Monday, December 31, 2012

labor day recipes ? desserts | crafts hobbies home - Chad Knowles ...

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Source: http://chadknowles.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/labor-day-recipes-desserts-crafts-hobbies-home.html

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How to sit in a chair and drink tea

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First, slow down, like you?ve just turned off the highway into a quiet neighborhood. Normal rat-race speed is unsuitable for what we?re about to do. Hurrying through the process of relaxing defeats its purpose.

This experience is all about decelerating. Take a breath if you have to, or if you wish to.

Take out your tools. Kettle. Cup. A mesh infuser if you?re using one.

Your supplies ? the consumables ? will be two of nature?s simplest creations: water and leaves. Loose tea is best but a teabag will do.

Choose your leaves. Chai. Rooibos. Ceylon. Oolong. Yerba mate. This is a personal decision and I won?t make a suggestion. Depending on the plant you choose here, you may be embarking on a mild drug experience. If you?re running low, on either quantity or variety, here is a wonderful source.

Run water into the kettle, feeling its growing weight, and take a moment to smile at your fortune if you did not have to leave the house to do so.

Turn on the heat. Put your tea into your cup.

You will now confront one of modern society?s ever-present dangers, which is the risk of distraction we face whenever nothing interesting happens for a few minutes. Your muscle memory will suggest something, maybe slipping your smartphone out, maybe leaning over the computer chair to surf Reddit, maybe straightening something on the counter. Worst of all, you may start talking to yourself in your head.

Stay where you are. You?re making tea. It?s tempting to think of the next two minutes of kettle-heating time as something in the way, something you want to get to the end of, like an unmemorable stretch of parking lot you have to cross to get from your car to your destination.

Your impulse might be to self-entertain. Opt instead to do something simple and self-contained, like stretching or looking out the window. If you?re game, just stand beside the stove. Let time just hang there, without making you feel like you should be somewhere else.

Whatever you end up doing for that two minutes, if you stay with it, your simple experience of standing or window-looking will seem to grow in intensity, until your whole world begins whistling and rattling.

Don?t rush here. A boiling kettle is not a crisis. To make sure you?re not reacting, watch it exhale steam for a few seconds. Observe how the world stays together. Let your pulse return to normal, then take it off.

Pour your water into the cup. Set the kettle aside. Heat off.

Find something to put your teabag or infuser on once the tea is fully steeped. A saucer or a napkin. Take this, and your cup, to your chair.

Walking with a scalding liquid is an act that summons the necessary mindfulness on its own. Watch your hands like they?re a movie. They will know what to do. Let the rest of you disappear.

You?ll need a surface to set your tea down on, within arm?s reach of your chair. Put the cup down before you even think about sitting down.

Sitting is something we do absently most of the time, but it can be a very absorbing activity if you make a point of it.

Take your seat. Lower yourself, don?t drop yourself. Let your body sink into the chair until it reaches equilibrium.

Rest your bones. Let go of the tension in your legs and abdomen and shoulders. Feel the bones settle into their natural homes. Give your pant-legs each little tug if they feel stretched. Collar too.

Find a place for your hands. Rest them wherever they feel at home, if only for a few minutes while your tea steeps. If you have armrests, try them out but don?t assume an obligation to use them if they don?t feel right.

Take a big, unpretentious breath, and as you let it go watch the remaining tension go with it. You are looking for the feeling of sitting at the centre of the universe. You might as well be.

The tea will take a few more minutes. Good! Those minutes are a little present, just for you, only because you welcome them.

Use them to listen. Background sound is the sound of world around you breathing. Its presence in your experience is the dead giveaway that you?re in the moment. Let it come to you. When it does, sit in it like you?d sit in a hot tub.

Eventually you?ll notice a curl of steam or a whiff of Chai and discover that your tea is ready. When you are also ready, remove the spent tea, pick up your teacup and sip.

