Give me freedom, responsibility, and danger any day.......
Vivre Libre ou Mourir
Live free or die
Give me liberty or give me death
Freedom or death
Monday, November 24, 2014
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Chicken diaper
I am sorry to say that the old links to the bird diapers are no longer active but "My Pet Chicken" does have some options!!
http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Diapers-and-Saddles/Chicken-Diaper-p494.aspx
http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Diapers-and-Saddles/Chicken-Diaper-p494.aspx
Sunday, July 13, 2014
prurient interest
This is an interesting topic.........I am not sure how to get to the bones or the truth of what it means. From what I see, there is much misinformation on the Web about this subject.
From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prurient
pru·ri·ent
adjective \-ənt\
: having or showing too much interest in sex
Full Definition of PRURIENT
: marked by or arousing an immoderate or unwholesome interest or desire; especially : marked by, arousing, or appealing to sexual desire
— pru·ri·ent·ly adverb
Examples of PRURIENT
He took a prurient interest in her personal life.
a book that appealed to the prurient curiosity of its readers
Origin of PRURIENT
Latin prurient-, pruriens, present participle of prurire to itch, crave; akin to Latin pruna glowing coal, Sanskrit ploṣati he singes, and probably to Latin pruina hoarfrost — more at freeze
First Known Use: 1592
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
prurient adj. (ˈprʊərɪənt)
1. (Psychology) unusually or morbidly interested in sexual thoughts or practices
2. exciting or encouraging lustfulness; erotic
[C17: from Latin prūrīre to itch, to lust after]
ˈprurience n ˈpruriently adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
pru•ri•ent adj. (ˈprʊər i ənt)
1. having or characterized by lascivious or lustful thoughts, desires, etc.
2. causing lasciviousness or lust.
[1630–40; < Latin prūrient- (s. of prūriēns), present participle of prūrīre to itch]
pru′ri•ence, pru′ri•en•cy, n.
pru′ri•ent•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Thesaurus:
1. prurient - characterized by lust; "eluding the lubricious embraces of her employer"; "her sensuous grace roused his lustful nature"; "prurient literature"; "prurient thoughts"; "a salacious rooster of a little man"
lustful, salacious, lubricious
sexy - marked by or tending to arouse sexual desire or interest; "feeling sexy"; "sexy clothes"; "sexy poses"; "a sexy book"; "sexy jokes"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
prurient
adjective
1. lecherous, longing, lewd, salacious, lascivious, itching, hankering, voyeuristic, lustful, libidinous, desirous, concupiscent our prurient fascination with sexual scandals
2. indecent, dirty, erotic, obscene, steamy (informal), pornographic, X-rated (informal), salacious, smutty the film's harshly prurient and cynical sex scenes
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Friday, May 30, 2014
Pet names
This is a super link if you are looking for names for your pet!
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names.htmThis is a very cool place too!!
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names.htmThis is a very cool place too!!
Hantavirus research
I did a GIS report on hantavirus in 2007 and when I saw this program on the
National Geographic channel and it really sounded logical. In 1536 and 1573, it appears that 80% of the Aztec civilization in Mexico were killed by a strain of the hantavirus and not by the old world diseases brought across the Atlantic by the Spanish Conquistadors. New research, lead by epidemiologists Rodolfo Acuna Soto and John Marr suggests an entirely different explanation for the epidemics and if their theory is correct the fate of the Aztecs could repeat itself, in the 21st Century.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/naked-science/3489/Overview
The Russian parasitologist and geographer E.N. Pavlovsky was among the first to recognize the importance of landscape in the transmission of infectious diseases (Pavlovsky, 1966).
http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=2396&trv=1
ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH BENEFITS
Using the Sevilleta data, researchers are now attempting to predict the likelihood of another outbreak. Continued data collection will aid scientists in monitoring rodent population increases and movement. This information is also helping scientists develop disease prevention plans and assess the effectiveness of control measures used to reduce human-rodent contact.
Outbreak!
Early in 1993, news reports begin to give accounts of a strange disease sweeping
through the Four Corners area in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The death toll so far is at 13, with no known cause. This mysterious disease starts like the flu with fever, coughing, and chills. However, the victims of this disease die a painful death, their lungs filling with fluids. As fear sweeps the Southwest, the country wonders how quickly this disease will spread. This was the situation when Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) first appeared in the United States. Quick response by medical investigators from the Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified the Southwest outbreak as a new strain of the hantavirus, which had been previously reported in other countries. Investigating scientists with the CDC immediately suspected that, as with other hantaviruses, the likely carrier of the disease was a rodent.
Cause of Mysterious Outbreak Discovered
In order to find the necessary ecological data, the CDC turned to the Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program. Funded by the National Science Foundation in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, LTER held the only long-term data on rodent communities in the Four Corners region. The research program was able to provide a detailed demographic analysis for 22 rodent species inhabiting the area, revealing 10-fold population increases in various rodent species between 1992 and 1993. This population increase correlated with above-average precipitation during the spring of 1992, which led to higher rodent population densities. As a result, the probability of human-rodent-contact rose, resulting in an increase in virus transmission. Scientists wanted to determine whether this strain of hantavirus was newly evolved, or had been in the region for years. The Sevilleta LTER had routinely collected museum specimens of rodents from all its study sites. By collecting tissue samples from these species, researchers found that the newly
termed Sin Nombre hantavirus had been present in the rodent population for at
least ten years before the 1993 epidemic.
The Hantavirus Case Study
Though ecological research does not always show an immediate benefit, it may lead to important, and even life saving, applications. By giving us a better understanding of our environment, ecological data can help solve the social and environmental problems threatening the United States today. For example, in the case of the mysterious hantavirus oubreak in the southwestern United States, which caused over 45 human deaths
from 1993-95, the benefits of a long-term ecological research project conducted on rodents were proven immeasurable. While the purpose of this research project was unrelated to disease prevention, having long-term data at their fingertips helped scientists quickly determine the cause of the hantavirus outbreak and how to prevent the spread of the virus. Such ecological studies are imperative to enabling decision makers to make informed choices concerning the health of our society and environment.
What is the Hantavirus?
Although commonly known as the hantavirus, the virus which caused an outbreak in the southwestern United States in 1993 is actually called the Sin Nombre virus. It is a member of a family of hantaviruses, first identified as the Hantaan virus after it caused mysterious disease and deaths of thousands of United Nations troops during the Korean War. Unlike previously identified hantaviruses, which cause kidney failure,
this newly identified strain causes respiratory failure and is much more deadly. Other strains of hantavirus have been identified in California, Florida, Louisiana, and New York. And Mexico!
Rodents are the primary carrier of hantaviruses. Each hantavirus appears to “prefer” different rodents and data suggest that the strain found in the Four Corners area prefers the deer mouse. The virus does not cause any apparent illness in the rodent host.
Transmission
The virus can be transferred from the rodent to humans via saliva, urine, and fecal material. Human infection may occur when the materials are inhaled as aerosols or introduced directly onto broken skin. Known cases of hantavirus are associated with planting or harvesting crops, cleaning barns, residing or visiting areas with a high rodent population, hiking or camping in rodent-infested areas, or inhabiting dwellings with indoor rodent populations.
Treatment
Currently, no treatment is available. However, there are two drugs which are being clinically tested, Ribavirin and Bradycor. Ribavirin, used in other parts of the world to treat viral infections such as hepatitis and herpes, seems to decrease mortality and duration of symptoms in severe hantavirus cases if given within five days of disease onset.
Timeline of the Hantavirus Crisis
Through the cooperative effort of ecologists, virologists, and medical doctors, scientists identified the deadly virus and the species that transmits it within
a month. Scientists were able to identify the cause of the outbreak and educate people on how to avoid contracting the virus. Currently — While the hantavirus itself has not been eradicated, further ecological research will help predict future outbreaks.
Prepared by The Public Affairs Office,
The Ecological Society of America,
2010 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Suite 400,
Washington, D.C. 20036, phone: (202)833-8773,
fax: (202)833-8775, email: esahq@esa.org.
Acknowledgements: ESAthanks Bob Parmenter
of the University of New Mexico for his
assistance in preparing this document.
This is the html version of the file
http://www.esa.org/education_diversity/pdfDocs/hantavirus.pdf.
National Geographic channel and it really sounded logical. In 1536 and 1573, it appears that 80% of the Aztec civilization in Mexico were killed by a strain of the hantavirus and not by the old world diseases brought across the Atlantic by the Spanish Conquistadors. New research, lead by epidemiologists Rodolfo Acuna Soto and John Marr suggests an entirely different explanation for the epidemics and if their theory is correct the fate of the Aztecs could repeat itself, in the 21st Century.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/naked-science/3489/Overview
The Russian parasitologist and geographer E.N. Pavlovsky was among the first to recognize the importance of landscape in the transmission of infectious diseases (Pavlovsky, 1966).
http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=2396&trv=1
ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH BENEFITS
Using the Sevilleta data, researchers are now attempting to predict the likelihood of another outbreak. Continued data collection will aid scientists in monitoring rodent population increases and movement. This information is also helping scientists develop disease prevention plans and assess the effectiveness of control measures used to reduce human-rodent contact.
Outbreak!
Early in 1993, news reports begin to give accounts of a strange disease sweeping
through the Four Corners area in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The death toll so far is at 13, with no known cause. This mysterious disease starts like the flu with fever, coughing, and chills. However, the victims of this disease die a painful death, their lungs filling with fluids. As fear sweeps the Southwest, the country wonders how quickly this disease will spread. This was the situation when Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) first appeared in the United States. Quick response by medical investigators from the Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified the Southwest outbreak as a new strain of the hantavirus, which had been previously reported in other countries. Investigating scientists with the CDC immediately suspected that, as with other hantaviruses, the likely carrier of the disease was a rodent.
