All Saints, Barrow, Suffolk

I recently revisited Barrow after half a dozen years. I wrote the following after two visits in quick succession in 2002 and 2003. I'm going to do a new entry for the Suffolk Churches site, and so this one will be necessarily retired. I offer it to you for the last time now.

Barrow: A Fantasy in Two Parts

Part I: The League of Gentlemen

It was late summer, 2002: I had never been to Barrow before. I had not expected it to be so big. It seemed a very pleasant place, a proper village, with a mix of old and new housing. It had a couple of shops, a decent pub, one of those funny little Baptist chapels, a village green, several ponds right beside the busy road - I have not seen so many squashed ducks before, which was mildly diverting.

But no church, apparently. I didn't have my OS map with me, so I asked a man who was tending his garden by the crossroads. "Well now", he said, standing upright slowly and scratching his head, "there's a church over Denham way, about a mile up the road over there. Or there's the chapel, if that's the one you want." I thanked him, and picked my way through the squashed ducks, thinking it curious that someone in a Suffolk village should not know where their village church was. Perhaps he was a Londoner, working on his holiday home. A sign outside the Baptist chapel said Strict Communion, which brought to mind a Minister in leather holding a whip. Just beyond it, a group of boys were fishing for tiddlers in the pond, so I asked them where All Saints was. Unfortunately, this resulted in an argument; one said that it was further up the high street, another claimed vigorously that there were no churches around here, and I left hurriedly, before one of them pushed the other in the water.

It took the nice Asian lady in the village shop to put me right, and she sold me a fine pie into the bargain. I followed her directions up the road towards Cavenham, passing the Hall, and, a great curiosity, half a Volkswagen sitting on the verge. It was the front half. I mused on it for a moment, wondering if this was St Edmundsbury Borough Council's idea of public installation art, or if someone was working on it, or if there had been a particularly nasty but very clean accident. I could now see the church tower in the distance, and hurried on, only to find about a hundred yards further down the road another half of a Volkswagen. And, get this, it was another front half. Not sure if this strengthened the case for installation art or accidents, it was with some relief that I reached All Saints, at a very tight bend in the road (ah, that explains the Volkswagens!).

The graveyard here is huge, and pretty well full of three centuries of gravestones. It must be a fascinating place to potter about. I did a quick circumnavigation of the church, which has obviously been given a thorough going over by the Victorians. It was hard to tell what was medieval and what was renewed, although it is all done well, and looking fine.

The door was locked. To be honest, I hadn't expected this; I had spent the day meandering around the area between Bury and Newmarket, and this was the first locked church I'd found all day. There was a sign giving keyholders' details, but it was pretty useless, being of the Thatched Cottage, Barrow, variety. It gave telephone numbers, but it didn't give the area code. I come across this again and again in porches - anyone phoning a keyholder from a church is, by definition, going to be using a mobile phone. You can't call a number from a mobile phone without an area code, but these notices rarely, if ever, give the code. I had no idea what the area code for Barrow was, and none of the other notices in the porch seemed prepared to reveal it.

Miserably, I wandered around to the north side, and found a modern building that might just have been the Rectory. There wasn't a sign saying so, but it had all the hallmarks of clerical occupancy - two small cars, an untidy front garden, jam jars in the porch, a view of bookshelves and a computer through the window. A television was playing, very loudly. I pressed on the doorbell, and waited. And waited. I pressed again, but nobody came. I wandered slowly back to the road, still expecting the door to open, and someone in a dog-collar to greet me.

But they didn't. I stood on the verge, wondering what to do next. An old lady cycled along the road towards me. She had two baskets, front and back. Small, noisy dogs sat in both. She smiled at me, a big beaming smile - 'Hello dear!', she called. As she passed me, and headed on up the road towards Cavenham, she waved, and I swear she took both hands off of the handlebars. She must have been about seventy.

I had a sudden panic that I had somehow stumbled on to the set of an episode of The League of Gentlemen. I got on my bike, and headed in the opposite direction as fast as I could, until Barrow was several miles behind me. Obviously, I'm never going back.

Part II: Very Graham Norton

I went back to Barrow in the early summer of 2003. I went to the aid of a distressed clergyman. His name was Father Peter MacLeod-Miller. He had been horrified to discover that I thought there was something rotten in the state of Barrow. I must come again, and I must come now. Well, trivialities conspired against me shooting straight over (a full-time job, a family, the lassitude that accompanies mid-life crisis, general fear of the unknown, etc) but within a few weeks I rolled up outside All Saints again. It was 9am on a Saturday morning, but already energetic parishioners were out and about giving the graveyard its first cut of the year after the late Spring flowers had seeded.

My eyes were on the glory of the church door - it was open. As we walked up to it, we were approached quickly in turn by Father Peter MacLeod-Miller himself. I flinched, but he didn't punch me. Instead, he shook our hands energetically, and turned out to be really, really pleasant. This was a plus point for Barrow - a jolly minister. Some are, and some aren't; you tend to remember the ones who aren't. But Father Peter MacLeod-Miller is something else you don't find every day in a Church of England minister - he is energetic. And even rarer than that, he's Australian. This struck me as a very affable combination.

He led us into the church, and proudly showed us around. I can tell you that Barrow church is very nice inside. It is obviously much loved, and well-cared for. I expect you think I'm going to say that it is completely normal, not odd at all, not the least bit Royston Veasyish. Well, you are wrong. There are several ways in which it is most unusual.

Firstly, there's the smell. Not damp, not wood polish, not even flowers, but the smell of incense. Incense is simply not something you find in rural Anglican churches in Suffolk. Outside of the four big towns, there is probably only Mendlesham where you encounter it. Mind you, they use enough at Mendlesham to make up for the rest.

No; in my experience, rural Suffolk protestants are allergic to incense. If you want to empty your church pretty swiftly, use it. Father Peter MacLeod-Miller has started burning it here, and at Risby and Great Saxham. And here's the thing - the congregations are actually growing. There is obviously something unusual and special going on here. And I think I know what it is. I'll tell you in a moment.

Another thing odd about Barrow is that there are still people in the parish important enough to have seats reserved for them. I loved that. There's Lady this, and Sir that, but there's also a health food millionaire who hands out samples of Emu oil after services.

Anything else odd? There's a most unusual tryptich on the altar in the south aisle. It shows St Michael contending with a dragon. The style is - how can I put this? - a prog-rock album from the mid-1970s. I was surprised to learn that it is rather more recent than this.

I suppose you want to know what else is in the church. Well, there's the font with its painted shields ; you can see something similar a few miles away at Horringer. Here, the shields show both ecclesiastical and secular powers, ranging from the Diocese of Ely to the State of France. It was repainted in the 1960s, according to Mortlock. The odd one out is to the local Despencer family.

