Today, we celebrate Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving- a holiday which we’re told was initially celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Indians to give thanks for bountiful harvests.  Today, Thanksgiving is typically a celebration with friends and family where we stuff ourselves full of turkey and other delicious food till we’re in a food coma.  Damn that tryptophan.  Those still awake watch football or plan where they’re going for the Black Friday deals.

Over the last few days, I’ve been contemplating and reflecting over the things that I am thankful for this year.  Some times sarcasm creeps– what can you be thankful for when your world is turned upside down and you’ve lived through the darkest, loneliest, saddest times you’ve ever been through.  I’ve then given myself a mental pep talk.  After several days of  thinking, I’ve found some light in the darkness.

Basically 2009 has just plain sucked since February.  Life was so good before February- I had a husband whom I loved dearly and we were such a happy family with our new son.  Everybody was healthy.  Life was good.

Then along came February and the stage IV diagnosis, followed by our fight and culminating in our lost battle.

But through it all there are things to be thankful for.

Nathaniel.  I have a wonderful easy going delightful son.  He is a pleasure to be around and his growth and development is nothing short of amazing to witness.

John got to be a father and he was a great one.  Some men never have the opportunity to become fathers.  Of the ones that do, not all of them are great.  John enjoyed fatherhood as much as he physically could through his illness.  Mentally it gave him a reason to fight and a reason to live that stretched beyond self.  John loved his boy so much.  He told me that Nathaniel’s laughter was his most favorite sound.

I had a great marriage and was married to a wonderful man.  I’ve been able to experience true love.  There are lots of people who can’t say that.  I have enough wonderful memories to hopefully last a lifetime.

John’s illness has taught me to stand up for what is right and to fight for those you love and to pick up the pieces and carry on.  The Mary of years past, wouldn’t have stood up to the well known and credentialed doctor and told him that we weren’t done fighting and if he was, then he could be forever referred to by name as “the doctor that gave up on daddy and the doctor who let daddy die.”  The doctors and nurses have other patients and rooms to visit.  The patient has one life.  Sometimes you have to stand up for those you love and insist on the best treatment for your loved one.  In the end maybe the outcome isn’t the most important thing, but rather how you life the life you have and the memories that you leave.  We’ve all been born and we’ll all die… really it’s the parts in the middle that we need to really make count!

John’s death has left me with a hole in my heart- grief, heartache, and loneliness like nothing else I’ve ever experienced.  But, I’m getting through it… not over it, but through it.  Some days are like walking through a nice grassy meadow with the sun warmly shining.  Others are like fighting my way through thick mud and slipping, sliding, falling, and getting up and pushing on.  The sun rises.  The sun sets.  Life goes on.  If I choose to live life or not, it still continues- better to enjoy it while I can.  Nathaniel, the horses, and the cats have kept me going.  They all need me and they all love me.  I’m working or re-building my life.  It won’t ever be the same or the happy home and strong fortress that it was with the three of us, but we’re making it.  It’s not always easy, it’s not always pretty, and it certainly isn’t always clean, but we’re making it…. one day at a time.  Life goes on.  We never know how short or long our life will be.  To me it only makes sense to enjoy it to it’s fullest and be happy as best you can.

For some reason, John’s death has chilled me out more and I don’t usually get upset over the little stuff.  In the end, the little things don’t matter.  It’s the big picture.  I just want to relax and enjoy simple pleasures- hug my kid, ride my horses, take a walk, pet the critters, and just enjoy life.  I’m very fortunate that I can do all of those things without even leaving Leaky Creek!  I love my farm, my house, my horses, my cats, and my son.  I truly feel like there is something else out there beyond our realm.  I do think that John has given me signs.  It’s reassuring and gives me an inner peace that I need.  Attending church has been helpful.  I used to fear dying terribly.  After I held John’s hand as he died, my fear left.  Someday, I’m sure we’ll be together again… as long as he doesn’t hook up with some hot angel in the meantime…

Annapolis Fire Department.  They were absolutely amazing during John’s illness and they (along with Community Fire Company of Rising Sun) made his funeral a fitting tribute to a wonderful man and amazing firefighter.  AFD did so many wonderful things that I know I can’t mention all of them.  They covered John’s shifts, so he received full pay.  They allowed him to retire on disability.  They came to visit him in the hospital and were there for his 2nd round of IL2 treatments at 6 AM & 10 PM.  They transformed our half bath into full bath with a shower that John could use.  Sometimes when you’re sick… the ability to get clean just means so much.  Sadly, John was only able to use his shower a few times, but it was very much appreciated!    AFD built a ramp, so we could get the wheelchair in and out easily.  They mowed our grass and did assorted maintenance jobs.  They went with us to many doctor’s visits so I didn’t have to worry about driving on little sleep or in unpredictable traffic.  They sent meals.  They held a fundraiser in Annapolis.  They participated in Team Smitty for the LiveStrong Challenge.  In, short, they took care of their brother.  John truly worked for a topnotch organization.  He loved working there and they loved him, too.  I miss them.

I’m thankful to the wonderful medical personnel that we encountered… from the friendly, familiar faces on the ambulance, to the caring hospital nurses, to our beloved home health nurses, and every smiling caring face in between.