Give yourself as much time as you need. Really, give the time to yourself, as a present. The most important part is to agree that everything in your world, except for sitting with your drink, will be dealt with later. Your gift is a complete ? though short ? subjugation of the rest of your life. For fifteen minutes, make the rest of your world subordinate to this experience.

The thought may make a part of you nervous at first, deferring the remainder of whole universe, everything dear to you, until you finish your tea. Whatever normally fetters your psyche during the day ? career plans, family issues, budget constraints, ambitions for world peace or revolutionary art or a spotless house ? all of it can be picked up again and fretted about once your tea is finished, if you still think it?s worthwhile.

It shouldn?t need to be said, but whatever happens, leave your phone where it is ? even if it chimes or quivers while you sit. Let each chime or quiver be naked, devoid of urgency, confined to the room you are in, unattached to anyone else out there. It?s just a sound, it doesn?t mean anything else right now. If your friend ?Likes? your Thoreau quote, or Tim Ferriss retweets your link, you will learn this later, in a different moment. If the mind wanders, bring it back to your bones.

It?s important to note that this is not an uptight meditation ritual. You don?t need to concentrate, just put your attention on what you?re doing. If it wanders, bring it back. This is all physical, and there are no spiritual pretentions, no ancient wisdom, no asceticism or self-mortification. Nothing here is hard. You don?t have to keep your spine upright like a stack of coins. You don?t have to keep your shoulders back. You shouldn?t look constipated to an outside observer.

It?s actually an indulgence. That?s not to say, however, that you?re taking from yourself more than you?re giving. Most indulgences are pleasures borrowed from your health or sanity ? mindless entertainment, processed food, booze or needless shopping. But not in this case. You?re making your pleasure from the cleanest ingredients: leaves, water, and time.

***

Photo by Allaboutgeorge

Source: http://www.raptitude.com/2012/12/how-to-sit-in-a-chair-and-drink-tea/

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5 killed, at least 20 injured in Oregon bus crash

By NBC News

LA GRANDE, Ore. -- Nine people were killed and at least 20 others hospitalized on Sunday after a tour bus veered out of control on an icy stretch of freeway in eastern Oregon and rolled nearly 200 feet down an embankment, state police said.

State police reported that the driver apparently lost control of the charter bus around 10:30 a.m. on the snow- and ice-covered lanes of Interstate 84 and crashed through a guardrail before plunging down an embankment. The Oregonian newspaper reported that the bus ?tumbled nearly 200 feet before coming to a halt.


Oregon State Police Lt. Gregg Hastings told the newspaper that about 40 passengers were on the bus at the time of the crash, which occurred near milepost 227 on Interstate 84 near Deadman Pass, according to the East Oregonian?newspaper.?

Hastings told the East Oregonian that he learned the bus was returning to Las Vegas from British Columbia, Canada. ??

Rescue workers used ropes to help retrieve the injured from the scene. Westbound lanes of I-84 were closed.

The Oregonian said 18 passengers were transported to St. Anthony's Hospital in Pendleton, about 13 miles northwest of the crash scene. Hospital spokesman Larry Blanc would not say?if or how many passengers sustained life-threatening injuries, it said.

Three fixed-wing aircraft also were on standby at the Pendleton airport if needed to transport injured to hospitals elsewhere, state police said.

Authorities did not immediately identify the operator of the charter bus.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/30/16254077-9-killed-at-least-20-injured-when-charter-bus-plunges-off-icy-oregon-highway?lite

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Jamaica One of the Favorite Locations for India Weddings


The string of all-inclusive beach resorts in Jamaica have hosted a number of Indian-style weddings in the past year. At least four Indian weddings took place in the famed Montego Bay area, the playground of the rich and the famous, in November and a similar number of weddings are scheduled for the next few months.

Not too far from America's southeast coast, Jamaica is a most sought after wedding destination during the dreary winter months.

In December, Kerry and Sam Singh, the newly-elected Congressman from the Michigan state assembly took their wedding vows at a beach resort in the Montego Bay area. US-born Sam Singh is a former two-term mayor of East Lansing town. An avid traveller, he took 15 months off from his political and professional activities to travel around the world. It was natural for him to choose an exotic location for his wedding and guests from Michigan and India attended the beach wedding early in December.