In a lancet in the north wall are two curious shapes of medieval painted figures. Obviously, they were exposed by the Victorians, and the white plaster had been regularly renewed up to their outline. Unfortunately, the exposed figures have now faded completely; only their ghosts in the plaster show us where they once were.

Up in the chancel, there is a lively painted memorial to Clement Heigham, a rather more sober one to his wife who predeceased him, and one from a century earlier in the sanctuary to one of his forebears. There are some brasses, some of which are replicas of ones now in the British Museum.

The benches are mostly modern, except for a couple of very rustic ones in the south aisle and some bench ends up in the chancel. Father Peter MacLeod-Miller wants to clear the modern ones and replace them with chairs, so that he can have processions. I am sure they will prove very popular.

Barrow was the parish where the last wolf in England was killed. How do I know this? Father Peter MacLeod-Miller told me so.

So, what is the magic ingredient that is causing this parish to thrive against all apparent odds? I think it is Father Peter MacLeod-Miller himself. He strides energetically about his church, waving his arms. His long flowing hair is tied back with a large black ribbon. His flamboyance reminds me very much of the actor Graham Norton. I don't dare tell him so, of course.

Let's finish with something else unusual. Father Peter MacLeod-Miller is lucky enough to have a sibling at the Royal Opera House. Because of this, he has a number of stars on tap for fund-raising events. A recent musical evening at the Rectory, Opera to Broadway, included the percussionist Evelyn Glennie. But, because the Rectory isn't very big, they hold the events out of doors, and he keeps his piano on the lawn.

I doubt very much that anyone at Diocesan House reads my site (other than the lawyers, of course) but a memo to them just in case they do; I think you've found a winning formula. Let's have a Father Peter MacLeod-Miller in every moribund rural Anglican parish!

2011 postscript: Since I originally wrote this in 2003, Father Peter MacLeod-Miller has moved on to pastures new. Barrow church still seems to be very well-kept and much-loved, and this time I found it open.

First pullip. Expect lots of Alice pictures! She quickly became one if my favorite dolls, and one of my favorite dolls to photograph. I got her from PullipStyle.com with a dent box, as I didn't care for the box, only Alice and her accessories, and I was planning to take her out of packaging from the start so I saved a couple of dollars there(even though it took me 5 minutes to find such dent that I hardly think of it as one. Such a non-problem being taken into consideration by the retailer really shows the high quality of service from PullipStyle).

Over-all review of Alice: She's mine hands off! Kidding aside lovely, and looks a lot like the drawings of Alice in Through The Looking-Glass, with a bit of pimped up attributes here and there making her a one of a kind variation. The wig has a good scent to it, so it won't get a foul odor on the clothing and accessories. It has no bald spots and you can't see the seams of the wig unless you push the hair over. It is a nice thin(dimensions matter!), polyester I believe, hair, with quite minute frizzing. Almost none, but making the hair look more natural. Her curls are not stiff, and incredibly soft. The company(Groove) used a very very high quality spray, that can't be noticed practically at all when touching the hair, to help keep the curls in their designated design. The curls are easily fixed with only moist fingers. Great doll, but very delicate. I've never been more careful with a doll than Alice.

My nephew's partner agreed to model for a themed maternity session. She got some lovely portraits and I got to play with some ideas...a win/win.

My goal was to portray expecting mothers as feminine, earthy and naturally beautiful.

Natural light and one off camera flash in a small umbrella.

CC welcome.

Found at a popular Jerusalem book shop in one of the malls.

Panasonic FZ35, HDR from a single image.

Papplewick 1940's Event 2024.

Nearly 1,000 Students to Participate in WSSU Commencement on May 15

WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- Christina Wareâs story is one of the many inspiring testimonials of the nearly 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students from near and afar who are expected to participate in Winston-Salem State Universityâs commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15, at 9:45 a.m., at Bowman Gray Stadium, 1250 South Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.

Academy Award-winning recording artist, activist and actor Common will be the keynote speaker. There are no guest limits or ticket requirements for the ceremony.

It is conceivable that Wareâs story of work ethic, undeniable spirit and enthusiasm encapsulates the sentiment of her graduating 2015 classmates.

Ware, 43, of Winston-Salem, is quite active on and off campus as a mentor to other students, a member of the non-traditional student organization, the first president of Epsilon Chapter 130 of Tau Sigma National Honor Society at WSSU, a wife and proud mother of two. She is also legally blind. She wants to blaze trails, set examples and raise the bar for others with disabilities.

âIn 2007, I lost my eyesight. After a six-month pity party, I decided to continue my education and make a difference for others. Since 2008, I have spent every day of my life proving to society that having a disability does not mean we are weak. I am now an advocate for persons with disabilities,â Ware, a business major, said, "We are not handicapped, we are handy capable!"

Ware, who can be described as always pleasant and having an unlimited enthusiasm for life, says every day alive is like Christmas. She demands to be treated like everyone else and has been noted to say, âI may physically fall, but mentally I can get back up and pull a 4.0 semester.â After graduation she wants to start a Kosher/Halal foods business and become active on community boards.

The China Connection

From the City of Harbin, the capital and largest city of the Heilongjiang province of the People's Republic of China, WSSU Master of Arts in the Teaching of English as a Second Language and Applied Linguistics students Yaowen Xing and Chunling Zhang have found a second home at WSSU and in Winston-Salem. They perhaps have come the farthest distance attend the university.

With a population of more than five million people, Harbin is situated in the northeast region of China so close to Russia that only the Songhua River separates the two countries. Nicknamed the Ice City, the average winter temperature is -3.5 °F with annual lows hitting -31.0 °F. Itâs no wonder the students say the warmer weather here in the Piedmont Triad has not been lost in translation with them and itâs one of the things they enjoy.

âWe really love the weather in North Carolina, especially the long summer time, since our hometown is so cold with snow for almost 6 months of the year,â Xing, 30, noted. âWe also love the people at WSSU and the faculty who all are nice and it has been a really good experience.â

Xing and Zhang, 35, are in America as part of a Chinese education immersion program to help exchange the cultures between China and America. They enjoy working as cultural ambassadors to students in both the cultures. The two came to the U.S. in 2013 and have been teaching at Konnoak Elementary school during the early hours and studying and researching later in the day. âComing to America was a dream for me after learning about it through books, movies and music, and my time here it has been amazing,â Xing said.

Zhang, said she didnât know much about WSSU or Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUâs), but after a short time here she knew WSSU would be was special part of life. âI have met many African- Americans who have been friendly and helpful. I now can say I truly have many black friends,â Zhang said. She and Xing have taken advantage of the HBCU experience. They have been often seen attending evening lectures and presentations, sports events, musical and visual arts events. With their WSSU master degrees they will return to China one day in the future to make an impact on teaching and the quality of education there.

