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O CANADA!

O Canada! Our home and native land!

True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,

The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,O Canada,

we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Happy Canada Day, Folks ('course for July 1st!) Since we will be celebrating I won't be blogging - so just thought to get all the greeting done early. We are extra fortunate to live here, just minutes from the Canadian/USA border because we not only get to see our own spectacular July 1st fireworks - we can just peer across the border (or drive over) to see your July 4th show too!

JULY 2005 Canada Day Layout

I made this layout in 2005 - using a kit from Sonya Johnston (now with Kissed Studio) - bet she would resurrect it for you if you sent her a request? They're having a super sale coming up for July 4th by the way.

Miles took the spectacular fireworks photo you see in the bottom corner of the layout. There are all sorts of other activities that go along with the celebration - including a parade. Should be a fun weekend, unless it rains. Which it's doing right now. Hopefully what we get now will be it.

SOME WELCOME GUESTS!

Canada. Patriotism. Well - this is what I've observed - my own musings on Canada and being a Canadian. We are patriotic, but not AS patriotic as USA. We travel most summers and its blaringly obvious to us when we are in the USA - seems fully 1/2 places we see have some sort of patriotic display of flag etc. People seem to talk about it a lot more. It's getting better, but in the past on some Canada Days its almost seemed people are slightly shy or apologetic about 'wearing our colours' or being vocal. When we have a parade nobody claps anymore. Oh, there's smatters here and there, but once folks hands get tired it merely peters off. Truly, I've seen the tail end of parades here where its like a silence toward the end - you know when some of the 'boring' stuff goes by - the dignitaries etc. Come ON people - these folks took the effort to get into the parade, warm your hands a little! When the National Anthem is played in the States, people swipe their hats off of their heads, and clutch them to their breast, singing passionately. Here, nothing. Zip. Truly, before our fireworks only 1/2 people are actually singing along with the Anthem. Oh SURE, when there's a hockey game people appear to participate... sometimes I think people are passionate BECAUSE its hockey... Just for once, I would love to see someone get really really REALLY exctied about being Canadian.

I think we ARE deeply patriotic, but perhaps our Canadian-ness is just what holds us back. We see ourselves as a bit more 'dignified' or 'reserved'. Except, of course, when advertising for Beer. Then we are ridiculous. The lack of outward display comes, perhaps, from our ties to our Queen, and the whole English aspect of our existance. Its 'below' us to make a display. Seems to me that people either love the idea of our British Royalty ties - or are insulted by it all. I think the recent Queen movie has revived a bit of interest. Miles and I tried to watch it - fell asleep after 1/2 hour. My stepmother was VERY British - so I think its kind of cool, personally.

We have Tim Hortons - your equivalent to say a Crispy Creme? We love poutine. We take Buckleys for coughs. We say eh - even though we try not to. There are so many small things which make us Canadian - things I stumble across while 'chatting' to my foreign friends. What do YOU think makes us Canadian? Come on, give us the good, the bad and the ugly!

SOME FUNNY AND UNUSUAL NAMES OF CANADIAN TOWN NAMES

Belly River, Bragg Creek, Carrot Creek, Castor, Cereal, Chin, Community Punch Bowl, Dead Man's Flats, Driftpile, Entrance, Ma-Me-O Beach, Manyberries, Medicine Hat, Monitor, Onion Lake, Pocahontas, Seven Persons, Skiff, Stand Off - and of course, our own Osoyoos!

FUNNY AND UNUSUAL *NAMES* FROM OUR OWN B.C.

mountains, towns, rivers etc...

100 Mile House, Anarchist Mountain, Austerity Mountain, Baldy Hughes, Blubber Bay, Brilliant, Bugaboos, Buick, Cheekye, Craigellachie, Fanny Bay, Fascination Mountain, Flathead, Gang Ranch, Good Hope Mountain, Grand Forks, Halfmoon Bay, Hooker Mountain, Hope, Horsefly, Horseshoe Bay, Likely, Lulu Island, Needles, Ogre Mountain, Oyster Bay, Parsnip River, Pavilion, Poopoo Creek, Pouce Coupe, Procter, Prophet River, Radium Hot Springs, Resplendent Mountain, Salmon Arm, Sandspit, Skookumchuck, Smugglers Cove, Spuzzum, Stupendous Mountain, Ta Ta Creek, Teepee Mountain , Tornado Mountain, Wasa, Yahk, Ymir, Youbou, Zero Lake, Zeus Glacier, Zexwzaxw Glacier, Zippermouth Lake

BEAUTIFUL (U.S.A) LIGHTHOUSE

Speaking of being patriotic... and fully appreciating we live in a beautiful, georgeous and FREE country, where I can say whatever I want on this blog without fear of being censored... It calls to mind for me, of the Military. Our own and the USA. It all comes at a cost. I believe we are coming a long ways in appreciating our troops - who lay down their lives daily so we can live without fear. I often make myself 'live' in a war-torn country in my mind so that I don't take what we have for granted. Can you imagine what it would be like to wake up every single day afraid for your life? To not know, if you go out for a walk you may never come home again?

Recently, my friend Shirley featured a video on her blog and it blew me away. You talk about being patriotic? Well the lady featured in this video is a VERY talented artist who uses her gift to express her patriotism - and give back at the same time. Could we all be half the example she is! You MUST SEE this video to appreciate it. Just click HERE.

I appreciate and celebrate this woman's realness. To visit her personal website, click HERE

CANADIAN BEE ON CANADIAN FLOWER (ha!)