Cause of Mysterious Outbreak Discovered
In order to find the necessary ecological data, the CDC turned to the Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program. Funded by the National Science Foundation in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, LTER held the only long-term data on rodent communities in the Four Corners region. The research program was able to provide a detailed demographic analysis for 22 rodent species inhabiting the area, revealing 10-fold population increases in various rodent species between 1992 and 1993. This population increase correlated with above-average precipitation during the spring of 1992, which led to higher rodent population densities. As a result, the probability of human-rodent-contact rose, resulting in an increase in virus transmission. Scientists wanted to determine whether this strain of hantavirus was newly evolved, or had been in the region for years. The Sevilleta LTER had routinely collected museum specimens of rodents from all its study sites. By collecting tissue samples from these species, researchers found that the newly
termed Sin Nombre hantavirus had been present in the rodent population for at
least ten years before the 1993 epidemic.
The Hantavirus Case Study
Though ecological research does not always show an immediate benefit, it may lead to important, and even life saving, applications. By giving us a better understanding of our environment, ecological data can help solve the social and environmental problems threatening the United States today. For example, in the case of the mysterious hantavirus oubreak in the southwestern United States, which caused over 45 human deaths
from 1993-95, the benefits of a long-term ecological research project conducted on rodents were proven immeasurable. While the purpose of this research project was unrelated to disease prevention, having long-term data at their fingertips helped scientists quickly determine the cause of the hantavirus outbreak and how to prevent the spread of the virus. Such ecological studies are imperative to enabling decision makers to make informed choices concerning the health of our society and environment.
What is the Hantavirus?
Although commonly known as the hantavirus, the virus which caused an outbreak in the southwestern United States in 1993 is actually called the Sin Nombre virus. It is a member of a family of hantaviruses, first identified as the Hantaan virus after it caused mysterious disease and deaths of thousands of United Nations troops during the Korean War. Unlike previously identified hantaviruses, which cause kidney failure,
this newly identified strain causes respiratory failure and is much more deadly. Other strains of hantavirus have been identified in California, Florida, Louisiana, and New York. And Mexico!
Rodents are the primary carrier of hantaviruses. Each hantavirus appears to “prefer” different rodents and data suggest that the strain found in the Four Corners area prefers the deer mouse. The virus does not cause any apparent illness in the rodent host.
Transmission
The virus can be transferred from the rodent to humans via saliva, urine, and fecal material. Human infection may occur when the materials are inhaled as aerosols or introduced directly onto broken skin. Known cases of hantavirus are associated with planting or harvesting crops, cleaning barns, residing or visiting areas with a high rodent population, hiking or camping in rodent-infested areas, or inhabiting dwellings with indoor rodent populations.
Treatment
Currently, no treatment is available. However, there are two drugs which are being clinically tested, Ribavirin and Bradycor. Ribavirin, used in other parts of the world to treat viral infections such as hepatitis and herpes, seems to decrease mortality and duration of symptoms in severe hantavirus cases if given within five days of disease onset.
Timeline of the Hantavirus Crisis
Through the cooperative effort of ecologists, virologists, and medical doctors, scientists identified the deadly virus and the species that transmits it within
a month. Scientists were able to identify the cause of the outbreak and educate people on how to avoid contracting the virus. Currently — While the hantavirus itself has not been eradicated, further ecological research will help predict future outbreaks.
Prepared by The Public Affairs Office,
The Ecological Society of America,
2010 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Suite 400,
Washington, D.C. 20036, phone: (202)833-8773,
fax: (202)833-8775, email: esahq@esa.org.
Acknowledgements: ESAthanks Bob Parmenter
of the University of New Mexico for his
assistance in preparing this document.
This is the html version of the file
http://www.esa.org/education_diversity/pdfDocs/hantavirus.pdf.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Uses for Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
You will want to pass this one on to your friends and doing so will save it on your timeline for later use! Your welcome
ORIGINAL BLUE DAWN . . . IT’S NOT JUST FOR DISHES ANYMORE
ORIGINAL BLUE DAWN . . . IT’S NOT JUST FOR DISHES ANYMORE
Wild Life
Ever wonder why Dawn Dishwashing Liquid is the wildlife cleaner of choice after an oil spill? According to the International Bird Rescue Research Center, Dawn effectively removes grease but does not cause harm to the skin of the birds. It’s also biodegradable and contains no phosphates.
BUBBLES
According to Bubbles.org, Dawn dishwashing liquid makes great homemade bubbles. Here is the Giant Bubble Recipe used in bubble makers at many children’s museums: 1/2 cup Ultra Dawn 1/2 gallon warm water 1 tablespoon glycerin (available at any drug store) OR White Karo syrup works too! Stir gently. Skim the foam off the top of the solution (too much foam breaks down the bubbles). Dip bubble wand and get ready for some good, clean fun!
GREASY HAIR PROBLEMS
Kids get into the darnedest things! Like Vaseline and baby oil rubbed into their hair! Dawn is mild enough to use on their hair and strong enough to remove the most stubborn grease.
HAIR PRODUCT BUILDUP
Once a month use original Dawn as you would shampoo. It will remove excess oil from your hair and scalp and strip away any build-up of styling products without any damage. Perform this once a month and you won’t have to buy expensive salon products that do the same thing.
MANICURE SECRET
Soak fingers in full-strength blue Dawn. It makes the cuticles soft and easy to work with. And it removes the natural oil from the fingernails, which allows the polish to adhere very well.
REPEL HOUSEPLANT INSECTS
A safe, effective way to repel insects from your houseplants, including aphids, spider mites and mealy bugs. Put a drop of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid in a spray bottle, fill the rest of the bottle with water, shake well, and mist your household plants with the soapy water.
CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS
Try this recipe from Merry Maids: mix 3 drops Dawn in 1 gallon water and fill a spray bottle with the solution. Spritz and wipe as you would with any window cleaner.
PETS AND PESTS
Use it to bathe the dogs. It kills fleas on contact and is much cheaper than expensive dogshampoos.
CLEAN AUTOMOTIVE TOOLS
After you have finished your automotive repair project, soak your dirty tools in Dawn before you put them away to remove all the oil and grime. Dawn also helps prevent rust from forming on the tools.
ICE PACK
Partially fill a strong zip-type sandwich bag with Dawn dishwashing liquid, close and freeze. The liquid soap stays cold much longer and it can be re-frozen many times. It will conform to the place you need an ice pack.
TUB AND SHOWER CLEANER
Take a spray bottle and fill it halfway with white vinegar. Heat in the microwave. Fill the rest of the way with blue Dawn. Put lid on and shake to mix well. Spray on your tub and shower walls. Allow to sit for a few minutes and rinse away. It will totally melt all the gunk, slime, sludge and other stuff that builds up including a bathtub ring.
REPEL ANTS
Spray counter-tops, cupboards and any other area where you see ants with a solution of Dawn and water. Wipe dry. The slight residue of Dawn that remains will not be a problem at all for kids or pets, but ants hate it. Should you see a trail of ants, go ahead and hit them with the Dawn spray.
STRIPPING CLOTH DIAPERS
Add a squirt or two of original Dawn dish soap to your washer and run a hot wash, then rinse until there are no more bubbles. Dawn is a degreasing agent and helps stripping by removing oily residue. Be sure to rinse, rinse, rinse until the water runs clear.
UNCLOGGING TOILETS
A cup of Dawn detergent poured into a clogged toilet allowed to sit for 15 minutes and then followed with a bucket of hot water poured from waist height will clear out the toilet.
POISON IVY
Poison ivy spreads through the spread of the oil within the blisters. Washing the affected area with Dawn, especially on children who keep scratching the blister’s open, helps dry up the fluid, AND keep it from spreading.
DRIVEWAY CLEANER
If you have gasoline or motor oil stains on your driveway, you can use the kitty litter method to clean up the excess oil and then use a scrub broom and a solution of biodegradable Dawn dishwashing detergent and warm water to safely and effectively remove excess motor oil from the pavement.
OILY SKIN
Dawn makes a great facial cleanser for oily skin. A drop or two combined with warm water will do the trick.
PAINT OR GREASE REMOVER FOR HANDS
Dawn combined with corn oil makes for the perfect paint or grease remover. Simply combine a little bit of both in your hands then rub it over affected areas. The corn oil and the dishwashing liquid both help to dissolve the grease and paint – yet leave skin soft, unlike harsher paint removers.
CLEANING THE KIDDIE POOL
Plastic wading pools can get very gunky, very fast. Dump the water, then scrub the pool with Dawn and a sponge. More potent cleaners like bleach will weaken and dry out the plastic in the sun.
MULTIPURPOSE CLEANER
Merry Maids recommends using a drop of Dawn in water to clean ceramic tile and no-wax/linoleum floors. You can also use the spray on:
• Bathroom and kitchen counters and sinks.
• Woodwork, e.g., baseboards, shelves, and wainscoting. (Dry as you go–wood doesn’t like prolonged contact with water.)
• Tubs and toilet seats.
LAUNDRY PRE-TREATER FOR OILY STAINS
For oil-based stains such as lipstick, grease, butter, motor oil, cooking oil, and some pen inks, simply apply some Dawn dishwashing liquid directly to the stain and scrub with a small brush or toothbrush until the oil is removed, and then launder as usual.
NON-TOXIC LUBRICANT
Sliding glass doors, door knobs, hinges etc. It lasts much longer than any aerosol type spray that I have tried. And Its non-toxic! It does a great job of cleaning the parts that its lubricating as well!
SIDEWALK DE-ICER
For icy steps and sidewalks in freezing temperatures, mix 1 teaspoon of Dawn dishwashing liquid, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and 1/2 gallon hot/warm water and pour over walkways. They won’t refreeze. No more salt eating at the concrete in your sidewalks
POOL CLEANING
Squirt Dawn down the middle of the pool and all of the dirt, suntan lotion, etc. will move to the edges of the pool for easy clean up! AND it makes the pools sparkle.
EYEGLASS DEFOGGER
Simply rub a small drop of Dawn on eyeglass lenses, and wipe clean. It will leave a very thin film that will prevent them from fogging up.