The All-In Approach

Olivia N. Sedwick, 21, a political science major from Indianapolis, has taken âthe all-in approach" to her WSSU experience. The current WSSU student government president (SGA), honorâs student and champion athlete, chose WSSU over other schools she could have attended.

Featured in a USA Today article highlighting the HBCU experience released last June, Sedwick is quoted as saying about WSSU, âI fell in love with the school.â She says, âWe talked about things that I had never had the chance to before coming from a predominantly white high school.â

Liking the intellectual and social environment, she was comfortable becoming involved around campus. In her first year, a walk-on athlete for the womenâs track and field team, she was a 2013 CIAA Indoor Womenâs Track and Field All-Conference competitor and the WSSU womenâs shot put record holder until earlier this year, although she never competed in the throws until coming to college. In her second year she served as the sophomore class vice president while also being appointed to serve on many committees throughout the university. In that same year, she was a delegate to the UNC Association of Student Governments (UNCASG), representing WSSU students on a state-wide level. At the end of that year, she became the first African-American female elected senior vice president of UNCASG and served in that capacity for the entirety of her third year while being active as the chief of staff for the WSSU student government association that year also. Toward the end of her term in UNCASG, she decided to run for student body president and has served as the voice of the students for the duration of her last year. With all of her activities, she has maintained a 3.95 GPA throughout her time in college.

Sedwick has been selected as a UNC General Administration Presidential Intern, which begins in July. Upon completion of the prestigious one-year appointment, Sedwick plans to attend Howard University School of Law.

A Drum Major who will March for a Noble Cause

Willie Davis, 22, a social work major from Fayetteville, N.C., who has led WSSUâs Red Sea of Sound Marching Band as a drum major for his senior year, will now march to lead the charge for helping veterans and their families cope with typical and unique challenges of serving in military. Davis will be one of four Cadets with the distinct honor of being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant U.S. in the U.S. Army during this yearâs commencement ceremony. Despite that professionally Davis will help vets, military and families with things like dealing with emotions, he said, âI donât think I will be ready for the commissioning part (of commencement) emotionally.â

Readiness for Davis is an understatement. The youngest of three siblings, who was age 10 when his father died, Davis has been an A average student throughout life. He was in the top ten of his high school class and the first generation in his family to attend college. At WSSU, besides maintaining high academic achievement and serving in the U.S. Army ROTC, Davis has been active with the WSSU Band, the University Choir, a Campus Ambassador, a mentor to freshmen students, vice president of the WSSU chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, a Veterans Helping Veterans Heal intern and a member of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem.

After graduation, Davis is going to graduate school at the University of South Carolina. He plans to complete that program in one year and begin his military duties. As a clinical social worker, his responsibilities may range from clinical counseling, crisis intervention, disaster relief, critical event debriefing, teaching and training, supervision, research, administration, consultation and policy development in various military settings. He wants to specialize in helping military veterans who suffer from different traumas such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), paranoid schizophrenia and other conditions.

Source: Alfa_Romeo_Giulia-US-car-sales-statistics

Warm welcome or cold shoulder is a new series here on CarSalesBase.com, where we discuss the sales performance of new models in their first year or so on the market. How have they performed in terms of sales: above or under expectations? What could be the reasons for their success or failure? And what do we expect for their future – will it improve or get worse?

First we tackle the Alfa Romeo Giulia, simply because it’s one of the most talked-about launches in recent years and by far the most popular car here on CSB in terms of pageviews. As always, feel free to join the discussion by commenting below or answering the poll at the bottom.

Let’s start with the US, the most difficult market for the Giulia: there have been some articles and comments across the web suggesting the Giulia is a sales failure in the US, pointing out Alfa has only sold 7.900 of them in the first eleven months of this year. Of course, that figure looks a bit bleak when compared to established models like the Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series, which sold almost 30.500 and 54.000 units during that same period. Then again, these brands and models have been around for decades which has given them great brand recognition, a faithful share of repeat buyers and not to forget a much larger dealer network (300 and 341 compared to 184). Alfa Romeo, on the other hand, has not been present in North America for nearly two decades and the few who still remember the brand mostly remember its reputation for poor quality. The US is a mature market and the midsized premium sedan segment is fiercely competitive as even an established brand like Cadillac has had trouble carving out a piece of that pie with the ATS, arguably one of the best cars it has made in a decade. So for a brand that has returned to the market after decades of non-presence, selling an average of 900 luxury sedans a month after its initial launch period is not all that bad.

A better comparison for the Giulia would be the Jaguar XE, another premium mid-sized sedan from a lower-volume luxury brand that was launched a few years ago without a direct predecessor. What’s more, Jaguar has 163 about dealers in the US, more in line with Alfa Romeo’s figure. Jaguar sold about 8.000 copies of the XE in the US in the first 10 months of 2017, not much more than the Giulia has sold, but I haven’t heard a single voice or read a single article claiming the XE is a failure. And keep in mind the Giulia was only launched in the first quarter of this year so its deliveries didn’t pick up traction until the second quarter. From May onwards the Giulia has consistently outsold its British rival. Also, the Alfa has been hampered by some software glitches that not only delayed deliveries but also didn’t do much good to its still very fragile image, proving those critics right that have continued the image of unreliable Italian cars. Not a great way to relaunch a brand and gain confidence from buyers looking to spend upwards of $40,000 on a new car. I think the major reason for the image of “failure” is that the goals set by FCA itself had been set unrealistically high and when the sales figures did not live up to those high expectations, it was easy to call it a failure. If only the company had been a bit more humble (or even just realistic) in their projections, the Giulia would not be considered a mishap. Perhaps the MotorTrend “Car of the Year” award can help put the Giulia on the shopping lists of more Americans, even though I personally take all these different COTY awards with more than a pinch of salt and so should everybody else.

Europe, the story is a bit different. Italian cars are traditionally known for being very dependent on their home market, with for example 80% of Fiat Panda and 64% of Alfa Romeo Giulietta coming from Italy. By comparison, just 38,5% of the Giulia‘s 19.201 European sales in the first 9 months of 2017 came from Italy, in line with the percentage of German sales for the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class and much lower than the 55% of European Jaguar XE sales coming from the UK. This suggests the Giulia’s appeal is better spread across the continent. The Giulia was behind the German 3 in fourth place of its segment when ruling out coupe/convertible models like the BMW 4-Series and Audi A5 and the Volvo V60 station wagon. It outsold the Jaguar XE and sold almost 4 times as many as the Volvo S60 and Lexus IS, the only other sedan-only alternatives that sell in significant numbers in Europe, where 42% of sales in this segment are station wagons and just 32% are sedans (the rest are hatchbacks like the DS5, 3-Series GT and 4-Series Gran Coupe, or coupe and convertible models). That means the Giulia only effectively competes with less than a third of its segment, resulting in an 11% market share of the premium midsized sedan segment. Not bad for an Italian newcomer in a segment traditionally dominated by the Germans and which is heavily dependent on fleet and lease orders. Those buyers often focus more on total cost of ownership than on purchase price which means resale values play a major factor, something in which the Germans are traditionally strong while the Giulia has no proven track record in that aspect.

