Merry Christmas !!!

Posted by Lyn:

Posted by Niina Hoffstedt:

Posted by Claire Andrews:

  Happy Christmas, Connie!

Thursday, December 21st 2006 @ 4:13 AM

Posted by CAPTAIN CANUCK:

Posted by vitani:

Hmmm... you ask about religion??

I am a Buddhist... thats the main religion here in Srilanka... then we have some Hindus(*quite a number of them actually). then there are the Christians(*mostly Catholics... and then Muslims as well... Quite multi cultural if you ask me??

There are some troubles with intergration of the different races and it gives me a real bad feeling inside when peole kill each other for no apparent reason expect that they have a different language and a different culture??

Love and joy for the season... vitani...

Friday, December 22nd 2006 @ 9:29 AM

Posted by Flo:

Have a wonderful Christmas, Connie !

Friday, December 22nd 2006 @ 5:49 PM

Posted by elizabeth rose:

Posted by Lucky_star:

 

Have a wonderfull Christmas Connie.

Saturday, December 23rd 2006 @ 4:43 PM

Posted by The Zoo:

 

Saturday, December 23rd 2006 @ 9:17 PM

Posted by DW:

Have a MOST MERRY CHRISTMAS Connie! XO

Saturday, December 23rd 2006 @ 9:17 PM

Posted by Moni Smith:

MERRY CHRISTMAS CONNIE! YOUR SITE IS SO PRETTY AND CHRISTMASSY

Sunday, December 24th 2006 @ 3:32 PM

Posted by Els:

Merry Christmas, Connie!

Monday, December 25th 2006 @ 1:51 AM

Posted by Foxx Trotter:

Ol' time yule from Foxx Trotter. Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 25th 2006 @ 9:28 AM

Posted by WildBlueMekaLizard:

Monday, December 25th 2006 @ 10:47 AM

Posted by Amina Bhimla:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

Monday, December 25th 2006 @ 12:52 PM

Posted by birdbits:

Iloved strolling through all the Christmasy things, and thank you for the nice post, comming from you means alot, you really helped me get it together when I first started my journal,(couldn't have done it without ya)- Big THANKS again) and I've kept comming back and learning everytime I visit here.I always find interesting or amusing readings .GREAT STUFF! Merry Ho Ho... and a Wonderful New Year!

Monday, December 25th 2006 @ 8:08 PM

Posted by Amina Bhimla:

Connie, at least you've got some days off, I just had Christmas. I've been working like crazy, I'm back at work for the next few days, then a few days off, but back to work again with New Years off. It has been quite a hectic holiday season. I hope you are enjoying yours and getting all the deserved rest you need. Take care:)

Tuesday, December 26th 2006 @ 8:50 AM

Posted by Sylvia Hinz:

Hi Connie!
We're so sorry that we are late!

Wednesday, December 27th 2006 @ 10:03 AM

Posted by Rayne:

Posted by Connie:

I agree, Rayne. All these comments here are wonderful!

Thursday, December 28th 2006 @ 9:42 AM

Posted by Moni Smith:

I was reading your comment on Lucky's blog, and yes, a southern custom - Eating black eyed peas on January 1st will bring you good luck all year. The Jowls are like bacon, not as lean, but tasty. I don't do this, but I used to.

Sunday, December 31st 2006 @ 11:27 PM

Although I've no bright colors,
Or a song as sweet as others,
I've something going for me --
A little bravery.

When autumn leaves spiral down,
Feathered friends are leaving town.

I stay behind and face the cold,
When Old Man Winter takes a hold,
With lacy snowflakes taking flight,
Adorning land in pristine white.

And as others travel on the wing,
I'm already enjoying gifts of spring!

--Stacy Smith of Anderson, Indiana from the January Birds & Blooms Extra

**************************
 

Winter Garden

Though my winter garden
is dressed in gray and brown,
there lies a rainbow sleeping
beneath the frozen ground.

My daffodils are waiting
underneath the winter snow
to announce Spring in all her glory
with trumpets made of gold.

 My iris now are sleeping.
They dream of summer fields,
dressed in velvet, midnight blue,
as emerald spears they wield.

Bejeweled with hoary frost,
the soul of a rose waits quietly
for summer sunshine
to burst with crimson, suddenly.

High above it all,
bare trees stand solemn guard,
sentinels of Hope and Promise
while the soil is cold and hard.

