Thursday, March 31, 2011
The Story of Jonah
This is absolutely amazing... this little girl telling the story of Jonah with all the emphasis and character tone changes! http://vimeo.com/16404771
Monday, March 28, 2011
The Purpose of a Dog
This warmed my heart... and it's so true :)
Dog's Purpose? (from a 6-year-old).
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.
He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued, ''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Remember if a dog was the teacher, you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle
them gently.
ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!
Dog's Purpose? (from a 6-year-old).
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.
He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued, ''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Remember if a dog was the teacher, you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle
them gently.
ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Who ate the cat treats?
Awwww watch this...
Who ate the cat treats?
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/dog-feels-guilty/2050thx4?q=Dog+viral&rel=msn&from=en-us_msnhp&form=msnrll>1=42010%0d%0d
Who ate the cat treats?
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/dog-feels-guilty/2050thx4?q=Dog+viral&rel=msn&from=en-us_msnhp&form=msnrll>1=42010%0d%0d
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Happy St Patrick's Day!
Ever wonder who St Patrick was and why we celebrate him? I do!
http://www.st-patricks-day.com/about_saintpatrick.html
This website says:
Saint Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works, the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a "most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God."
Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but...
Also? The clover?
The same website says: Many folk ask the question 'Why is the Shamrock the National Flower of Ireland ?' The reason is that St. Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagans...
So why March 17th?
One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations.
The same website has plenty of additional information (including parade and event locations!)...
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The first woman admitted to the Virginia State Bar graduated from UVA's law school...
This is a pretty interesting article... it's amazing how many accomplished people are associated with the University of Virginia :)
http://uvamagazine.org/features/article/women_at_the_university_of_virginia/P1/
Be sure to read "The Early Years"
Proud to be a 'Hoo!
http://uvamagazine.org/features/article/women_at_the_university_of_virginia/P1/
Be sure to read "The Early Years"
Proud to be a 'Hoo!
Monday, March 14, 2011
The Fork
Received this story from a friend... too good not to share... (warning: possible tear-jerker)
The Fork
There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.
She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.
Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. 'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly... 'What's that?' came the Pastor’s reply.
'This is very important,' the young woman continued. 'I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.' The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.
That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman asked. 'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor. The young woman explained. 'My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie; you know something wonderful, and with substance!
So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork ...the best is yet to come.' The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's with the fork?' And over and over he smiled. During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.
The Fork
There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.
She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.
Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. 'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly... 'What's that?' came the Pastor’s reply.
'This is very important,' the young woman continued. 'I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.' The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.
That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman asked. 'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor. The young woman explained. 'My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie; you know something wonderful, and with substance!
So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork ...the best is yet to come.' The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's with the fork?' And over and over he smiled. During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The Anteroom
My husband often refers to our TV room / den as the "Anteroom"...
In a silly voice, he will say "Would you like to retire to the anteroom to drink our coffee and watch some news this morning?"
and everytime he uses the word anteroom, I say "What is an anteroom, anyway?"
Well, Ladies and Gents, today is the day I did my google search!
Merriam Webster says:
Definition of ANTEROOM: an outer room that leads to another room and this is often used as a waiting room
First Known Use of ANTEROOM: 1762
Rhymes with ANTEROOM: Baby Boom, Banquet Room, Birthing Room, Boiler Room, City Room, Coffee Room, Common Room, Counting Room, Cutting Room, Elbow Room...
My thoughts:
1) There are multiple doors in our 'anteroom' that lead to different parts of the house, although I would not consider it an 'outer room'...
2) Who in the world took the time to come up with a bunch of different types of rooms that rhyme with anteroom... I mean really?
I decided to dig some more... and http://www.wisegeek.com/ came up with this:
An anteroom is an outer room which connects with the interior of a structure. The defining feature of an anteroom is that it has at least one door which connects with the outside, and another door which leads into a room which is not in contact with the outside. In many cases, anterooms connect to several interior rooms, but they are not classified as hallways, because they are functional rooms, rather than elongated passages.
You may also hear an anteroom referred to as an antechamber, a waiting room, or a vestibule. The anteroom has a venerable history in architecture, with such rooms being common in Ancient Greece and Rome, India, and China, especially in temples. In temples, the anteroom held petitioners while they waited for audiences with priests or religious icons, and often space was provided to make offerings to the temple, for those who felt so inclined. In private homes, anterooms isolated the dwellers from the noise and odors of the street, and provided a space for visitors to wait while residents prepared themselves.
Because anterooms span the distance between inside and outside, they often have a very transitional feel. In a no-shoes household, for example, people may be encouraged to take their shoes off in the anteroom, and there may be a space to hang up coats and store bags. In cold climates, an anteroom can be quite useful, as it insulates the warm inner rooms of a house from the cold outside.