So should Alfa Romeo still consider making a Giulia station wagon, as it had for its predecessors 156 and 159? I don’t think it should, as the potential volume for that version, which would really only sell in Europe, is about 30.000 units a year. That’s not enough for a company already struggling for cash, which it could put to better use by developing a replacement to the Giulietta or a crossover below the Stelvio, especially when considering some of the SW sales probably would cannibalize on those of the sedan. Considering the premium midsized sedan segment as a whole is losing share to crossovers like the Volvo XC60, Mercedes-Benz GLC and Audi Q5, the Giulia was facing an uphill battle from the beginning, while the Stelvio is supposed to be the real money (and volume) maker. But in order to (re-)establish the Alfa Romeo brand as a sporty alternative to the Germans and a full-blown luxury brand, the Giulia was needed to give the brand credibility by proving it could compete with them in their traditional stronghold: that of midsized sports sedans in which the BMW 3-Series is still the king of the hill. That’s also why it has focused so much attention on the low-volume, top-of-the-line Quadrifoglio version with 510hp, as that version was able to beat the M3 and rivals on paper as well as on the road. The widespread critical acclaim from press and punters put the Giulia and Alfa Romeo back on the map in Europe and I wouldn’t call it a sales failure at all, even if it hasn’t met the overly ambitious goals set by Sergio Marchionne.

Kriss’ second opinion

I am in two minds about the Giulia’s sales performance. On one hand Bart is absolutely right – if you look at the numbers the right way Giulia’s sales figures looks pretty good for (a) a sedan (b) from a brand that needs to reestablish itself (c) in a crowded market (d) that’s losing volume to crossovers. And if you view the Giulia as a car whose main goal was to put Alfa Romeo back on the map than I would say it has actually been successful – while the sales are so-so, it is viewed as a car that can go head-to-head with the segment’s leaders, unlike for example the compromised Jaguar XE and Cadillac ATS.

On the other hand, however, there is no denying that Alfa Romeo needs to start selling cars now that it has all but killed off the Mito and Giulietta, and in this respect the Giulia is not the success that the brand needs. As such, the acid test will come with the performance of the Stelvio SUV, a car entering a growing segment where established brand values count for less than in the traditional segments. If the Stelvio can generate volume (and profits) for the brand than this will serve as foundation for future growth. So far FCA, and Sergio Marchionne, seem to be determined to drive the brand to succeed. However, as we have seen with Audi’s, Lexus’ and Infiniti’s decades-long journeys, success in the premium segments takes a long time, and even then it is not guaranteed. The Giulia, however, remains one hell of a start for Alfa Romeo.

A hiker investigates the miniature ice people found in a cave along the Irvine River

Well, hardly the Holy Trinity of Muscle Cars, because I expect there are lots more than these three in TT, but these are the most talked-about in our little group.

Top to bottom: Fuego Tyranno T-RX, Thunderhead Roadbeast TRV Supercell, and Harrier Harpoon G/S. The T-RX came out as a little non-muscle, but the overall idea I'm happy with. The Roadbeast became kind of '80s, but I'm okay with that. The Harpy is pretty close to how I want it. As usual these are just interpretations and the first two do not represent the real models (by Tommy N and SHARPSPEED, respectively), at least not without their permission.

Yes, the Roadbeast is large.

Expect more from this little lady soon from a new shoot!

Model - Rosie Razor

Styling & Wardrobe - Rosie Razor

Photography & Post Processing - Myself

Women's March NYC Uptown

A pesar de que la mayoría de las monarquías europeas

están pasando por su peor momento, la familia real

británica tiene gran aceptación de los ciudadanos.

Asus altezas

reales

el duque y

la duquesa

de Cambridge

les complace anunciar

que la duquesa de Cambridge

espera su segundo

hijo”, reza el comunicado

sobre la pareja, cuyo primer

hijo, el príncipe George, bisnieto

de la reina Isabel,

cumplió un año en julio.

La Casa Real informó

que Kate está siendo tratada

en el palacio de Kensington

de hiperémesis gravídica,

una complicación del

embarazo que provoca

fuertes náuseas y vómitos,

como le ocurrió con su primer

hijo, y que, por lo tanto,

no acompañaría al duque de

Cambridge en su compromiso

en Oxford”.

Kate tenía previsto realizar

a finales de septiembre

su primer viaje oficial en solitario,

a Malta.

“Muchas felicidades al

duque y la duquesa de Cambridge.

Estoy encantado

con la feliz noticia de que

esperan otro hijo”, reaccionó

el primer ministro David

Cameron.

Aunque las monarquías

europeas están en peligro

de extinción debido al poco

apoyo ciudadano, sobre todo

la española, que cada vez

más es catalogada como obsoleta

y un gasto innecesario

en tiempo de crisis económica,

la realeza británica

continúa siendo una de las

más sólidas.

El apoyo de los británicos

al reinado de Isabel II

viene de lejos, por la actitud

de su padre, el rey Jorge VI,

durante la II Guerra Mundial,

durante la que decidió

quedarse en Londres durante

los bombardeos alemanes.

Ella alcanzó niveles

récord de popularidad coincidiendo

con el 60 aniversario

de su reinado. El 69% de

los ciudadanos creen que

Reino Unido iría peor sin la

monarquía.

En el lado positivo de la

balanza se ha añadido también

el matrimonio de su

nieto William con Kate, una

plebeya que ha conectado

Lo más y lo menos

Jennifer Aniston demuestra que los 45 son

los nuevos 25, al confirmarse que gracias a

una fertilización “in vitro” se convertirá

en madre. ¿Boda? Para nada, aunque sigue

comprometida con Justin Theroux, de 43.

La actriz francesa

Brigitte Bardot pidió

que, por su 80 cumpleaños,

el Gobierno

le conceda dos de

sus principales demandas

ecologistas.

George Clooney

anunció que se casará

en Venecia en

dos semanas con su

novia, la abogada de

origen libanés Amal

Alamuddin.

Britney Spears reveló que había terminado

con su novio David Lucado porque le había

sido infiel, aunque nunca dijo con quién.

TMZ publicó que se trata de Cali Lee, una

actriz porno con la que Lucado jugueteaba.

La actriz colombiana

Vicky Hernández,

de 70 años, dice

que se encuentra

sin trabajo, enferma

y que su muerte está

próxima.

La muerte de la cantante

Simone Battle,

de la banda femenina

G.R.L., fue un

suicidio por ahorcamiento,

informó el

forense.

