Curator Club meets once a week and members take turns curating creative work that interests and inspires them. After engaging the work itself, we dialogue about creativity, process, impact, meaning, and digress into any topic that demands our attention.
The meetings generally go until 9:30 or 10:00-ish; we call it a night whenever the conversation has run its course.
The location is generally the same, but we send out weekly emails with info about the next meeting. You can stay updated on the schedule by signing up for the email list.
Curator Club is a community of people with diverse backgrounds, interests, and expressions. The one characteristic that we have in common is our identity as a Creative.
If one of your primary roles or interests involves creating, then you will fit right in. You may be an artist, musician, or actor… Or possibly design plane engines or logos? Do you paint, sculpt, or throw? Maybe you are a chef or a landscape architect? The main point is that your creative process is a significant presence and value in your life.
We welcome all self-designated Creatives to join Curator Club!
Sometimes it is difficult to acknowledge that the intense value you give to a piece of art, music or other creative expression may not be shared by those around you. At times, passion will cloud our awareness that others have no idea how we could think that piece of art is so damn amazing. Of course, in any community you will find people that resonate with your views and those that don’t.
The often unspoken internal reaction when you encounter someone’s object of affection could be, “WHAT THE F#CK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I have absolutely idea why you find that compelling!!!!”
At Curator Club we love to acknowledge “What the f#ck are you talking about?” moments. Positive connections and shared appreciations commonly arise in conversation, but communities can learn a great deal by addressing various perspectives and responses.
As a community there will be an entire spectrum of agreement and understanding. Curator Club wants to cross-pollinate, value similarities and differences, and believe that our individual creative endeavors will be enhanced by these engagements.
- Creative impulses are to be valued.
- Creative inspiration is a motivating factor that we should dissect and discuss.
- Community should not simply be determined by what people find in common.
- Taking time to share what interests and inspires you is beneficial for the community.
- Recognizing, appreciating, and engaging difference is an expression of generosity.
- It is a worthwhile pursuit to evolve and complexify our understanding of the people around us.
- Engaging in conversation with other Creatives inspires each of us to value our own creative expression.
For the Curator
- Bring something for the group to engage with. This should be work that someone else created.
- The work you show should be something that you wouldn’t want to live without, eg. it is REALLY significant to you. The main distinction to note is that the value you place on it should go beyond simply liking or enjoying it.
- You should attempt to articulate why it is meaningful to you (or at least prepare for a discussion to figure it out).
- There is NOT homework for the group. You should attempt to curate in a manner that gives a full experience of the content that you want us to engage.
- There IS homework for the curator. Be prepared to guide the group through the material you are presenting and then lead a conversation.
Can I share my personal work when I curate?
Curator Club is specifically NOT a critique of your own artwork. We value those conversations and we will set up specific times where we engage that process. In the context of the Club meetings, your work will often be a topic of conversation as it relates to the overall topic, but it should not be the primary point of engagement.
What if I want to curate an experience?
Then do it. If the experience requires a different timeframe or if there is cost involved, then we’ll chat about it as a group.
What is the deal with Book Club?
Some of the Curator Club members are in a book club, so you will always have the option to join in those meetings as well. Book Club meets every 1-2 months during the same time that Curator Club would normally meet.


The Evolution of Casino Games
Unveiling the Rich Tapestry of Casino Gaming
Casino games have mesmerized humanity for ages with their blend of luck and riches 카지노솔루션. From ancient civilizations to the modern era, the progression of these games mirrors the changing landscapes of culture, technology, and amusement. Embark with us on a historical voyage as we delve into the captivating evolution and pioneering advancements that have defined the realm of casino gaming.
Ancient Beginnings: The Birth of Games of Chance
Throughout history, the origins of casino games can be traced back to ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China. These societies embraced the excitement of gambling, evident in primitive games of chance dating back millennia.
One of the earliest known forms of gambling can be traced to ancient China, where the game of “Tiles” or “Dominos” was played as early as the 10th century BC. In this game, players wagered on the outcome of tossing sticks or tiles, laying the groundwork for future casino games based on probability and luck.
The Rise of Table Games: From Rome to Renaissance Europe
As civilizations flourished and empires rose and fell, the popularity of gambling endured, spreading across continents and cultures. In ancient Rome, games of chance were a common pastime, with dice games like “Tesserae” and “Duodecim Scripta” capturing the imagination of citizens from all walks of life.
During the Middle Ages, Europe witnessed the birth of primitive card games, paving the way for the sophisticated games found in contemporary casinos. Pastimes such as “Tarot” and “Gaming with Dice” brought joy and thrill to both nobility and common folk, heralding the splendid era of gambling in Renaissance Europe.
The Birth of Modern Casinos: From Saloons to Palaces of Fortune
In the early 17th century, the inception of genuine casinos marked a significant era as gambling venues emerged in various European cities. From the luxurious parlors of Venice to the vibrant streets of Paris, these initial casinos provided a sanctuary for thrill-seeking gamblers in search of excitement and companionship.
Gambling thrived in the nascent settlements of North America, finding fertile ground in the New World. Whether on the riverboat casinos along the Mississippi or in the Wild West saloons, gambling seamlessly embedded itself into American culture, profoundly influencing the entertainment realm for subsequent generations.
The Digital Revolution: Casino Gaming in the 21st Century
The 21st century saw a significant shift in casino gaming driven by the internet and tech advancements. Online casinos became a major player21st, offering players easy access to a variety of games from their homes. This evolution in casino gaming, propelled by technology and the internet, revolutionized the industry landscape.
The rise of mobile technology further revolutionized the industry, allowing players to enjoy their favorite games on the go with the touch of a screen. From virtual slots to live dealer games, the possibilities seemed endless as casino operators embraced the digital frontier.
Innovations and Trends: The Future of Casino Gaming
Looking ahead, the realm of due to casino gaming undergoes rapid evolution propelled by innovation and creativity. Virtual reality technology holds the potential to transport players into a realm of gaming like never before, while blockchain technology ensures unparalleled transparency and security in online transactions.
The emergence of eSports betting and skill-based games marks a transformative phase in interactive entertainment, blurring the distinction between gaming and gambling. Year by year, fresh trends and innovations surface, molding the realm of casino gaming for future generations.
Conclusion: A Timeless Pursuit of Fortune and Fun
From ancient civilizations to the digital era, players easily the progression of casino games showcases humanity’s lasting intrigue with luck and prosperity. Whether enjoyed in the lavish halls of a contemporary casino or on a smartphone screen, these games consistently enchant and motivate players globally.
Reflecting on the intricate weave of history, one truth shines through: the allure of gambling spans across ages and societies, binding us in a perpetual quest for thrill, adventure, and the enigma of the unfamiliar. Let’s toast to the games of luck that unite us, and may fortune smile upon us on every path we tread.


Even though a considerable amount of online locations already exists where internet gamblers can spin the reels of NetEnt slots or place bets at NetEnt live tables, we’re always happy to hear about new additions to the group. Not just that, we’re happy to point them out to you in case you’re ready to switch to a new brand but not prepared to part ways with your favorite NetEnt games.
In this section, we’ll reveal our research results showcasing only the newest NetEnt casinos on the web. Venues launched in 2017 are still considered new, but you’ll be able to reach websites that premiered this year, barely months or weeks ago. The great thing about being one of the first customers to get to a new NetEnt venue is the fact that you’ll be able to claim celebratory bonuses and promotions. When it comes to taking advantage of no deposit bonuses and welcome bonus offers, the importance of swift reaction is crucial. A casino brand is new only for a while, and its best features are brought under the spotlight during that time. Chances are you’ll get an exclusive opportunity to play some of the best NetEnt slots for free.
Another reason why you should keep track of the newest NetEnt online casinos is the possibility to try out the newest games released by the company. If you are a true NetEnt fan, you won’t allow yourself to miss a single new title. As we all know, NetEnt has interesting projects to work on at all times, and their release rate has always been regular. By visiting new NetEnt casinos, you can get to their fresh titles quicker than casual gamblers and be one of the first customers to experience new game themes and innovative features.


by Alexandra Rutkowski
I love to dream. As someone who sleeps about three to four hours a night, I treasure every ounce of it. I love escaping to an imaginary, sometimes downright crazy, world where animatronic raccoon-hybrid-men seek to take over the world one Wegmans at a time, where 7:55 Koine Greek classes are strictly forbidden by law, where closet doors in the woods lead to Renaissance era jousting contests, and where I have an adventure and task to complete each time. I love it. I love the whimsy, adventure, and freedom. Anything can happen. Ah, how I love to dream.
I’ve always dreamt, rather vividly, but obviously, our minds don’t keep every one of them. So this year, I decided to try something new. A journal. Recording my dreams every night the instant I awake. It started as a project for my kids. I want them to be able to have a book of all my crazy adventures to enjoy. I leave either it, or any paper, as well as a pen next to my pillow, and if I awaken in the middle of the night, no matter how disoriented I am, I write down as much as I have strength to do. Sometimes I’ll awake with a mere five words written on my hand, sometimes to a 2 page epic story on whatever I left next to my bed (lesson: never leave your income tax report next to your bed), and sometimes, well, it’ll be utterly preposterous. I love waking up to these stories.
But I’ve given my mind to the Lord, even as I sleep. I’ve given Him that time. And sometimes, it’s the most clear beautiful thing. It’s crazy how He can speak through them. But a few days ago I was just browsing through all my stories since January 1, and wow. Wow. Wow. They’re crazy. They’re magical. They’re adventurous. But you know what else? They all… tie in together. They all communicate the same message. Over and over and over again. And it’s so specific. I had just missed it. But looking back at them all together, it became so clear. Even in all those silly little adventures, He’s speaking. I love that.
It’s crazy how in that time, He’s prepared me for things. He’s given me things to speak. He’s given me boldness. And He’s molding me. While I sleep! He knows I’m a dreamer and I’ll take every chance at an adventure, and He uses that. He spoils me with that beauty. Ah, how I love to dream.