Just a couple of weeks before the Singh wedding, some members of the small Indian community in MoBay, as Montego Bay is known locally, were contacted by a wedding planner with an urgent request. A wedding party had asked for an Indian drum for the wedding festivities. It was for a big wedding planned for mid-November for a couple of doctors from New Jersey with a guest list of over 300. Under the impression that it was a dholak that was required for a ladies sangeet function, the one used for the weekly satsang was shown to the wedding planner, who sent a picture to the groom's parents. But it turned out that the wedding party wanted a 'dhol' (big drum) for the groom's procession. Finally a local businessman offered to fly out a dhol player from Miami for the function.

Another wedding party from Michigan was better equipped when they reached Jamaica a couple of weeks later. They had hired Sachin Gupta, a DJ and dhol-player well known on the Indian festive circuit in the Detroit area, to handle the Indian music during the wedding festivities. The wedding took place over the Thanksgiving weekend (Nov 24-27), with Sachin Gupta's dhol-playing kicking up a storm in the island known for its calypso, reggae and rasta music.

All-inclusive holiday resorts that offer three meals, unlimited snacks, drinks and beverages and other facilities for a set cover charge suit American wedding groups and many of them have geared up to cater to the requirements of an Indian wedding. The luxurious beach resorts have learnt to offer special facilities to make the great Indian weddings a grand success.

While destination weddings normally involve about 20-50 guests, the numbers at Indian weddings can be anywhere from 100 to 300 baraatis - the groom's family and friends and the bride's family and friends.

Wedding planners at resort hotels have learnt to cater to a variety of requests, from supplying mehndi services and Indian chefs to Indian singers, often calling on the Indian community for help in sourcing the services.

Prominent businessman and former president of MoBay Indian Association Rajkumar Sablani explained that Mobay like the other Jamaican towns has a small but well-knit Indian community that is willing to help when required. Indians in Jamaica came from different parts of India and retain close ties with their families back home. The majority of them are engaged in trade and business activities. The community has grown to the size that "most of the necessities of Indians living in Jamaica are now available. Some years ago it was difficult to get whole-wheat flour (atta) and Indian foodstuff here. We had to import from Miami, but now most things are available locally," Sablani told IANS.

Source-IANS

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/allhealthnews/~3/Lf-54YC8b3Q/jamaica-one-of-the-favorite-locations-for-india-weddings-112193-1.htm

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Ranch Property For Sale in Crown Point IN

If you are preparing to acquire a Farm and Ranch in Crown Point IN, you should choose many crucial things prior to making the acquisition. Initially, you need to select the county in Crown Point IN where you wish to purchase a farm and ranch. Whether it will be Jasper, LaPorte, Lake, Porter or Newton ? it all depends on you. Decide on the county depending on the type of farm you wish to establish.

Setting up a Farm and Ranch in Crown Point IN is fairly a strenuous project particularly if you do not have any sort of previous experience or understanding associated with farm building. Prior to jumping on to this venture, it is essential to determine the type of farm and ranch you want to produce. Pet ranches, bird farm, dairy products and poultry farm, or a farm that produces vegetables and fruits? you have to choose the kind of farm prior to advancing on the following steps. Due to the fact that each type has its own requirements, thus the land of the farm must be chosen according to the kind you want to construct. When you have actually made that choice, it is time for you to move forward.