Claves

24% de los británicos tenían una

mejor imagen de la familia real,

después del nacimiento del

príncipe George, y el 50%

consideró que él mejoraba la

imagen de la familia real.

49 millones al año reciben en gastos

de peluquería, limpieza,

rehabilitación de palacios, etc.

con el pueblo.

El nacimiento del primer

hijo de la pareja, el 22 de julio

de 2013, creó una gran

expectativa.

Fue presentado al mundo

frente a la maternidad St.

Mary de Londres ante las cámaras

de unos 200 periodistas.

Esta primera imagen del

que está llamado a convertirse

un día en rey de Inglaterra

recorrió el mundo e inundó

las redes sociales con 18,000

tweets por minuto.

Como ocurrió con su hermano

mayor, se presume

que la llegada del próximo

miembro de la familia real

tendrá un efecto beneficioso

en la imagen de la monarquía,

ya restablecida de la

travesía del desierto que supusieron

el divorcio y la

muerte en 1997 en un accidente

de tráfico de la princesa

Diana, su abuela.

This 52 thing is harder than I expected. I'm kind of a perfectionist and want every photo to be better than the last but alas, I'm finding its not quite working out that way. Not that this is a terrible shot, it does have Sammy in it, but it's not quite what I was hoping for halfway into this thing. On the positive side, it does a good job of showing a bit of his character and his love of his tennis balls. :)

M62 Gildersome 22/05/2019

Never expected to see this here. You can hardly call it "natural" (as in natural=glacier)

All ready for the new arrival. Except for the second coat of paint in the nureser, th crib, the glider, the changing table, the stroller, the car seat… but we have the stuffed animals taken care of.

© Becka Lynn Photography | Do Not Copy

Promise Fulfilled, Accomplishment Achieved at WSSU Commencement on May 14

WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- For Jeanette Valentine, earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration will be fulfilling on many levels.

Valentine, 50, is one of the approximately 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students who are expected to participate in WSSU’s Spring Commencement exercises on May 14 at 9:45 a.m. in the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Stephen A. Smith, noted journalist, media personality and motivational speaker, will be the keynote speaker.

Commencement will mark a special satisfaction not just because Valentine, a travel audit officer in WSSU’s accounting department, will be graduating with her 24-year-old son William R. Valentine. It’s because of a long-time promise fulfilled. Valentine made the promise to her mother back in 1978. Her mother and father never graduated from high school. When Valentine’s mother, who was battling cancer, asked her to promise she would graduate college, Valentine did. Valentine’s mother died two weeks before she graduated high school. Valentine was devastated over losing her mother.

“I started school at WSSU that year, but it lasted only one semester. I didn’t have the drive. I was still too distressed and overcome by my mother’s death. I couldn’t focus on school,” Valentine said.

Instead, Valentine got married, had two children and eventually went to work at a few jobs before coming to work at WSSU in 2006. In 2007, she decided to return to school since her children were adults. At the same time, her son who graduated high school in 2004 was thinking about returning to college after quitting previously. By fall 2007, both with full-time jobs returned to school at WSSU. He was an exercise science major and she was in the School of Business and Economics.

“He was so career focused on his job and he was doing well. But I kept pushing him and telling him he had to get a degree. I was thrilled he came back to school and that we were in school at the same time. It was exciting,” said Valentine.

Eventually Valentine saw her son was distracted by work. They talked and it was he who asked they agree to push each other so they could graduate at the same time.

That time is now. Valentine is thrilled they are graduating together. She says it feels like she has kept the promise made to her mother times two.

“In addition to the accomplishment, it may be quite an emotional day,” Valentine said.

Valentine is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society for collegiate schools of business as well as Alpha Sigma Lambda, a national honor society for Adult Learners in Continuing Higher Education. She plans to pursue her master’s degree at Liberty University.

Extraordinary Journey

It will be a festive ending to an extraordinary journey for Jerrica Scott, 24, of Winston-Salem. For Scott, commencement will symbolize the end of a passage marked by limitations, fear and uncertainty. It will be a celebration of a personal renaissance, driven by a theme that anything is possible with faith, passion and purpose.

“No matter how bad things may look, you can make a difference in your own life and the lives of others if you work really hard and know things can change. Soon things may look different, then not so bad, better, even good.”

Scott’s journey is verification of her belief. She entered WSSU to earn a four-year bachelor’s degree in elementary education six years ago as a single teen-aged mom. During that time as a full-time student, living on her own with her young daughter, she worked full-time, changed majors multiple times, quit school, got married, had another child, returned to school, made up a semester of credits lost when she quit and found her way back to the major that gave her the purpose.

“Just before I started my freshman year, I could hear people saying now that I had a baby as a teenager, my life was over or I wouldn’t get very far,” noted Scott. “Because I got pregnant in high school and had a baby in my first year of college, it didn’t mean I would be a failure. I did not want to be the stereotype of a young single mom who would work only at fast food restaurants or be on welfare the rest of her life.”

Although Scott was determined, she became distracted during her second year.

“I was failing classes miserably. I was living on my own and I was 18 years old. I felt lost and beaten, so I quit school,” Scott said who worked as a waitress. “Then one day, my manager told me the biggest thing he regretted was not finishing school. So if you don’t want to be waiting tables for the rest of your life, you need to go back to school. “

That was the turning point for Scott. She also thought about her mother, a cosmetologist, who always stressed the importance of education and often expressed interest in wanting her children to be greater than she. Scott soon quit her job and returned to school. Her best friend and others helped her find her way back to the major that aligned with where her talents and passions had always been -- elementary education.

“My best friend told me this is what I suppose to be doing. She told me we are going over there right now and you are going to get enrolled back into school. I just thank her,” said Scott.

Then she met a good man who cared about her and her daughter. It was like an unattainable dream. They soon married. Her second daughter was born in 2010. Now in school and completely focused on her education, Scott delivered the baby on a Friday and returned class on Monday.

Scott is currently working as a substitute teacher and searching for a fulltime permanent teaching job. She is also going to be the “first in my family to graduate college.”

Multiple Job Offers Early in Her Senior Year

Information technology major Kristen Dunlap, 21, of Charlotte, has accomplished a standout achievement, even before she completed her last year of college. In this challenging economy, she had two job offers from Fortune 500 companies one before her senior year, the other early in her senior year. She selected one position which she will begin this summer.

Dunlap attributes her success to internships, which she began participating in back in her freshman year. That first one was a summer research experience for undergraduate WSSU computer science students at WSSU, funded by NASA. She used, GIS visualization tools to visualize North Carolina weather patterns. The goal of the summer program was to expose students to researching skills and help to develop their problem solving and critical thinking skills.

For her second year, Dunlap interned at the NASA Langley, Va., facility where she worked as a liaison between the technology and client teams for the database tracking system used to manage NASA’s contractual projects.