What You'll Do
You will join Chris McMillian for a unique hands on immersive experience led by one of the worlds legendary bartenders. Upon arrival you will be greeted with a glass of sparkling wine and will then be given an overview of the history and evolution of cocktails and American drinks. Chris will teach you to use all necessary bar tools and master classic drink making techniques. You will learn all about the architectures and elements of the basic drink families. You will then apply this knowledge to make and master the classic drink forms. The sling, the sour, and the cocktail. You will personally make at least three cocktails and sample many more as Chris demonstrates many variations on these classic drinks.
This class lasts about three hours so come prepared to learn. Light snacks will be provided. At the end of this bespoke experience you will be equipped with a theoretical understanding of cocktail making that will allow you to not just make classic drinks but also have a strong foundation and understanding of how to create your own drinks with confidence. Upon completion of this class you will be given a certificate certifying your status as a cocktail master.
Named by Imbibe Magazine as one of the 25 most Influential Cocktail Personalities of the last Century, Chris is the stuff bartending legends are made of, Chris and his wife Laura are founders of The Museum of the American Cocktail located in New Orleans, He is recognized as a global expert on the history and evolution of cocktails and American drink. He has presented at the Smithsonian, The American Museum of Natural History, The National Archives, and many other prestigious venues here in the U.S. and around the world.
His YouTube series New Orleans Best Cocktails has become the gold standard for classic cocktail technique instruction, Inspiring a whole generation of bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts. Having spent 30 years studying his craft, he has developed his own method of teaching a unified theory of cocktails and drink making.
All tools, alcohol and mixers
A pen and paper to take notes
Where you'll be
This class will take place in Chris McMillian's state of the art cocktail bar Revel Cafe & Bar located at 133 N. Carrollton Ave In the Mid City neighborhood of New Orleans. Conveniently located on the Canal Street Streetcar line, just minutes from the French Quarter and the Central Business District
A unique opportunity to learn to make drinks from one of the worlds legendary bartenders


Ever since I started watching Casey Neistat's vlogs on YouTube, I've had this intense desire to own a drone.
Last week I finally became the proud owner of a DJI Mavic Pro. I've only had the chance to take it up in the air twice, but I can unequivocally say that it's one of the most amazing pieces of technology I own.
I mean, just look at the footage I was able to grab without any knowledge of how the drone or camera works.
I can't wait to see what I'm able to do with it next week in Costa Rica.


The elements of shooting are all about consistency. Sight picture, trigger control and how the firearm is held should be as close to identical from shot to shot if predictable shot placement is to occur. This is equally true when it comes to your ammunition. One of the reasons many shooters load their own ammo is to put together a load that works with the harmonics of their particular firearm, and then produce a quantity of identical cartridges.
Much of the handloading process focuses on the cartridge case. The reason for this is that the case is the only non-consumable component in a cartridge. With all attention given to the case, there are numerous sub-processes that may be forgotten or inconsistently performed.
Keeping that in mind, here are 10 tips to make your handloads perform better. Most do focus on the cartridge case and may seem trivial. But after handloading nearly all of my own ammo for some 44 years, I have seen these caveats breached and observed the consequences.
1. Check, measure, trim if necessary, and size virgin brass.
Sometime around 1980 a friend who owned a gun shop decided to put together some 7 mm Rem. Mag. ammunition for an elk hunt and used virgin brass from Remington. He merrily grabbed shiny new brass cases from the bag, primed them, charged them and then seated his elk-slaying bullets. A couple of weeks later he loaded the magazine of his rifle in the dark of opening morning, but when he tried to chamber a case, he could not close the bolt. He had forty rounds of useless ammo in his pack on the opening morning of elk season.
I have found a few—very few—virgin cases that did not get their flash hole punched. It isn’t unusual to find as much as 10 percent of new brass longer than the maximum length allowed. If I find even one case too long, the whole batch goes to the trimmer so I know I am starting with in-spec cases. Even if I do not have to trim the new cases, I deburr the case mouths to ensure ease of bullet seating and consistent bullet pull. And, yes, every case makes a trip through my resizing die. It’s all about consistency.
2. Tumble your cases every time you load them.
Tumbling cases removes the dirt and corrosion that just goes with the territory. Depending on the tumbling media and additives you use, tumbled cases come out not only clean but with a slickness that causes a lubricating effect. That makes them easier to chamber. My goal is to produce handloads that are indistinguishable from factory ammo in terms of functioning.
3. If your necks crack after just a couple of loadings, try annealing them.
Brass hardens and becomes brittle as it is worked. There’s are myriad reasons that can cause premature neck failure, but there is but one way to prevent it—annealing. Case necks can be annealed with a simple propane torch and pan with water, or you can invest $500 on a motorized tool that rotates cases in a fixture with multiple torch nozzles to ensure a thorough, even heating. I rarely do this except for the .45-90 Sharps cartridges because they need annealing to help sealing the breech against gas escape. However, I don’t have problems with premature neck failure in my other centerfire firearms. If you do, annealing is the only remedy I am aware of.
4. When dropping charges within a grain or two of maximum, trickle and weigh each charge.
There are those who claim they can operate a volumetric powder measure with such reliability that each charges is with 0.2 grain of any other charge. I am not one of them. When I am loading hunting ammo, it is usually within a grain or two of maximum. Not only do I want to ensure each cartridge is charged identically, I do not want to risk overcharging a case and firing what amounts to be a proof load when I am hunting. One time, some three-plus decades ago, a companion touched off his .25-06 Rem. with a load that he had accidentally overcharged. When he tried to extract the empty case the bolt was seized shut. We eventually got it open back at the shop with some vigorous blows of a rawhide hammer. If, like me, you are a mere mortal, trickle and weigh each charge.
5. When deburring case mouths, use a 22.5-degree or VLD deburring tool.
Most deburring tools are made with a 45-degree lead. While that will deburr the internal diameter of a case mouth, a 22.5-degree tool cuts a deeper, more progressive angle that functions like a funnel when seating bullets. I get fewer collapsed necks using this tool. A caveat: Don’t try to make the case mouth a cutter. It removes too much brass and contributes to premature failure—and annealing won’t fix that.
6. Dies need cleaning too.
Take a look inside your reloading dies after you have finished loading 300 or 400 rounds. There will be a bunch of junk in them—a lot more if you are using cast lead bullets. The gunk will build up and eventually change the dimensions that your sizing dies does or scratch the cases—or the die—possibly ruining it. Most of my dies are made by RCBS, and they used to stamp the year of manufacture on their dies. I have dies date 1973 that are still in the condition they were when shipped from Oroville, Calif. Dies are an investment, so if you want to conserve your investment, keep ’em clean. I usually spray them with brake cleaner, run a patch through them and then put a light coat of Ballistol on them for rust prevention.
7. Each time you trim your cases, check them for stretch.
Another story from decades past: A customer of the gun shop I worked in liked to shoot his reloads until the case separated. He said that he knows then that he got all the life the case had to offer. One day a case separated in his Garand. Problem was, the head exited the rifle but the remainder of the case was stuck fast in the chamber. It cost him $25 to have me extract the remainder of that case. The reason you occasionally need to trim your cases is because during firing brass flows forward from just ahead of the web at the head of the case. Relatively long sloping cases—like the .30-30 WCF and the .300 H&H Magnum—are more prone to this than others. Eventually, the case will separate at that point. Take a paper clip and straighten it out. With a needle-nose plier, bend a small 90-degree at one end, no more than about 3/32 of an inch. Use it as a feeler gauge in your trimmed cases. The first time you trim them you will probably feel just a little dip immediately forward of the bottom of the case. By the time you trim it a second or third time the dip will be more pronounced. That’s when the case goes into the scrap bucket.
8. Visually check each case in the loading block to ensure it is properly charged before seating bullets.
Most instructions for handloading state this, but it is surprising how few actually take the extra moment to verify that each case has the correct amount of propellant in it. One time one of my oldest friends brought his early post-war Smith & Wesson M&P revolver to me, telling me that the cylinder quit turning while he was at the range. I picked it up and looked at the barrel-cylinder gap and could not see any light. We made a bet that he had failed to charge that case with propellant. I drove the wadcutter back into the cylinder with a wood dowel, opened the cylinder and extracted the case—no propellant, and he had to buy me lunch. It takes just a moment to verify that each case is properly charged. In light loads, also check to make sure you did not double charge a case. Each case should be filled to the same level with propellant. And, by the way, that old friend has gone to his reward, and that near mint M&P is in my collection.
9. Determine the maximum cartridge overall length (COAL).
Usually this refers to rifles, but if you like super-heavy (read long) bullets in your revolver, the cylinder length will determine the maximum COAL. With rifles, the magazine may be your limiting factor, but here’s how to determine maximum COAL. Take a fired case and a new bullet that you are planning to use. With a plier, gently squeeze the case mouth so that it will lightly grip the bullet. Carefully start a bullet in the case and insert it into the chamber and gently close the bolt. Again, being gentle, slowly extract the case with the bullet but remove it before the ejector tosses it out of the rifle. Measure the COAL with a caliper. That should be the maximum—where the bullet is just touching the rifling. Target shooters often like to shoot with their bullets touching the lands, claiming they get a bit more accuracy that way. Hunters would be well advised to seat their bullets at least 0.005 to 0.010” further into the case to avoid sticking a bullet in the barrel when they have to clear their rifle at the end of a day.
10. Run each new handload through your rifle before leaving for the hunt.
Earlier we saw where a buddy failed to properly size his cases before the hunt and the consequences he endured. It takes just a couple of minutes to do this. Find a safe place where if a round were to let go, no one would be hurt. Load the magazine with your new handloads and cycle each one through the rifle. If your rifle has a three-position safety like the Model 70 Winchester or its derivatives, put it in the middle position so that the firing pin cannot fall but you can operate the bolt. The time to solve a potential feeding problem is before you leave on your hunt.
None of these tips are earth-shattering; many are standard operating procedures for the old hands and are stated in most of the handloading manuals. But people forget or get in a hurry. That’s when Murphy raises his ugly head.