SHOWER FLOORS
Cover greasy footprints on shower floors with a coating of Dawn; let sit overnight. Scrub away the gunk in the morning with a stiff brush.
APHID CONTROL ON FRUIT TREES
Mix two tablespoons Dawn to a gallon of water and put in your sprayer. Try to get spray both sides of the leaves, branches and the tree trunks. Let sit for about 15 minutes and then rinse the trees THOROUGHLY!
AND FINALLY……..
Here’s a brilliant idea! Need a hostess gift when visiting friends and family this summer? Print off this post and include it with a bottle of Blue Dawn! Talk about USEFUL !
Ever wonder why Dawn Dishwashing Liquid is the wildlife cleaner of choice after an oil spill? According to the International Bird Rescue Research Center, Dawn effectively removes grease but does not cause harm to the skin of the birds. It’s also biodegradable and contains no phosphates.
BUBBLES
According to Bubbles.org, Dawn dishwashing liquid makes great homemade bubbles. Here is the Giant Bubble Recipe used in bubble makers at many children’s museums: 1/2 cup Ultra Dawn 1/2 gallon warm water 1 tablespoon glycerin (available at any drug store) OR White Karo syrup works too! Stir gently. Skim the foam off the top of the solution (too much foam breaks down the bubbles). Dip bubble wand and get ready for some good, clean fun!
GREASY HAIR PROBLEMS
Kids get into the darnedest things! Like Vaseline and baby oil rubbed into their hair! Dawn is mild enough to use on their hair and strong enough to remove the most stubborn grease.
HAIR PRODUCT BUILDUP
Once a month use original Dawn as you would shampoo. It will remove excess oil from your hair and scalp and strip away any build-up of styling products without any damage. Perform this once a month and you won’t have to buy expensive salon products that do the same thing.
MANICURE SECRET
Soak fingers in full-strength blue Dawn. It makes the cuticles soft and easy to work with. And it removes the natural oil from the fingernails, which allows the polish to adhere very well.
REPEL HOUSEPLANT INSECTS
A safe, effective way to repel insects from your houseplants, including aphids, spider mites and mealy bugs. Put a drop of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid in a spray bottle, fill the rest of the bottle with water, shake well, and mist your household plants with the soapy water.
CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS
Try this recipe from Merry Maids: mix 3 drops Dawn in 1 gallon water and fill a spray bottle with the solution. Spritz and wipe as you would with any window cleaner.
PETS AND PESTS
Use it to bathe the dogs. It kills fleas on contact and is much cheaper than expensive dogshampoos.
CLEAN AUTOMOTIVE TOOLS
After you have finished your automotive repair project, soak your dirty tools in Dawn before you put them away to remove all the oil and grime. Dawn also helps prevent rust from forming on the tools.
ICE PACK
Partially fill a strong zip-type sandwich bag with Dawn dishwashing liquid, close and freeze. The liquid soap stays cold much longer and it can be re-frozen many times. It will conform to the place you need an ice pack.
TUB AND SHOWER CLEANER
Take a spray bottle and fill it halfway with white vinegar. Heat in the microwave. Fill the rest of the way with blue Dawn. Put lid on and shake to mix well. Spray on your tub and shower walls. Allow to sit for a few minutes and rinse away. It will totally melt all the gunk, slime, sludge and other stuff that builds up including a bathtub ring.
REPEL ANTS
Spray counter-tops, cupboards and any other area where you see ants with a solution of Dawn and water. Wipe dry. The slight residue of Dawn that remains will not be a problem at all for kids or pets, but ants hate it. Should you see a trail of ants, go ahead and hit them with the Dawn spray.
STRIPPING CLOTH DIAPERS
Add a squirt or two of original Dawn dish soap to your washer and run a hot wash, then rinse until there are no more bubbles. Dawn is a degreasing agent and helps stripping by removing oily residue. Be sure to rinse, rinse, rinse until the water runs clear.
UNCLOGGING TOILETS
A cup of Dawn detergent poured into a clogged toilet allowed to sit for 15 minutes and then followed with a bucket of hot water poured from waist height will clear out the toilet.
POISON IVY
Poison ivy spreads through the spread of the oil within the blisters. Washing the affected area with Dawn, especially on children who keep scratching the blister’s open, helps dry up the fluid, AND keep it from spreading.
DRIVEWAY CLEANER
If you have gasoline or motor oil stains on your driveway, you can use the kitty litter method to clean up the excess oil and then use a scrub broom and a solution of biodegradable Dawn dishwashing detergent and warm water to safely and effectively remove excess motor oil from the pavement.
OILY SKIN
Dawn makes a great facial cleanser for oily skin. A drop or two combined with warm water will do the trick.
PAINT OR GREASE REMOVER FOR HANDS
Dawn combined with corn oil makes for the perfect paint or grease remover. Simply combine a little bit of both in your hands then rub it over affected areas. The corn oil and the dishwashing liquid both help to dissolve the grease and paint – yet leave skin soft, unlike harsher paint removers.
CLEANING THE KIDDIE POOL
Plastic wading pools can get very gunky, very fast. Dump the water, then scrub the pool with Dawn and a sponge. More potent cleaners like bleach will weaken and dry out the plastic in the sun.
MULTIPURPOSE CLEANER
Merry Maids recommends using a drop of Dawn in water to clean ceramic tile and no-wax/linoleum floors. You can also use the spray on:
• Bathroom and kitchen counters and sinks.
• Woodwork, e.g., baseboards, shelves, and wainscoting. (Dry as you go–wood doesn’t like prolonged contact with water.)
• Tubs and toilet seats.
LAUNDRY PRE-TREATER FOR OILY STAINS
For oil-based stains such as lipstick, grease, butter, motor oil, cooking oil, and some pen inks, simply apply some Dawn dishwashing liquid directly to the stain and scrub with a small brush or toothbrush until the oil is removed, and then launder as usual.
NON-TOXIC LUBRICANT
Sliding glass doors, door knobs, hinges etc. It lasts much longer than any aerosol type spray that I have tried. And Its non-toxic! It does a great job of cleaning the parts that its lubricating as well!
SIDEWALK DE-ICER
For icy steps and sidewalks in freezing temperatures, mix 1 teaspoon of Dawn dishwashing liquid, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and 1/2 gallon hot/warm water and pour over walkways. They won’t refreeze. No more salt eating at the concrete in your sidewalks
POOL CLEANING
Squirt Dawn down the middle of the pool and all of the dirt, suntan lotion, etc. will move to the edges of the pool for easy clean up! AND it makes the pools sparkle.
EYEGLASS DEFOGGER
Simply rub a small drop of Dawn on eyeglass lenses, and wipe clean. It will leave a very thin film that will prevent them from fogging up.
SHOWER FLOORS
Cover greasy footprints on shower floors with a coating of Dawn; let sit overnight. Scrub away the gunk in the morning with a stiff brush.
APHID CONTROL ON FRUIT TREES
Mix two tablespoons Dawn to a gallon of water and put in your sprayer. Try to get spray both sides of the leaves, branches and the tree trunks. Let sit for about 15 minutes and then rinse the trees THOROUGHLY!
AND FINALLY……..
Here’s a brilliant idea! Need a hostess gift when visiting friends and family this summer? Print off this post and include it with a bottle of Blue Dawn! Talk about USEFUL !
Friday, May 23, 2014
Santa Cruz Natural Bridge
From Popular Science Magazine
Source:
https://archive.org/stream/popularsciencemo78newyuoft#page/426/mode/2up
Source:
https://archive.org/stream/popularsciencemo78newyuoft#page/426/mode/2up
Thursday, May 08, 2014
Horse Breeds
It is believed that the forerunner of the Lipizzan was bred in Carthage, more than 2,000 years ago. The Carthaginian stock was bred to the Vilano, a sturdy Pyrenees horse, and with Arab and Barbary strains. The result became the fabled Andalusian of ancient Spain.
During Spain's 700 years of Moorish domination, the breed remained essentially the same. Occasional crossing with fresh Arab and Oriental blood by the breeders of Cordoba and Granada assured that the fleetness and agility so prized by the Arabs remained qualities inherent in the stock. The Spanish began to export the horses after Spain rid itself of Moorish rule. The most notable stud farms were established in Italy and Frederiksborg, Denmark. The Danes produced excellent stock from the Spanish progenitors; the Italian "Neapolitan" bloodline became famous in Europe.
Archduke Maximilian, later Emperor of Austria, began breeding Spanish horses there about 1562. Eighteen years later, Archduke Karl, ruler of four Austrian provinces, established a royal stud farm in Lipizza, located in the hills of Karst, near Trieste.
Fresh Spanish stock was systematically added to the blood line at intervals to maintain the strength of the breed. Oriental stallions were used occasionally for the same purpose. In the 17th and 18th centuries, horses from the northern Italian stud farm at Polesnia and the highly regarded Neapolitan strain were brought to Lipizza to mingle with the resident stock and the descendants of the original Spanish line out of Denmark and Germany.
From 1809 to 1815 they lived in the lowlands of the TISZA River, which flows into the Danube. The land was hard on them. It took several years and an infusion of fresh blood to recapture the vitality and high standard of the line. In May of 1915, the Lipizzans were split up. One group was taken to Laxenburg, near Vienna, and the other to Kladrub.