I am thankful to the friends and family who have supported us and were there for John, Nathaniel, and myself.  During times of crisis, you find out who your true friends are.  Sometimes they are who you think they are… sometimes they’re different people.  I  have been very fortunate that no matter how alone I feel, I am not without friends to support me.  Some friendships have strengthened and I’ve even found new friends.  A simple phone call can make all the difference in the world.  Many people have also helped me out with everything from mowing grass, to checking car brakes, to babysitting, to installing ceiling fans, to watching Nathaniel while I got some equine therapy… and just being there when I needed to talk, needed a hug, or needed a shoulder to cry on.  This Thanksgiving, I’ve received so many invitations- thanks to everybody who thought about my boy and me and knew that we might not have a place to go.

I also have the world’s best babysitter.  I can’t tell you how amazing she has been with my son and how much I enjoy and value her friendship.  We’ve known each other since elementary school, but had lost touch through the years.  Facebook re-united us and I consider her to be one of my best friends, now.  We share conversations, hugs, and tears.  There is nothing like having the piece of mind that my son is being cared for as if her were part of her family.  Nathaniel helped carve his first pumpkin and made his first art project with them.  Her daughter is like a sister to him.  Nathaniel adores her husband and I think it is important for Nathaniel to  have a good male role model in his life.  I can go to work and have no concerns and no worries… to quote the credit card commercials.. “Peace of mind– priceless.”   I know John would approve.

I also hope that I can do some things in memory of John to help fight melanoma and fight cancer.  I don’t want his death to be in vain.  Skin cancer can kill.  We need more melanoma awareness and much, much more research.  I’d love to do a memorial bike ride, since he loved to cycle.

So, even in what has been the worst year in my 34 year life, there are things to be thankful for.  Happy Thanksgiving everybody.  Hug your spouse.  Hug your kid(s).  Pet the critters.  Eat up and watch some football.  And if you get a chance before the food coma sets in take at least a brief moment to remember what you’re thankful for.

Certain things are simply not done justice by mere description. Nevertheless, endeavor in the face of adversity is the most noble of human pursuits, so I will endeavor here to shed light upon the fantastic piece of wonderful that is the fish taco. (Therefore, fish tacos are noble human pursuits. Just go with it.) There are some who will say that a fish taco is not a real fish taco unless it comes directly from a recipe conjured in the magical lands that are the kitchens of Baja California where it was jealously guarded until a brave soul managed to bring it north of the border. This is sadly untrue, as a good fish taco does not need to have been bathed in the water of the Pacific and treated with the essence of surfer and patchouli to be considered a real commodity. The lesson learned is that a good fish taco can take ever so many different forms.

This is perhaps one of the best things about them: their variability (panacea for life 1). The means and ingredients are very simple, but the end result is very complex. Though this is a general principle of the taco, it is never more evident with the fish taco. For example, the fish can be tilapia, it can be mahi, it can be ahi tuna, shrimp (see picture), squid, octopus-it can be just about any fish that absorbs flavor well and doesn’t overpower with its fishiness. It addition, it does not have to be prepared in just one way-it can be fried (traditionally) or grilled (more modern). Now that we have our fish, let us move to the shell that it is in.

Both flour and corn tortillas are available-yet another manifestation of the aforementioned panacea-variability. Though flour tortillas may be more flexible, corn tortillas normally impart a bit more flavor to your taco, especially if the tortilla is toasted as delicately as a scientist handles samples of radioactive plutonium on a flat-top ever so slightly beforehand. In addition, the tortillas themselves may be fried to increase their crispiness and flavor. And now for what is in my opinion the most important-the slaw of vegetables and sauce(s) that accompany the wonderment we are creating.

Thus far, we have imparted the wonderment of perfectly grilled and seasoned fish and a wonderful, authentic shell in which to place it. Before we continue, let’s not forget another highly important balancing factor-the beverage. I find here that the originals did it best-by this I mean that when you’re eating Mexican food, have a Mexican beverage. Dos Equis is preferred but Corona will do quite nicely as well. Though let’s all be honest here: when talking about beer and food pairings, I think many people would just take the beer. For the non-alcoholic crowd, Jarritos soda’s many diverse flavors will go exceedingly well here too-I leave the experimentation to you. To the slaw we go now. The slaw should be crunchy and fresh, bright with a measure of zip and possibly of heat as well. Again, variability is the fish taco’s greatest advantage. Staples of a good slaw will include cabbage in various forms, possibly some carrot, onion, pico de gallo and the tang added by the addition of citrus, preferably lime. The entire combination produces a veritable symphony of flavors that is so rewarding: light seafood that has been well cooked combined with a slaw that is bright and crunchy. Both elements contribute to the texture of the dish and add flavor.

An important point is not to overload your taco: guacamole is generally not preferred on a fish taco, especially if it has been spiced heavily. They will simply overpower the lightness of the fish and take over the dish, blocking out some of the texture contributed by the slaw with its smoothness. In contrast, crema (a sort of runny Mexican sour cream) is just opportune-it adds authenticity and a measure of flavor all its own. Our end result is a concoction for which a general case can be made that it was magicked down to to our eateries by a benevolent force for our enjoyment-proof that we are loved as a human race.