Won't you take some time out this weekend to pray for our beautiful country? Pray our Lord will protect and keep us - that we can claim our country for HIM. If you need guidance how to pray - you may want to check out the following page from this Canada In Prayer page by clicking HERE. They've posted this scripture as a very fitting guideline to direct your prayer!

“He shall have dominion also from sea to sea

and from the River to the ends of the earth.”

Psalms 72:8

Today in History:

1613 - The original Globe Theater in London burned down during the first performance of Shakespeare's Henry VIII.

1767 - The British Parliament approved the Townsend Revenue Acts, which imposed import duties on such things as glass, lead, paint, paper and tea shipped to America. Colonists bitterly protested the Acts, which were repealed in 1770.

1855 - The Daily Telegraph was first published in London.

1860 - At Minot's Ledge, Massachusetts, the first iron-pile lighthouse was completed.

1868 - The British news agency the Press Association was founded.

1880 - The Pacific island of Otaheite, now better known as Tahiti, was formally annexed by France, having been a French protectorate since 1842.

1901 - A paper for the newspaper industry, the first edition of "Editor & Publisher" was issued.

1916 - Irish nationalist Sir Roger Casement was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death for conspiracy with Germany.

1925 - Marvin Pipkind filed for a patent on frosted electric light bulbs. Frosting inside the light bulb created less glare by diffusing the light emitted, and spreading it over a larger area, giving off a much softer glow.

1949 - The government of South Africa enacted a ban against racially-mixed marriages.

1953 - The interstate highway system was born. The Federal Highway Act gave authorization to construct 42,500 miles of freeway from coast to coast in the United States.

1955 - With "Rock Around the Clock," Billy Haley and His Comets reached the top of the pop music charts, keeping the spot for 8 straight weeks. The song was featured in the movie, "Blackboard Jungle," and is thought by many to be the first rock ’n’ roll single.

1956 - Charles Dumas cleared a high jump, set at 7 feet 1/2 inches, at the Los Angeles Coliseum, becoming the first athlete to break the seven-foot barrier.

1957 - After Jacqueline Pung was disqualified for handing in an inaccurate scorecard, Betsy Rawls won the United States Golf Association women’s tourney.

1972 - The United States Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty was contrary to the constitution.

1974 - Isabel Peron was sworn in as president of Argentina, taking over from her husband Juan Peron who became ill.

1987 - At an auction in London, Vincent Van Gogh’s "Le Pont de Trinquetaille" brought in $20.4 million. The winning bidder, an anonymous European collector, has never been discovered.

BARB'S HANDY TIP #290

Learn Great Art!

In case the story of Kaziah inspired you and you are dying to crack out your own talent - you would be well advised to check out the following website of another gifted artist .... step by step photos show you how he builds his amazing paintings!

THE ARTISTS STUDIO

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Just a few super simple elements today, folks - the flowers are so beautiful I can't help myself but make them into pretties for your pages. Nothing magical about it - just cutting them out and adding some 'depth' to them. You may care to add a tad more bevel and a drop shadow to the 3D one, as I did with the preview! Hope you enjoy!

WHAT A MASHER!

I recently made a new recipe out of a Susan Branch Cookbook - have you ever seen her cookbooks? They are filled with little watercolour looking illustrations and sweet sayings, peppered in between mouthwatering recipes. I want to spend the summer at her place!

The recipe I made was for a Potato Pie - I made several changes to the recipe, adjusting it to the ingredients I had on hand. It called for me to slice potatoe into 1/4 inch slices - I cheated and used this masher thingie I have. I don't know what you call that thing - I do know its old, and I do know its used to make french fries. I love the look of it, and If there were a way to incorporate it on my kitchen walls, I would in a heartbeat - but its not to be so. Have you used one of these? It worked perfect to zing the cooked potatoes through to make homemade 'hashbrowns'. The following is my version of the recipe - which turned out terrific! (make 2 - freeze one for unexpected company!) Pssst: Throw in some cooked ham cubes for a WHOLE meal!

BARB'S POTATO PIE

7 medium potatos

3 cloves fresh garlic

3 tbsp butter or marg

3 tbsp flour

1 cup skim milk

1/4 cup fresh herbs

3 tbsp fresh green onion

1 tsp garlic salt

tons of pepper

1 cup grated sharp cheese

Grease a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Peel, quarter the potatos. Peel and slice in 1/2, the cloves of garlic - adding the garlic to the water you cook the potatoes in. Cook till fork-tender. Drain. Melt butter, whisk in flour till blended & bubbly. Pour in the skim milk and whisk all the while until its thickened. Remove from heat.

Either cut your potatos into 1/4 inch slices, or throw them thru a french fry thing like mine - add them to the thickened milk mixture. Add the herbs, garlic salt, pepper and green onions. Stir softly. Spread mixture into the baking dish and refridgerate (or freeze) until serving time.

When you're ready to bake - set the oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle the cheese over the pie and bake 40 mins till golden tasty brown. Sprinkle extra herbs over before serving!

SMILEY, HAPPY YELLOW FLOWER!

To Make Rose Beads

In order to make a whole necklace of Rose Beads, you will need between 30 - 45 roses. Pick them in the late morning when they are dry, and remove the stems. Chop the flowers into fine pieces and place in a saucepan. Add water to barely cover, and simmer gently for about an hour. Add small amounts of water when necessary. Allow the mixture to cool, then simmer again for at least a half-hour. Strain the pulp and shape beads into beads with your fingers. Use a heavy-gauge upholstry needle to make the holes. Dry the beads on a piece of paper; it may take a day or longer. String the beads and wear them around your neck - they will give off the scent of roses!