For summer 2010, she was an intern at Altria Client Services in Richmond ,Va., where she worked on data archiving to consolidate previous and current information to migrate to a new system.

“You can never underestimate the value of internships. I started utilizing the WSSU Career Services office in my second year. My parents always told me to be aggressive at seeking job opportunities. I didn’t want to be a person to work hard for four years and have no job in the end,” Dunlap said.

She will start her new job at Altria Client Services as an IT assistant analyst.

The Entertainment Mogul

Erikka Rainey, 22, of Philadelphia wants to be a female Sean “P-Diddy” Combs. In fact, she has wanted to be an entertainment mogul from a very young age. As a child, she dabbled in music and even took classes, but by age 14, she knew wholeheartedly that she wanted to be on the business side of the music industry.

“When I first learned about P-Diddy, I knew that was where I wanted my future to be,” said Rainey. “I look up to P- Diddy because I’m working to be the first female to start a record label, then restaurants, clothing lines and television shows.”

When she sees a famous entertainer, she wonders what sort of things they did in their career to get famous. If not famous, she wonders what it would take to make them famous. While at WSSU she jumped at every opportunity to market and promote musical artists and events. She worked with Hidden Beach Recordings to promote events for a new CD. She passed out flyers and did social media and internet marketing for jazz artist Monette Sudler of Philadelphia this past summer.

“If there’s one thing I live by, it’s take advantage of all opportunities. Don’t close yourself off to anything. You never know what you will learn that can be the key to your future,” Rainey said.

An honor student, Rainey will be attending New York University’s (NYU) music business program in the fall. She plans to maintain at least one home in New York City after graduate school when her career kicks off.

This is a photograph from the 4th annual running of the Donadea 50K Ultramarathon which was held in Donadea Forest, Staplestown, Co. Kildare, Ireland at 10:00 on February 15th 2014. The race was also an International Association of Ultrarunners Bronze Label Event and the Athletics Association of Ireland (AAI) National 50KM Championships. Over 160 participants took part in the event.

Don't forget to scroll down to see more information about the race and these photographs!

Timing, results, and event management was provided by RedTagTiming - results available at www.redtagtiming.com/

There is a full set of photographs available on our Flickr set at www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157640976638143/

The event took place on a 5KM loop of Donadea Forest Park (read more below). The recent stormy and very wet conditions in Ireland made way for perfect running weather for the race. There was a slight breeze here and there on the route but for the most part the route was very sheltered. With so much running traffic on the course certain parts of the course became more muddy as time went on. However, this bother the participants who were expecting conditions to be much more difficult.

Congratulations to Anthony Lee of Donadea Running Club and Donadea Running Club for putting countless hours of voluntary effort into the staging of this event. The event has all the hallmarks of a professional event. There was a superb atmosphere around the loop as locals and other runners supported the runners.

Donadea Forest Park is situated in rural north Kildare and is approximately 640 acres in size. The amenities at the forest include good walking trails, a diversity of natural habitats, a walled stream, a large natural lake, and the ruins of Donadea castle. The Park is a designated National Heritage Area. The basic designation for wildlife is the Natural Heritage Area (NHA). This is an area considered important for the habitats present or which holds species of plants and animals whose habitat needs protection. It is a special event to allow the 50KM to be held in this environment.

Some useful links to other web-resources related to this race

Race Sponsors

www.grassrootsfitness.ie/wordpress/

www.facebook.com/oneillssportswear

www.scienceinsport.ie/

www.sportsmassageireland.net/

Photographs from previous years

picasaweb.google.com/113689917114749812630/Donadea50km?au...

James Shelley www.flickr.com/photos/jhshelley/sets/72157632784408428/

Greg Byrne: www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.423631201048548&ty... (Facebook logon required)

Our pictures from the 1st Donadea 50KM 2011 (www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157626144568382/with...)

Paul Daly's photographs from the 2nd Donadea 50KM 2012 (www.flickr.com/photos/58190594@N02/sets/72157629390998687...)

Our pictures from the 3rd Donadea 50KM 2013 (www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157632772080791/)

You are likely to find some great photographs of Donadea Ultra 2014 here on Flickr [http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhshelley/sets/] courtesy of James Shelley (Le Cheile AC)

Statistics, general information, results, etc

Deutsche Ultramarathon Vereingung e.V. statistik.d-u-v.org/

2013 results www.redtagtiming.com/results/Donadea50km_2013.pdf

2012 results www.redtagtiming.com/results/Donadea50km_2012.pdf

Boards.ie Thread www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056180196&p...

International Association of Ultrarunners Bronze Label Event www.iau-ultramarathon.org/

Donadea 50km facebook page (www.facebook.com/groups/102353996509605/?fref=ts) You might need to have a Facebook account to see this.

Boards.ie Athletics Thread Discussion on this race: www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056180196&p...

The Garmin Route Trace of the Donadea 50KM Main Loop connect.garmin.com/activity/118322861

Donadea Forest Park information on the Coilte Website: www.coillte.ie/index.php?id=242

We use Creative Commons Licensing for these photographs

We use the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License for all our photographs here in this photograph set. What does this mean in reality?

The explaination is very simple.

Attribution- anyone using our photographs gives us an appropriate credit for it. This ensures that people aren't taking our photographs and passing them off as their own.

ShareAlike – anyone can use these photographs, and make changes if they like, or incorporate them into a bigger project, but they must make those changes available back to the community under the same terms.

Creative Commons aims to encourage creative sharing. See some examples of Creative Commons photographs on Flickr: www.flickr.com/creativecommons/

Can I use these photographs directly from Flickr on my social media account(s)?

Yes - of course you can! Flickr provides several ways to share this and other photographs in this Flickr set. You can share to: email, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, LiveJournal, and Wordpress and Blogger blog sites. Your mobile, tablet, or desktop device will also offer you several different options for sharing this photo page on your social media outlets.

We take these photographs as a hobby and as a contribution to the running community in Ireland. Our only "cost" is our request that if you are using these images: (1) on social media sites such as Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, Twitter,LinkedIn, Google+, etc or (2) other websites, blogs, web multimedia, commercial/promotional material that you must provide a link back to our Flickr page to attribute us.

This also extends the use of these images for Facebook profile pictures. In these cases please make a separate wall or blog post with a link to our Flickr page. If you do not know how this should be done for Facebook or other social media please email us and we will be happy to help suggest how to link to us.

How can I get full resolution, print-quality, copies of these photographs?

If you just need these photographs for online usage then they can be used directly once you respect their Creative Commons license and provide a link back to our Flickr set if you use them. For offline usage and printing all of the photographs posted here on this Flickr set are available free, at no cost, at full image resolution.

Please email petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com with the links to the photographs you would like to obtain a full resolution copy of. We also ask race organisers, media, etc to ask for permission before use of our images for flyers, posters, etc. We reserve the right to refuse a request.

