Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
And..
And now???? At El Cascajal
Last 2011 Plenary at Trilce
Monday, December 19, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Sugar Cookie Cutouts
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Christmas Tree Decorating Traditions
Monday, December 12, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Christmas Recycling - Make Earth Friendly Gift Wrap
Every year I have the same dilemma - what to wrap my Christmas presents in that is both environmentally-friendly AND attractive?
I hate seeing those piles of torn wrapping paper heaped under the tree after present-opening time. These papers were barely used and are now ready for the trash, and the landfill. One option is recycling them - but many of these speciality papers are hard to categorize, with metallic dyes added. Are they actually recyclable? And would you want them in your compost bin if they are toxic? What to do?
Here are some options I've tried and their mixed results:
- Buy wrapping paper made specifically from recycled content. You can feel better buying it, and can probably recycle or compost it when you are done. Buying wrapping papers from charity groups involved in saving rainforests will salve your conscience and is a nice gesture.
- Pick up inexpensive rolls of leftover wrapping paper from Goodwill or the Salvation Army. When I stopped by Goodwill today, I saw bins full of 1/2 and 1/4 rolls for less than a dollar each.
- Save used wrapping paper this Christmas and reuse it all next year. I did this through-out my twenties. Now I don't really care to store used paper all year, but it worked fine for me at the time. The downside: your gifts don't look very pristine all wrapped up, sitting under the tree, with the professionally-wrapped stuff from everyone else. My parents understood my recycling convictions, but still, my gifts looked 'cheaper' than the others. If you can get your whole family to save and reuse together, this option should work for you. Make sure everyone opens their gifts carefully - no frantic ripping allowed!
- Make your own gift wrap from butcher paper, reused brown paper bags, newspaper and the funny pages. These can look GREAT! Try some raffia twine bows with the butcher paper and brown bags, for a pleasant, simple, rustic look. Or get the family together to create your own designs drawn on the butcher paper - use crayons, markers or mixed media. Make a stencil from a potato for the brown paper bags. You don't need bows, and these hand-made offerings are like another gift all by themselves. Best of all, the paper, bags, and newsprint can all be recycled or composted.
- Buy a bundle of pretty gift bags from your local dollar store, and reuse them each year. Tie the handles together with some ribbon so gift-getters have something to "unwrap". These bags come in all designs and look very nice under the tree. They are also a boon for wrapping odd-shaped gifts.
Here is another option for reusable gift bags: Read my Reusable Bag Product Review. - Along the same lines, you can pick up a bunch of used but pretty baskets from your local Goodwill or thrift store. Put the gifts in the baskets and presto! Nothing to chuck. Everyone can use a basket or two in their lives.
- Make lovely, reusable gift sacks from cloth material you have lying around. Fold material in half and sew up one bottom and the other side. Leave the top open, insert gift, and tie shut with a ribbon. These sacks can be as simple or extravagant as your talents/interest allows.
- Give gift certificates this year. Place the certificates in a nice envelope, clip with hole puncher, add a bit of ribbon and dangle from the tree. The nice thing about this: there's virtually no wrapping to deal with (recycle or reuse that envelope), and the recipient gets a gift they will actually enjoy, since they get to pick it out. ;)
- You can also make your own paper, using recycled materials of course!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
ENGLISH EXERCISES
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Q1 - I'm not used to ____ up this early.
get
getting
Q2 - I used to ____ a lot.
read
reading
Q3 - You'll have to get used to ____ on the right when you live there.
drive
driving
Q4 - I didn't use to ____ it, but I do now.
like
liking
Q5 - I found it hard to get used to ____ in such a hot country.
live
living
Q6 - Where did you use to ____ when you visited?
stay
staying
Q7 - It took me a while to get used to ____ the language.
speak
speaking
Q8 - I used to ____ hard when I was a student.
work
working
That was the night before Jesus That was the night before Jesus came, when all through the house, not a creature was praying, not one in the house; The Bibles were lain on the shelf without care In hopes that JESUS would not come there; |
The children were dressing to crawl into bed, Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head. And Mom in her rocker with baby on lap Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap. When out of the East there arose such a clatter, I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash! |
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here, With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY! The light of His face made me cover my head It was Jesus! returning just like He had said. And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth, I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself. |
In the book of Life which He held in His hand Was written the name of every saved man. He spoke not a word as He searched for my name; When He said "it's not here" my head hung in shame. The people whose names had been written with love He gathered to take to His Father above. |
With those who were ready He rose without a sound While all the rest were left standing around. I fell to my knees, but it was too late; I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate. I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight; Oh, if only I had been ready tonight. In the words of this poem the meaning is clear; The coming of Jesus is drawing near. There's only one life and when comes the last call We'll find that the Bible was true after all. |
"It is not for you to know the times or the season, which the Father path put in his power". Acts 1:7 Jesus is the Reason for the Season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! |
THANKSGIVINGDAY
Thanksgiving Day in United States
Quick Facts
Thanksgiving Day in the United States is traditionally a holiday to give thanks for the food collected at the end of the harvest season.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thanksgiving Day 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Thanksgiving Day in the United States is a holiday on the fourth Thursday of November. It precedes Black Friday.
What do people do?
Thanksgiving Day is traditionally day for families and friends to get together for a special meal. The meal often includes a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin pie, and vegetables. Thanksgiving Day is a time for many people to give thanks for what they have.
Thanksgiving Day parades are held in some cities and towns on or around Thanksgiving Day. Some parades or festivities also mark the opening of the Christmas shopping season. Some people have a four-day weekend so it is a popular time for trips and to visit family and friends.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Women's activists have marked November 25 as a day to fight violence against women since 1981. On December 17, 1999, the United Nations General Assembly designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Resolution 54/134). The UN invited governments, international organizations and NGOs to organize activities designated to raise public awareness of the problem on this day as an international observance. Women around the world are subject to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence, and the scale and true nature of the issue is often hidden.
This date came from the brutal assassination in 1960 of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic, on orders of Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo (1930–1961).