-- Glenda M. Banta, Torrington, Wyoming from the Dec/Jan Birds & Blooms

**************************

badaboo.free.fr/merryxmas.swf   this is cute !  from Sharon, my former tennis partner in Appleton 

I was just going back rereading past posts and the comments left.   Nov 4 was a Friday Fives  from Rayne's blog and the comments left by Kati, Robin, Lucky Star, Denise, Melody, Lyn and Moni are worth reading on a regular basis as they keep reminding me of things I enjoyed eating for breakfast but forget about.  I miss making French Toast.  Thank you to every one who comments here!

Warm temps Thur in the low 50s.  This has been a increasingly warm week with Friday a day off !  YAH !

Wed bowling:  106  142 (2 doubles)  112    Pete: 175  139  145

Poem on the wall of the elementary school where the Thursday bellydance class was held -

I heard a bird sing
 In the dark of December
 A magical thing
 And sweet to remember.
 
 'We are nearer to Spring
 Than we were in September,'
 I heard a bird sing
 In the dark of December.
 -----
 Oliver Herford
 (1863-1935)

Day off !  Friday was a paid personal day!  I stopped over to MATC (Madison Area Technical College) for the 2 new books for my classes starting in Jan, and they look extremely interesting and user friendly.  I had already checked them out prior to signing up for the classes .  Have missed taking computer courses the last few years.
matcmadison.edu/matc/ASP/showcurriculum.asp?ID=3168  Signed up for 2 - 1 credit courses - Dreamweaver and  Adobe Photo Shop to be completed between mid Jan and the first half of March.  All online.  We communicate with the instructor and other students via a black board on line. The school said they have students from all over the world taking the online classes and books can be mailed.  I don't know where I'll find the time to take both of these courses within 2 months, but I will.  Frontpage was also a 1 credit independent course I took the summer of 2002.  It involved a far amount of time and I enjoyed the course.  Front Page is easy to use.  I had an HTML course prior and it is easy to go into the code and change things too.  I expect Dreamweaver to be similar.  I've always wanted to learn about Photoshop, so this will be the motivation to actually learn something.  Plus it will be nice to have this Website Development certificate (after I take the other 4 -  1 credit courses)  to add to the resume the next time I update it.  There are a couple other certificate programs I'd like to take after these 6 courses of 1 credit each are complete.  Microsoft Visual Studio.NET and Internet Developer are 2 other certificates ( each 21 credits - courses 3 credits each -  including SQL Server, PHP and MySQL programming).   I took a couple of Visual Basic courses a few years back and enjoyed working with it.  Even got to change a VB program at work recently and I'm no longer in IT (in high powered end user computing now).  Maybe I can find more uses for VB at work.   I have Adobe Photoshop CS, but this course requires Adobe Photoshop CS2 and will likely have to buy the new package to get Flash, Dreamweaver and other software required for this certificate.  I also have Paint Shop and a couple of good books but never had time to explore using it.  Perhaps this course will get me started with skills that can apply to both, although they do seem like different animals.

Limited workout at the Oshkosh YMCA and visited my favorite library in Oshkosh later on Friday.  Stopped in to see my aunt for her 86th birthday in the evening and enjoyed seeing all of her flowers, plants and Christmas decorations.

There are various types of belly dance.  Seems I'm partial to the American Tribal.  Perhaps because it uses yoga movements in the warm ups.  Perhaps because it is the style of the good instructor who introduced it to us.  American Tribal combines Spanish Flamenco, Egyptian, Turkish, North African, etc. and borrows freely from Bedouin and Berber costumes, as well as adding modem touches all its own.  Layering, applying various isolated moves, seems to be the core of the dance.  My instructor recommends Rachel Brice and Suhaila Salimpour both from San Francisco as leaders in the Tribal technique.  Rachel video  Tribal is improvisation where each member takes over a lead for the group during a dance and others follow.  Possibly something one could develop into with classmates.  Our instructor recommends a year of classes similar to what we are doing now before starting the tribal improvisational with a group.  She also recommends checking out all the styles on the internet and going to shows to find the style you like the most.  Other types include Oriental and I'm not really sure what all the differences in types are, but likely they include costuming and music as well the dance movements.   

Wed and Thur belly dancing class:
 *  Arabic 2:  ball ahead, toe, toe ahead, toe with each forward step a chest raise.  Leading arm extended, trailing arm raised above head.  Sideways movement across floor.
 *  Left cross over, right to right with right glute squeeze.  Arms were added Thur night - on right step out - left hand behind head with right arm extended (I think right hand pushing out).  Reverse is right cross over, left to left with left glute squeeze, right hand behind head, left arm out (I think left hand pushing out).  Forward movement across the floor.
 *  Arms above head, backs of hands together, elbows pushed to the back.  Bring arms down behind head  with extensions to side.  Not sure of hand position...  One arm at a time or both at the same time? 
 *  arm movements - think of swimming through jello.
  