Beer Studio is a local microbrewery in Umeå here in the North of Sweden. It is run by the well known beer journalist Darren Packman, founder of the Beer Sweden website. Darren regularly hosts beer tastings, which I’ve been to three of. At the end of the third tasting (which was a beer and cheese tasting – super delicious) I approached Darren and asked him if I could spend a few hours at his brewery learning about how things worked. He said that absolutely I could and we agreed to speak by email. A few weeks later I got my chance and went.
This will probably be a picture light post due to my only taking a few. I did tweet about it a bit, so you can read back to that if you like (Date was October 14th), but you’ll not learn anything new that you didn’t get from this blog post. I’d also like to note that I’ll be talking highly of Beer Studio and their products in this post. I’m in no way paid to do this, and gain nothing for doing so. This is purely my opinion.
When I arrived at Beer Studio they were shifting one of their new beers from the primary fermenter to secondary and preparing to brew a new batch of their Long Play Pale Ale. After that was done I hosed down the primary tank to try and clean it up as much as possible as Leif (the brewer) cleaned the mash tun. After that was all done we started filling the mash tun which basically involved a hose pouring hot water into it.
Next we measured all the grains and crushed them with a large automatic mill. Then we took the buckets of grain and dumped them into the mash. Each bucket (there was 2 or 3) weighed in around 110kg.
At some point during the process we turned off the water and then the mash spent several hours working. The tun had a giant steel two pronged fork that turned keeping the grains moving and ensuring that the heat was evenly spread out.
While we waited for the mash to do its work we cleaned the bottling system because they had a batch of Spin Back in the carbonation tank that was ready to be bottled. Then we tried to bottle 8 bottles in advance without the machine (they needed a few done in advance) but just trying to use a hose resulted in them foaming badly and we ended up with 4 partial bottles of beer.
I ended up being able to take three of those bottles with me (Darren poured the fourth for tasting purposes) at the end of the day, and that beer was absolutely fantastic. If you’re ever at a bar that serves it, I highly recommend.
After a quick break for lunch (I ate a huge meal before arriving and was starving within 3 hours, working in a brewery is hard work) we cleaned the boil… pot? When you’re putting almost 2000L into it I don’t think it is called a pot anymore. We then started the sparging process and transferring the wort.
The sparge arme is home-made, four copper tubes with holes punched in that are all connected at a central point and attached to a long piece of metal that holds it in place above the mash tun. They said they originally made the arms too long and kept having to adjust the amount of water flowing in, but after shortening it to the current length it fills the tun at the perfect rate.
Once this process was started we hooked up the bottling machine and they showed me the bottling process, which was very fast and efficient. By this time evening had set in so I thanked them for having me in and called it a day.
Working in a brewery
Working in a brewery, as I mentioned earlier, is a lot of hard work. There is plenty of heavy lifting and moving things around, and a lot of waiting and cleaning in between. It isn’t a glamorous job but it is a lot of fun. I asked Leif what his favourite part of being a brewer was and he said crafting new recipes and tasting the results afterwards. Brewing isn’t all there is to a brewery by any means though. Darren spent a lot of time during the day working on logistics, selling beer and marketing their beer. I spent most of my day with Leif with Darren showing up sporadically to talk to us about stuff.
Homebrewing vs Industrial Brewing
A couple of differences I learned about brewing on a large scale vs homebrewing are:
1) Scaling recipes – This is doable certainly, but not a matter of just scaling up amounts. In the grain bill you have to account for differences in efficiency between your homebrew setup and the brewery setup. Hops also have a different ratio, if you scaled up the number of hops directly from your homebrew your pleasantly bitter IPA would be come undrinkable due to excess bitterness.
2) The volume. A brewery is LOUD. Not like you’re in a night club loud but more like there’s a million things making noise at once loud. You have pumps running, motors turning, liquids moving through pipes, etc. It was never a problem for conversing (unless we were in the mill room) but stepping outside when I left was definitely notable in the volume difference. Homebrewing by comparison has very little noise. The boil pot a bit while it is boiling but that is it.
All in all the whole day was a lot of fun and I am thankful for Leif and Darren for letting me join them. There’s a lot I haven’t mentioned in this post in part because it has already been a month and a half since I was there so I don’t recall all the details, and in part because the post would likely never end if I wrote everything. Beer Studio makes fantastic beer and is run by some really nice guys. If you ever have the chance, pick up one of their beers and support them.


September 2023: Create your own Ruby Recipe Books with Jupyter Notebooks
Do you find yourself spending a lot of time in the rails console doing repetitive tasks or asking ad hoc questions in Ruby? Join us for September as we walk through setting up Ruby code notebooks using VS Code and Jupyter Notebooks. These notebooks allow us to annotate our code with markdown and preserve the output so that we can reuse and share code and information together with our team or our future selves. With a little planning, you can assemble a cookbook of different recipes that you find yourself using often.


Jewelry Making with Misti’s Jewelry
Classes offered at Costa Mesa Gem Faires.
Discover how fun & easy jewelry-making really is. Join Misti for an enjoyable time sharing the art of jewelry-making. Classes range from beginning to more advanced, with a focus on hands-on learning in a small, 5-person class setting. Just bring your happy smile & be ready to have some fun! Walk-ups welcome. Please pre-register for morning classes. All tools provided, unless otherwise noted. Visit MistisJewelry.com for more information.
Christmas Poinsettia Earrings Class: Create these sparkling accessories with this simple stitch. Your family and friends will be impressed that you Did It Yourself! Make a complete set with my patterns and kits for a matching ring, bracelet & pendant!
Duration: 1 hr-1.25 hr, depending on foot traffic. Visit Misti’s Jewelry Square Store for more information.
Daily 10:05am-11:20am, click HERE to register. Other times available, walk-up & ask for availability.
Spirals and Swirls Earrings Class: Learn beginning wire working to craft a pair of these classic beauties for yourself! And then purchase a kit or two to make a pair for that co-worker or friend that’s hard to buy for. (Other colors available.)
Duration: 45 min-1 hr, depending on foot traffic. Visit Misti’s Jewelry Square Store for more information.
Beginning Freestyle Wire Wrapping: Learn how to create a bail & design your own wire wrapping style in this hands-on DIY class. (Stones pictured are samples only, actual supplies differ.)
Beginning Bracelet Design: In this class you will learn construction basics as well as theory behind color selection & design. First, you choose a pre-designed kit. Then, you get to choose from a variety of beads to design your own bracelet. (Replaces DIY Jewelry-Making, Course 1).
Daily 2pm-3:15pm, click HERE to register. Other times available, walk up and ask for availability.
Make & Take Memory Wire Ring: Learn how to use memory wire to create a quick & easy stocking stuffer! Space is limited so hurry & reserve your spot now!
Daily 3:20pm-3:30pm, click HERE to register. Other times available, walk-up & ask for availability.
Jewelry Made to Order: Bring your Gem Faire purchases to my booth & I will create something to your liking for you. Most orders ship the following week. Prices vary.
Jewelry Repair: Repairs on most jewelry available. Ask for details. Most orders ship the following week. Prices vary.
About Misti’s Jewelry
Owner of Misti’s Jewelry, Misti Cleveland has been designing, selling & teaching jewelry for over 14 years. She loves people & especially enjoys working with Crystallized Swarovski Elements. Her creativity comes to life in her own patterns in bead weaving, wire working, and polymer clay & resin. You can find her pieces on her website and at small boutiques like the annual El Dorado High Holiday Boutique in October. Her past experience includes teaching & demonstrating jewelry-making at the Los Angeles County Fair, at Michaels stores in Chino, CA; Beads U Need in Anaheim, Pasadena Bead And Design Show in Pasadena, CA; Bead Elements & Design Show in Santa Barbara, CA; or at Bead And Boutique Arts in Concord, CA. She also offers annual Jewelry-Making Retreats, designs custom jewelry for clients, and offers Home Jewelry Parties & on-site private/group classes. She has organized small boutique fundraisers for several
local churches. Misti currently teaches classes out of her home in Ontario, CA; and at Bead It! in Chino, CA.
Call (909) 210-2170 :: Email Classes@Mistisjewelry.com


When I started blogging, I dove in head first and never looked back. I’ve learned a lot along my blogging journey. Mostly, through continuing to write, reading a ton of posts from other writers, working with mentors, and applying what I am learning in my MBA program. However anytime in life when you dive in head first, there are bound to be a few lessons that you learn the hard way. These are my top four lessons learned the hard from blogging. Yes, a few of them did feel like getting a digital slap in the face.
1) Don’t take it so damn personally when a post flops.
I didn’t get into blogging thinking all of my posts were going to go viral. However, after I got the taste of some early success my expectations changed suddenly. When subsequent posts didn’t perform as well, I became upset and dwelled on it. I let flops ruin entire days. In summary, I got negative and over-analyzed. As a result, my productivity suffered.
I get a lot of messages from other bloggers after they write what they deem to be a flop. The message usually contains negative comments and/or questions like this:
Does my content suddenly suck?
That’s it. I’m quitting blogging forever.
LinkedIn has changed something. What is going on with this f***** platform?
Long before I got into blogging, I was a high school tennis coach. After a tough loss, I used to tell my players that one of the beauties about tennis was that there was always another match coming up and a chance to get a win. The same goes for blogging. If you do write a flop, learn from it. Make sure to stay positive and keep on writing. There is always another blog to write. The next one could be the one that goes viral and gets 1 million views!
“One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.” Lucille Ball
2) Proceed with caution when sharing your blog on Google+ Communities.
In order to get people to read your blog, you must share it on social media. Sharing on Google+ is different than all the other social platforms. Sharing in G+ communities is a great way to expand your readership. I’ve written about the many benefits of sharing your blog on Google+ in the past. However, make sure to read the community rules before sharing your post. Some communities are very particular about how you can share content. If you share your content improperly in the community, the managers can get quite nasty about it! What I didn’t mention in my previous blog on G+ is that, a few of them even kicked me out! Oops. I hadn’t been kicked out of somewhere since that one time in college when I….(oh wait this isn’t that type of blog).
One of the managers went as far as to send me a scathing email. I responded with: “Chill out man. I’m just a blogger trying to share his work.” He didn’t like that response very much, and proceeded to start posting negative comments on my company’s blog. Yowza!
“Roller-skating and ice-skating are two different things – I found that out the hard way.” Todd Bridges
3) Not everyone likes to share.
While I first learned this lesson in kindergarten, it was something I had to re-learn when I started blogging. If you have read my past posts about blogging, you know that I am big into sharing other authors’ content. In fact, I started a LinkedIn group for bloggers whose mission is centered around sharing content. If you want your content to be shared, you must share others’ content. However, you will find that not everyone likes to share. In the past, I have wasted my time on continuing to share people’s posts that were not reciprocating with me. Share a few posts and then if the person does not reciprocate, find someone else to play with in the sandbox that likes to share their toys.
“Sometimes you learn the hard way. In football, if I held on to the ball too long, I got my butt kicked.” Ron Jaworski
4) Your personal Facebook network may not give a hoot about your blog.
When I started, I naively thought that my personal Facebook network would be a huge asset to my blogging. My actual experience has been that you may get a few “sympathy” likes from your Facebook network here and there. However, if they are not passionate about what you write about, they will not continue to read. Instead, focus your efforts on platforms that contain a higher concentration of people that are interested in your specific topics. Don’t be offended when your Facebook network doesn’t engage on your post. They are probably too busy watching cat videos.
“Some of us have to learn the hard way and make our own mistakes instead of learning from others.” Unknown
Are you blogging? Care to share any of the lessons you’ve learned along your journey? Please do engage in conversation below surrounding blogging, sharing on social media, doing things the hard way, or anything that you would like to discuss that popped into your head after reading this post. As always, thank you for reading my post!
About the Author: John White is the Chief Marketing Officer at Social Marketing Solutions, proud dad of 2 daughters, the LinkedIn group owner of Publishers and Bloggers, MBA candidate (Graduating in a week woohoo!!), contributor to Dice Tech News, Linked Into Business, and more.
Need a blogger to help tell your company’s sustainability story and how you’re poised to save the world? Email me at firstname.lastname@example.org or call me direct at 970.692.3270.