The fall of the Austrian House of HABSBURG in 1918 brought about the break up of the old Austrian Empire. Lipizza became a part of Italy. The Italian and Austrian governments divided the Lipizzaner herd equally. The Republic of Austria took their horses to Piber in Steiermark. Piber, a privately owned stud farm, was founded in 1798 to breed calvary mounts for the army. In 1858, it became a government breeding farm and produced Lipizzans of another and lighter strain for stud purposes in the provinces.
http://www.lipizzaner.com/
One example of the Spanish horse's influence is the American Quarter horse, whose development traces from the Colonial Short Horse-an animal of Spanish heritage-so named because it was unbeatable in short-distance races. The Short Horse was also crossed with a number of English Thoroughbreds when they were imported to what is now the United States. This mixing of blood produced most of the modern North American breeds, including the Quarter Horse, Morgan, American Saddlebred and the original American Thoroughbred. Ironically, the very breeds that the Andalusian spawned were to be his near undoing. Size became the fad in Europe. The Neapolitan, the Norman and the English Thoroughbred grew in popularity and in numbers until finally, they surpassed the position of the Spanish horse. The Andalusian breed was all but extinct in all areas except Spain and Portugal, where it became known as the Lusitano.
Then tragically, the plague followed by famine, nearly pushed the breed into oblivion. Fortunately, the horses survived in a few mountainous areas of Spain, notably at the Carthusian Monastery. The animals of this herd are today known as the Carthusians, the finest of the Spanish horses. In order to conserve the rare horses for breeding, the government of Spain placed an embargo on their export. For more than 100 years, the Andalusian was virtually unseen by the rest of the world. Then in the 1960's the export ban was lifted.
Now the popularity of the Andalusian horse is once again on the rise. Horsemen are rediscovering the traits that made the Andalusian the most sought-after horse in the world; the strength, agility, beauty, pride and docility bred for centuries into the Spanish horse. The Spanish stallions are unique because they are fiery and tractable.
This seeming contradiction stems from the edict of King Ferdinand of Spain, who enforced the old law that gentlemen must ride only stallions. This severe edict must have resulted in a few Spanish grandees being dumped on their heads, until horsemen began to breed their steeds for good temperament, knowing that they would not only have to ride stallions, but they would also be selling saddle stallions for a living.
The temperament, agility and strength of the Andalusian are again being sought after for dressage purposes. Dressage and the Spanish horse were almost synonymous in the beginning. The Spanish horse was so strong and agile that he could be trained to do amazing things, and the techniques that are now recognized as modern dressage were actually methods used to train the superior war-horses.
The Andalusian was so adept at this training that nearly all of the oldest and most famous riding schools started with Spanish horses. The best example of this is the Spanish Riding School in Austria, thus named for the Spanish horses that it used. The Lipizzan breed is an ancestor to the Andalusian, being almost totally of Spanish blood. As recently as 1968, a four-year-old stallion of the Carthusian line of the Andalusian was imported to rejuvenate the present line of Lipizzans in Austria.
Although less popular today among dressage horse breeders, the Spanish Andalusian is still a superior dressage mount. Occasionally overlooked by modern dressage riders, who consider him a "circus horse," the Andalusian significantly contributed to the Thoroughbred and most of the other popular European dressage breeds.
Nonetheless, the Andalusian is proving that he is not only suitable, but perhaps the best choice for the dressage arena. The list of the breed's winnings and the spread of its fame is limited only by its rarity. The Andalusian is excelling in other areas as American horsemen discover his great level of versatility. As a Western-riding horse, his skills are surpassed only by his grandchild-the Quarter Horse. However, when it comes to agility and the ability to work cattle, there is none better than the Andalusian. After all, he has been through countless battles with wild and deadly Iberian bulls.
For well over 1,000 years, he has worked at close quarters with these bulls, both in and out of the bullfighting arena. With death only inches away, he has had to carry his rider close enough to a maddened bull to place a rose between his horns and then whisk away before being gored. When not in the arena, he was the only horse quick enough to work the unpredictable and dangerous herds.
As a show and parade horse, the Andalusian's trademark movements, combined with his noble appearance with a long, lush mane and tail, make him a winner. His shiny gray or white coat glistens as he moves with all of the pride and style bequeathed to him by his ancestors who carried Caesars and kings in their day of triumph and splendor.
His strength and boldness make him a very good hunter and jumper. His agility and endurance make him ideal for trail riding cross-country. Generally, the Andalusian is a horse for all seasons and for all sports, even though he is a relative newcomer to the United States. Not until 1965 were the first Andalusians registered in this country. Today, their numbers are only about 700, making them precious as gold to their owners.
During Spain's 700 years of Moorish domination, the breed remained essentially the same. Occasional crossing with fresh Arab and Oriental blood by the breeders of Cordoba and Granada assured that the fleetness and agility so prized by the Arabs remained qualities inherent in the stock. The Spanish began to export the horses after Spain rid itself of Moorish rule. The most notable stud farms were established in Italy and Frederiksborg, Denmark. The Danes produced excellent stock from the Spanish progenitors; the Italian "Neapolitan" bloodline became famous in Europe.
Archduke Maximilian, later Emperor of Austria, began breeding Spanish horses there about 1562. Eighteen years later, Archduke Karl, ruler of four Austrian provinces, established a royal stud farm in Lipizza, located in the hills of Karst, near Trieste.
Fresh Spanish stock was systematically added to the blood line at intervals to maintain the strength of the breed. Oriental stallions were used occasionally for the same purpose. In the 17th and 18th centuries, horses from the northern Italian stud farm at Polesnia and the highly regarded Neapolitan strain were brought to Lipizza to mingle with the resident stock and the descendants of the original Spanish line out of Denmark and Germany.
From 1809 to 1815 they lived in the lowlands of the TISZA River, which flows into the Danube. The land was hard on them. It took several years and an infusion of fresh blood to recapture the vitality and high standard of the line. In May of 1915, the Lipizzans were split up. One group was taken to Laxenburg, near Vienna, and the other to Kladrub.
The fall of the Austrian House of HABSBURG in 1918 brought about the break up of the old Austrian Empire. Lipizza became a part of Italy. The Italian and Austrian governments divided the Lipizzaner herd equally. The Republic of Austria took their horses to Piber in Steiermark. Piber, a privately owned stud farm, was founded in 1798 to breed calvary mounts for the army. In 1858, it became a government breeding farm and produced Lipizzans of another and lighter strain for stud purposes in the provinces.
http://www.lipizzaner.com/
One example of the Spanish horse's influence is the American Quarter horse, whose development traces from the Colonial Short Horse-an animal of Spanish heritage-so named because it was unbeatable in short-distance races. The Short Horse was also crossed with a number of English Thoroughbreds when they were imported to what is now the United States. This mixing of blood produced most of the modern North American breeds, including the Quarter Horse, Morgan, American Saddlebred and the original American Thoroughbred. Ironically, the very breeds that the Andalusian spawned were to be his near undoing. Size became the fad in Europe. The Neapolitan, the Norman and the English Thoroughbred grew in popularity and in numbers until finally, they surpassed the position of the Spanish horse. The Andalusian breed was all but extinct in all areas except Spain and Portugal, where it became known as the Lusitano.
Then tragically, the plague followed by famine, nearly pushed the breed into oblivion. Fortunately, the horses survived in a few mountainous areas of Spain, notably at the Carthusian Monastery. The animals of this herd are today known as the Carthusians, the finest of the Spanish horses. In order to conserve the rare horses for breeding, the government of Spain placed an embargo on their export. For more than 100 years, the Andalusian was virtually unseen by the rest of the world. Then in the 1960's the export ban was lifted.
Now the popularity of the Andalusian horse is once again on the rise. Horsemen are rediscovering the traits that made the Andalusian the most sought-after horse in the world; the strength, agility, beauty, pride and docility bred for centuries into the Spanish horse. The Spanish stallions are unique because they are fiery and tractable.
This seeming contradiction stems from the edict of King Ferdinand of Spain, who enforced the old law that gentlemen must ride only stallions. This severe edict must have resulted in a few Spanish grandees being dumped on their heads, until horsemen began to breed their steeds for good temperament, knowing that they would not only have to ride stallions, but they would also be selling saddle stallions for a living.
The temperament, agility and strength of the Andalusian are again being sought after for dressage purposes. Dressage and the Spanish horse were almost synonymous in the beginning. The Spanish horse was so strong and agile that he could be trained to do amazing things, and the techniques that are now recognized as modern dressage were actually methods used to train the superior war-horses.
The Andalusian was so adept at this training that nearly all of the oldest and most famous riding schools started with Spanish horses. The best example of this is the Spanish Riding School in Austria, thus named for the Spanish horses that it used. The Lipizzan breed is an ancestor to the Andalusian, being almost totally of Spanish blood. As recently as 1968, a four-year-old stallion of the Carthusian line of the Andalusian was imported to rejuvenate the present line of Lipizzans in Austria.
Although less popular today among dressage horse breeders, the Spanish Andalusian is still a superior dressage mount. Occasionally overlooked by modern dressage riders, who consider him a "circus horse," the Andalusian significantly contributed to the Thoroughbred and most of the other popular European dressage breeds.
Nonetheless, the Andalusian is proving that he is not only suitable, but perhaps the best choice for the dressage arena. The list of the breed's winnings and the spread of its fame is limited only by its rarity. The Andalusian is excelling in other areas as American horsemen discover his great level of versatility. As a Western-riding horse, his skills are surpassed only by his grandchild-the Quarter Horse. However, when it comes to agility and the ability to work cattle, there is none better than the Andalusian. After all, he has been through countless battles with wild and deadly Iberian bulls.
For well over 1,000 years, he has worked at close quarters with these bulls, both in and out of the bullfighting arena. With death only inches away, he has had to carry his rider close enough to a maddened bull to place a rose between his horns and then whisk away before being gored. When not in the arena, he was the only horse quick enough to work the unpredictable and dangerous herds.
As a show and parade horse, the Andalusian's trademark movements, combined with his noble appearance with a long, lush mane and tail, make him a winner. His shiny gray or white coat glistens as he moves with all of the pride and style bequeathed to him by his ancestors who carried Caesars and kings in their day of triumph and splendor.
His strength and boldness make him a very good hunter and jumper. His agility and endurance make him ideal for trail riding cross-country. Generally, the Andalusian is a horse for all seasons and for all sports, even though he is a relative newcomer to the United States. Not until 1965 were the first Andalusians registered in this country. Today, their numbers are only about 700, making them precious as gold to their owners.