One of the many variations offered by Mercadito Cantina, East Village, NY

Day Two

The first night in the tent went remarkably well.  I managed to wake up almost hourly from about 1am, mainly because the pathetic sleeping bags I bought a few months ago are absolutely useless, and I was slowly freezing my literals off, despite lots of layers under me and track pants and a t-shirt on me. (note to self, and anyone who actually reads this.  never by Spinifex brand sleeping bags …  never,)

Around 6:30am I decided to forget about trying to grab another hour, and to get my day moving.  Keep in mind this was really the first full day of the “adventure“, and I already knew that the car needed to undergo a complete re-pack to make access to various items easier.

First things first – coffee.  I’d somehow managed to camp within about 10 metres of the “camp kitchen”, which was basically a BBQ, microwave, small B&W TV, and a sink running hot artesian water for washing up.  Scrabbling through my box of cooking gear I pulled out the old billy, filled it with fresh water from the water carrier in the car (I’ve been warned about drinking artesian, and even if I hadn’t all the signs on the taps “NOT FOR DRINKING” would have stopped me).  While I would later find out that this in fact was one of the crappiest camp kitchens I’d experience, for the purposes of eating cereal while boiling a kettle without having to break out the cooking kit it was damn near perfect!

(click on any photo to see it bigger in a new window)

After breakfast and a shower, I pulled everything out of the car, and repacked it all back in, much more logically than when I left home.  All up, nearly two hours after I got up I was able to get driving again, with less rattling coming from the things stowed in the back.  Consider yourself very lucky that I don’t have a set of 30 photos to show you of the repacking.  My only excuse is that the cameras went into the front of the car first, and I never thought about them again until I was about to get underway.

Just outside the park, there is a old Air Force DC-3 aircraft.  It’s notable for a bunch of reasons, but mainly I took a few photos because there are always people, who like to see old RAAF gear, working within Defence, where my current contract is.  You’d be bored by them – let me know if you’ve really got nothing better to see and I’ll send you the links.

Fueled up, loaded a bag of ice into various coolers and drinks carriers, and finally on my way, on the road out of WW by around 9:30.  At least I’m getting closer to leaving on time!!

ON THE ROAD FOR VERY NEARLY A WHOLE HOUR!

It seemed the universe was going to ensure I made up for the lack of appropriate driving breaks the previous day by forcing me to have some today.  About 80kms west of West Wyalong there were road works, and a Stop-Go man directing traffic.  I’ve never seen a lollipop guy with a shade umbrella and a chair on the road before, but he came up to the car and let me know that I’d have at least 20 minutes before the road was usable.

I turned off the Storm Trooper, grabbed the camera, and went to look at the “wonderful” countryside that is 80km west of West Wyalong.

The patiently waiting Storm Trooper

Go through the brush on one side of the road,  and you’ll find a barbed wire fence about 4 feet high.  Stand next to that fence, and this is what you see:

Wander back through the scrub, across the road to the other side, and the view is completely different.

One of the things I never really thought about was how intense and vibrant the colours are once you get away from the city.  Maybe this is because of less pollution, clearer light, or some other factor, but when a weed such as this can look this good you start wondering about what we’re missing, back there in suburbia.

The stop-go guy blew his airhorn, I headed back into the car, and off to get to Hay.

Driving the Hay Plains was … unique. I don’t think I’ve ever driven on anything quite so unendingly flat.  Normally when you’re driving the horizon is constantly changing, but this was a bright, sunny, (and bloody hot) day with no clouds in the sky, and nothing much to break up the horizon.  As I drove I found the sky turning dark brown, as you get a weird sort of retina burn from the never-changing view,  bright blue sky providing a kind of continuous afterimage imposed on itself, the only way to fix it being to shift focus elsewhere for a few seconds then come back to looking at the road ahead (talking to a trucker a few days later in Broken Hill aparently this is very common).

The other weird thing was seeing the trucks come out of the haze on the horizon.  Normally the horizon is about 4kms away, considering everything being flat (which it is on the Hay plains). BUT add in the heat and light starts to bend around the horizon. When you’re driving towards a truck at … ahem … slightly over the 100km/h speed limit they seem to just pop up out of the mirror-like heat haze on the long highway directly in front of you. You kind of see the top of the truck, it seems to stay on the road for a few minutes, all caught in the heat shimmer, then suddenly it just pops up in front of you.  Very weird the first few times!

Somewhere along this enduring nothing I saw a huge pile of road gravel, deposited near the road for crews to come and use to maintain the road.  As the only thing higher than a truck that I’d seen in a while I pulled in to take a panographic image of the plains – anything lower wouldn’t have been worthwhile.  The pile was HUGE – at least ten metres high (if not more) and reasonably loose, so to get this made the dirt & crap in my boots all worthwhile:

Yep - that's THE Storm Trooper - twice. You can't get enough of a good Storm Trooper!!

It wasn’t until I got home that I managed to get a better look at the aea on google maps.  Click here to see exactly where this was taken. The car GPS had shown I was near a lake, which I couldn’t see, but it’s quite clearly (was) there on Google Maps. For the technically minded this is made up of around 15 separate images, carefully taken to overlap enough to let me stitch them accurately.  The sky changes colour and goes darker in places as I had a Circular Polariser filter on, which acts much like polarising sunnies, but becomes more apparent (like this) when the image moves through at least 360 degrees.