I have to confess, I did give up on dA a while ago, because of the lack of support and critique on my photography. It was also a stage in my life that I did not know what I exactly wanted to do.. do you feel that sometimes?
I've been studying photography for many years and most of it was nicely kept on my flickr account, because I didn't feel the need to post it here.. no matter how dramatic it was, I felt like this place was just a nicely wrapped box to store my stuff, not a community.
It's probably my fault, I tried to work harder and keep my page alive and interesting, but most of the time I did not have the actual time to dedicate for it, invest in it and so on. But I kept searching for inspiration every day on this site, and every day I encounter so many talented artists, so many creative vibes, that I couldn't stay away for too long..
This time is different, I'm trying my hand at designing, photoshop (which I have tested for like.. 4 years now on and off), and I plan on studying Interaction Design and Visual Design as courses in the near future.
Lately I'm obsessed with fantasy/macabre photo manipulations, I admit to all the artists out there, this is amazing! Seeing your work turn out the way you imagined it, it's something truly great.
So, if you would like, I would greatly appreciate, leave a comment/critique/smiley face/whatever you want!
I would like to interact with you guys, as much as possible, and feel the artsy vibe of this community!!


I was outside this evening around 7:30, trying to get a bit more done on building a three-compartment compost bin while the light was quickly draining from the sky. As I was cleaning up some tools, I looked up and noticed the moon and Venus hanging like jewels in the southwest sky.
Just then Helene called out to me that a zucchini crusted pizza (zucchinis continue to find their way into many of our meals) just came out of the oven. I told her to come on out first – she did, and she too wanted to just stare at this grand show in the evening sky. So we plated our meal and sat out on the deck to enjoy the sky show while we ate a scrumptious dinner.
The moon is just a couple of days past the New Moon this evening, a lovely crescent of yellow-white hanging just a few degrees to the south of Venus. The moon is our night sky’s brightest member, and Venus is its second brightest. As we finished our dinner, we watched the moon get closer to, slowly slip behind, and eventually disappear behind the ridge. About 90 seconds after the moon was entirely gone, Venus disappeared as well.
We imagined what it would be like to try and watch this spectacle from the New York streets where we both grew up, and thanked our lucky stars that we live where we do. While the sky show unfolded, we noticed that the only sounds we could hear were a couple of hundred crickets. What magic!


GETTING READY TO GET SWEATY
How to prepare for class? Make sure you have a good yoga mat, towel, and plenty of water. Make sure you are wearing clothes that you can move and sweat in easily. If you happen to forget something, we offer all of the above for sale. Most importantly, make sure you come to your mat with an open mind and are ready for a challenge!
Avoid eating big meals for at least 2 hours before class.
Arrive 10-15 minutes before the class start time.
Check in at the front desk, even if you signed up online.
Inform the instructor of any pertinent injuries or limitations.
Remove shoes in the lobby area.
Leave your belongings in the cubbies provided in our changing rooms.
Turn cell phones on silent and leave them outside the yoga room or in your car.
Be familiar with Class Etiquette (see below).
New to practicing? Place your mat in the middle or back of the yoga room so that other students may be your guide.
Be prepared to sweat and stay in the yoga room for the entire class.
Come to class fully hydrated and drink lots of water after class to replenish lost fluids from your yoga practice. Did we mention HYDRATE? In a heated yoga class, you can sweat up to a liter and a half of water (that’s a couple of pounds of water weight), and it needs replacement. So drink lots of water BEFORE you come to class.
If you find yourself guzzling water during class or experiencing headaches or dizziness after class, you may be dehydrated. Try drinking more water before you come to class.
Add a natural electrolyte enhancer to your water.
Coconut Water has all five key electrolytes: potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, and calcium. Great to drink before or after class. Coconut water is available for purchase at the studio.
Arrive early to every class. All classes start on time!
Please refrain from wearing perfume or scented lotions or oils. Your fellow practitioners may be sensitive to these smells.
Observe silence in the hot room for Yoga classes, before, during, and after class. The Yoga room is a quiet meditative space. How you enter and leave the yoga room is part of your practice. The lobby is a great place to connect and catch up with others.
Make room for others. Everyone should feel welcome.
Unlike yoga, we encourage you to cheer your training partners on in our Pilates and Sculpt classes.
Understand that becoming lightheaded or nauseous is completely normal the first few times you practice yoga in the heat.
Know that yoga is a practice; it takes time to cultivate!
Our instructors are always available after class for any questions you may have.
Practicing in the Heat
Be prepared to sweat! The heat combined with our workouts is what makes Drip Hot Yoga and Fitness so special. The room is heated to warm muscles, which allows you to work deeper in a shorter amount of time, seeing results faster. Heat takes the trauma out of stretching, heals, and helps prevent injuries. Yoga is not just about working muscles: you are massaging deep tissues, glands, and organs as well. As you work deep within your body, you may start to release “poisons” or “toxins” that have been stored there for a long time. Your skin is the largest elimination organ in your body. Sweating helps flush toxins from your body, giving you a wonderful glow from head to toe.
Learn to love your sweat rather than constantly wiping. Wiping causes you to sweat more. Your sweat is your body working to keep you cool. Embrace it.
It is not unusual to feel nauseous or dizzy during your first class. Usually, the problem is that we do not drink enough water for daily living, let alone for exercising in a heated room. Nutritionists tell us that we need 64-80 ounces of water a day to help the body function properly. If you feel disoriented or like you need a good nap after your first few classes, this is likely because your body has begun to cleanse itself as a result of the yoga practice. Don’t be scared. After the first few classes, this sensation will pass. The more you can relax as you give your full effort during class, the more energized you will feel throughout the class and throughout the rest of your day.
Take it to the Finish
Stay in the room for the duration of the entire class. Take savasana if you need to rest, and please try not to leave the room except in cases of illness or other real emergencies. The intention is to keep everyone focused and in the present and to allow your body to acclimate to practicing in a heated room.
Embarking on a new yoga and fitness practice is so exciting. Be safe, be happy, and enjoy! Contact us with any questions.


PhotoPresets Wow Effects for Lightroom 1.0Free
PhotoPresets let you quickly and easily adjust all of the development parameters in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Its your one-click solution for correct white balance, tone, vibrance, hue and sharpening of your photo. You can selectively apply tools to lighten and darken the sky or smooth skin, and you can quickly apply unique creative effects to your images.
PhotoPresets even allows you to preview each effect before you apply it and stack several presets together to get the look you desire. Then you can save an entire stack of settings as your own custom preset for future use and even use them for batch processing.
PhotoPresets for Lightroom now includes two dynamite collections of development presets. The first collection, PhotoPresets with One-Click WOW! includes 85 presets for quick and easy image optimization such as color and tonal correction.
The second collection, PhotoPresets WOW Effects, includes 55 additional presets for adding special effects to your images, taking advantage of the new features in Lightroom 2.
Getting great results with your Raw images in Lightroom couldn't be easier. The variations on the right represent examples of what you can do when applying a single or combination of presets to the photo.
Includes 140 presets
* 8 White Balance presets
* 11 Tone Curve presets
* 4 Vibrance presets
* 18 HSL presets
* 12 Black & White presets
* 5 Warm Tinting presets
* 5 Cool Tinting presets
* 16 Vignette presets
* 10 Antique presets
* 10 Edgy presets
* 10 Glow presets
* 20 Gradient presets
* 10 NEW Local Adjustment Tools


KIPPAX BOWLS CLUB
BRIGSHAW LANE, KIPPAX, LS25 7LD
Welcoming new members for the 2022 season
Please use our contact page for more info.
Kippax Bowling Club is a well established bowling club founded in 1928 in Kippax, Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club has a well maintained green and clubhouse with facilities, providing teams in the Barkston Ash, Castleford and Crossgates Leagues. We welcome new members of any age or ability who wish to bowl socially or join one of our successful teams.
If you would like to come along and give the game a try please contact us using the contact page or via one of our social links below.