Though the scent of rose dies

and the rose decays

The rose of the spirit is never sere;

Soft as roses

be all thy ways,

And thou, may'st thou through all thy days,

Open and greaten

even as these,

Petal by petal

and year by year.

- author unknown

TIP OF HAYNE'S POINT PROVINCIAL PARK, OSOYOOS

Today in History:

1778 - Mary Ludwig Hayes "Molly Pitcher" helped American patriots

1778 - Battle of Monmouth

1820 - Tomato is proved to be nonpoisonous - Robert Gibbon Johnson proved that tomatoes were not poisonous when he ate two tomatoes in front of a large crowd on the steps of the courthouse in Salem, New Jersey. At the time in the US, tomatoes were believed to be poisonous because of their relationship with some wild plants of the nightshade family that produce toxic berries.

1836 - James Madison 4th US pres died

1838 - Britain's Queen Victoria crowned in Westminster Abbey

1861 - Leipzig Obs discovers short-period (6.2 yrs) comet d'Arrest

1889 - Maria Mitchell - 1st American woman astronomer - dies at 71

1914 - Aust Archduke Ferdinand & wife Sofia assassinated (starts WW I)

1918 - 1st flight between Hawaiian Islands

1919 - Treaty of Versailles ending WW I signed

1919 - Harry S Truman married Elizabeth Virginia Wallace in Independence

1938 - Queen Victoria ascends to British throne

1939 - Pan Am begins transatlantic air service Dixie Clipper

1956 - 1st atomic reactor built for private research operates Chicago Il

1965 - 1st US ground combat forces in Vietnam authorized by Pres Johnson

1982 - Prince Charles & Lady Di name their baby "William"

1983 - Bridge section along I-95 in Conn collapsed kills 3

MICROCOMPACT HOME

This tiny residential cube packs a highly-functional punch, providing a double bed, bathroom, lobby, dining space for 4-5 people, and state-of-the-art entertainment technology, all for just 50,000 Euros. And size-wise, it measures in at a tiny 2.65 m cubed (roughly 77 sq ft), but incorporates everything a person needs in a home in its super compact design.

Our brother and sister-in-law just downsized their life, from living in a house to calling home a large RV. It has been a BIG change for them - and has caused them to dispense of, or find storage for, a lot of sentimental or unnecessary items in their lives. I'm sure it would amaze us at how little we really need to exist with - I know when we moved it was like "Where on Earth did we put all this stuff before???"

I recently came across this website featuring 5 very tiny, eensy homes. Carefully planned, down to the last details - it just may be possible to live in such tiny spaces. This is a good thing as on the news last night it said that fully 1/3 of the people on earth live in Cities now - so space would be at a premium. One of the other houses featured was one which could be built ONTOP of existing buildings in the city! Enough from me - you will be wanting to check these homes yourself by clicking HERE.

BARB'S HANDY TIP #291

Explore Victorian London

This way-cool online Victorian Dictionary should be of interest to anyone who would like to appreciate what life was like - way back when! VERY COMPREHENSIVE and interesting!

THE VICTORIAN DICTIONARY

BASEBALL FRAME/ELEMENT/TEMPLATE SET

Photo for Baseball Frame courtesy of Janiss Paulk (sxc.hu)

Photo of Baseball player courtesy of GeekPhilosopher

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Wow - the past few days whizzed by far too fast! I had fully intended on blogging yesterday, but it just did not happen. I had too much to do & no elements ... and, it was a SUNNY day to boot. I hope you enjoy today's download - I created it at a suggestion from blog reader Lynne - who wishes to make a layout of her son. I've noticed that you in the USA are simply PASSIONATE about your baseball, while we lean towards hockey. (not me, personally - we've never watched a game. Our folks do, and my dear Dad, now passed, used to follow it religiously!)

Keep your suggestions rolling in. If I think I can make it - I'll give it a whirl!

Beautiful Cat Layout by Melusine (Norway!)

Credit:
Frame by Lindsay Jane
Tapes from Tapes Elements #14 by Mrs. Miles
Staples by Mary
Font: Auburn

What a georgeous cat, hey? I told Melusine I'm betting she does not wear black clothes.... Thanks for sharing your layout with us! I would love to feature your own layouts using my elements here - just send me a link!

The graduation was wonderful. One graduate was raising six - yep, I said SIX children while attending school - another had several children, a full time job and is hoping to go on to be a nurse. I am in awe of these people!

BY PERSEVERANCE - THE SNAIL REACHED THE ARK

"Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial"

James 1:12

PROGRESS HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH SPPED,

BUT MUCH WITH DIRECTION

"Happy is the man who finds wisdom,

and the man who gets understanding,

for the gain from it is better than gain from silver

and its profit better than gold."

Proverbs 3:13

I felt fulfilled to stand on the stage with our friend Garry to give a $475 dollar bursary to a computer student in the memory of Garry's wife Val who passed away last year, of cancer, two months short of her own graduation ceremony. She was 48 (my age now!) Her death and watching a 'pay it forward' show of Oprah, spurred me to create and collect for this fund. The monies we managed to secure will allow 5 awards to be given over the next 5 years in Val's memory. I was able to put together a biography of Val's life to go along with the money - her memory will go on, as a person. This was important to me as Val was an only child, and she and Garry had no children themselves.

Miles and I want to take this time to publically thank our friend Melanie Olsen for always being there for us - your help is always welcome and appreciated - your friendship is the sugar on top of it all! We asked Melanie at the last minute to help with the graduation decorating and setup - she made the load much lighter for us!