Discover an Experienced Real estate agent to obtain a Farm and Ranch in Crown Point IN

To develop a Farm and Ranch in Crown Point IN, you would require the solutions of a best Farm or Rural Land real estate broker. Usually, realtors have a much better understanding of city home and homes; there are few realtors whose skills lies in farming and rural areas. Contact an agent of that sort: the one who is educated about farms and rural real estate. Discuss your requirements and spending plan with your real estate agent so he can show you lands as per your needs. Ask him to reveal you at least eight or ten great locations so you have an assortment to choose from. Never settle on the first rural real estate you see. It is most effectively to keep your choices open as you could find a land best and much more inexpensive than the first one. Therefore, be extremely sensible in making that choice. You will certainly be investing a good-looking quantity of cash in the land so you have to be extremely sure before acquiring the farmland. Ask your real estate agent to show you currently constructed farms along with home for creating a farm from scratch. If you are able to locate an established farm at a reasonable rate, it will certainly be wiser to experience that package.

Assess the Area of Farm and Ranch in Crown Point IN

Whenever you are shown some property to create a ranch, assess it minutely and see that you understand every nitty-gritty of it. You should find out about all the agriculturalist?s markets near to that farm area. If your circulation channels and farmer?s market are found at a great distance from that location, it will certainly not be that convenient for you. Even if you are being offered a good cost for that Farm and Ranch in Crown Point IN, you will certainly not be saving much in the long run, as your fuel and transportation prices will certainly be too high. As a result, it is an advantage to have a ranch close to your providers and markets. This will certainly not just conserve your cash but also will certainly stop the waste of time.

Yet another important thing you need to evaluate is the land history where you want to create your ranch. Ask the vendor to offer every information of that location. Generally, vendors often hold off any sort of unfavorable info so it will be much better if you talk to some of the neighboring farms in that area. Learn about the type of land and any issue attached to it. Commonly rural lands have irrigation and flooding difficulties; or their soil is too saline for the crops to grow, or occasionally that land was used as a dumping site, or perhaps its water is contaminated. Besides this, some lands may have pests or unsafe pets roaming around. Examine the sort of the ground of that farm by using NRCS web soil studies. In addition, you need to see whether that farmland gets enough sunlight for you to grow vegetables and fruits.

Besides these information, you should inspect its infrastructure. Are there any sort of roadways linked to your farm? Is there a barn or will you have to build one? Are there any fencing or any type of farm devices and devices currently offered? You would absolutely avoid finalizing the Farm and Ranch in Crown Point IN that do not have the needs and for that, you need to stay vigilant.

Wrapping up the Procurement of Farm and Ranch in Crown Point IN

The farm acquiring procedure ultimately reaches the final stage when you have selected an area or a currently established ranch. Now you need to settle the agreement with the vendor and do all the paperwork. If you are getting the right of easement, undergo all the reports and easement papers thoroughly. You do not wish to wind up signing on a contract that does not prefer you; so be really heedful while taking care of the documentation concerns.

Involve an attorney or a professional realtor to help you with these affairs. In addition, if you are buying the farm area, then you need to be added cautious. Make sure that there is no provision that allows other people to enter your farm without your permission. Additionally, if you discover any sort of malfunctioning clause, talk to the vendor immediately. An essential thing is the tax connected with that farmland. Attempt to get a farm in unique tax zone? these zones pay less tax. If you want to mortgage the land or in case you are planning to obtain a loan, check with the farming banks. These banks are produced to aid farmers and have offers for them. ?The Agriculturalist?s Bank? is one such bank in Indiana. You can easily get in touch with it and get a proper loan so you can have your very own Farm and Ranch in Crown Point IN. It provides both individual and business financial solutions.

Source: http://find-your-perfect-home.com/ranchs/northwest-in/ranch-property-for-sale-in-crown-point-in/

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Wedding ceremony was 70 years in the making for Sanors

A Salem area couple celebrated a milestone wedding anniversary by renewing their vows at a ceremony 70 years in the making.

Donald and Ruth (Walpert) Sanor of Cider Mill Road on Nov. 11 renewed their vows for their 70th anniversary in front of 150 family members and guests at a marriage ceremony at Damascus Friends Church replete with wedding gown and "Wedding March." Father Robert Edwards of St. Paul's Catholic Church in Salem officiated the ceremony.