Thank you for using Mech-Eye 3D Laser Profiler!
Mech-Eye 3D Laser Profiler (“laser profiler”) is the 3D laser profiler developed by Mech-Mind. Through Mech-Eye SDK or third-party machine vision software, you can obtain intensity images, depth maps, and point clouds from the laser profiler.
This documentation provides contents including the software user manual of Mech-Eye SDK, hardware user manual of the laser profiler, and troubleshooting guidance.
If you use the full Mech-Mind solution (including the laser profiler hardware, Mech-Eye SDK, Mech-MSR, etc) to perform 3D measurement and inspection, please check out Learning Guidance for 3D Measurement and Inspection instead.
The following topics provide the basic knowledge of the laser profiler, beginner’s tutorial, and comparison of different laser profiler models.
Among these, the Start Here topics explain the fundamentals of the laser profiler, which are the foundation for understanding how to use and configure the laser profiler. If you have never used a laser profiler, please read these topics first.
Understand how the laser profiler scans an object and generates data:
Understand different methods of triggering the laser profiler to acquire data, which allows the laser profiler to be integrated into a system:
Guides you through the entire process from checking package contents to completing your first data acquisition:
Through Mech-Eye SDK or third-party machine vision software, you can connect to the laser profiler, acquire data, and adjust parameters. Meanwhile, the laser profiler also supports the GenICam standard and provides the GenICam generic programming interface.
Mech-Eye Viewer provides an easy-to-use graphical user interface. You can adjust parameters and check the effects immediately.
The following topic provides instructions on using Mech-Eye Viewer:
Mech-Eye API is the application programming interface of the laser profiler, available in C++, C#, and Python. It is applicable on both Windows and Ubuntu.
Based on Mech-Eye API, you can develop your own laser profiler control program:
Through Mech-Eye API, you can also use third-party machine vision software (such as Cognex VisionPro) to control the laser profiler and obtain data:
Third-party machine vision software compliant with the GenICam standard (such as HALCON) can control the laser profiler through the GenICam interface, which lowers the difficulty of integration into existing systems.
The following topic provides instructions on using the HALCON samples:
The following topics provide the hardware user manual of the laser profiler:
If you need to download the PDF hardware user manual and technical specifications, or obtain the 3D models, installation drawings, accessory information, product flyers, etc. of the laser profiler, please visit Mech-Mind Download Center:
The following topics provide troubleshooting guidance for common issues and answers to frequently asked questions:
If you encounter issues and questions not covered by the above topics, please visit Mech-Mind Online Community to get help (account registration and sign-in required):


I make furniture, mirrors, wall art, counter tops, back splashes, and custom home furnishings using a technique I made up! I start with a wooden form. Then I attach hundreds of layers of tissue paper, gluing each thin, sheer piece down individually (I have a super top-secret glue recipe that I use).
Each design element is hand cut from the tissue paper as well. Every blade of grass, each flower blossom and spiral is cut with scissors to create my original designs.
Every piece is finished with many coats of a glossy resin. The resin reacts with the paper and my special glue to offer a rich, velvety textured color for the eye, and a hard functional glass-like feel for the hand.
The viewer often questions the materials. “Is it glass? Is it metal?” Most assume it must be painted. I love to explain to my audience that I am a horrible painter, but a great “cutter-out-er.” I love how relatively quickly I can achieve color and line by cutting paper.
I am easily inspired by ancient Byzantine and Persian patterns. I love looking at French fabric and iron trellis work. I constantly look at things wondering how to mimic the color with paper layers. I get a real kick out of the notion of taking a truly humble material, paper, and elevating it through my process to become spectacular furnishings.
My work is intended to be used happily and with confidence. Nothing is better than hearing some say, “I use the table you made for me everyday and it always makes me smile.” That’s the best!


***** BLOCKOBAN guarantees you many long hours of puzzling fun. Casual players will love the Kickoff and Easy categories, Experts will love the Medium, Hard, Big Maps categories. BLOCKOBAN also provides 5 addictive Time Attack modes. The Premium version comes with 6303 levels and the solutions pack!
"Hot New Games" (Apple iTunes)
"Finally, a fun, free, puzzler. A quality app for not a single dollar out of your wallet." (appversity.com)
"A Great Puzzle Game. Blockoban is a lot of fun, and the single free version does a great job at making sure you enjoy it." (toucharcade.com)
"iPhone game Blockoban, so fun it blocks out your time. Everything is beautifully done, and is truly designed with the user in mind." (insidesocialgames.com)
"Blockoban heeft alles wat een goede casual game moet hebben: het is razendsnel te leren, bestaat uit korte leveltjes, maar het is o-zo-verslavend om te spelen." (bashers.nl)
* 6303 high quality levels made by an army of designers
* A solution is provided for all the levels
* Game Center enabled (12 leaderboards and 11 achievements)
* Retina Display (HD graphics on iPhone 4 and iPad)
* Universal app (iPhone / iPad)
* Autorotation (landscape only)
* 4 skins (including a skin for color blind people)
* 6 local players, unlimited Game Center players (skin settings, scores, level progression, save/resume game)
* 5 categories (kickoff,easy,medium,hard,big maps)
* Unlimited undo
* Random map generator (5 difficulties)
* Time attack mode (5 difficulties)
* Save/Resume state (when quitting the game or answering a phone call)
* Exclusive soundtrack
* Online (Flash based) level editor ( http://www.bonuslevel.org/games/game_blockoban_4.html )
Other BonusLevel.org games :
* Micro Miners (85% on Metacritic)
* Moonlights (Award winning tower building puzzle game)
* Mozzle (The coolest motion/interactive jigsaw puzzles on the appstore)
And more, search for "bonuslevel.org" on the appstore.
Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Blockoban Premium is a free trial software application from the Action subcategory, part of the Games & Entertainment category.
The app is currently available in English and it was last updated on 2010-01-28. The program can be installed on iOS.
Blockoban Premium (version 3.5) has a file size of 17.30 MB and is available for download from our website.
Just click the green Download button above to start. Until now the program was downloaded 1 times.
We already checked that the download link to be safe, however for your own protection we recommend that you scan the downloaded software with your antivirus.


Serving 113,229 MIDI files curated by volunteers around the world.
What is this site?
I was reminiscing about the days of Geocities and Angelfire, back when the web was quirky and fun. I remembered how sites used to use the
<bgsound> tag to include an autoplaying background MIDI file. Those files had such a nice, old-school aesthetic.
I wanted to hear some MIDIs, so I searched and found a .zip file with 100K+ MIDI files that someone posted to Reddit. I tried playing a few in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. and then realized that they've all dropped the
<bgsound> tag. Even Quicktime and VLC couldn't play back the files.*
There were some websites that could convert MIDI to low-quality MP3, and technically Apple still offers Quicktime 7 for download which can play MIDI, but it wasn't easy or fun to do.
Some websites offered inline playback with Flash (but it was flaky and hard to get working in Chrome), and the JS-based ones were missing many instruments or multi-MB Emscripten-compiled monstrosities!
Then I put a frontend on it, so it's easy to browse that .zip file's contents. And that's BitMidi.
I plan to ingest a lot more MIDI files in the future, perhaps from the Geocities MIDI archive on the Internet Archive.
* I later learned that VLC can actually play most MIDIs and I just got unlucky with the few I tried! That's okay though – I got to learn a lot about MIDI files, Emscripten, WebAssembly, and modern front-end web techniques.


More about Drive Mad
Drive Mad is an adrenaline-fueled racing game that brings fast-paced action and intense competition to your fingertips. In this thrilling game, you’ll take control of powerful and dynamic vehicles, zooming through a variety of challenging tracks and environments. Engage in high-speed races against AI opponents or compete with friends in multiplayer mode. As you navigate hairpin turns, dodge obstacles, and vie for the top spot, you’ll experience the rush of speed and the exhilaration of overtaking rivals. Upgrade and customize your vehicles to enhance performance and unlock new levels and challenges. With its stunning graphics, realistic physics, and responsive controls, Drive Mad offers an immersive and heart-pounding racing experience. So buckle up, rev your engines, and get ready to drive mad in this ultimate racing adventure.
How to Play Drive Mad
To play Drive Mad, follow these steps:
1. Start the Game: Launch Drive Mad on your device or browser.
2. Select a Mode: Choose between single-player mode, where you compete against AI opponents, or multiplayer mode, where you can race against friends or other players online.
3. Choose a Vehicle: Select your preferred vehicle from the available options. Each vehicle may have different attributes such as speed, acceleration, and handling.
4. Select a Track: Pick a track or racing environment from the available options. Each track offers its own challenges and unique features.
5. Control Your Vehicle: Use the arrow keys or on-screen controls to steer your vehicle. Use the accelerator to speed up and the brake or reverse to slow down or stop.
6. Race and Overtake: Navigate through the track, overtaking opponents and aiming to reach the finish line in the shortest time possible. Avoid obstacles and maintain control of your vehicle to maximize your chances of success.
7. Collect Power-ups: Look out for power-ups scattered across the track. These can provide temporary boosts, such as increased speed or improved handling, giving you an advantage over your competitors.
8. Upgrade and Customize: Earn in-game currency or rewards from races to upgrade your vehicle’s performance, such as improving speed, acceleration, or handling. You can also customize the appearance of your vehicle with different paint jobs, decals, or accessories.
9. Win Races and Progress: Strive to win races and earn rewards. Progress through different levels, unlock new tracks, and face tougher opponents as you advance.
10. Repeat and Improve: Keep playing, honing your racing skills, and aiming for better lap times and race results. Practice will help you become a skilled and competitive driver in Drive Mad.
Enjoy the fast-paced racing action, master the tracks, and strive to be the ultimate champion in Drive Mad!
Drive Mad game brings several benefits to kid players
1. Hand-Eye Coordination: Playing Drive Mad requires children to coordinate their hand movements with visual cues on the screen. This improves their hand-eye coordination and enhances their motor skills.
2. Reflexes and Reaction Time: The fast-paced nature of Drive Mad helps children develop quick reflexes and sharpens their reaction time. They learn to make split-second decisions and respond swiftly to changes in the game environment.
3. Focus and Concentration: Drive Mad demands focus and concentration as children navigate through tracks, avoid obstacles, and compete against opponents. This can improve their ability to concentrate and sustain attention for extended periods.
4. Problem-Solving Skills: Children encounter various challenges and obstacles in Drive Mad, requiring them to think quickly and find solutions. They develop problem-solving skills as they strategize and make decisions on the track to gain an advantage over opponents.
5. Sportsmanship and Competition: Drive Mad introduces children to healthy competition and teaches them about sportsmanship. They learn to accept both victories and losses graciously, respect opponents, and understand the importance of fair play.
6. Goal Setting and Persistence: The game encourages children to set goals, such as achieving better lap times or winning races. They learn the value of persistence, as they strive to improve their performance and overcome challenges to reach their objectives.
7. Visual and Spatial Awareness: Playing Drive Mad improves children’s visual and spatial awareness as they navigate through tracks, judge distances, and anticipate turns. This enhances their perception and spatial skills.
8. Entertainment and Enjoyment: Drive Mad provides an enjoyable and engaging experience for kids. It serves as a recreational activity that can bring fun and entertainment while also offering an opportunity to develop various skills.
It is important to note that parental supervision and appropriate game time limits should be established to ensure a balanced and healthy gaming experience for children.
Here is the answer to drive mad game. As well as another information we know about this game. If you have any new information, please contact us, thank you for reading in Flame Venge!