BUZZY BEE

I awoke yesterday to a request to do some quick graphics work (gratis, of course) for a local newspaper. It was a snap with all the stuff I've been soaking up and learning - making elements for you! You see, I took a decision a long time ago about work. Miles and I made a decision for me to stay home and make do with his wages. It was a big adjustment, but we've managed, and in the last 10 years we've grown so close. I truly value that I have not had to work outside our home, and I know how fortunate this is for me. I know many of you who HAVE to work outside the home. Staying home means a completely different lifestyle - I don't think I've bought one item of clothing new in the last year - but I'm lacking nothing.

A long time ago, I prayed to our Lord that if I surrendered control of our finances and stayed home, that He would bless our decision if it was His will. Yesterday was a confirmation of His hand as I think I will be able to do some freelance graphics in the future. If I had not stayed home I would have never begun this blog (which was dedicated to our Lord on Day #1) so I would not have made all your elements, and I would not know all the graphics. My graphics and elements are not mine, my friends, they are a direct gift from my Creator. Won't you trust in Him to release your talent for you, too?

JUST WHEN YOU THINK HE'S ALL YOU HAVE

YOU WILL FIND HE'S ALL YOU NEED

"But my God shall supply all your need

according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Phillipians 4:19

FAITH IN GOD MAKES ALL THINGS POSSIBLE

"But with God, everything is possible."

Matthew 19:26

LOVELY LUPINE

Miles came in from outside yesterday morning crowing about the beautiful morning. He insisted I should clear some time and hang outside for some time, if possible... So later, toward lunch, I put on some shorts and a big ziplock freezer bag and spent an hour collecting more Saskatoon Berries. I thought the bushes were looking a little scarce but I managed to fill the bag (a big one) 1/2 full by the time I was through. At first I was holding the bag in my left hand, picking with the right, but my hand started crabbing on me, so I switched to holding the bag in my teeth, which after a while had me slobbering like when the dentist puts one of those icky rubber dams in your mouth when isolating your tooth for a root canal or filling (eww... why did I have to go and say that - I can SMELL the drill!! ) sorry.

At any rate, I came away with enough berries to fill an entire cookie sheet - I will freeze them for a rainy day's jam making.

The other night, Miles and I took a walk down along the waterfront. When we were strolling along, just before the sun was about to sink over the horizon, in the cool murkiness of evening - we saw some bats. We paused and stood very still. The bats were amazing! They flew in a delicate ballet through the air in search of bugs. They went up and swirled - then fell speedily and swooped along the ground. What was exhilirating was when they flew full force toward us and veered off a the last possible moment. I'd read somewhere that its an old wives tale that says the bats will get stuck on your hair, so I was fine. I'd read that of course, if you had a big mop and the bat happend to hit it by accident, it may panic and of course get wrapped up in the strands in its wanting to escape (poor things probably scareder of you than you of it!) then it may end up lodged... I was not afraid, and stood and soaked it all in - but Miles was not convinced and a close encounter would send him ducking behind me each time!

AN ODD WASPNEST!

Today in History:

1787 - Edward Gibbon completed The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

1884 - Lawrence Corcoran pitched his third no-hit baseball game, leading Chicago to a 6-0 win over Providence. Corcoran set a baseball record for no-hitters for the feat.

1885 - Chichester Bell and Charles S. Tainter applied for a patent for the gramophone. The patent was granted on May 4, 1886.

1949 - Captain Video and His Video Rangers premiered on the Dumont Television Network. Captain Video was initially played by Richard Coogan. The voice of radio’s Green Hornet, Al Hodge, replaced Coogan in 1951. Don Hastings played the roll of the ranger until the series ended in 1955. Maybe, if you check the basement or the attic, you’ll find your Captain Video decoder ring. Now’s the time to use it, kids!

1955 - The first Wide Wide World was broadcast on NBC-TV. Dave Garroway, of the Today show, was the program host.

1969 - New York City police, attempting to serve a search warrant, charged into the well-known gay hangout, the Stonewall Inn. Events quickly got out of hand. Police ejected customers, managers, bouncers. Everyone got booted outside onto the sidewalk. The crowd became increasingly unruly and someone threw a bottle at the police. The plain-clothes police team was trapped inside the bar for over two hours before the the NYPD Tactical Patrol Force arrived and drove the mob from in front of the Stonewall. Police arrested and jailed many of the chanting gays. For the next few nights, the Stonewall Inn became the focal point of gay protests. The gay community began to organize and form committees to bring about change. Many feel that the Gay Liberation Movement had its beginnings with the Stonewall Inn Riots.

1970 - The Jackson 5: Marlon, Tito, Jackie, Randy and Michael, jumped to number one on the music charts with The Love You Save. The song stayed at the top of the charts for two weeks. It was the third of four number one hits in a row for the group. The other three were I Want You Back, ABC and I’ll Be There. In 15 years (from 1969 to 1984), The Jackson 5/Jacksons had 23 hits, scored two platinum singles (Enjoy Yourself and Shake Your Body [Down to the Ground]) and one gold record (State of Shock).

1975 - Sonny and Cher (Bono) called it quits as husband and wife. They were divorced soon after their CBS-TV variety show was canceled. Sonny went on to become mayor of Palm Springs and then a U.S. Congressman from California. (He was killed Jan. 5, 1998 in a skiing accident.) Cher married rocker Gregg Alman just days after saying “bye-bye” to Sonny. She continued her recording career and became an Academy Award-winning actress.