Hay, NSW.

There is a story behind this photo, and it isn’t as self-serving as you might thinkl!  What you can’t see is my mobile phone in my right hand, just under my left arm.  Even more, you can’t tell that there is an active call to my wife on that invisible-to-you phone.  As I was coming into Hay, Belle asked me if I was getting photos of me in front of all the various town signs that I was going to do something in (thank goodness it wasn’t a photo in every town I passed through – I’d still be out there !!).  SO, while I was talking to her, this sign came into view, I pulled over, set up the tripod, then ran the 100m or so to stand in from of this sign, having set the camera on timer.  Until I started walking back to the car and explained what I had been doing I don’t think she understood why I was running, but at least I got the shot !!

I passed through Hay,  pulling in to a spot near the river to have lunch and a coffee.  Very relaxing, comfortable spot on a sand-banked river, I almost wished I could have been there for sunset – I’m sure it looked  brilliant then too:

The next stop was  Balranald, around 135kms further down the road.  I hadn’t planned on stopping there, but the drive took a little longer than I planned, mainly due lots more semis and road trains coming onto the road due to an accident blocking the main southwards route, around 200km east of where I was.  Despite this I was making pretty good time, and as I pulled into the Balranald Visitor Information center, I saw this “guy” who wanted to have a photo with me (or at least that’s what the lady in the Visitor Information center said !)

Balranald is apparently well known for some endangered species of frogs, and there are similar frog sculptures all over the town, all in different poses.

The final 80km down to Robinvale Victoria was uneventful, bringing me to my “home” for the night at a caravan park on the banks of the Murray River.

At the end of a HUGE day, where I experienced loads of wonderful things, mostly unexpected (there is NO HAY on the Hay Plains !), it was wonderful, after setting up camp and making dinner, to sit on the banks of the Murray River, generously soaked in insect repellant, quaffing a decent red wine from a carefully prepared coffee mug, reading a little, and getting a photo as the sun went down of the trees over on the NSW side of the river;

before retiring to bed.

Tomorrow . . .  Robinvale to Silverton via Broken Hill . . .

- Michael

Web: www.slice-of-life.smugmug.com
Blog: photorhubarb.wordpress.com
Email: justgreatphotos@gmail.com

“There are no little events in life, those we think of no consequence may be full of fate, and it is at our own risk if we neglect the acquaintances and opportunities that seem to be casually offered, and of small importance.”
— Amelia E. Barr (1831-1919)

It’s amazing how in the same exact day, I could invoice one company for my services at $45 an hour, and another at $10 an hour.

I love it.

Wonderful’s of colour.

color or colour come it one  of nature of wonderful of life. color more type it’s become hole life of the world. the type  of color is such a categorize of the basic. the color like white,red,yellow,black,blue.

Color derives from the spectrum of light (distribution of light energy versus wavelength) interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors. Color categories and physical specifications of color are also associated with objects, materials, light sources, etc., based on their physical properties such as light absorption, reflection, or emission spectra. By defining a color space, colors can be identified numerically by their coordinates.

Because perception of color stems from the varying sensitivity of different types of cone cells in the retina to different parts of the spectrum, colors may be defined and quantified by the degree to which they stimulate these cells. These physical or physiologicalpsychophysical perception of color appearance. quantifications of color, however, do not fully explain the

The science of color is sometimes called chromatics. It includes the perception of color by the human eye and brain, the origin of color in materials, color theory in art, and the physics of electromagnetic radiation in the visible range (that is, what we commonly refer to simply as light).

]]> http://myhaironfire.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/me-encantan-los-dias-de-espanol/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:28:15 +0000 asbestasican http://myhaironfire.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/me-encantan-los-dias-de-espanol/

because my kids are NOT allowed to say anything in English.  Consequently, they are VERY quiet and (surprise) they listen better.  They worked really hard through math and Spanish language arts.  After that comes writers’ workshop.  I knew I had to let them blow off some steam or I’d be paying for it.  So, I had them begin a new choral reading for our poetry slam that’s coming up.  They LOVE to do this.  (Drama much?)   After that little break, we moved into writers’ workshop and they were focused and working hard for the whole 40 minutes.  I love how WW builds their stamina and turns them into serious writing.  (I actually heard some “Awwwwws” when I told them to guardar los ensayos.  Could this be MY class???)  Finally, I turned them loose on their social studies project, building their “worlds” and creating maps of them for the hallway walls.  I made sure to type up a list of all the jobs the kids had to do and then the team captains directed all the work.  It went so well.  One of the groups worked better than the other, but they both accomplished what they needed to do.  AND they were speaking to each other in Spanish without my prompting.

I wish I could just bottle days like today and keep it on the shelf for the ones that stink.

When you are planning a holiday in one of the most famous and popular places in the world, you will immediately consider the Island of Ibiza. The type of nightlife that makes Ibiza particularly popular amongst jet setters all over the world and young people who like to enjoy the best can be qualified in a single word: “Hedonistic”.

Whether you decide to venture in this idyllic party Island at any time of the year or you are looking to arrive at the biggest and most important celebrations, there will always be a wonderful time and endless parties at Ibiza.