We don’t have to tell you that mothers deserve all the appreciation in the world—they’re simply the best! You can spend quality time with your mother, shower your mother with gifts, call her to check in, and thank her for being your mom. But a universal gift is a well-written and thoughtful card (You’ve seen all those kindergarten drawings she’s kept!).
Your Mother’s Day card should capture all your appreciation for your mother, wife, girlfriend, or grandma. (And if you do it right, you might even get Favorite Child status!) Here are some great ideas for writing and designing your card and some Mother’s Day gift suggestions. We even threw in some fun quotes about mothers you can share with your mom—or share with your social media world.
Mother’s Day Card Ideas
Purchasing Pre-Made Cards
Pre-made cards are perfect for saying, “I love and appreciate you.” These cards come with various messages ranging from heart-warming to downright corny. But don’t stop there—include your own personal note, too. Keep it short and sweet. Or look for a store-bought that’s blank on the inside. You’ll get a beautifully designed card and your own beautifully written message: the best of both worlds!
Want a handcrafted card? Something extra funny? A unique card to one-up your sibling? You’ll find many options available on Etsy, with a huge array of one-of-a-kind cards your mom would love.
Creating DIY Cards and Crafts
Few things are more meaningful than something made with your own hands—and few people will appreciate them more than Mom! Don’t be afraid to break out construction paper and make some handmade cards yourself. Choose the design, material, and thickness of the card stock, then decide on the shape (Psst, heart- and flower-shaped cards look great and are easy peasy!) DIY cards are also great for kids because they can channel their creativity into a hands-on activity and learn to use glue, card stock, pictures, and a little love to make a card for Mom.
If coming up with an original crafty idea isn't really your thing, there are plenty of templates online where you can download a card you like and customize it into something your mom would appreciate.
How To Decorate Cards
Less is more. Don’t give in to the temptation of filling your mom’s card with glitter (unless you’re volunteering to vacuum along behind her). A hand-drawn picture or printed image is plenty of decoration.
You know how your mom always asks when you’re coming to visit? Yeah, Mother’s Day is a pretty good reason to deliver your card in person. Take the chance to sit down, catch up, and reminisce. And if you live far away, plan ahead to send your Mother’s Day card through the mail. For a timely delivery, send it around May 1st, a week before Mother’s Day this year. And call your mom on Mother’s Day. Whether you’ve sent a card or not.
Celebrate Mother’s Day with Spoonful of Comfort
Spoonful of Comfort began in 2007 when our founder, Marti, received a call from her mother that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Marti felt helpless, being so far away from her mom, but she knew she needed to do something.
The usual options of flowers or fruit just didn’t seem appropriate. Chicken soup immediately came to mind. Unfortunately, her mother passed away before she got to taste Marti’s soup, but in her honor, we are inspired daily to send soup to help you show your loved ones that you care.
Show your mother, grandmother, or best friend how much their love and example mean to you, even when you can’t be with them in person. In addition to our care packages for loved ones facing illness or difficult times, we also have packages designed for fun and celebrations.
We are excited to share our limited edition Mother’s Day packages with you. You can send Mom tons of customizable gifts on her special day. These treats include a gift of gourmet soup, delicious rolls and cookies, a new ladle, and a floral lollipop with a plant-able stick to grow a pot of flowers. Let her kick back and enjoy a delicious Mother’s Day meal without lifting a finger.
What to Write in a Mother’s Day Card
Writing the perfect happy Mother’s Day messages for friends and family who are moms can be a challenge. Do you want to make them laugh, get personal and sentimental, or simply express appreciation?
Of course, you also need to consider who the card is for. For example, you may wish to express your sentiments in a slightly different way with your own mother compared to your mother-in-law. Or perhaps the card is for a grandmother or close friend.
Whatever strategy you choose, or whoever your card is meant for, Spoonful of Comfort is here to help you decide what to write in a Mother’s Day card. We’ve spent years perfecting the art of meaningful gift-giving, and we’re ready to pass our wisdom down to you.
What you write in your Mother’s Day card reflects what your mother means to you, so make your words count. Here are some ideas of what to write in your card for the beginning, middle, and end.
Beginning Your Card
Starting your card may seem like the hardest part of writing it. Don’t overcomplicate it. You don’t have to grab your mom’s attention with the opening line; just getting a card should be enough to hold her attention. The opening should be something that is meaningful, comes from the heart, and sounds like you. Here are a few different tones you can use to start your card, with some examples of what that may sound like.
For moms who believe laughter is the best medicine.
- Happy Mother’s Day from your favorite child (it’s ok, I know).
- Mom, you’re one of my favorite parents.
- I’m forever grateful that you didn’t take too many embarrassing pictures of me as a child.
- Thanks for sticking with me through those teenage years.
Compliments & Praise
Congratulate her for all the hard work she put into your life.
- I wouldn’t have chosen any other mother.
- You’re still my best friend.
- I still think about your cookies every day.
- You made our house a haven from all the hard parts of life. Thank you.
Mothers have a lot of wisdom. Maybe it’s time to recognize the lessons they taught you along the way.
- So you were right. Like, every time.
- You taught me it’s ok to ask for help.
- It all started with “don’t touch the stovetop.”
- Mom, it all makes sense now.
Sometimes saying “thank you” is the best way to show someone you love them.
- Everything good about me, I learned from you.
- I can only hope to be as good of a mother as you one day.
- Thank you for raising me to be a functional human being.
- I’m so lucky that I get to call you “Mom.”
What to Say In the Middle
Here’s where you can get a little more personal. This is a chance to really explain why you love and appreciate your mother.
One way to show your love is by sharing a story about something she said. Share the fondest memory of your mother and what made that moment so special. You could also share an experience from your own parenting.
Expanding on what you said at the beginning is a great way to write out something heartfelt. For example, suppose you went with “everything good about me, I learned from you” as your first line. You could then go on to list all the different qualities you gained from her, which could look something like this:
“Everything good about me, I learned from you. I can laugh when life gets hard because you always laughed when the casserole burned in the oven. I know how to comfort others because you were there to listen to all of my problems. You taught me how to cook, fix a tire, and even showed me the secrets of lime Coke.”
How to Finish
Throw out any “cheers” or “warmly” before signing your name. This isn’t a business email; you’re writing to someone you genuinely care about! Instead, you could sign off with one more declaration of love and appreciation:
- Thanks again for all you’ve done for me.
- You’re the best mom in the world.
- I’ll always appreciate what you’ve done for me.
- Hopefully, my kids will be as lucky as I was.
Finishing your card can also be as simple as writing “I love you!” Just make the ending a nice cherry to top off an already well-written letter. It’s a pretty good way to ensure your mom will happy-cry.
Mother’s Day Card Sayings & Messages
If you’re looking for a special quote to use as a simple Mother’s Day greeting, here’s a list of some of our favorites:
- “There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” —Jill Churchill
- “Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.” – Robert Browning
- “It may be possible to gild pure gold, but who can make his mother more beautiful?” – Mahatma Gandhi
- “Mothers are like glue. Even when you can’t see them, they’re still holding the family together.”– Susan Gale
- “The only love that I really believe in is a mother’s love for her children.”― Karl Lagerfeld
- “No man is poor who has a Godly mother.”― Abraham Lincoln
- “I ask you, what good is a big picture window and the lavish appointments and a priceless decor in a home if there is no mother there?”― Spencer W. Kimball
- “Life began with waking up and loving my mother’s face.” —George Eliot
- “A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary.” —Dorothy Canfield Fisher
- “If I have done anything in life worth attention, I feel sure that I inherited the disposition from my mother.” —Booker T. Washington
- “Everybody wants to save the Earth; nobody wants to help Mom do the dishes.” —P.J. O’Rourke
- “If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?” —Milton Berle
- “The phrase ‘working mother’ is redundant.” —Jane Sellman
- “Love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark … to have been loved so deeply .. will give us some protection forever.” —J.K. Rowling
- “It’s not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it.” —Dorothy on The Golden Girls
- “Never gonna go a day without you / Fills me up just thinking about you / I’ll never go a day without my mama” —Boyz II Men
- “I think every working mom probably feels the same thing: You go through big chunks of time where you’re just thinking, ‘This is impossible —oh, this is impossible.’ And then you just keep going and keep going, and you sort of do the impossible.” —Tina Fey
Unique & Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gifts
Don’t settle for just a card! Send a present to your mom to show more of how much you appreciate her being there for you. Some gift ideas include:
- Her favorite flowers
- A box of chocolates
- Homemade baked goods (like the chocolate chip cookies you learned from her)
- A picture of you and/or your family
- New kitchenware
- Her favorite food
And to say thanks for all the meals she fixed for you, let Mom relax on Mother’s Day with the kind of tasty comfort food she’s known to make herself. Spoonful of Comfort offers a Mother’s Day special gift package that includes 64 oz. of your mom’s favorite soup, along with delicious bread rolls and cookies! Every gift basket comes with a cheerful, colorful note card (for which, by the way, you just learned how to compose the perfect message).
Let Spoonful of Comfort’s gift package complement your sweet note, making it a Mother’s Day card worth saving!
We offer special Mother’s Day gift packages, including a limited-edition floral lollipop that’s edible and organic. You can also plant the paper stick to grow a little pot of flowers! Show your mother some love this Mother’s Day with a gift from Spoonful of Comfort!