1980 - The the National Anthem Act, making O Canada Canada's national anthem, was unanimously accepted by the House of Commons and the Senate. Royal assent was also given this day. O Canada, written by Calixa Lavallee and Adolphe-Basile Routhier, was officially proclaimed Canada's national anthem on July 1, 1980.

1984 - The Federal Communications Commission moved to deregulate U.S. commercial TV by lifting most programming requirements and ending day-part restrictions on advertising.

1988 - Mike Tyson quickly retained his undisputed world heavyweight title by knocking out Michael Spinks in the first round. Fight fans at Atlantic City Convention Hall had paid big bucks (up to $1,500) to see this one. The match, touted in advance as “Once and for All” was all over in 91 seconds. No report on how many people blinked at the wrong time.

1999 - Juli Inkster won the LPGA Championship in Wilmington, Delaware. She was the second woman to win the modern Grand Slam in the LPGA. Of the eight players who have won the four major championships of their era, no one took as long as Inkster: 16 seasons from the time she won the Dinah Shore as a rookie [1984] to her victory in the LPGA Championship as a 39-year-old mother.

BARB'S HANDY TIP #290

New Look to an Old Search Engine

I've always been partial to the search engine AskJeeves... perhaps because it seems like the underdog. I've used it for a decade, and still wind up using it - even more than Google, believe it or not. Recently AskJeeves updated their look and added more features - why don't you give it a whirl?

ASK JEEVES

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I hope you had a good weekend! It will prove to be a busy and exciting week for us here. Tonight is Graduation for the students at the Learning Center, where Miles teaches. It will be a flurry of preparations both at the High School where we will be decorating today - and in the homes of the students who's lives will be forever changed today. They will be savoring the fruits of their hard mental work of the past year. Won't you take a moment out to pray for these folks today.

It was not so very long ago that I, myself, walked onto the stage to recieve my diploma. The Learning Center is an adult oriented educational facility where people return to achieve BC graduation, if they have not done this before. I took the plunge at the age of 43 - (graduating one day after our daughter) It's still so fresh in my mind.

Leila-Rae in her Shower Finery

I only just processed the photos from last week's wedding shower. The basement of our Church, where the party was hosted, is the most 'ick' for lighting for photography. I really had to tweak the photos - using some kinky filters on most to achieve the feel I wanted. Don't you just love her hat? It was created by her friend Melissa, out of the protective plastic lid from the cake! I'm sure her husband-to-be will be begging her to wear this!

Evening Sky at Manning Park

So this past week proved to be a happy/sad one. I attended a wedding shower, a memorial and a baptism. That in itself is a lot of emotion in one week! A week of hope, sadness and gladness. A bodily death and a spiritual birth.

Our Uncle Colin passed away last week. Uncle Colin was not well, but his passing was unexpected. There was no big funeral or ceremony, his immediate family opting for a small and quiet gathering at their home. We drove down on Friday and stayed for several hours. A bagpiper was hired to play - a beautiful tribute to our Uncle.

One thing which was impressive was the presence of the Mayor, Wilfried Vicktor. I don't believe the mayor is a drop-in-for-coffee close friend to Aunt Jane's family, but he came. Not only did he come, but he spent a good hour - genuinely enjoying his visit with family members. He did not simply arrive to garner more fame for his name! I think this brought an added touch of comfort to Aunt Jane. I tell you this - if you find yourself looking for a small community in BC to move to - Hope would be top of the list! You can find more out about Hope by clicking HERE

Beauty in the Similkameen Valley

We camped on the trip home. Before leaving Hope we stocked up on Pizza and other diet-killing goodies and headed out around dinner time. We chose one of two quiet campsites in picturesque Manning Park and enjoyed a few hours relaxing in front of a roaring campfire. Ahhh...

On Sunday, we had the delight to be present at the baptism of a Church brother, Trevor and another young man, as they dedicated their lives to the Lord. No matter how often I attend a baptism, it still pulls at the strings of my heart. How I remember the day I gave my life over to the Lord. Do you remember you baptism? I would love to hear from you!

And I got my creativity back! Thanks to the encouragement of my friends Gina and Sonya - I was invited to a chat at DST to celebrate the launch of NEW PRODUCTS from KISSED STUDIO. You missed some fun if you were'nt there! Lucky for you, you can still visit the store to pick up some of the fabulous deals on their templates! Let me tell you the templates are wonderful - as you can see I actually scrapped something for the first time in eons - featured in yesterday's little entry! Why don't you slip over and check out the store today! You can be there in an instant by clicking HERE

I also played with the video feature of my camera for the first time... it's very limited but it was fun to try. Miles taught me how to take my clips into Windows Movie Maker and spice it up a bit with music and text. Hope you like my first, amature attempt at movie making!

If the video does not work - grrr.... LOL! You can always view it by clicking HERE.

With that, I had better fly - loads to do today. Have a Blessed Day, my friends.

Quiet Splendor

Today in History:

1178 - 5 Canterbury monks report something exploding on the Moon

1630 - Fork introduced to American dining by Gov Winthrop

1638 - A lunar eclipse becomes the known astronomical event recorded

1835 - 1st building constructed at Yerba Buena (now SF)

1876 - Lt Col Custer & 7th Cavalry wiped out by Sioux & Cheyenne

1906 - Architect Stanford White shot dead atop Madison Square Garden (which he designed) by Harry Thaw jealous husband of Evelyn Nesbit

1919 - 1st flight Junkers F13 advanced monoplane airliner

1929 - Pres Hoover authorizes building of Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam)

1938 - federal minimum wage law guarantees workers 40› per hour

1951 - 1st color TV broadcast - CBS' Arthur Godfrey from NYC to 4 cities

1953 - 1st passenger to fly commercially around the world <>

1960 - Walter Baade - astronomer - dies

1962 - Supreme Court rules NY school prayer unconstitutional

1973 - Udo Beyer of East Germany puts the shot a record 20.47 m

1977 - Roy C Sullivan of Va is struck by lightening for 7th time!