Naturally, each one of the clubs that you can find at the island of Ibiza strives to have its own air and personality so that the partygoers that venture in its nightlife find themselves in a surreal world of pleasure and celebration. One of the things that you will benefit to know when taking on the party celebrations that are available at Ibiza are the custom-tailored celebrations that change each night according to the DJ’s and the promoters that organize them.

No two parties are ever the same at Ibiza, and since the promoter of one club can basically be the booker of a specific DJ, you can switch Ibiza clubs and still enjoy a wonderful night wherever you end up. And if you are in a clubbing mood, you can always venture at any of the music bars of Ibiza, which somehow resemble an 80’s disco lounge. A great place to listen to music, chat to friends and dance, without the hectic atmosphere of the most popular Ibiza nightclubs.

One of Ibiza’s most famous nightclubs is the “Privilege”, located half way between Ibiza and San Antonio you will not be able to miss it because it has a big bulky construction, and eye catching lights it definitely is the place to visit when you are in Ibiza, though probably not the only nightclub that you will visit.

One of the most sought after nightclubs in Ibiza is El Divino, due to the very select audience; with a 1500 tourist capacity it is a wonderful place to spend the night in celebration while enjoying the warm sea breeze. El Divino is located right on the harbour making it accessible by boat!

There is no way anyone could depict the incredibly wonderful ambiance that Ibiza has to offer in terms of nightclubs, the only thing to do is to recommend everyone to visit and stay, at the very least, two weeks and experience the sensational ambiance for themselves.

Darayonan Lodge

Darayonan is a Cuyonon word that means a place to stay. The lodge is situated in a residential part of Coron town, strategically located along the National Highway. Darayonan Lodge aims to provide its guests with clean and comfortable rooms, good food and quality service. Aside from that, one has options on choosing the rooms to stay at: in the native bamboo, sawali and banig set-up or in the modern concrete and tile two-story building.

Darayonan Lodge is an accredited tourist inn by the Philippine Department of Tourism. It has played host to a number of VIP’s and celebrities, the most notable of whom are Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and then U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardone.  In fact, Congressman Baham Mitra was amongst the guests of the lodge during our stay from October 21-24, 2009.

What is striking about this place aside from its homey atmosphere is the owner’s love for the arts. It definitely is a reflection of the owner’s strive in achieving perfection in everything. From the lodge’s interior decorations to the food being served for each meal. He personally goes over every little details right before being served or handed over to the guests. We stayed here for 4 days and 3 nights; and it was a part of the overwhelming positive experiences that I have had during my stay in Coron, Palawan.

The place is clean all the time! They see to it that the rooms and private comfort rooms get cleaned everyday during your stay. They also make sure that the entire lodge is spic and span all throughout the day. I have never seen any litter at all in my entire stay.

The facilities in this lodge pass the normal standards of travellers: hot and cold shower, all air-conditioned rooms, centralized water system. It’s like you never left home at all. I’ve had a comfortable stay at this lodge.

It’s also probably the only lodge that includes breakfast for two along with the daily room charge. And what’s more, drinking water and coffee is unlimited, no extra charge. I should say that staying at Darayonan is really a value for your money.

Darayonan Lodge has facilities and amenities as follows:

Cafe which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner

Choice of fan or air-conditioned rooms

Queen-sized beds, single-sized beds plus two extra beds if necessary

21″  colored television sets on all their rooms

Refrigerator/Mini Bar

Closets

Writing desk cum dresser with mirror

Bigger rooms with higher ceiling

Bigger bathroom

Veranda

Darayonan Lodge not only offers bed and breakfast for travelers. In fact, they also  arrange tours/trips for you so you’d have a grand vacation for you or your family or even with your friends.  They have enticing packages which includes everything (accommodations/rooms, land transfers from and to Busuanga, food and tours) and you won’t have to worry a single thing about your vacation. Every single detail of your vacation will be taken cared of  at rates that would suit your budget. Group or barkada packages also await travelers who  wish to visit Coron in groups or together with their families and loved ones. Darayonan Lodge does not have a website at this point in time. So if you like to get price quotes for your stay with them, you may get in touch with the owners through these contact numbers:

Chin Fernandez owner of Darayonan Lodge

Location:  132 National Highway, Barangay Poblacion 1, Coron, Palawan

Cellphone: +639178811151

Landline: +6327443209

Email: dipulao@gmail.com

I was looking for a quote to explain my feelings about today, but I couldn’t find one. And then I started looking through my iTunes for a song that would be able to do what a quote couldn’t. I couldn’t find one of those either.

So I guess all I have left are my words. But the funny thing is that I don’t even think I have the words to explain my feelings about today. Almost 12 hours later I still can’t get anymore words out than, “Oh my God.” I think I’m still freaking out inside, lol. I keep going over and over and over the email and thinking of all the possibilities that could happen…and I still can’t wrap my brain around it.

I’ve spent a lifetime expecting the worst. I doubted everyone and everything, I predicted the saddest outcomes, I put walls up all around and I suffered greatly for it. I guess I had my reasons at the time, but in retrospect I caused my own suffering. It was how I knew how to protect myself, and it was how I knew how to deal with the world emotionally. So now, now that things are happening, and they’re good things, I don’t know how to deal with them, lol. I’m lost and overwhelmed and flabbergasted because this is totally not what I was expecting.