SPECIAL Saki-Hikari's SPECIAL INDEX
Saki-Hikari's Special "Koi Breeder Preferred Saki-Hikari"
Vol.4Introducing Omosako Koi Farm Using Kyorin's Hikari Breand Diets
Continuing our conversations with leading Japanese koi breeders this time we visited Omosako Koi Farm, to spend time talking with Mr. Takashi Omosako, the president of Omosako Koi Farm and Mr. Takayoshi Omosako who has worked hard to establish the Shiro-Utsuri's unshakable position in the Gosanke varieties.
ⅠAbout Omosako Koi Farm
Located in Hiroshima, one of two largest koi breeding regions in Japan,the 55-year old farm is famous for Omosako Shiro-Utsuri.
There are two breeding teams on the farm: one led by President Omosako which mainly cultivates Omosako Shiro-Utsuri using six spawnings annually and the other led by Mr. Takayoshi Omosako which cultivates Omosako Showa using two spawning each year. The annual total of 40,000 Shiro-Utsuri accounts for 90 % of their total cultivation. All koi are grown out in 40 ponds located in seven indoor houses.
[President Omosako's objectives during Shiro-Utsuri cultivation]
According to President Omosako, the ultimate goal of their cultivation process is growing Shiro-Utsuri which have superior qualities when compared to other Gosanke varieties. The primary objective is to beat other Gosanke varieties at the major koi shows. They work diligently to improve the darkness of the Sumi markings and luster of the pure white background so as to highlight the Sumi. President Omosako says, "Our Shiro-Utsuri's quality must be approved by all of the judges in a koi contest. There are no other factors other than beautiful white skin and bold black Sumi on Shiro-Utsuri, so it is very difficult to deceive the judges' eye. It is never an easy task to grow Shiro-Utsuri but that's why this variety attracts our farmers."
The quality, physical beauty and breeding quantity of the Omosako Shiro-Utsuri, originates from the "Tatsuma Utsuri" lineage. The jumbo Shiro-Utsuri, "Musashi", 92 cm in length, "Panda", 90 cm, and "Godzilla",92 cm, were born one after another. In 2010, a descendant, "Zebra",bettered the long cherished record by reaching 57 cm at the age of two and 70 cm at when it turned three. With this ongoing evolution the Omosako Shiro-Utsuri has entered another new stage.
[President Omosako's most impressive Shiro-Utsuri]
Nicknames "Musashi" President Omosako considers this offspring the ideal Shiro-Utsuri in quality and size.
The fish won the 85 Bu Kokugyo Prize in the 36th All Japan Koi Show. Today it has reached 92 cm in length,and has been spawning as a koi parent since its impressive victory.
[The Omosako Showa for which Mr. Takayoshi Omosako focuses his efforts]
After a five year training period at the Dainichi Koi Farm in Niigata, Mr. Takayoshi Omosako is now working diligently to produce a new Showa variety that possesses both the grand physique of the famous Dainichi Showa and the lustrous Sumi markings of the Omosako Shiro-Utsuri. During our visit we were unable to take our eyes off their beautiful Showa.
ⅡPhantasmagoric Sumi markings of Shiro-Utsuri
Here is an excellent example of the dynamic changes the Sumi undergoes as the 65 Bu Shiro-Utsuri that won the mature championship in the 38th All Japan Koi Show in 2007 ages.
Omosako says, "This is unique example of the changes of the Sumi. Not all the Shiro-Utsuri's Sumi develops like this, but there is usually a high possibility of desirable Sumi with age. The attractiveness of Tategoi usually is true to their potential." Through his words, we could feel this farmer's strong intention and realize the true charm of the Omosako Shiro-Utsuri.
Q.How can amateur koi lovers truly enjoy keeping Shiro-Utsuri?
In order to enjoy the phantasmagorical Sumi markings, amateur koi lovers should understand the types of Sumi markings and that Sumi will change according to breeding environment as well as the lineage. If possible, keep several Shiro-Utsuri with differing types of Sumi markings,such as already fixed Sumi markings, late bloomer, and those similar to the Showa variety, and examine which type of Sumi markings are most adaptable to your breeding environment. It is often said that the Sumi is influenced by the hardness of water. The harder it is, the more the Sumi tends to appear. The Japanese water is always soft. It would be very interesting to keep Shiro-Utsuri in some foreign countries where the water is harder.
ⅢHow to grow koi large, and the importance of diet
Q.What is the most important factor to grow larger koi?
I pay careful attention to our koi to be sure they are growing at a healthy rate
while maintaining a desirable body shape. As you know, the dark and lustrous Sumi and the beautiful white background are the primary
requirements for the ideal Shiro-Utsuri, but the value rapidly drops when it loses its shape.
To maintain the koi's value, three things are equally important, the lineage of the koi, its breeding environment and the diet it's offered. We carefully select fine food that makes our koi grow large while maintaining the desired shape.
Do you have any particular preference for koi food?
We feed our koi exclusively the Hikar® koi diets. We use a sinking type food in our mud ponds and a floating type in our cement ponds. Of course, we use the Saki-Hikari® series too and now we feed our koi Saki-Hikari® "Pure White™" for the purpose of intensifying their white skin as the koi shows approach. We feel we had very good results at the 42nd All Japan Koi Show; Best in Utsurimono Prize, 70 Bu Sakura Prize and 15 Bu, 35 Bu, 40 Bu, Kokugyo Prizes. We are also thinking about using Kyorin's growth food. We feel it will certainly meet your expectations.


Smoking with Ample Oak ChunksOctober 7, 2018
Dishes imparted with the delicious flavour of smoke has become a culinary trend, hence bags of firewood are the latest décor in barbecue restaurants. Naturally not every wood is “delicious” enough to be used for this ancient cooking method. Fruitwood like apple and pear will infuse a sweet mellow flavour and great to be used for smoking delicate meats such as chicken, turkey and white meat fish.
A lot of gourmet barbecue restaurants in Sydney have turned to using hardwood such as oak and ironbark as their smoking wood base, as it is low in resin and high in flavour and can later be blended with assorted fruitwoods for a more distinct palette of flavours. Oak is a very versatile hardwood, it burns very hotly, is great for blending and lends a strong to medium flavour to the meat which is seldom overpowering. Oak works well with any type of meat but especially red meats and game will benefit from its smoky perfume. People who are new to smoking and have recently purchased a smoker to be used in their own backyard to create succulent ribs and nicely crusted briskets have been seen to make their first smoking meats experience with ample oak chunks.
Our firewood bags come in three cuts: plugs, chunks and logs. Whereas plugs and chunks are often bought by backyard barbecue chefs, logs are used in restaurants to fire large professional grills and smokers for sublime results. The plugs and chunks can be tossed directly on the coals for a light smoke flavour or soaked in water for about an hour to generate more smoke by smouldering rather than burning. If you own a kettle grill and want to enhance the flavour of meat by adding a little smoke to its crust, try out our succulent roasted leg of lamb recipe that will feed 6-8 meat lovers.
Smoked Leg Of Lamb
Ingredients: Half leg of lamb, ca. 1.5kg, deboned, 1Tbsp. coarse sea salt, 1Tbsp. ground coriander, 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, 1Tbsp. chilli powder, 1Tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper, 6 cloves of garlic peeled and minced
Method: Mix the ingredients for the rub, apply to the meat and leave in the fridge overnight. Next day, fire your barbecue with coals on one side, remove the meat from the fridge and let it come up to room temperature. As the coals turn grey, fill a tray with 5cm of water and place it beside the coals. Lay leg of lamb above the coals on the grill and cook for 15 minutes. Put a handful of ample oak chunks on the charcoal, move the meat on the grill above the tray and close it with a lid but vent open to smoke for about 45 minutes. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing it and serve with some Greek yoghurt and chopped mint leaves, roasted potatoes and your favourite vegetables.


- Quiet Hub Motor – A powerful miniature hub motor quietly accelerates riders up to 10 mph (16 km/h).
- Unique Carving Capabilities – A patented dual inclined caster wheel design enables the RipStik Rush to turn, carve, and drift in ways not possible on other electric skateboards.
- Lightweight Design – The RipStik Rush’s polymer construction and compact lithium-ion battery make it easy to carry and store between sessions.
- Nonstop Fun – A rechargeable 21.6V lithium-ion battery pack provides up to 40 minutes of continuous power, after which the board can still be ridden like the classic RipStik.
- Remote Controlled – A wireless handheld remote gives riders full control of both acceleration and deceleration of the board while riding.
- Max Speed: Up to 10 mph (16 km/h)
- Run Time: Up to 40 minutes of continuous use. Can also be ridden like the classic RipStik.
- Construction: Fiber-reinforced polymer
- Deck: Molded traction deck with in-mold carry handle
- Front Tire: Abrasion-resistant, airless, flat-free
- Rear Wheel: Urethane caster
- Motor: 80-watt, kick-to-start, variable-speed, brushless, hub-driven
- Battery: 21.6V lithium-ion battery pack, rechargeable
- Includes: Wireless (2.4 GHz) digital hand-remote (replaceable), Two(2) AAA batteries (replaceable), battery charger
- Age: 9+
- Max Rider Weight: 143 lbs (65 kg)
- No Assembly Required
- Product Dimensions: 32.3″ x 8.3″ x 5.7″ (82 cm x 21.2 cm x 14.5 cm)
- Product Weight: 9.12 lbs (4.14 kg)


Home>>Gingerbread Spiced Snowflake Sugar Cookie
Nothing says the holidays quite like gingerbread! Try these festive winter cookies for your next gathering. Recipe brought to us by Spoon Fork Bacon.
traditional German gingerbread spice mix
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves1 teaspoon ground ginger½ teaspoon all spice½ teaspoon ground star anise seeds½ teaspoon ground coriander½ teaspoon ground cardamom¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg¼ teaspoon ground mace
gingerbread spiced sugar cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour2 teaspoons gingerbread spice (from above)10 tablespoons unsalted butter1 cup sugar1 large egg, room temperature1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Spice mix: Combine all spices together and whisk together until completely mixed. You will only need 2 teaspoons of this mix for the recipe and can store the rest of the spice mix in an airtight jar (in a cool and dry place) for up to 1 year.Cookies: In a large mixing bowl combine flour and gingerbread spice. Whisk together and set aside.In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Scrape down sides of the bowl and add egg and vanilla. Continue to mix together.Add flour mixture and mix together until completely combined and a dough forms.Flatten dough to a disc and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.Preheat oven to 350˚F.Sprinkle flour over a clean work surface and place dough disc in center. Sprinkle dough disc with flour and roll out dough until about ⅛ inch thick.Use 1 ½ inch snowflake cutters or stamps and cut out as many snowflakes as possible, dipping the cutters/stamps in flour every few cookies, to prevent sticking.Using a small, offset spatula transfer cookies onto a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet, ¼ inch apart.Bake cookies for 7 to 9 minutes or until the tops and edges barely begin to brown.Allow cookies to sit for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Once cookies have cooled completely, serve.