1981 - Supreme Court held male-only draft registration - constitutional

1982 - SF holds its 1st County Fair

BARB'S HANDY TIP #289

Translate THAT!

The first free all-in-one translation wizard for PCs.

ForeignWord

NATHAN AND LEILA

credits:

Template by Kissed Studio

Papers and Elements: Japanese Tea Garden by Krista

more info to come tomorrow - had a GREAT time at the DST Chat Sonya - your store rocks!

VEGGIE ROUNDS ELEMENTS

clear tapes with illustration

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These 'veggie rounds' are totally non-fat... just kidding, stickem', don't eat 'em! I hope you find a good use for these - they're another one of my experiements. My creativity is waning at this moment and I am making an executive decision to take a few days off of blogging. Don't worry for me, my friends, I will be dreaming up new and exciting things.

BRAND-NEW, FRESH-BORNED HEDGEHOG

Thank you all for your comments - it seems that many (a surprizingly lot!) of you have been touched - or had someone close to you be touched, by heart attacks! After your comments I know I will NEVER take it lightly! Cathy - that must have been especially frightening for you!

I'm also still recieving comments that some recent elements are not downloading - if its a have-to-have email me at lalalime@hotmail.com and I will get you fixed up. (Soons as I've rested up for a few days!)

DARLING, HOW I LOVE YOU!

With that - I'm leaving you all with some humour and some inspiration and scripture to tide you over. I will pray for you!

COMPASSION IS YOUR PAIN IN MY HEART

"Share each other's troubles and problems,

and so obey our Lord's command."

Galatians 6:2

When I sit by myself at the close of the day,

And watch the blue twilight turn amber and grey,

With fancies as twinkling and vague as the stars,

And as distant as they from this life's petty jars -

I know not, I think not where fortune may be,

But I feel I am in very good company.

When I sit with a friend at the glow of the hearth,

And fight some great battle of wisdom or mirth,

And strike fom our armour the sparkle of wit,

That follows the shafts of our thoughts when they hit.

I know not, I think not where fortune may be,

But I feel I am in very good company.

- Glouchestershire Folksong

Today in History:

1611 - Henry Hudson set adrift in Hudson Bay during mutiny

1675 - Royal Greenwich Observatory established in England by Charles II

1772 - slavery outlawed in England

1775 - 1st Continental currency authorized

1808 - Zebulon Pike reaches his peak

1847 - Doughnut invented

1849 - Stephen C Massett opens at courthouse as 1st professional entertainer using (allegedly) only piano in Cal

1851 - Fire destroys part of SF

1910 - 1st airship passengers - Zeppelin Deutscheland

1911 - King George V of England crowned

1957 - KC stops using streetcars in it's transit system

1970 - Pres Nixon signs 26th Amendment (voting age 18)

1973 - Skylab 2's astronauts land

1977 - Walt Disney's "The Rescuers" is released

1978 - Pluto's moon Charon discovered by James Christy

1981 - Mark David Chapman pleads guilty to killing Beatle John Lennon

1982 - Manhattan institutes bus-only lanes

1982 - Prince Chuck & Lady Di take Prince William home from hospital

1983 - 1st time a satellite is retrieved from orbit by Space Shuttle

1987 - Actor/Dancer Fred Astaire dies

BARB'S HANDY TIP #288

Leave You Laughing!

I never realized before that there are so many funny little (audio) bits to Abbott and Costello - until I found this website and tuned into a few sessions!

Abbott and Costello were an American comedy duo whose work in radio, film, and television made them one of the most popular and respected teams in comedy history. Their "Who's on First?" routine, developed during their years in burlesque, is widely considered to be one of the greatest comedy sketches of all time. To listen to any of our Abbott and Costello episodes for free.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO

BARB'S WATERCOLOUR ALPHABET

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I'm 'sperimenting around with a few new techniques in a vector program and I came up with this watercolour alpha. If you're using Photoshop I'm sure you can use your Adustments to change the colour. In case you have not done this before, what you do is (making sure you're on the layer you wish to change the colour of) on your top menu bar - locate Image - choose Adjustments - choose Hue/Saturation. When the dialogue box is open, click on the little box located in the bottom left of the box which says COLORIZE. You can then play with the sliders in the dialogue box to recolour my alpha to be whatever color works with your layout!

As always - thank YOU all for your comments, info, and encouragement! You keep my blogger-brain going!

ONE OF THOSE GIANT BUM-BEE ON VETCH

I had a lovely day with my friend Becks yesterday. We planned, prepared and helped execute a bridal shower for a young woman, Leila, in our Church Family. Becky had a 'tickle trunk' just bursting with sparklies and shimmeries and flowered and... well, a treasure trove of goodies just waiting to be turned into a celebration. She made us a fabulous lunch (tortellini w/ alfredo & fresh salad) and Bear - Poo Cookies mmmm... fanks Beck! Oh, and to keep my energy from flagging during the afternoon hours she plyed me with fresh coffee and fudgcicles...