The Friesian horse is the only horse breed native to the Netherlands where the Friesian has been known since as far back as the 13th century. At the start of the Christian era, the Friesian was used in battle1 and Friesian troops were documented in Britannia. In the 4th century, English writer Anthony Dent1 wrote about the presence of Friesian troops at Carlisle and their horses. Both cases probably involve Friesian mercenaries mounted on Friesian stallions. Anthony Dent and other writers indicate that the Friesian horse is the ancestor of both the British Shire breed and the Fell pony.
Since the 16th century, Friesians have been in Neaples. Jan van der Straat's 1568 painting shows "Phryso" owned by Don Juan from Austria.
In the 11th century, Willem de Veroveraar1 used horses that had a remarkable resemblance to the Friesian breed. From this period, there are many illustrations of knights riding Friesian-looking horses.
During the crusades and later, in the course of the Eighty Years’ War, it is very probable that the Friesian breed was crossed with Arabian and Andalusian horses.
The first written evidence of use of the name “Friesian horse” was an announcement in 1544 that German Elector Johann Friedrich von Sachsen came to the Reichstag in Spiers riding a Friesian stallion.3 Three years later, he rode the stallion in the Battle of Muhlberg and was recognised from afar by Emperor Charles V. Also an etching dating from 1568 of the stallion Phryso1 belonging to Don Juan of Austria in Napels is very well known. During the 17th century, the Friesian horse was well represented at the various riding schools where the haut école of equitation was practised.
Use of the Friesian horse, however, became increasingly limited to the current Dutch province of Friesland over the 18th and 19th centuries. Towards the end of the 19th century, the presence of the Friesian horse in the countryside of Friesland became an expression of the owner’s wealth with the breed used mostly to bring upper-class farmers to church. The horse was additionally used for entertainment in the form of ridden short-track trotting races.2 In these races, the horse was traditionally ridden with just a small orange blanket on its back. During this period, the Friesian horse was very likely used in the breeding of the Orlov as well as American trotters.
Monday, May 05, 2014
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Sensitive people
http://www.hsperson.com/pages/child.htm
http://www.advice-for-parents.com/2007/11/what-can-i-do-about-my-preschooler-who.html
http://www.advice-for-parents.com/2007/11/my-child-cries-at-everything-part-2.html
http://www.advice-for-parents.com/2007/11/what-can-i-do-about-my-preschooler-who.html
http://www.advice-for-parents.com/2007/11/my-child-cries-at-everything-part-2.html
Friday, April 04, 2014
St Patrick
10 fun facts to share with your friends!
The most kids know of St. Patrick 's Day is that you must wear green
or you'll get a pinch from your friends. Adults see the day as an
occasion to celebrate, sometimes with green beer and other assorted
alcoholic beverages. However, few really know what they are celebrating
or why the holiday is so important, particularly in the Americas.The following 10 facts may help you to better enjoy this popular holiday.
10. March 17th is when Patrick died.
Saint Patrick is a saint of the Catholic Church, and his holy day is the day of his death, and subsequent entrance to heaven, rather than the day of his physical birth. After spending most of his adult life converting the pagans of Ireland to Christianity, St. Patrick went to his reward on March 17, 461 AD.
9. St. Patrick wasn't Irish.
St. Patrick wasn't Irish, and he wasn't born in Ireland. Patrick's parents were Roman citizens living in modern-day England, or more precisely in Scotland or Wales (scholars cannot agree on which). He was born in 385 AD. By that time, most Romans were Christians and the Christian religion was spreading rapidly across Europe.
8. St. Patrick was a slave.
At the age of 16, Patrick had the misfortune of being kidnapped by Irish raiders who took him away and sold him as a slave. He spent several years in Ireland herding sheep and learning about the people there. At the age of 22, he managed to escape. He made his way to a monastery in England where he spent 12 years growing closer to God.
7. St. Patrick used the shamrock to preach about the trinity.
Many claim the shamrock represents faith, hope, and love, or any number of other things but it was actually used by Patrick to teach the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and how three things, the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit could be separate entities, yet one in the same. Obviously, the pagan rulers of Ireland found Patrick to be convincing because they quickly converted to Christianity.
6. Legend says St. Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland.
According to legend, St. Patrick drove all the snakes, or in some translations, "toads," out of Ireland. In reality, this probably did not occur, as there is no evidence that snakes have ever existed in Ireland, the climate being too cool for them to thrive. Despite that, scholars suggest that the term "snakes" may be figurative and refer to pagan religious beliefs and practices rather than reptiles or amphibians.
5. Patrick's color is blue.
The original color associated with St. Patrick is blue, not green as commonly believed. In several artworks depicting the saint, he is shown wearing blue vestments. King Henry VIII used the Irish harp in gold on a blue flag to represent the country. Since that time, and possibly before, blue has been a popular color to represent the country on flags, coats-of-arms, and even sports jerseys.
Green was associated with the country later, presumably because of the greenness of the countryside, which is so because Ireland receives plentiful rainfall. Today, the country is also referred to as the "Emerald Isle."
4. The Shamrock is not the symbol of Ireland.
The shamrock is a popular Irish symbol, but it is not the symbol of Ireland. As early as the medieval period, the harp has appeared on Irish gravestones and manuscripts. However, it is certain that the harp was popular in Irish legend and culture even well before that period.
Since the medieval period, the harp has represented the nation. King Henry VIII used the harp on coins as early as 1534. Later, the harp was used on Irish flags and Irish coats of arms. The harp was also used as a symbol of the Irish people during their long struggle for freedom. Starting in 1642 the harp appeared on flags during rebellions against English rule. When Ireland became an independent country in 1921, it adopted the harp as the national symbol.
3. There are more Irish in the USA than Ireland.
Well, sort of. An estimated 34 million Americans have Irish ancestry. Some are pure-blood Irish, meaning they or their parents came from Ireland, but many more have mixed ancestry today. By contrast, there are 4.2 million people living in Ireland. This peculiarity has a lot to do with the troubled history of Ireland. During the potato famine in Ireland, millions of Irish left the country for the US. This diaspora of Irish continued throughout much of the 19th century. Great numbers of Irish immigrants filled factories, served as railroad laborers --and even joined the military, sometimes immediately upon stepping foot on American soil! During the US Civil War, entire regiments of troops were comprised exclusively of Irish immigrants. It wasn't until the economic boom of the 1990s that more Irish stayed in their native country than traveled abroad searching for better opportunities.
2. St. Patrick's Day in the US has a strong political history.
In the mid 19th century, the Irish faced discrimination much like that faced by African Americans. In a few rare instances, prejudice against the Irish was even more fierce! The Irish were culturally unique, Catholic, and because of deplorable conditions in Ireland, flooded into the US in large numbers. They were perceived as a potentially disloyal and were treated harshly. To combat this, the American Irish began to organize themselves politically. By the end of the 19th century, St. Patrick's Day was a large holiday for the Irish and an occasion for them to demonstrate their collective political and social might. While the political emphasis has faded along with the discrimination, the holiday remains ever popular as an opportunity for festivity regardless of one's cultural background.
1. St. Patrick's was a dry holiday in Ireland until 1970.
Aside from the color green, the activity most associated with St. Patrick's Day is drinking. However, Irish law, from 1903 to 1970, declared St. Patrick's Day a religious observance for the entire country meaning that all pubs were shut down for the day. That meant no beer, not even the green kind, for public celebrants. The law was overturned in 1970, when St. Patrick's was reclassified as a national holiday - allowing the taps to flow freely once again.
Saint Patrick is a saint of the Catholic Church, and his holy day is the day of his death, and subsequent entrance to heaven, rather than the day of his physical birth. After spending most of his adult life converting the pagans of Ireland to Christianity, St. Patrick went to his reward on March 17, 461 AD.
9. St. Patrick wasn't Irish.
St. Patrick wasn't Irish, and he wasn't born in Ireland. Patrick's parents were Roman citizens living in modern-day England, or more precisely in Scotland or Wales (scholars cannot agree on which). He was born in 385 AD. By that time, most Romans were Christians and the Christian religion was spreading rapidly across Europe.
8. St. Patrick was a slave.
At the age of 16, Patrick had the misfortune of being kidnapped by Irish raiders who took him away and sold him as a slave. He spent several years in Ireland herding sheep and learning about the people there. At the age of 22, he managed to escape. He made his way to a monastery in England where he spent 12 years growing closer to God.
7. St. Patrick used the shamrock to preach about the trinity.
Many claim the shamrock represents faith, hope, and love, or any number of other things but it was actually used by Patrick to teach the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and how three things, the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit could be separate entities, yet one in the same. Obviously, the pagan rulers of Ireland found Patrick to be convincing because they quickly converted to Christianity.
6. Legend says St. Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland.
According to legend, St. Patrick drove all the snakes, or in some translations, "toads," out of Ireland. In reality, this probably did not occur, as there is no evidence that snakes have ever existed in Ireland, the climate being too cool for them to thrive. Despite that, scholars suggest that the term "snakes" may be figurative and refer to pagan religious beliefs and practices rather than reptiles or amphibians.
5. Patrick's color is blue.
The original color associated with St. Patrick is blue, not green as commonly believed. In several artworks depicting the saint, he is shown wearing blue vestments. King Henry VIII used the Irish harp in gold on a blue flag to represent the country. Since that time, and possibly before, blue has been a popular color to represent the country on flags, coats-of-arms, and even sports jerseys.
Green was associated with the country later, presumably because of the greenness of the countryside, which is so because Ireland receives plentiful rainfall. Today, the country is also referred to as the "Emerald Isle."
4. The Shamrock is not the symbol of Ireland.
The shamrock is a popular Irish symbol, but it is not the symbol of Ireland. As early as the medieval period, the harp has appeared on Irish gravestones and manuscripts. However, it is certain that the harp was popular in Irish legend and culture even well before that period.