In summary please remember when requesting photographs from us - If you are using the photographs online all we ask is for you to provide a link back to our Flickr set or Flickr pages. You will find the link above clearly outlined in the description text which accompanies this photograph. Taking these photographs and preparing them for online posting does take a significant effort and time. We are not posting photographs to Flickr for commercial reasons. If you really like what we do please spread the link around your social media, send us an email, leave a comment beside the photographs, send us a Flickr email, etc. If you are using the photographs in newspapers or magazines we ask that you mention where the original photograph came from.

I would like to contribute something for your photograph(s)?

Many people offer payment for our photographs. As stated above we do not charge for these photographs. We take these photographs as our contribution to the running community in Ireland. If you feel that the photograph(s) you request are good enough that you would consider paying for their purchase from other photographic providers or in other circumstances we would suggest that you can provide a donation to any of the great charities in Ireland who do work for Cancer Care or Cancer Research in Ireland.

I ran in the race - but my photograph doesn't appear here in your Flickr set! What gives?

As mentioned above we take these photographs as a hobby and as a voluntary contribution to the running community in Ireland. Very often we have actually ran in the same race and then switched to photographer mode after we finished the race. Consequently, we feel that we have no obligations to capture a photograph of every participant in the race. However, we do try our very best to capture as many participants as possible. But this is sometimes not possible for a variety of reasons:

     ►You were hidden behind another participant as you passed our camera

     ►Weather or lighting conditions meant that we had some photographs with blurry content which we did not upload to our Flickr set

     ►There were too many people - some races attract thousands of participants and as amateur photographs we cannot hope to capture photographs of everyone

     ►We simply missed you - sorry about that - we did our best!

You can email us petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com to enquire if we have a photograph of you which didn't make the final Flickr selection for the race. But we cannot promise that there will be photograph there. As alternatives we advise you to contact the race organisers to enquire if there were (1) other photographs taking photographs at the race event or if (2) there were professional commercial sports photographers taking photographs which might have some photographs of you available for purchase. You might find some links for further information above.

Don't like your photograph here?

That's OK! We understand!

If, for any reason, you are not happy or comfortable with your picture appearing here in this photoset on Flickr then please email us at petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com and we will remove it as soon as possible. We give careful consideration to each photograph before uploading.

I want to tell people about these great photographs!

Great! Thank you! The best link to spread the word around is probably http://www.flickr.com/peterm7/sets

Nearly 1,000 Students to Participate in WSSU Commencement on May 15

WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- Christina Wareâs story is one of the many inspiring testimonials of the nearly 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students from near and afar who are expected to participate in Winston-Salem State Universityâs commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15, at 9:45 a.m., at Bowman Gray Stadium, 1250 South Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.

Academy Award-winning recording artist, activist and actor Common will be the keynote speaker. There are no guest limits or ticket requirements for the ceremony.

It is conceivable that Wareâs story of work ethic, undeniable spirit and enthusiasm encapsulates the sentiment of her graduating 2015 classmates.

Ware, 43, of Winston-Salem, is quite active on and off campus as a mentor to other students, a member of the non-traditional student organization, the first president of Epsilon Chapter 130 of Tau Sigma National Honor Society at WSSU, a wife and proud mother of two. She is also legally blind. She wants to blaze trails, set examples and raise the bar for others with disabilities.

âIn 2007, I lost my eyesight. After a six-month pity party, I decided to continue my education and make a difference for others. Since 2008, I have spent every day of my life proving to society that having a disability does not mean we are weak. I am now an advocate for persons with disabilities,â Ware, a business major, said, "We are not handicapped, we are handy capable!"

Ware, who can be described as always pleasant and having an unlimited enthusiasm for life, says every day alive is like Christmas. She demands to be treated like everyone else and has been noted to say, âI may physically fall, but mentally I can get back up and pull a 4.0 semester.â After graduation she wants to start a Kosher/Halal foods business and become active on community boards.

The China Connection

From the City of Harbin, the capital and largest city of the Heilongjiang province of the People's Republic of China, WSSU Master of Arts in the Teaching of English as a Second Language and Applied Linguistics students Yaowen Xing and Chunling Zhang have found a second home at WSSU and in Winston-Salem. They perhaps have come the farthest distance attend the university.

With a population of more than five million people, Harbin is situated in the northeast region of China so close to Russia that only the Songhua River separates the two countries. Nicknamed the Ice City, the average winter temperature is -3.5 °F with annual lows hitting -31.0 °F. Itâs no wonder the students say the warmer weather here in the Piedmont Triad has not been lost in translation with them and itâs one of the things they enjoy.

âWe really love the weather in North Carolina, especially the long summer time, since our hometown is so cold with snow for almost 6 months of the year,â Xing, 30, noted. âWe also love the people at WSSU and the faculty who all are nice and it has been a really good experience.â

Xing and Zhang, 35, are in America as part of a Chinese education immersion program to help exchange the cultures between China and America. They enjoy working as cultural ambassadors to students in both the cultures. The two came to the U.S. in 2013 and have been teaching at Konnoak Elementary school during the early hours and studying and researching later in the day. âComing to America was a dream for me after learning about it through books, movies and music, and my time here it has been amazing,â Xing said.

Zhang, said she didnât know much about WSSU or Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUâs), but after a short time here she knew WSSU would be was special part of life. âI have met many African- Americans who have been friendly and helpful. I now can say I truly have many black friends,â Zhang said. She and Xing have taken advantage of the HBCU experience. They have been often seen attending evening lectures and presentations, sports events, musical and visual arts events. With their WSSU master degrees they will return to China one day in the future to make an impact on teaching and the quality of education there.

The All-In Approach

Olivia N. Sedwick, 21, a political science major from Indianapolis, has taken âthe all-in approach" to her WSSU experience. The current WSSU student government president (SGA), honorâs student and champion athlete, chose WSSU over other schools she could have attended.

Featured in a USA Today article highlighting the HBCU experience released last June, Sedwick is quoted as saying about WSSU, âI fell in love with the school.â She says, âWe talked about things that I had never had the chance to before coming from a predominantly white high school.â

Liking the intellectual and social environment, she was comfortable becoming involved around campus. In her first year, a walk-on athlete for the womenâs track and field team, she was a 2013 CIAA Indoor Womenâs Track and Field All-Conference competitor and the WSSU womenâs shot put record holder until earlier this year, although she never competed in the throws until coming to college. In her second year she served as the sophomore class vice president while also being appointed to serve on many committees throughout the university. In that same year, she was a delegate to the UNC Association of Student Governments (UNCASG), representing WSSU students on a state-wide level. At the end of that year, she became the first African-American female elected senior vice president of UNCASG and served in that capacity for the entirety of her third year while being active as the chief of staff for the WSSU student government association that year also. Toward the end of her term in UNCASG, she decided to run for student body president and has served as the voice of the students for the duration of her last year. With all of her activities, she has maintained a 3.95 GPA throughout her time in college.