At any rate, the Church Basement was transformed to a glitzy party room & we laid out a ton of scrapbooking supplies for the guests. I'd created some 'leading' questions for the bride to be and groom to be when they were at our home for dinner last sunday and we took those questions and typed them up and used one per page for our guests to ILLUSTRATE ... hehe... We visited the thrift earlier and found a ton of magazines for which people could cut out text and pictures and the rest was up to the scrap-artists! It's hilarious what people can think up under pressure. It was a lot of fun and I may post some pics tomorrow if I get them processed.

LOVELY LUPINE

Well, summer's on us, and if you're like me, all of a sudden my hair feels HEAVY. Seems like one day it's a nice warm hat, and even protection from the sun's hot rays, and then when the sun really shines on - its too hot! This is a danger time for a lot of us. Its a time we can make rash decisions about rushing out and getting a drastic-do, or worse yet, cut it ourselves! I DO cut my own hair - but it's been a trial-and-error process. I can safely do my own now as I keep it to a very basic bangs with long sides style. Trust me, unless you've come to terms with cutting your own hair its ALWAYS a better decision to leave it in the hands of a professional! Before you make that appointment though, here are some pointers as to how to be a satisfied customer:

DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Scan magazines (or the internet) for cuts you love, and use them as a tool to explain what you would like to your hairdresser. Look for models with textures similar to yours.

BE NOSY. Ask friends, relatives - even strangers who have nice cuts - where they get their own hair done.

GET REAL. How much work are you willing to put into your hair, daily? If it's curly but you want a sleek style, you'll need more time to straighten it each morning.

TAKE IT SLOW. If you're considering a major change, first try a cut with an in-between length to lessen the shock value of a new look.

GET CHECKED OUT. You want the stylist to see your hair when its dry so she can get a sense of how you usually care for it.

WATCH HER/HIM WORK. Study her/his technique. Does it seem like something you could do? You should never leave the salon feeling like today is the last day your hair will look this good.

SPEAK UP. Take a mirror. Check out your new cut. It's much easier to correct problems while you're still in the chair!

AHHH ... THE PRETTIES!

The easeful days,

The dreamful nights;

The homely round of plain delights;

The calm unambitioned mind,

The simple stuff of summer time.

- Aster Austin Dobson

The most complete and healthy sleep that can be taken in the day is in the summer time, out in the field. There is, perhaps, no solitary sensation so exquisite as that of slumbering on theh grass or hay, shaded from the hot sun by a tree, with the consciousness of a fresh but light air running through the wide atmosphere, and the sky stretching far overhead upon all sides. Earth, and Heaven, and a placid humanity seem to have the Creation to themselves. - Leigh Hunt

LITTLE DELICACIES

Today in History:

1633 - Galileo Galilei is forced by Inquisition to "abjure - curse - & detest" his Copernican heliocentric views

1805 - Great Stoneface Mt found in NH

1834 - Cyrus Hall McCormick patents reaping machine

1879 - F W Woolworth opens 1st store (failed almost immediately)

1887 - Britain celebrates golden jubilee of Queen Victoria

1917 - Hawaiian Red Cross founded

1939 - Doctors reveal Lou Gehrig has amyotrophic laterial sclerosis

1948 - Dr Peter Goldmark of CBS demonstrated 'long playing record'

1948 - 1st stored computer program run - on the Manchester Mark I

1963 - Pope Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini) succeeds John XXIII

1982 - Wash DC jury finds John Hinckley Jr innocent by insanity

BARB'S HANDY TIP #287

Find it HAIR!

Going along with today's haircut theme, I am featuring this handy website where you can locate any one of 16469 hairstyles on the internet. What a great tool, you can narrow your search to all sorts of fields - color, texture, style etc...

Search thousands of hair photos using our powerful search engine.

HAIRBOUTIQUE

ASSORTED TAPES ELEMENT #16

U.S. Military Theme

download

I created these U.S. military themed tapes at the request of blog reader Mary who's creating scrapbook pages with children to send over and cheer the troops. I may follow sometime down the road with some Canadian ones too. Hope these are useful to you!

TINY SPIDER HAVING A MEAL

I 'digitally' painted all day yesterday. I'm still working on my mystery project with a friend and I pushed myself to finish up something I'd been struggling through for several weeks now. It's always a great feeling when you can push through and complete something you've been putting off.

Just a note - in case you've not been to visit Everyday Digital Scrapbooking - then you're missing out on some terrific FREE tutorials on all sorts of projects and techniques. Julie Ann Shahin says they're having a team search at this time as well, so if you're a creative, entusiastic individual with some ideas to share you may want to get yourself added to the team! Slip on over HERE to check it out!

MAKING SHORT WORK OF AN APHID

Today will be a short day for me - I'm going to hang with my friend Becky - and we're decorating and helping host a bridal shower for our friend Leila! We will put our heads together at noon and just work from there - see what magic brews!

I would like to take a moment to spotlight the BEAUTIFUL digital work of another dear friend of mine - perhaps you all know her already! The other day when I featured my Air Balloon Element I used one of the papers from her JOY kit. I'm speaking about KristinCB. Kristin is a very special friend and she is a talented designer as well. Her work is just DELICIOUS - her kits are chock full of soft, sweet, elegant and tasteful designs and I am proud to be able to send you to her store. You can find so many sweet kits of Kristins - just the names alone are tempting eg: Flutter & Fly, Flutter Silks and Shimmer Shoppe to name a few! To visit yourself, just click HERE

KRISTINCB'S JOY KIT

(georgeous, isn't this?)

My other oh-so-helpful friend, Marie, (yes, the one with the cute Alpaca Baby) sent me another useful email - this one with a story by a woman who suffered completely unexpectedly with a heart attack. I think this is something we should all be aware of so I hope this is useful to you! This was sent under the name of Dellarose.