Since the medieval period, the harp has represented the nation. King Henry VIII used the harp on coins as early as 1534. Later, the harp was used on Irish flags and Irish coats of arms. The harp was also used as a symbol of the Irish people during their long struggle for freedom. Starting in 1642 the harp appeared on flags during rebellions against English rule. When Ireland became an independent country in 1921, it adopted the harp as the national symbol.
3. There are more Irish in the USA than Ireland.
Well, sort of. An estimated 34 million Americans have Irish ancestry. Some are pure-blood Irish, meaning they or their parents came from Ireland, but many more have mixed ancestry today. By contrast, there are 4.2 million people living in Ireland. This peculiarity has a lot to do with the troubled history of Ireland. During the potato famine in Ireland, millions of Irish left the country for the US. This diaspora of Irish continued throughout much of the 19th century. Great numbers of Irish immigrants filled factories, served as railroad laborers --and even joined the military, sometimes immediately upon stepping foot on American soil! During the US Civil War, entire regiments of troops were comprised exclusively of Irish immigrants. It wasn't until the economic boom of the 1990s that more Irish stayed in their native country than traveled abroad searching for better opportunities.
2. St. Patrick's Day in the US has a strong political history.
In the mid 19th century, the Irish faced discrimination much like that faced by African Americans. In a few rare instances, prejudice against the Irish was even more fierce! The Irish were culturally unique, Catholic, and because of deplorable conditions in Ireland, flooded into the US in large numbers. They were perceived as a potentially disloyal and were treated harshly. To combat this, the American Irish began to organize themselves politically. By the end of the 19th century, St. Patrick's Day was a large holiday for the Irish and an occasion for them to demonstrate their collective political and social might. While the political emphasis has faded along with the discrimination, the holiday remains ever popular as an opportunity for festivity regardless of one's cultural background.
1. St. Patrick's was a dry holiday in Ireland until 1970.
Aside from the color green, the activity most associated with St. Patrick's Day is drinking. However, Irish law, from 1903 to 1970, declared St. Patrick's Day a religious observance for the entire country meaning that all pubs were shut down for the day. That meant no beer, not even the green kind, for public celebrants. The law was overturned in 1970, when St. Patrick's was reclassified as a national holiday - allowing the taps to flow freely once again.
St. Patrick's Day is dedicated to St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Despite popular belief, he did not rid the island of snakes, but did convert many of the Irish people to Christianity. But who exactly was he? Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents, but at the age of sixteen, was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders, who took the young man back home with them to be engaged as a slave. After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick managed to escape, and according to his writings; God spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland. This meant walking more than two hundred miles, but he eventually made it back to Britain. Not long after, he experienced a second dream, in which an angel instructed him to return to Ireland as a missionary. He spent the next fifteen years in Religious study, becoming a priest, and then fulfilling the angel's request. He was already familiar with the Irish language and culture so instead of enforcing his own Christian beliefs, he incorporated them into the traditional rituals. Since the Irish used to honour their gods with fire, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter and drew suns, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross.
Though he was not the first Christian in Ireland, he became the most influential one, and since it is believed that he died on March 17, 460 CE; that day has been set aside as his Saint's Day. http://www.victoriancanada.com/saint_patrick.html
The cynic might think there's more chance of finding St Patrick's Day celebrations in Shangai than on the Shankill and that Bali will see more wearing of the green than Ballymena.
But, while Protestants here have hardly been the biggest fans of Ireland's patron saint, who they say has been hijacked by republicans, several hundred Orangemen will still be on the march over the weekend on the Shankill and in Ballymena to commemorate St Patrick.It'll be a drop in the ocean admittedly among an estimated six million people around the world who'll be drowning their shamrocks over a weekend when only a minority of Ulster Protestants will raise a glass to Patrick on what's seen by some as the Catholic answer to the Twelfth of July.
But things are changing. Slowly. And in the past decade a growing number of unionists have started to embrace the saint they once accused Sinn Fein of politicising for their own ends. Especially in Belfast.
For several years in a row there was controversy as nationalists and republicans attending a St Patrick's Day concert and parade in the city centre waved Tricolours in a sea of green which was like a red rag to those of an Orange hue.
Belfast City Council responded by trying to neutralise the carnival – which this year runs for four days – by banning all flags and emblems in a move which encouraged Protestant community groups to join in the festivities.
But the fear this year is that tomorrow's St Patrick's Day pageant could raise tensions if large numbers of Tricolours are used as tools of triumphalism in the city centre where the restrictions on the flying of the Union flag at the City Hall have sparked weeks of often violent protests.
One leading loyalist is pessimistic: "I think relationships have taken a few steps back because the flag and symbols are again to the forefront of our differences. The worry is that the Tricolour may become an issue once more on St Patrick's Day at the City Hall where the Union flag has been the focus of attention for months."
Police are also aware that loyalist flag protesters have been threatening to demonstrate at the City Hall tomorrow which could be a major security nightmare on a day that is supposed to promote harmony and understanding.
The
irony of course is that St Patrick – and more specifically his Cross –
is part of the Union flag, "so every time we fly the flag we are
elevating and lifting up St Patrick," says the loyalist source,
reinforcing the conclusion the two sides here have been engaged in a
power struggle for ownership of St Patrick.
Sinn Fein
Councillor Mairtin O Muilleoir says he believes Belfast's St Patrick's
Day is becoming more of a cross-community event. "I don't want to
exaggerate it and we're not there yet but it's a testament to this city
that there is more of a shared occasion around St Patrick," he said.
Only one politician from the Unionist community has been ever-present at the St Patrick's celebrations in Belfast.
Dr
John Kyle, a former chairman of the Progressive Unionist Party has been
criticised in some loyalist quarters for his participation especially
in the days before flags were outlawed but he has no regrets and will be
in the parade tomorrow.
"I am happy to celebrate St
Patrick because he's a man to be admired and respected. In terms of the
Christian faith I believe Protestants and Catholics owe him a huge debt
of gratitude.
"He came to a country and changed it for good and he doesn't belong to either tradition."
Dr
Kyle finds the reluctance to take part in the Paddy parties by some
Unionist parties hypocritical. "Why is it ok for them to go to St
Patrick's Day celebrations in Washington and not to one in Belfast?
"I
think unionism undersells itself in terms of its heritage and it needs
to stop vacating shared space. We have instead to celebrate our shared
history. St Patrick is just as much part of the unionist heritage as the
nationalist heritage."
One Ulster Scots organisation –
the Ullans Academy – which includes churchmen, politicians and former
paramilitaries in its ranks – is trying to bring St Patrick back into
the unionist fold.
Each year the academy holds a St
Patrick's Day breakfast to which they invite Protestants and Catholics
to explore their common bonds with the patron saint.
The
former DUP leader Dr Ian Paisley, who regularly attends the breakfast,
used the occasion six years ago to call for St Patrick's Day to be
declared a public holiday in Northern Ireland.
Wearing a
sprig of shamrock, he told me how he admired the saint and preached and
wrote about him on a regular basis, describing him as one of the
greatest evangelists of all time.
Even at the height of Protestant hostility towards St Patrick his spirit was kept alive, ironically, by the Army.
Its
local regiments all received shamrock every March 17, usually from
members of the Royal Family under the watchful eyes of a veritable
battalion of Northern Irish journalists specially flown in for the event
by the Army.
Yet, when the soldiers went back to civvy street, the shamrock and the saint went to the back of their minds.
DUP
Assemblyman Sammy Douglas who has hosted the Ullans breakfast in
Belfast City Hall says: "I remember the excitement of going to St
Patrick's Barracks in Ballymena to see the presentation of shamrocks to
my brother and his colleagues in the Royal Irish Rifles."
But that was all there was to the MLA's engagement with the St Patrick's celebrations when he was growing up.
Douglas
says Protestant antipathy towards St Patrick is dissipating as they
re-claim him as one of their own "after years of seeing Catholics
flaunting him as a republican and nationalist icon".
"It's
still politicised in many ways. But I do believe things are different
now, though it's probably going too far to say Protestants would find it
easy to go along to the Belfast celebrations."
Ex-UDA
leader Andy Tyrie (left) has been pioneering an initiative to try to
correct the misconceptions of the past and as part of it, former PUP
leader David Ervine's brother Brian gave talks this month in both east
and west Belfast about St Patrick.
He says: "The idea is
to explode the myths and legends and I told the two audiences that St
Patrick is a candidate for a shared history between our two communities
when he is stripped away of his republican appendages and depoliticised,
making him acceptable to everyone here."
Ervine, whose
wife is promoting the Irish language in east Belfast, is convinced that
Protestants will want to learn more about St Patrick if the politics are
stripped away. "There's nothing to fear from him or the language," he
says.
The Orange Order, however, isn't fully on board the
St Patrick bandwagon yet. Its chaplain the Rev Mervyn Gibson says: "I
am happy to embrace St Patrick's heritage but not in the narrow
nationalist way it has been done recently.
"He has
definitely been hijacked but I do think that attitudes have altered over
the last 10 years as Protestants try to maybe not to re-claim St
Patrick but rather to share him.
"Certainly there's not
the same hostility as there was but many Protestants don't buy into the
green rivers and the New York parades but it is relevant with the
present situation that the cross on the Union flag is the cross of St
Patrick."
Just like Protestant churches, a number of
Orange lodges take their name from St Patrick. The Cross of St Patrick
LOL 688 says its aim is to promote his Christian message.
Five
years ago they were approached informally by a councillor to see if
they would take part in the St Patrick's Day celebrations in Downpatrick
where the saint is said to be buried.
But the idea was a non-starter because the Orangemen were told not to wear their collarettes or carry their banner.
Several
years earlier the Orange Order pulled out of a parade in Cork claiming
the safety of the small delegation of members who were scheduled to
participate couldn't be guaranteed. The order blamed Sinn Fein for
hyping up the situation with statements that the Orangemen's presence
would be offensive.