 Next week I hope to get back to all my library books, CDs and tapes.
 

Posted by Moni Smith:

Posted by Rayne:

Posted by DW: 

 I love that Oliver Herford poem!

Tuesday, December 19th 2006 @ 4:46 PM

Posted by Claire Andrews: 

the snowmen on the bottom of  tangotennis.com/Flowers.htm

Posted by rayne:

Posted by Unni Tuzzeladd:

  cute wordless wednesday

Thursday, December 14th 2006 @ 6:42 PM

Posted by Lyn:

Posted by Moni Smith:

Posted by The Zoo:

  very coola doola connie

Friday, December 15th 2006 @ 5:29 PM

Posted by DW:

*shivers*

Friday, December 15th 2006 @ 5:30 PM

Posted by Melody aka Baitlady:  

 

Saturday, December 16th 2006 @ 6:01 AM

I Have Been Tagged by Rayne !   Who was tagged by flossy-p.

Posted by vitani:

Posted by Rayne:

Posted by Denise:

Posted by Moni Smith:

Posted by AmandaMagick:

with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach  Jude Law is good looking - never saw him in a movie before.  I agree with the review below about how sweet the scenes with Eli Wallach, who is 91,  are.    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_Wallach

Iris is in love with a man who is about to marry another woman. Across the globe, Amanda realizes the man she lives with has been unfaithful. Two women who have never met and live 6000 miles apart, find themselves in the exact same place. They meet online at a home exchange website and impulsively switch homes for the holiday. Iris moves into Amanda's L.A. house in sunny California as Amanda arrives in the snow covered English countryside. Shortly after arriving at their destinations, both women find the last thing either wants or expects: a new romance. Amanda is charmed by Iris' handsome brother Graham and Iris, with inspiration provided by legendary screenwriter Arthur, mends her heart when she meets film composer Miles. from movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809273669/details

sonypictures.com/movies/theholiday  official site  (will likely load forever on a dial up)

from imdb.com/title/tt0457939/  If you want to see a romantic comedy with real chemistry, especially between Cameron Diaz and Jude Law this is one chick flick you must see. This movie is a good date movie that is actually entertaining and sweet. You are actually seeing two love stories instead of one. There is a great subplot of the friendship between Kate Winslet and Eli Wallach's character that will touch your heart. Actually, I enjoyed that part of the movie the best. Overall, the movie was enjoyable to watch with touching and funny scenes throughout the movie. The ending is predictable, but what do you expect, it is a romantic comedy. You will leave the movie feeling good, and isn't that what movies are all about. (Columbia Pictures, Run time 2:18, Rated PG-13)(8/10)

Posted by dolorescraeg:

Wed night belly dance:
Arabic 1:  The ball leading behind moving sideways.  Raise rib cage on flat foot forward.  Leading right finger to forehead with right elbow leading,  Left arm trailing horizontal lightly waving bye.
Other similar movement:  sideways hip push at faster tempo.
Shimmies - there are many types.  Keep loose and put weight from one leg to other flexing the knees.  From loose front thigh muscles to tightening them for varied degrees of tension.

Great post here with suggestions for videos to use and also entertaining to watch on this site:
insomnomania.blogspot.com/2006/06/we-must-we-must-we-must-improve-our_09.html#links

youtube.com/v/uXvq2ZmCXQo   found on above site - This is great!  And the ending is so funny!

Thur night belly dance:   

Added a turn to the Egyptian 1st.  Starting on L, 3 steps 180 right, 3 steps 180 left. 
Arms above head, backs of hands together, pull down toward back of head, and I forgot the rest of this arm movement.

My instructor has her site up here  and her tribe's site is here   

Last night's bowling scores:  Connie  133 (turkey)   111   128   (double)      Pete   118   166   136
Hot Fudge with cherries at Culvers.

Last night finished Too Many Crooks Spoil the Broth by Tamar Myers the first Magdalena Yoder mystery set in Pennsylvania Dutch country.  Not as good as the Joanne Fluke and JoAnna Carl series, but did have it's amusing moments and conversations and I'll eventually try the 2nd book of this series, Parsely, Sage, Rosemary and Crime. My favorite character is Doc, the older veterinarian.  Forgot the The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up  and will pick it up again next weekend.  And this book has recipes!