Did you know that women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that men have when experiencing a heart attack....you know, the sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest and dropping to the floor that we see in the movies. Here is the story of one woman's experience with a heart attack....

I had a completely unexpected heart attack at about 10:30 pm with NO prior exertion, NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might've brought it on. I was sitting all snugly and warm on a cold evening, with my purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent me, and actually thinking,"A-A-h, this is the life, all cozy and warm in my soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up." A moment later, I felt that awful sensation of indigestion, when you've been in a hurry and grabbed a bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water, and that hurried bite seems to feel like you've swallowed a golf ball going down the esophagus in slow motion and it is most uncomfortable. You realize you shouldn't have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more thoroughly and this time drink a glass of water to hasten its progress down to the stomach. This was my initial sensation---the only trouble was that I hadn't taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p.m.

After that had seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE (hind-sight, it was probably my aorta spasming), gaining speed as they continued racing up and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when adminstering CPR). This fascinating process continued on into my throat and branched out into both jaws.

AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening--we all have read and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI happening, haven't we? I said aloud to myself and the cat, "Dear God, I think I'm having a heart attack !" I lowered the foot rest, dumping the cat from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I thought to myself "If this is a heart attack, I shouldn't be walking into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else.......but, on the other hand, if I don't, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any longer I may not be able to get up in moment."

I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the next room and dialed the Paramedics... I told her I thought I was having a heart attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating into my jaws. I didn't feel hysterical or afraid, just stating the facts. She said she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front door was near to me, and if so, to unbolt the door and then lie down on the floor where they could see me when they came in.

I then laid down on the floor as instructed and lost consciousness, as I don't remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me onto a gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they made to St. Jude ER on the way, but I did briefly awaken when we arrived and saw that the Cardiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap, helping the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance. He was bending over me asking questions (probably something like "Have you taken any medications?") but I couldn't make my mind interpret what he was saying, or form an answer, and nodded off again, not waking up until the Cardiologist and partner had already threaded the teeny angiogram balloon up my femoral artery into the aorta and into my heart where they installed 2 side by side stents to hold open my right coronary artery.

I know it sounds like all my thinking and actions at home must have taken at least 20-30 minutes before calling the Paramedics, but actually it took perhaps 4-5 minutes before the call, and both the fire station and St. Jude are only minutes away from my home, and my Cardiologist was already to go to the OR in his scrubs and get going on restarting my heart (which had stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure) and installing the stents.

Why have I written all of this to you with so much detail? Because I want all of you who are so important in my life to know what I learned first hand.

1. Be aware that something very different is happening in your body not the usual men's symptoms, but inexplicable things happening (until my sternum and jaws got into the act ). It is said that many more women than men die of their first (and last) MI because they didn't know they were having one, and commonly mistake it as indigestion, take some Maalox or other anti-heartburn preparation, and go to bed, hoping they'll feel better in the morning when they wake up....which doesn't happen My female friends, your symptoms might not be exactly like mine, so I advise you to call the Paramedics if ANYTHING is unpleasantly happening that you've not felt before. It is better to have a "false alarm" visitation than to risk your life guessing what it might be!

2. Note that I said "Call the Paramedics". Ladies, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! Do NOT try to drive yourself to the ER--you're a hazard to others on the road, and so is your panicked husband who will be speeding and looking anxiously at what's happening with you instead of the road. Do NOT call your doctor--he doesn't know where you live and if it's at night you won't reach him anyway, and if it's daytime, his assistants (or answering service) will tell you to call the Paramedics. He doesn't carry the equipment in his car that you need to be saved! The Paramedics do, principally OXYGEN that you need ASAP. Your Dr. will be notified later.

3. Don't assume it couldn't be a heart attack because you have a normal cholesterol count. Research has discovered that a cholesterol elevated reading is rarely the cause of an MI (unless it's unbelievably high,and/or accompanied by high blood pressure.) MI's are usually caused by long-term stress and inflammation in the body, which dumps all sorts of deadly hormones into your system to sludge things up in there. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware.. The more we know, the better chance we could survive

Why not send this to at least 10 people you know - it may save a life!

THE APPLES ARE RIPENING, SLOWLY!

Today in History:

1632 - Britain grants 2nd Lord Baltimore rights to Chesapeake Bay area

1782 - Congress approves Great Seal of US & the Eagle as it's symbol

1837 - Queen Victoria at 18 ascends British throne following death of uncle King William IV Ruled for 63 years ending in 1901

1863 - West Virginia became 35th state

1867 - Pres Andrew Johnson announces purchase of Alaska

1893 - Lizzie Borden found innocent in New Bedford Mass

1939 - Test flight of 1st rocket plane using liquid propellants

1947 - Gangster Benjamin `Buggsy' Siegel shot dead in Beverly Hills Cal

1948 - Toast of the Town hosted by Ed Sullivan premier on CBS-TV

1963 - US & USSR agree to set up "Hot Line"

1968 - Jim Hines becomes 1st person to run 100 meters in under 10 seconds

1977 - Oil enters Trans-Alaska pipeline exits 38 days later at Valdez

1982 - It's National Bald Eagle Day

BARB'S HANDY TIP #286

Get Out In the Field!

This site thru the National Wildlife Federaton has some terrific reference E-Guides available online. There are listings for Birds, Fishes, Mammals, Reptiles, Seashells, Amphibians, Spiders, Butterflies, Wildflowers, Trees and Insects!

Go forth and identify!

ENATURE FEILDGUIDES