Like many Protestants, Mervyn Gibson says that as a youth in Belfast St Patrick wasn't part of his life.
"For me St Patrick's Day was only about the Schools' Cup final and the only march was rugby fans heading up the Ravenhill Road."
However,
the director of the St Patrick's Centre in Downpatrick believes more
Protestants do want to know more about Ireland's patron saint.
Dr
Tim Campbell says: "I work in the field and I know there has been a
huge sea-change over the last five or six years of people from a
unionist tradition who want to learn about St Patrick and to be more
involved in his celebrations.
"They want to find a way of
doing that because they don't necessarily want to be associated with a
parade that has a lot of flags and bunting in it.
"They
want to do it in a family friendly and safe environment. And we believe
we have been successful in doing just that in Downpatrick away from all
the politics where we can concentrate instead purely on a historical
figure."
However, not even Downpatrick which normally
attracts upwards of 30,000 people to its cross-community parade has been
immune from division.
In 2011 seven primary schools
pulled out and unionist politicians walked out after Sinn Fein
councillor Eamonn Mac Con Midhe carried a Tricolour at the head of the
St Patrick's Day parade.
He said he wasn't supporting
Down District Council's 25-year policy of flying the red and white cross
of St Patrick which he claimed 'had a military background'
However,
Dr Campbell says it's business as usual now in Downpatrick and for the
past two years a group called the Friends of St Patrick have held cross
community dinners in honour of the patron saint with DUP politicians and
Irish presidents attending them.
Tim Campbell says
Downpatrick is a lesson for everyone. "We want people to understand that
St Patrick was someone from Britain who became the patron saint of
Ireland and can be celebrated by everybody.
"We are
making inroads at making it all more inclusive. And there's more
interest among young people in St Patrick than there has ever been.
"But
he needs to be more central in the school curriculum particularly in
primary schools. Pupils need to learn more about him as a reconciling
figure."
Harder for some people to reconcile however may be the idea of a St Patrick's Day without drink.
Belfast
City Council has endorsed the idea of Sober St Patrick's Day championed
first in New York by businessman Bill Reilly, who is flying in from the
Big Apple for the celebrations here on Sunday.
Council officials are hoping his idea of a drink-free day will catch on in Belfast especially among students.
That
could be a tall order. Said one councillor: "It might be harder to
banish the booze from the Holylands than it was for St Patrick to get
rid of the snakes from Ireland." The spirit of
St Patrick was kept by the Army
Friday, January 03, 2014
The Important Thing About Yelling
FROM: rachel-macy-stafford
I cherish the notes I receive from my children -- whether they are scribbled with a Sharpie on a yellow sticky note or written in perfect penmanship on lined paper. But the Mother's Day poem I received last spring from my first-born daughter left a profound impact.
It was the first line of the poem that caused my breath to catch before warm tears slid down my face.
The important thing about my mom is ... she's always there for me, even when I get in trouble.
You see, it hasn't always been this way.
In the midst of my highly distracted life, I started a new practice that was quite different from the way I behaved up until that point. I became a yeller. It wasn't often, but it was extreme -- like an overloaded balloon that suddenly pops and makes everyone in earshot startle with fear.
So what was it about my then 3-year-old and 6-year-old children that caused me to lose it? Was it how she insisted on running off to get three more beaded necklaces and her favorite pink sunglasses when we were already late? Was it that she tried to pour her own cereal and dumped the entire box on the kitchen counter? Was it that she dropped and shattered my special glass angel on the hardwood floor after being told not to touch it? Was it that she fought sleep like a prizefighter when I needed peace and quiet the most? Was it that the two of them fought over ridiculous things like who would be first out of the car or who got the biggest dip of ice cream?
Yes, it was those things -- normal mishaps and typical kid issues and attitudes that irritated me to the point of losing control.
That is not an easy sentence to write. Nor is this an easy time in my life to relive because truth be told, I hated myself in those moments. What had become of me that I needed to scream at two precious little people who I loved more than life?
Let me tell you what had become of me.
My distractions.
Excessive phone use, commitment overload, multiple page to-do lists and the pursuit of perfection consumed me. And yelling at the people I loved was a direct result of the loss of control I was feeling in my life.
Inevitably, I had to fall apart somewhere. So I fell apart behind closed doors in the company of the people who meant the most to me.
Until one fateful day.
My older daughter had gotten out a stool and was reaching for something in the pantry when she accidentally dumped an entire bag of rice on the floor. As a million tiny grains pelleted the floor like rain, my child's eyes welled up with tears. And that's when I saw it -- the fear in her eyes as she braced herself for her mother's tirade.
She's scared of me, I thought with the most painful realization imaginable. My 6-year-old child is scared of my reaction to her innocent mistake.
With deep sorrow, I realized that was not the mother I wanted my children to grow up with, nor was it how I wanted to live the rest of my life.
Within a few weeks of that episode, I had my Breakdown Breakthrough -- my moment of painful awareness that propelled me on a Hands Free journey to let go of distraction and grasp what really mattered. That was three years ago -- three years of scaling back slowly on the excess and electronic distraction in my life ... three years of releasing myself from the unachievable standard of perfection and societal pressure to "do it all." As I let go of my internal and external distractions, the anger and stress pent up inside me slowly dissipated. With a lightened load, I was able to react to my children's mistakes and wrongdoings in a more calm, compassionate and reasonable manner.
I said things like, "It's just chocolate syrup. You can wipe it up, and the counter will be as good as new."
(Instead of expelling an exasperated sigh and an eye roll for good measure.)
I offered to hold the broom while she swept up a sea of Cheerios that covered the floor.
(Instead of standing over her with a look of disapproval and utter annoyance.)
I helped her think through where she might have set down her glasses.
(Instead of shaming her for being so irresponsible.)
And in the moments when sheer exhaustion and incessant whining were about to get the best of me, I walked into the bathroom, shut the door and gave myself a moment to exhale and remind myself they are children, and children make mistakes. Just like me.
And over time, the fear that once flared in my children's eyes when they were in trouble disappeared. And thank goodness, I became a haven in their times of trouble -- instead of the enemy from which to run and hide.
I am not sure I would have thought to write about this profound transformation had it not been for the incident that happened while I was finishing up the manuscript for my book. In that moment, I got a taste of life overwhelmed and the urge to yell was on the tip of my tongue. I was nearing the final chapters of my book and my computer froze up. Suddenly the edits of three entire chapters disappeared in front of my eyes. I spent several minutes frantically trying to revert to the most recent version of the manuscript. When that failed to work, I consulted the Time Machine backup, only to find that it, too, had experienced an error. When I realized I would never recover the work I did on those three chapters, I wanted to cry -- but even more so, I wanted to rage.
But I couldn't because it was time to pick up the children from school and take them to swim team practice. With great restraint, I calmly shut my laptop and reminded myself there could be much, much worse problems than rewriting these chapters. Then I told myself there was absolutely nothing I could do about this problem right now.
When my children got in the car, they immediately knew something was wrong. "What's wrong, Mama?" they asked in unison after taking one glimpse of my ashen face.
I felt like yelling, "I just lost a fourth of my book!"
I felt like hitting the steering wheel with my fist because sitting in the car was the last place I wanted to be in that moment. I wanted to go home and fix my book -- not shuttle kids to swim team, wring out wet bathing suits, comb through tangled hair, make dinner, scrape dirty dishes and do the nightly tuck in.
But instead I calmly said, "I'm having a little trouble talking right now. I lost part of my book. And I don't want to talk because I feel very frustrated."
"We're sorry," the older one said for the both of them. And then, as if they knew I needed space, they were quiet all the way to the pool. The children and I went about our day and although I was more quiet than usual, I didn't yell and I tried my best to refrain from thinking about the book issue.
Finally, the day was almost done. I had tucked my younger child in bed and was laying beside my older daughter for nightly "Talk Time."
"Do you think you will get your chapters back?" my daughter asked quietly.
And that's when I started to cry -- not so much about the three chapters, I knew they could be rewritten -- my heartbreak was more of a release due to the exhaustion and frustration involved in writing and editing a book. I had been so close to the end. To have it suddenly ripped away was incredibly disappointing.
To my surprise, my child reached out and stroked my hair softly. She said reassuring words like, "Computers can be so frustrating," and "I could take a look at the Time Machine to see if I can fix the backup." And then finally, "Mama, you can do this. You're the best writer I know," and "I'll help you however I can."
In my time of "trouble," there she was, a patient and compassionate encourager who wouldn't think of kicking me when I was already down.
My child would not have learned this empathetic response if I had remained a yeller. Because yelling shuts down the communication; it severs the bond; it causes people to separate -- instead of come closer.
The important thing is ... my mom is always there for me, even when I get in trouble.
My child wrote that about me, the woman who went through a difficult period that she's not proud of, but she learned from. And in my daughter's words, I see hope for others.
The important thing is ... it's not too late to stop yelling.
The important thing is ... children forgive -- especially if they see the person they love trying to change.
The important thing is ... life is too short to get upset over spilled cereal and misplaced shoes.
The important thing is ... no matter what happened yesterday, today is a new day.
Today we can choose a peaceful response.
And in doing so, we can teach our children that peace builds bridges -- bridges that can carry us over in times of trouble.
This post originally appeared on Hands Free Mama.
Rachel's book, Hands Free Mama, describes exactly how she transformed her distracted, perfectionistic, hurried life into one of meaningful connection, inner peace and gratitude. Hands Free Mama is currently available for pre-order and goes on sale January 7th.
I cherish the notes I receive from my children -- whether they are scribbled with a Sharpie on a yellow sticky note or written in perfect penmanship on lined paper. But the Mother's Day poem I received last spring from my first-born daughter left a profound impact.
It was the first line of the poem that caused my breath to catch before warm tears slid down my face.
The important thing about my mom is ... she's always there for me, even when I get in trouble.
You see, it hasn't always been this way.