My thoughts:
1) Our den connects to the garage, none of the 4 doors in the room leads outside... not an anteroom
2) Our den leads to 2 hallways, a garage, and a laundry room... and is very functional... and is not an elongated passage... definitely an anteroom
3) Functionally, isolating a dweller from outside noise and providing a waiting area for visitors... definitely an anteroom
4) a transitional feel... this room lacks... mostly because you take one look at the beautiful sectional recently delivered from my new fav furniture store, and you want to stay forever ;) ... anteroom not so much
5) taking your shoes off... not a great idea in my house lest you step on dog food, drool or cover your socks in dog hair... anteroom not so much
I can make the case either way...
This is cool though: http://www.rodehall.co.uk/ante-room-and-library
Oh and when I did the Google Image search, it was clear these days an anteroom can be anything you want it to be... so decalre we officially have an anteroom :)
In a silly voice, he will say "Would you like to retire to the anteroom to drink our coffee and watch some news this morning?"
and everytime he uses the word anteroom, I say "What is an anteroom, anyway?"
Well, Ladies and Gents, today is the day I did my google search!
Merriam Webster says:
Definition of ANTEROOM: an outer room that leads to another room and this is often used as a waiting room
First Known Use of ANTEROOM: 1762
Rhymes with ANTEROOM: Baby Boom, Banquet Room, Birthing Room, Boiler Room, City Room, Coffee Room, Common Room, Counting Room, Cutting Room, Elbow Room...
My thoughts:
1) There are multiple doors in our 'anteroom' that lead to different parts of the house, although I would not consider it an 'outer room'...
2) Who in the world took the time to come up with a bunch of different types of rooms that rhyme with anteroom... I mean really?
I decided to dig some more... and http://www.wisegeek.com/ came up with this:
An anteroom is an outer room which connects with the interior of a structure. The defining feature of an anteroom is that it has at least one door which connects with the outside, and another door which leads into a room which is not in contact with the outside. In many cases, anterooms connect to several interior rooms, but they are not classified as hallways, because they are functional rooms, rather than elongated passages.
You may also hear an anteroom referred to as an antechamber, a waiting room, or a vestibule. The anteroom has a venerable history in architecture, with such rooms being common in Ancient Greece and Rome, India, and China, especially in temples. In temples, the anteroom held petitioners while they waited for audiences with priests or religious icons, and often space was provided to make offerings to the temple, for those who felt so inclined. In private homes, anterooms isolated the dwellers from the noise and odors of the street, and provided a space for visitors to wait while residents prepared themselves.
Because anterooms span the distance between inside and outside, they often have a very transitional feel. In a no-shoes household, for example, people may be encouraged to take their shoes off in the anteroom, and there may be a space to hang up coats and store bags. In cold climates, an anteroom can be quite useful, as it insulates the warm inner rooms of a house from the cold outside.
My thoughts:
1) Our den connects to the garage, none of the 4 doors in the room leads outside... not an anteroom
2) Our den leads to 2 hallways, a garage, and a laundry room... and is very functional... and is not an elongated passage... definitely an anteroom
3) Functionally, isolating a dweller from outside noise and providing a waiting area for visitors... definitely an anteroom
4) a transitional feel... this room lacks... mostly because you take one look at the beautiful sectional recently delivered from my new fav furniture store, and you want to stay forever ;) ... anteroom not so much
5) taking your shoes off... not a great idea in my house lest you step on dog food, drool or cover your socks in dog hair... anteroom not so much
I can make the case either way...
This is cool though: http://www.rodehall.co.uk/ante-room-and-library
Oh and when I did the Google Image search, it was clear these days an anteroom can be anything you want it to be... so decalre we officially have an anteroom :)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Visualizing Budget Cuts
In case you haven't seen this yet...
Do you have trouble wraping your brain around big numbers? This is a visual learning tool for grasping the federal budget and a proposed $100 Million budget cut...
A college student explains:
http://www.wimp.com/budgetcuts/
Do you have trouble wraping your brain around big numbers? This is a visual learning tool for grasping the federal budget and a proposed $100 Million budget cut...
A college student explains:
http://www.wimp.com/budgetcuts/
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Why do your eyes turn red?
This is the reason I created my blog... answers to random questions...
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2011/0215/1224289812808.html
...now you know!
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2011/0215/1224289812808.html
...now you know!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
DWTS
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/02/28/sugar-ray-leonard-kendra-wilkinsin-hoof-dancing-series/?test=faces
YEAH! i didn't realize it was time for a new Dancing with the Stars cast... BUT i am soooo excited for these new dancers:
Kirstie Alley
Hines Ward
KENDRA WILKINSON!!
woop! woop!
YEAH! i didn't realize it was time for a new Dancing with the Stars cast... BUT i am soooo excited for these new dancers:
Kirstie Alley
Hines Ward
KENDRA WILKINSON!!
woop! woop!
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