41  bola tie
44 a steaming tureen  -   A broad, deep, usually covered dish used for serving foods such as soups or stews.
117 One of Hamlet's soliloquies?  -  A dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener.  The act of speaking to oneself.
169  Considering the state of Sam's produce, I doube if even Linda could provide the correct nomenclature.  -  A system of names used in an art or science: the nomenclature of mineralogy. 
197  bourgeois  -  A person whose attitudes and behavior are marked by conformity to the standards and conventions of the middle class.
210  hoi polloi  -  The common people; the masses.
acculturated  -  assimilate culturally.  become similar to one's environment; "Immigrants often want to assimilate quickly
138  maudlin  -  Effusively or tearfully sentimental: "displayed an almost maudlin concern for the welfare of animals" Aldous Huxley
221 I just started a book by Paul Theroux, my favorite travel writer, when the phone rang.
243  "Grass doesn't grow on a busy street, Doc.". 
"And there's no snow on the roof when there's a fire inside," added Doc. 
 

Posted by Siobhan:

Posted by Claire Andrews:

Posted by Beyond the Confines...:

Posted by Niina Hoffstedt:

Posted by The Zoo:

  hi connie . we hope you have the most merry belly dancing riffic weekend

Saturday, December 9th 2006 @ 8:08 PM

Posted by DW:

Posted by vitani: 

Posted by Claire Andrews:

Posted by Moni Smith:

Posted by Robin:

Posted by Connie:

ha ha ha ha ha

Tuesday, December 12th 2006 @ 6:24 PM

I'm starting my New Year's Resolutions Dec 1 so I have a month to get used to them.  Otherwise it's too much of a shock on Jan 1.

Drizzly day.  Sleet hitting the car after bowling and large snow flakes gently floating down far apart from each other after the Y.    

Bowling tonight:  109 with a turkey - 3 strikes in the 10th frame.  136  120 with a double in each game.  Pete had 131  168  149.  

Reading - The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up by JoAnna Carl and Too Many Crooks Spoil the Broth by Tamar Myers the first Magdalena Yoder mystery set in Pennsylvania Dutch country.  Mennonites and Amish.  Tama Myers is of Amish background and grew up in the Belgian Congo with her missionary parents.  It's been fast moving so far.  Magdalena Yoder runs an Inn on the family farm and the plot thickens as guests arrive for deer hunting.

Belly dancing class.
posture as in Latin dancing with the forward rib cage.  butt in, stomach in, think of having a dragon's tail pulling your tail bone down. LOL
stretching bending by vertebra. 
Arabesque  - Like Egyptian step # 3 except the ball is behind you and with each step on the front foot, you lift the rib cage.
Walking backwards and forwards with the hips rotating as in the washing machine action.  Arms out.
Rib cage up with a hook pulling it up.  Back with the abs pulling as in doing the crunches.
The first 20 minutes are awesome stretching.  Crunches with the legs vertical and then lower legs extended.    
Butt squeezes while sitting are getting easier.
This is an AWESOME class for flexibility and working out !   It requires an effort but the time just flies by.

shira.net/poem34-moose.htm

Posted by DW:

  You are starting a month early??? COOL!

Friday, December 1st 2006 @ 1:46 AM

Posted by The Zoo:

  hi connie . have a happy roodle weekend

Friday, December 1st 2006 @ 3:15 PM

Posted by Claire Andrews:

Posted by Claire Andrews:

Warm weather for a week!  52 tonight in Madison.  Was overcast all day, rain starting now.  Cold weather is on the way forecast for Wed.
Attended the United German-American Choruses of Milwaukee Holiday Christmas Concert  3 - 5  this afternoon.   Beautiful and enjoyable.  In the audience was a guy age 103.  I didn't see him, but did see his hand go up on the other side of the room when they acknowledged him.   Remarkable.  members.aol.com/bgclubnews/index.htm  After the concert stollen, milk and coffee was served.  The stollen was sweet bread like with a few raisons and a frosting.  Has me in the mood to make stollen this next weekend - will need to find an easy recipe...  I miss not attending Beginning German 2 this fall, but my work was too hectic to have time to travel over and study.  My goal is to continue with the same excellent instructor for class 2 sometime in 2007.

Posted by CAPTAIN CANUCK:

Posted by Siobhan:  

 It's quite mild here in the UK too, but wet and windy. Have a good week, Connie!