In the midst of my highly distracted life, I started a new practice that was quite different from the way I behaved up until that point. I became a yeller. It wasn't often, but it was extreme -- like an overloaded balloon that suddenly pops and makes everyone in earshot startle with fear.
So what was it about my then 3-year-old and 6-year-old children that caused me to lose it? Was it how she insisted on running off to get three more beaded necklaces and her favorite pink sunglasses when we were already late? Was it that she tried to pour her own cereal and dumped the entire box on the kitchen counter? Was it that she dropped and shattered my special glass angel on the hardwood floor after being told not to touch it? Was it that she fought sleep like a prizefighter when I needed peace and quiet the most? Was it that the two of them fought over ridiculous things like who would be first out of the car or who got the biggest dip of ice cream?
Yes, it was those things -- normal mishaps and typical kid issues and attitudes that irritated me to the point of losing control.
That is not an easy sentence to write. Nor is this an easy time in my life to relive because truth be told, I hated myself in those moments. What had become of me that I needed to scream at two precious little people who I loved more than life?
Let me tell you what had become of me.
My distractions.
Excessive phone use, commitment overload, multiple page to-do lists and the pursuit of perfection consumed me. And yelling at the people I loved was a direct result of the loss of control I was feeling in my life.
Inevitably, I had to fall apart somewhere. So I fell apart behind closed doors in the company of the people who meant the most to me.
Until one fateful day.
My older daughter had gotten out a stool and was reaching for something in the pantry when she accidentally dumped an entire bag of rice on the floor. As a million tiny grains pelleted the floor like rain, my child's eyes welled up with tears. And that's when I saw it -- the fear in her eyes as she braced herself for her mother's tirade.
She's scared of me, I thought with the most painful realization imaginable. My 6-year-old child is scared of my reaction to her innocent mistake.
With deep sorrow, I realized that was not the mother I wanted my children to grow up with, nor was it how I wanted to live the rest of my life.
Within a few weeks of that episode, I had my Breakdown Breakthrough -- my moment of painful awareness that propelled me on a Hands Free journey to let go of distraction and grasp what really mattered. That was three years ago -- three years of scaling back slowly on the excess and electronic distraction in my life ... three years of releasing myself from the unachievable standard of perfection and societal pressure to "do it all." As I let go of my internal and external distractions, the anger and stress pent up inside me slowly dissipated. With a lightened load, I was able to react to my children's mistakes and wrongdoings in a more calm, compassionate and reasonable manner.
I said things like, "It's just chocolate syrup. You can wipe it up, and the counter will be as good as new."
(Instead of expelling an exasperated sigh and an eye roll for good measure.)
I offered to hold the broom while she swept up a sea of Cheerios that covered the floor.
(Instead of standing over her with a look of disapproval and utter annoyance.)
I helped her think through where she might have set down her glasses.
(Instead of shaming her for being so irresponsible.)
And in the moments when sheer exhaustion and incessant whining were about to get the best of me, I walked into the bathroom, shut the door and gave myself a moment to exhale and remind myself they are children, and children make mistakes. Just like me.
And over time, the fear that once flared in my children's eyes when they were in trouble disappeared. And thank goodness, I became a haven in their times of trouble -- instead of the enemy from which to run and hide.
I am not sure I would have thought to write about this profound transformation had it not been for the incident that happened while I was finishing up the manuscript for my book. In that moment, I got a taste of life overwhelmed and the urge to yell was on the tip of my tongue. I was nearing the final chapters of my book and my computer froze up. Suddenly the edits of three entire chapters disappeared in front of my eyes. I spent several minutes frantically trying to revert to the most recent version of the manuscript. When that failed to work, I consulted the Time Machine backup, only to find that it, too, had experienced an error. When I realized I would never recover the work I did on those three chapters, I wanted to cry -- but even more so, I wanted to rage.
But I couldn't because it was time to pick up the children from school and take them to swim team practice. With great restraint, I calmly shut my laptop and reminded myself there could be much, much worse problems than rewriting these chapters. Then I told myself there was absolutely nothing I could do about this problem right now.
When my children got in the car, they immediately knew something was wrong. "What's wrong, Mama?" they asked in unison after taking one glimpse of my ashen face.
I felt like yelling, "I just lost a fourth of my book!"
I felt like hitting the steering wheel with my fist because sitting in the car was the last place I wanted to be in that moment. I wanted to go home and fix my book -- not shuttle kids to swim team, wring out wet bathing suits, comb through tangled hair, make dinner, scrape dirty dishes and do the nightly tuck in.
But instead I calmly said, "I'm having a little trouble talking right now. I lost part of my book. And I don't want to talk because I feel very frustrated."
"We're sorry," the older one said for the both of them. And then, as if they knew I needed space, they were quiet all the way to the pool. The children and I went about our day and although I was more quiet than usual, I didn't yell and I tried my best to refrain from thinking about the book issue.
Finally, the day was almost done. I had tucked my younger child in bed and was laying beside my older daughter for nightly "Talk Time."
"Do you think you will get your chapters back?" my daughter asked quietly.
And that's when I started to cry -- not so much about the three chapters, I knew they could be rewritten -- my heartbreak was more of a release due to the exhaustion and frustration involved in writing and editing a book. I had been so close to the end. To have it suddenly ripped away was incredibly disappointing.
To my surprise, my child reached out and stroked my hair softly. She said reassuring words like, "Computers can be so frustrating," and "I could take a look at the Time Machine to see if I can fix the backup." And then finally, "Mama, you can do this. You're the best writer I know," and "I'll help you however I can."
In my time of "trouble," there she was, a patient and compassionate encourager who wouldn't think of kicking me when I was already down.
My child would not have learned this empathetic response if I had remained a yeller. Because yelling shuts down the communication; it severs the bond; it causes people to separate -- instead of come closer.
The important thing is ... my mom is always there for me, even when I get in trouble.
My child wrote that about me, the woman who went through a difficult period that she's not proud of, but she learned from. And in my daughter's words, I see hope for others.
The important thing is ... it's not too late to stop yelling.
The important thing is ... children forgive -- especially if they see the person they love trying to change.
The important thing is ... life is too short to get upset over spilled cereal and misplaced shoes.
The important thing is ... no matter what happened yesterday, today is a new day.
Today we can choose a peaceful response.
And in doing so, we can teach our children that peace builds bridges -- bridges that can carry us over in times of trouble.
This post originally appeared on Hands Free Mama.
Rachel's book, Hands Free Mama, describes exactly how she transformed her distracted, perfectionistic, hurried life into one of meaningful connection, inner peace and gratitude. Hands Free Mama is currently available for pre-order and goes on sale January 7th.
What Little Girls Wish Daddies Knew
I’m spending the morning waiting for my car in the repair shop. Four men in flannel (I missed the flannel memo) and I sit around smelling tires and inhaling exhaust fumes while an enchanting little fairy is in constant motion around her daddy. She climbs on him, giggles, turns around, and then she’s back to twirling on the tile.
She’s bouncing and spinning around in her pink frilly skirt. Her black cable knit tights are sagging around her tiny knees, and her puffy coat makes her arms stand out further than is natural. To top off the ensemble is a shiny crystal tiara. It’s been tacked down to her head with what appears to be about 60 haphazard bobby pins.
She’s probably four years old. So little, so vulnerable. She doesn’t seem concerned about it as she sings about teapots and ladybugs in her black Mary Janes. I feel myself tear up as I watch her. I tear up as I watch him watch her. She could not possibly know at four what impact this man, his character, or his words will have on her for years to come. And, maybe he doesn’t know either.
So, to all the daddies with little girls who aren’t old enough yet to ask for what they need from you, here is what we wish you knew:
1. How you love me is how I will love myself.
2. Ask how I am feeling and listen to my answer, I need to know you value me before I can understand my true value.
3. I learn how I should be treated by how you treat my mom, whether you are married to her or not.
4. If you are angry with me, I feel it even if I don’t understand it, so talk to me.
5. Every time you show grace to me or someone else, I learn to trust God a little more.
6. I need to experience your nurturing physical strength, so I learn to trust the physicality of men.
7. Please don’t talk about sex like a teenage boy, or I think it’s something dirty.
8. When your tone is gentle, I understand what you are saying much better.
9. How you talk about female bodies when you’re ‘just joking’ is what I believe about my own.
10. How you handle my heart, is how I will allow it to be handled by others.
11. If you encourage me to find what brings joy, I will always seek it.
12. If you teach me what safe feels like when I’m with you, I will know better how to guard myself from men who are not.
13. Teach me a love of art, science, and nature, and I will learn that intellect matters more than dress size.
14. Let me say exactly what I want even if it’s wrong or silly, because I need to know having a strong voice is acceptable to you.
15. When I get older, if you seem afraid of my changing body, I will believe something is wrong with it.
16. If you understand contentment for yourself, so will I.
17. When I ask you to let go, please remain available; I will always come back and need you if you do.
18. If you demonstrate tenderness, I learn to embrace my own vulnerability rather than fear it.
19. When you let me help fix the car and paint the house, I will believe I can do anything a boy can do.
20. When you protect my femininity, I learn everything about me is worthy of protecting.
21. How you treat our dog when you think I’m not watching tells me more about you than does just about anything else.
22. Don’t let money be everything, or I learn not to respect it or you.
23. Hug, hold, and kiss me in all the ways a daddy does that are right and good and pure. I need it so much to understand healthy touch.
24. Please don’t lie, because I believe what you say.
25. Don’t avoid hard conversations, because it makes me believe I’m not worth fighting for.
It’s pretty simple, really. Little girls just love their daddies. They each think their daddy hung the moon. Once in a while when you look at your little gal twirling in her frilly skirt, remember she’ll be grown one day. What do you want her to know about men, life, herself, love? What you do and say now matters for a lifetime. Daddies, never underestimate the impact of your words or deeds on your daughters, no matter their age.
FROM: http://tarahedman.com/girls-daddies-knew/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)