I noticed that whenever something good happens to me, something that touches my heart, I’m completely and utterly overwhelmed. Those same things may not be as big of a deal to anyone else, but to me they’re absolutely priceless and I remember all of them very well. And my reaction to all of those things are the same—I cry. And I cry because I don’t have the words or the way to even express the good that I’m feeling.

Today I cried hysterically for a while, in the good way and in the bad. But both reasons kind of occurred at the same time.

Please universe, don’t stop. I need just 2 more things to happen and then everything will be okay for a while. Help me out.

Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God. Oh my fucking God.

Oh God.

Delicious – Emily’s Holiday Season is the latest time management game from Game House Studios. Much like the often-forgotten Miss Management, this game plays like a TV sitcom, complete with incidental music and cheesy sense of humor! The variety of gameplay is a welcome addition to the genre, and unlike most games that make the same attempt, it doesn’t come across as forced innovation.

The peaceful town of Snuggford is covered in a blanket of snow, and Emily has decided to stay here for a while with her family. The hotel is a bit on the dusty side, and as Emily fixes a vase her friend Francois knocked over with a sneeze, she finds herself with a new job. Customers come in, order food, and Emily must fetch it, deliver it, and take their cash. Sometimes the postman will arrive with a package which must be signed for, and the occasional hotel patron will appear to turn in or pick up his or her room key. Everything is handled with a simple click and go interface, and you can queue several tasks for Emily’s busy hands to accomplish.

Between the main tasks you’ll also have a few extra chores to do, such as dusting off the cobwebs, picking up a random item or two, or catching spiders. These aren’t necessary to complete the level, but if you’re going for an expert score, you’d better start dusting. After each level you’ll get a chance to spend some cash buying upgrades that make Emily’s job easier, customers happier, and the hotel more profitable.

Not content to keep things in one location, Emily’s Holiday Season takes place across several areas, including Winter Fair and a farm. The change of scenery does a surprising amount of good for the experience, and the soft, cozy visuals never cease to summon that holiday feeling we love so very much.

Analysis: You might be inclined to write off Delicious – Emily’s Holiday Season game as just another time management game. If you do, you’re missing out on a wonderful gaming experience. Casual to the core, this game is about mood, setting, storytelling, and variety. It doesn’t smack you across the face with a forced collection of different gameplay elements. Instead, you feel like each departure from the norm is a soft, fuzzy gift that you open and gratefully accept. It’s a difficult experience to convey, but if a time management game can make me speechless, you know there’s something special there.

Here’s another genre oddity: storytelling. Not only does Delicious – Emily’s Holiday Season buck tradition with its gameplay, but before and after each level you’ll be treated to a short scene that furthers the plot. Beyond that, you actually find yourself interested in what’s going on, as the characters are likeable, funny, and do some genuinely witty things over the course of the game.

Emily’s Holiday Season isn’t stressful, it isn’t particularly challenging, and the game doesn’t go out of its way to impress you with NEW!!! and FANTASTICAL!!! gimmicks at every turn. Instead, you just have a few bowls of cranberries to deliver, a couple of spiders to catch, and a handful of other miscellaneous tasks to complete. The gameplay and setting are so rich you can’t help but be drawn in, and the variety in both storytelling and locations keep you in for the long haul. Delicious – Emily’s Holiday Season is one of the few time management games you owe it to yourself to play.

Review by JohnB
Casual Gameplay

If you are a lover of the ocean and spend any time in Egypt, then you owe it to yourself to try the diving and snorkeling that are available in the Red Sea. Heading to the beach of the Red Sea is an absolute essential, as the pristine waters provide the ideal conditions for diving past times. A chance to explore the Red Sea and discover just why it has such a great reputation for the beautiful views and unforgettable snorkeling and diving experiences. It is surely not to be missed.

One of the main reasons why the Red Sea is a place that must be visited, is because of the life under the ocean. It is one of the most wildly diverse areas in the world. There are more than 1100 species of catalogued fish, where you will find approximately ten percent that are unique to the location. This rich diversity is due to the 5000 to 7000 year old reefs that extend along the coastline. These reefs offer shelter, not only the 1100 or so species of fish, but also to approximately 44 different species of shark. If you are considering going on a dive in the Red Sea, you should certainly be prepared to experience beautiful specimens of sea life with exquisite clarity.

There are widely available services for diving and snorkeling that are very keen and eager to help you get on your way on the Egyptian coasts of the Red Sea. There are certain services available which offer full instruction by fully licensed and experienced staff for snorkeling or scuba equipment. Or if you are a fully qualified diver you will simply have pointed out to you the best locations. All diving equipment can be rented, however, you are more than welcome to use your own personal equipment, if you have it with you.

Very often not thought of, but snorkeling is an ideal sport for children. They can be introduced to some of the most beautiful places on the planet. Of course, it is absolutely necessary that your child be comfortable under the water and wearing a mask, in order for them to experience such a breathtaking opportunity. It is a good idea to get your child used to wearing a mask before arriving at the Red Sea. Perhaps your child could wear a mask whilst in the bath in order to get used to the feeling of it. But remember that this is only if your child wants to.