The wedding ceremony, held prior to a party planned by the couple's seven children, served as a dream come true for Ruth, who had harbored a wish for a big wedding since the marriage's humble inception 70 years ago.

Article Photos

Salem area residents Donald and Ruth Sanor, set to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary in January, renewed their vows in a marriage ceremony they missed out on in 1943. (Submitted photo)

Beginning

The Sanors, in dressy but simple attire, were married on Jan. 20, 1943, at a small ceremony at the St. Patrick's Catholic Church rectory in Leetonia in front of only two witnesses- Ruth's brother, Raymond Walpert, and sister, Helen Chaplow. A small gathering of family members celebrated with cake and ice cream following the ceremony.

The two had met approximately one year prior at a Washingtonville roller skating rink and had very little money for an extravagant celebration.

"It was shortly after the depression and everything was tight," Ruth said. "It was all we could afford...it was nice but it never seemed like a real wedding."

The marriage produced seven children, Donnette Huston, Ron (Nancy) Sanor, Tom (Jackie) Sanor and Larry (Dawn) Sanor, all of Salem, Luanne Sanor of Damascus, Patti (Mike) Cardone of Lakewood and Rita (Chuck) Blake of Cincinnati; 23 grandchildren; and 25 great-grandchildren.

Anniversary

As the Sanors' anniversary approached, their children began planning a simple celebration for family and friends. When told of the plans, Ruth revealed her dream of walking down the aisle in a wedding dress.

"No one knew until that moment that she had secretly longed for the 'beautiful wedding' that every bride dreams of and, of course, (that) after 70 years of marriage she knew it would remain a 'dream' forever," said Luanne Sanor. "She's a wonderful woman, wonderful mother, we just wanted to make her dream come true."

But it had long been bothering Ruth that she couldn't have the wedding she longed for in 1943. So when her daughters suggested the party, she immediately relayed her desire to them.

"It started as a little party, but I had been thinking about a large wedding with a gown and vows in a church," she said.

Having purchased her perfect wedding gown within a week of being told of the celebration, Ruth decided to keep the "wedding" a secret so she could surprise everyone at the party.

Adversity

The joyous occasion hit came to a halt a few weeks later when Huston became unexpectedly ill and was diagnosed with bacterial pneumococcal meningitis. She was life-flighted to Aultman Hospital in Canton in very critical condition and doctors gave very little hope of survival. The family started to prepare for the worst.

Within hours prayers were coming from all over the country, Luanne Sanor said, and little by little her condition started to improve. A few days later she was awake and talking, baffling the doctors who didn't think she would live. A week and a half later she was transferred to a rehabilitation center where she made tremendous progress daily.

"It was nothing short of a miracle," Luanne Sanor said.

Once Huston's condition began to improve, the family resumed preparations for the celebration not knowing if she would be able to attend the party for which she had helped plan.

Wedding day

On the day of the party, Don and Ruth hid away to wait for their "surprise" entrance, but were surprised themselves by the arrival of Huston, who had been given special permission by doctors to attend the party for a short time. The Sanors not only were about to have the wedding Ruth always wanted, but they were able to celebrate it with all their children in attendance.

As the "Wedding March" began, the bride and groom entered the room to the awe of family and friends, who greeted the happy couple with a standing ovation and cheerful applause.

"It was thrilling to make (her) dreams come true," Luanne Sanor said. "We all had tears in our eyes."

In the end, Ruth viewed the event as more than her children being thoughtful, loving and ambitious, though.

"So many families today break up and we're so close," she said. "That's what I'm most pleased with."

The couple

Don, 91, and Ruth, 89, have been lifelong Salem area residents. He is a retired dairy farmer and she was a housewife who raised the children and helped on the farm.

Don is a former Butler Township trustee, a 50-year member of the United Commercial Travelers and a Winona Ruritan. Ruth is a member of the Catholic Daughters of America. Both are 70-year members of the Willow Grove Grange and 50-year members of the Farm Bureau.

Source: http://www.salemnews.net/page/content.detail/id/561779.html

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