Hi! I am Oksana Lazda - the face behind OX YOGA.
I am passionate about different forms of movement in life - on a tangible and on a more energetic level.
I believe that the way we feel in our bodies reflects in the way we show up in life. When we feel good, tension free and when our mind is calm, we naturally create an environment around us where we can be the best versions of ourselves.
Through yoga and massage therapy I help people to release layers of accumulated tension and create a state of expansion, calm and ease in their bodies and hearts.
My yoga journey began in 2014 while I was living in one of the busiest cities in the world - Mumbai - working a corporate job and craving to find a peaceful place to just be by myself. I instantly fell in love with yoga and ended up traveling and living in Buddhist Monasteries in Himalayas and Thailand, embarking into Vipassana 10 days silence meditation experience, spending time in Osho Meditation Resort in Pune and after 3 years returning again back to India to deepen my knowledge as a yoga teacher in the end of 2017. Since 2018, I have been working as a full-time yoga teacher and massage therapist in New Zealand and Barcelona, Spain.
My teaching style, same as my practice, is forever evolving and expanding. Rooted in a meditative aspect of Ashtanga Yoga and combined with tools from various movement and somatic disciplines, I create a lighthearted and organic flow that leaves a space and a time for self-enquiry and exploration.
Coming from a background of competitive swimming and being immersed in sports throughout my life, I was never interested in the physical aspect of yoga. Instead I was looking for a tool that could help me to find contentment in a moment. Having a love for movement, I was naturally drawn to the vigorous style of Ashtanga Yoga.
At the start of my yoga journey, I experienced profound emotional releases - breaking into tears in the middle of the practice and recalling flashbacks of past traumatic events. It was nothing I had ever experienced before and it was then, when I discovered through my own experience the healing power of yoga.
Dealing with anxiety for the vast majority of my life and feeling trapped in a constant state of anger, led me to dive deeper into the studies of somatics and trauma. Understanding how our bodies store emotional dis-ease in a form of tension has helped me reconnect to my heart, embody self-love and acceptance, and move through spirals of life with a little bit more grace and ease.
Yoga has been a major tool that has helped me to navigate through anxiety and all sorts of emotions. Therefore, my aim as a teacher is to meet each practitioner where they are at in their own practice and hold a space to feel through a spectrum of emotions that yoga exposes us to in a compassionate and loving way.
Through continuous fluid movement I invite students to cultivate a simple awareness of everything that happens and shift from the thinking minds into the feeling bodies.
After completing 500hrs Hatha Yoga and 200hrs Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Trainings in India I continue being a student and seek new knowledge from different teachers and forms of movement: Functional Range Conditioning (FRC), Movement Culture, Somatic Movement and dance well as dive deeper into exploring breathwork and Trauma Informed Yoga.
Massage and Bodywork
Wanting to deepen my knowledge in bodywork and be able to help people to feel lighter in their bodies, I completed a Massage Therapy Course in Queenstown, New Zealand in 2016. Soon after I started to work in Luxury SPAs and hotels in New Zealand, and Spain offering a wide range of massages, body treatments and facials.
Since then, I have done "dive deeper" courses in Deep Tissue massage, Myofacia and Thai Massage.
Currently I am studying Shiatsu in Escola de Shiatsu y Moviment with David Ventura in Barcelona.
I am offering integral massage therapy sessions in the heat of Barcelona and in Amara Valley Nature Retreat (retreat centre near Banyoles, Girona)
Every massage is tailored for personal needs and preferences. In my sessions I combine Deep Tissue, Relaxing, Shiatsu massage techniques with gentle stretches and joint mobilizations. I often use meditation, tibetian singing bowls and aromatherapy oils for a deeper relaxation.
Welcome everything, push away nothing
Openness - a willingness to look into whatever arises. It doesn't reject or get attached to a particular experience or view. It is a spacious, undefined, non-biases allowing. A total acceptance. Openness is the nature of awareness itself, and that nature allows experience to unfold.
This openness welcomes paradox and contradiction. It permits whatever energies to emerge. Openness means keeping our hearts and minds available to new information, experiences and opportunities for growth. It means having tolerance for unknown.
/from "The Five Invitations" by Frank Ostaseski/


How's the Fishing in Lake Lure, You Ask?
Of all the questions Iíve gotten over the years on a wide variety of topics about our lake and our wildlife, this is a common one and not one where there is a short, simple answer.
In truth, the fishing has been and is often great, but we also have challenges just like any other lake when it comes to fostering a consistently sustainable fishing livelihood.
Many fishing guides and residents will tell you that Lake Lure is an awesome fishing lake if you know where to go and know what the fish will bite in terms of bait.
In fact, over the last four to five years we have seen some really big fish that anglers have been more than willing to show off, one of the largest being a 14Ĺ pound large-mouth bass. Fish that size are what bring sportsmen to Lake Lure, but fishing Lake Lure is anything but easy. It does take some skill and fishing knowledge to find the big fish and once you find them, youíve got to catch them.
It's a Cool Lake, but what does that mean for Fishing?
Lure is considered a cool
water lake, with average surface temperatures being in the low 70s and average
temps at the thermocline being in the low 60ís.
This is about what you would expect in a lake like Lake Lure
(pardon the alliteration). Lake Lure
is classified by North Carolina
as Class B, Trout waters. This
classification simply means that the water quality parameters at the time it
was sampled were such that the lake could support trout.
This is one of the reasons that Lake Operations decided to discontinue stocking of lake trout because it was not a sustainable practice with no real return on investment.
Lake eutrophication is a natural process that lakes go through as they age. As this process occurs, the fishery tends to improve because there is more for fish and their prey to eat. Of course there are also some drawbacks.
Nutrient loading is a problem that occurs as lakes age creating scenarios for harmful algae blooms which can cause fish kills and other negative impacts. This is one of the reasons why we pay close attention to our water quality numbers so that we can be proactive in addressing any problems that might impact the overall health of the lake.
So back to the question at hand, Howís the Fishing?
It is getting better. One of the biggest things that has helped has been changing our approach and dedicating resources to making Lake Lure a bass fishing lake. Bass are cool water fish, so they do extremely well in lakes such as ours.
We have also increased the amount of food the predator fish can eat by stocking threadfin shad. Lake Lure has very little in the way of aquatic vegetation and structural habitat, which is a necessary component in order to have a sustainable fishery.
Structure is especially important because it provides not only protection, but a hard substrate for aquatic plants and animals to attach themselves to.
This is why rip rap and fallen trees are so vital to the lake and why they should be put in place. The fishing benefit is huge and it helps to balance the ecosystem. Lake Operations has also gone a step farther by building fish habitat and sinking Christmas trees to help add some structure in places where fish like to be.
What Species of Fish are in our Lake?
If you are a fisherman and you are interested in knowing what we have in our lake, we actually have quite a diverse selection. We have large and small mouth bass, white bass, catfish, yellow perch, sunfish, and crappie; there are a few lake trout still left in the lake and we also get a few in the head water reaches of the lake near Pool Creek and the Broad River where rainbow trout will occasionally be found. There are also a few chain pickerel found in the lake which were probably stocked in here many years ago. There are no muskellunge here unless someone put them in without our knowledge, and if they did they probably wonít survive long enough to breed due to the water temperature and lack of good muskie habitat.
As far as fish stocking, the only fish the town stocks the lake with are large mouth bass, small mouth bass, white bass, and threadfin shad. Anything else thatís in the lake was either stocked long ago or naturally occurred in the Broad River before it was impounded.
Our Lake Operations Department is continuously monitoring the health of the lake and looking at ways to improve the fishery in Lake Lure. No one wants to come to a lake that is not healthy and the best way to measure the health of a lake is to look at the lake ecosystem and see how itís thriving.
If you have questions about fishing in Lake Lure or would like to know more, please contact Clint Calhoun, Environmental Management Officer at (828)625-9983 x 502 E-mail:email@example.com or Dean Givens, Lake Operations Director at (828)625-9983 x 501 E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org


In the spirit of cooler weather, and the excitement I get out of making my little monster's halloween costumes. I thought I would post my Halloween Freebie. A simple little costume game, with the fun and minus the dressing up part. We played a game similar to this at a training once and it had everyone cracking up. I simplified it a little to make it kid friendly and now I'm sharing it with you.
Simple instructions: Each student gets the name of a popular Halloween costume taped to their back. They must then figure out who they are by asking classmates only "yes" or "no" questions. They can only ask each student one question before they have to move on and ask someone else. The first student to guess the name on their back gets a little prize. (I have math versions of this game in my TpT store, great practice!) It's easy and can be played over and over. (For younger students, I walk around and help them read the names by whispering it in their ear so they are able to answer questions.) It was fun for adults and I know your students will love it.
On a blogging side note, it took me awhile to find a good website for converting PDF files to JPG or PNG image files. In that search I found this great website called Zamzar.com. It basically converts any type of file into any other type of file you want. Awesome! And better yet, it e-mails the file to you so you have it to go back to. This is how I post the cover to an item on my blog, then I just add a link to my store where you can download it. You're welcome. :)
Have a great monday! And WELCOME to all of my new followers!