One of the best reasons for visiting the Red Sea and taking up the opportunity of snorkeling, is the opportunity to experience a living ecosystem which is in full action. Schools of fish interacting can be seen along with solitary fish darting around each other in the coral reefs, right before your very own eyes. Keep an eye out for the symbiotic relationship of the clown fish and the sea anemone. As the clown fish amazingly glide between the poisonous tentacles of the sea anemones, watch as the colorful stingers float in the water.

Dahab is a small town on the southeast coast of the Sinai Peninsula, which is a spectacular place to dive. This former Bedouin town is internationally renowned for scuba diving and snorkeling, and there are many reefs available that are adjacent to the shore.

One site that is recommended for skilled divers, as this idyllic spot has a reputation for danger, is the Blue Hole. The Blue Hole is a 100 meter deep and 50 meter wide cave, which is only a few miles to the north, that holds a variety of marine life, which is absolutely awe-inspiring.

One of Egypt’s favorite attractions is Ras Muhammad National Park. This is yet another dive site, which is certainly worth considering. This park was established by the government as a marine reserve in 1983. It holds more than 200 species of corals, 40 species of starfish and more than 150 species of crustaceans. Ras Mohammed National Park certainly earns its international reputation as one of the world’s best diving locations. At times, and with a little luck, you can also catch sight of the rare green sea turtle and the hawksbill sea turtle.

If you and your family are considering a visit to Egypt, then snorkeling and diving in the Red Sea is certainly something that you should try. There is, of course, the added problem, that, once you have taken you first dive and seen the wonders that are on offer below the water, you may not want to return to land!!

Meditations in Job : 66. God Speaks from a Storm

Job 38:1-5 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?

All the talking by the humans has come to an end. Now it is the Lord’s turn. He has remained silent and let the variety of opinions be expressed. For the moment He ignores the three friends and Elihu. He simply addresses Job. Note it says “the Lord answered Job.” These words are going to be a direct answer to all that Job has said, but they will not be a point-by-point apologetic. Oh no, the Lord is going to answer by a very different means.  The Lord comes and speaks through a storm. Saying that, it isn’t that the storm brings Job a lesson, but the Lord’s voice comes from the midst of the storm. A storm, by its very nature, displays power. We are reminded of the revelation that Ezekiel received: “I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north–an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light.” (Ezek 1:4) I think I have never seen this so well shown as in the film Independence Day when a massive alien spacecraft comes with what appears amazing clouds and a storm. It conveyed well the enormity of the power that we see in the Scriptures when God makes His presence known sometimes.

It is important to note this tangible power and might, because it is simply an expression of the Lord’s activity which He is going on to speak about to Job. He is not going to answer Job on an intellectual argument or emotional challenge level; He is simply going to state some simple facts, revealed through questions.

But first He expresses something about Job.  Now later on He will reiterate His good feelings about Job but for the moment He wants to convey to Job His dissatisfaction with what Job has been saying.  Job may have been a righteous man prior to all this happening, but he has given way to the pressures coming from the three friends and has spoken out about things of which he has no knowledge.  He did not know about the prior conversations in heaven and the causes (and objectives?) of what happened, and so all his words were baseless (literally!).  So he spoke without knowledge and so it is going to be on the basis of the absence of knowledge that the Lord is going to help Job regain his right perspective!

As we said, the Lord is not going to enter into an intellectual debate with Job; He’s simply going to help Job regain perspective and when that happens, that will be enough. He uses rhetorical question after rhetorical question. The answers are obvious. We won’t look at them all; you can read them in your Bible. He starts with three that will show the nature of His approach: “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? …. Who marked off its dimensions? ….  Who stretched a measuring line across it?” i.e. were you around when I created everything?  Of course not!   Immediately there is this implied acknowledgement that the Lord is the Creator of the world and that lifts Him infinitely higher than Job.

The questions roll on, one after another and the answer from Job’s perspective has to be “No, I am a mere man!”  Every now and then the Lord drops in a challenge that reminds Job of that very fact; for example, “Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years!” (38:21) and that just rubs the truth in even more.  No, I’m just a mere man and my few years count for nothing.  The questions pour on, covering nature, the constellations, even the origins of wisdom, and then on into chapter 39 about the habits of all the animals and their strangeness sometimes.  Does He know about all these details?  No, of course he doesn’t; he’s a mere man and it’s not the twenty first century where technology has begun to open up some of these secrets that show us just how wonderful Creation is.

We’ll pause it there and continue to consider the torrent of questions in the next meditation. It is a simple lesson of perspective. Sometimes we think we are so great; we have achieved so much.  Some of us have learnt so much that we fool ourselves into believing that the tiny bit of information we have absorbed makes us important.  In a foolish age when so many deny the presence of God, we take for granted the incredible wonder and power of what we can observe in Creation.  We explain it away and fail to see the enormity of the Creator that defies our imagination.  Because we are tainted by this disease called Sin, we are blinded to the truth.  We think we are great.  But then it only takes a bad cold or the flu or a strained back or severe toothache to bring us down to helplessness and we realise afresh our limitations.  We dare to argue with Almighty God?  What crass stupidity!

Here are our additional photos taken during our Coron Island hopping. Enjoy!

“Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known.”
— Garrison Keillor

It's A Wonderful Life (1946) began as a short story called "The Greatest Gift". Writer Philip Van Doren Stern was able to sell it to a publisher, that he sent the story as a long Christmas card to friends. His agent subsequently sold the fable of RKO Pictures, where it went through several transformations. Have in a version a losing political candidate contemplated suicide, to remain only an angel to convince him and do good works. Finally fell into the hands of the DirectorFrank Capra who cried when he read, said it was the story, which he had sought all his life, and bought it for the first project for his new production company, Liberty Films.

To play the modest savings and loan associations clerk, Capra wanted Jimmy Stewart who he had previously been going into You Can not Take It With You (1938) and Mr. Smith to Washington (1939). But back from the Second World War, which was seven years old Stewart is no longer the easy going man of the world he hadwas in the thirties. The former Oscar winner for The Philadelphia Story (led 1940), a man in bomb attacks in the European theater to maneuver in difficult-to B-24s. The loud engines damaged his hearing in later years, the people, when people would greet him, and he would not respond, some would mistake his deafness for a cold personality. He was uncertain after five years away from the screen, if he still wanted to be in the movies. Sometimes the job is so it seemedhumiliating. Tried in 1943, when Stewart had to stay in the best hotel in Madrid, he was dismissed because he was an actor. He went back into the Air Force Base, received his Colonel's uniform and then they let him in.

When he returned to Southern California, in 1945, Stewart took things easy. He refused to sign again with his old studio MGM, despite the tears of requests to do so from the hammy to Louis B. Mayer. He was content to spend time trying to fly kites and building model planes with HenryFonda. When Capra came to his pitch Stewart looked bored, out of him what the manager losing the trust. "Well Jim, it's about to commit a savings and loan associations clerk who wants to commit suicide. There is an angel named Clarence, who wants what life without him … Aw were forgotten shows, it is a stupid idea." Capra can be turned on when Stewart his hand on his shoulder. "Frank, if you want, I'm your man." At least that's how the film is told journalists.

Stewartwas morose and insecure as filming began. Then he went to serve, Hollywood had a new leading men like Kirk Douglas and Gregory Peck, who were around seven years younger than he was found. Some scenes called for the now graying actor, still in high school. He felt ridiculous and plastic surgery. But he was very different from his co-star Donna Reed who encouraged him, while helped. In the romantic scene where George (Stewart) and Mary (Reed) declared their love to each other,Capra Stewart joked, was so nervous he wrapped a phone chord around her, so he would not run away. James was also on the movie villain Lionel Barrymore who have contributed to a wheelchair because of crippling arthritis limited. "My son, I want to enjoy yourself. Do not you know you can make people happier than a movie star than you ever shoot it on an airplane."

In the 1930s, had worked Capra at Columbia Pictures, which by the autocratic Harry Cohn, which has long reigned as the lowestMan in Hollywood. The Mogul always the entire studio electronically bugged, displayed a huge portrait of Mussolini in his office, and uses an electric chair to give unsuspecting victims of sudden jolts. Capra had once sat, got a shock and anger, smashes the chair to bits. When filming began on It's A Wonderful Life, Capra Cohn happy to be free, but nervous. Now his own money was a part of the investment. For the preparation of working movie sets fun places to acquaintances, he was initiallygrumpy and irritable with his cast and rod shooting of a snowy, Christmas movie will not help morale in over a hundred degree heat in Encino. Many of the fallen heavily dressed actors fainted. But there were beautiful moments. One scene required Mary to throw a rock through an old mansion window and a wish. Capra had a marksman ready off camera but to his delight Reed shattered the glass on its own feet. She turned to him and said: "Why so surprised?" Do not you think a girl would Iowa FarmKnow-how to play baseball? "

Since the shooting Capra progress back his confidence. He disdained special effects, has Oddbody when the angel Clarence (Henry Travers), his magic, rather tell the story of the faces of his actors. The director began to believe he was the best movie of all time. Then his mood lightened, the company picnic and enjoyed singing in the crowd, were the hallmarks of the earlier films Capra.

Dark is wanted comedy like Dean Martin, the countryand Jerry Lewis. For dates, came from Wonderful Life as a depression film rather than a post war film. For whatever reason, the three-million-dollar production back to their money. Capra chose to call for his tent triggered shortly after the release of the movie Liberty Films, "The fastest way to go broke a man who has ever developed." Stewart panicked. The ex-war hero got a call from his agent. "Donna Reed, the co-operation with you. She wants to do it again." "No way. This girl isbewitched. "June Allyson became his leading lady of choice playing his wife five times. Decades later he would be the performance of a confused Donna Reed for making Wonderful Life high praise." My God, "she said to her friends." He certainly didn 't say that when it came out. "

The years passed. From that point on Capra, willing to risk either his own money or work for someone else to work only very few films. Stewart decided to portray a stronger image on the screen. He refused to play in war moviessaying they were unrealistic, but decided to tough, gritty Western like "The Man From Laramie (1954), which beat him rich and John Wayne as a number of the nation is a box office star helped. Reed back her career, winning an Academy Award for playing a prostitute in From Here To Eternity (1953) and was one of the healthy mothers television. And It's A Wonderful Life fell out into the public domain in 1973 because no one renewed the copyright. The film has been forgottenshown repeatedly on almost all cable TV station, finally a large audience and was a perennial Christmas Classic.

Lady Gaga performing one of her original songs, “Wonderful.”