Monday, November 27th 2006 @ 11:34 AM

Posted by wendy miller:

The last few weeks I’ve been experiencing irregular heart beats.  My heart seems to be racing at times as well.  I thought it was from lack of sleep, eating poorly, lack of exercise and being 25 pounds over the weight I was naturally for 30 years (the photo above is my natural weight – I could eat anything and not gain weight – but not any more).  I have started to exercise more and am making an effort to eat healthier.  The irregular heart beats have been worse this last week.  Last night while sleeping on my left side my heart was going crazy and woke me up.  Thinking it might be a lead up to something more serious I started doing searches and came across this great site from Ireland.  irishhealth.com/index.html?level=4&section=&7&id=4144  It confirmed a thought that came to me late tonight – that it might be menopause related.  Woman on this site report of the exact same symptoms I had during the beginning of their menopause.  Even to the sleeping on the left side causing severe palpatations.  Does anyone care to share their experiences of what gives relief for this change I have coming up?  Most interested in natural remedies.  One of the suggestions here was to eat smaller amounts and not late at night, which is advice I should follow regardless.  It is such a relief to find this web page.

A few years ago I started getting SEVERE headaches at a certain time of the month.  A guy friend who no longer talks to me heard about Soy Essentials on a radio talk show.  I’ve been taking 4 a day since.  If I don’t keep them up, the headaches will return.  If I’m very tired during the time they occur, they will still occasionally be there, but the Soy Essentials have made a huge difference!



from Nov 25 2006 http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/blondie.asp
 

Posted by Moni Smith:

Posted by Connie:

Posted by Lyn:

Posted by Melody aka Baitlady: 

  pwhewwwww.... like I know what to say! having just come out of the hospital AGAIN! Okay... this post scares... sounds too familiar. If that heart of your's is doing ANYTHING out of the normal feeling... Go get it checked out. You and I are in the same age group and as I'm finding out... age is NOT always a factor for what I considered 'old age' health problems. I understand your wanting to keep things natural to keep healthy... and you can... but make sure that you are treating the 'correct symptoms'... please don't play doctor like I did - get a check up like Moni suggested and let them rule some things out first. YOU are worth it! and rides in the ambulance are NOT fun!

Sunday, November 26th 2006 @ 6:55 AM

Posted by The Zoo:

  hi connie . we hope you start feeling better very soonish

Sunday, November 26th 2006 @ 11:46 AM

Posted by Denise: 

Posted by Denise:

Posted by Robin:

Posted by Sevina Imogen Snape:

Hi Connie
about the hearbeat thing ---   I think it's luuuuuv 

Tuesday, November 28th 2006 @ 10:44 PM

Posted by Claire Andrews:

Posted by Unni Tuzzeladd:

Posted by Rachel Henderson:

Hi Connie, I have sufered from heart palpatations all my life. Even though I have always had good health and extremely active as a youngster.I use Estroven as a natural supplement for Menopausal sysmptoms and it works great for me, but doesn't for everyone. Hawthorne is a good supplement for strengthening the heart. Some heart doctors in the know even prescribe it for their patients. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about it. It only causes more stress and damamge. Sometimes the medical establishment can cause more fear than is warranted. But you may be blessed with a doctor that can ease your fears rather than add to them. Avoid prescription drugs if at all possible since they only mask the symptoms and do nothing to cure the underlying problem. I know I am late in getting here and catching up with you. Let me know what you have found out.

Monday, December 4th 2006 @ 9:45 AM

From Kim Komando's Cool Site of the Day Oct 24 --->  likebetter.com   'Which do you like better?  The things you like say a lot about your personality and who you are. But you might not be aware of this.  Don't believe me? Visit today's Cool Site. It presents you with pairs of pictures. You simply click on the one you prefer.  After you click several pictures, look for the brain to turn pink. When it does, click on it. It will tell you a couple of things about yourself.'

Tues bowling scores:  124   129   111  Pete:  155  186  132

Wed belly dancing:  grapevine.  shoulder movement 2 beats per 1 of stepping.

Egyptian step #1   Step with foot slightly ahead of other food with the hip movement.  Tighten glute with forward motion with step.  Then step further on the first foot and put all weight on it for the next step. 

Egyptian step #2 is moving backwards.  Slightly forward position with upper body as in Latin dancing.

Egyptian step #3   is moving side ways.  Extend arm in direction of movement.  Trailing are is raised directly above head.  Movement with hip as you step ahead is like you are pushing a shopping cart ahead of you.  Tonight - 4 steps and 180 degree turn with knee lifted - continue in same direction with change every 4 steps keeping the beat.

Finished the Chocolate Bear Burglary  Monday.  A fun Lee McKinney series to read following the Hannah Swenson series.