Sedwick has been selected as a UNC General Administration Presidential Intern, which begins in July. Upon completion of the prestigious one-year appointment, Sedwick plans to attend Howard University School of Law.

A Drum Major who will March for a Noble Cause

Willie Davis, 22, a social work major from Fayetteville, N.C., who has led WSSUâs Red Sea of Sound Marching Band as a drum major for his senior year, will now march to lead the charge for helping veterans and their families cope with typical and unique challenges of serving in military. Davis will be one of four Cadets with the distinct honor of being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant U.S. in the U.S. Army during this yearâs commencement ceremony. Despite that professionally Davis will help vets, military and families with things like dealing with emotions, he said, âI donât think I will be ready for the commissioning part (of commencement) emotionally.â

Readiness for Davis is an understatement. The youngest of three siblings, who was age 10 when his father died, Davis has been an A average student throughout life. He was in the top ten of his high school class and the first generation in his family to attend college. At WSSU, besides maintaining high academic achievement and serving in the U.S. Army ROTC, Davis has been active with the WSSU Band, the University Choir, a Campus Ambassador, a mentor to freshmen students, vice president of the WSSU chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, a Veterans Helping Veterans Heal intern and a member of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem.

After graduation, Davis is going to graduate school at the University of South Carolina. He plans to complete that program in one year and begin his military duties. As a clinical social worker, his responsibilities may range from clinical counseling, crisis intervention, disaster relief, critical event debriefing, teaching and training, supervision, research, administration, consultation and policy development in various military settings. He wants to specialize in helping military veterans who suffer from different traumas such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), paranoid schizophrenia and other conditions.

Berlin, Germany - February 15 --- during the 2019 League of Legends European Championship Series Week 4 at the LEC Studio on February 15, 2020 in Berlin Germany (Photo by Michal Konkol/Riot Games)

Actually, I didn't expect to work as a DJ at Cafe Blau after the Corona period. Times are still a bit difficult so shortly after Corona. So the BLAU wasn't packed, but there were enough BLAU fans to create a good atmosphere. As always, there were many requests for records from the radio hit program, so I couldn't always say no. Satisfaction is a Stones song that I normally never play, it's too worn out for me. But when young girls come and ask for it, I can't say no (see video 1). The second video features the Cafe Blau anthem "Teenage Kicks" with the UNDERTONES. A super song. In the morning at 3/4 4 (4 AM) I played some nice slow songs by the UK folk group PRELUDE who had a super hit in the US with the Neil Young song "After The Goldrush" sung in A Cappella by Irene Hume. Let's see how often I can still make music as DJ Affendaddy at the BLAU, my next birthday is the 77th - I hope I'm still there! -----------------------------------------Eigentlich hatte ich nicht mehr damit gerechnet nach der Corona-Zeit im Cafe Blau als DJ zum Einsatz zu kommen. Die Zeiten sind, so kurz nach Corona, noch etwas schwierig. So war das BLAU zwar nicht gerammelt voll aber es waren genügend Blau Fans da um gute Stimmung aufkommen zu lassen. Es gab wie immer viele Plattenwünsche aus dem Radio-Hit Programm, da konnte ich ja nicht immer nein sagen. Satisfaction ist ein Song der Stones den ich normal nie spiele, er ist mir zu ausgeleiert. Aber wenn junge Mädels kommen und ihn sich wünschen kann ich ja nicht nein sagen (see Video 1). Beim zweiten Video hört man die Cafe Blau Hymne "Teenage Kicks" mit den Undertones. Ein Supersong. Morgens um 3/4 4 (4 AM) spielte ich dann ein paar schöne Slow-Songs der UK Folk Gruppe PRELUDE die einen Superhit in den USA hatten mit dem Neil Young Song "After The Goldrush" , A Capella gesungen von Irene Hume. Mal sehen wie oft ich noch als DJ Affendaddy im Blau Musik machen kann, mein nächster Geburtstag ist der 77. - da hoffe ich , dass ich noch dabei bin!

As expected its been run over it wasn't too bad though so it must of been a fresh fall off i left this one although i removed it from the road

20+ weeks and counting!

The festival celebrates the finest in both gardening and food. Visitors can expect stunning show gardens and nursery displays alongside a bounty of food producers, shopping and top tips from garden experts and celebrity chefs.

Set against the picturesque Malvern Hills, show gardens are always a number one destination, with five designers being awarded with RHS Gold Medals in 2016.

The Floral Marquee is bursting with examples of the finest nurseries in the UK and abroad, with many old favourites and new varieties on sale.

The foodie hotspot, Festival Food and Drink Pavilion, is a lively market of food producers offering a variety of artisan produce. At the heart is a Kitchen Theatre where celebrity guests and local producers showcase their skills and produce.

Other festival favourites include the School Gardens, Get Going Get Growing pavilion and Family Day (Sunday).

RHS Malvern Spring Festival is a joint partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society and Three Counties Agricultural Society.

An entirely new vision brings RHS Malvern Spring Festival into full bloom for 2017, taking inspiration from the event’s Spa town heritage. The landmark four-day spectacle, taking place from Thursday 11 – Sunday 14 May at the Three Counties Showground, welcomes all new features and exhibits and a vibrant line up of the finest in gardening, food and lifestyle.

Jane Furze, Head of RHS Malvern Spring Festival, said: “We are so excited to share the glorious plans that are afoot for RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017. It really is going to be a sensational year for our leading event with plenty for everyone. Whether you’re a newcomer to gardening, a veteran horticulturalist or simply looking for a family day out, RHS Malvern Spring Festival has it all. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our stunning showcase of spring in May.”

The new vision for RHS Malvern Spring Festival takes inspiration from Malvern Spa’s Victorian heyday as a fashionable health resort – a place where day-trippers descended to take advantage of the clean air and to enjoy the health giving waters amongst the romantic beauty of the hills and into a town of pleasure gardens, assembly rooms and numerous eating-places.

Promising a bountiful day out for everyone, visitors can expect:

NEW FOR 2017

FLORAL MARQUEE

RHS Malvern Spring Festival boasts the UK’s longest Floral Marquee at over 195 metres – the equivalent length of four Olympic swimming pools. The Floral Marquee welcomes more than 65 leading UK and international nurseries, setting the horticultural standards with impressive displays of prized blooms and new varieties. Exhibitors in the Floral Marquee represent the very best in plants and advice available. Here visitors can browse and buy from the very best.

JOE SWIFT’S PLANT HUNTER PARLOUR

BBC Gardeners’ World presenter and acclaimed garden expert, Joe Swift brings to life a new centerpiece of the Floral Marquee – Joe’s Plant Hunter Parlour. This immersive experience like no other features daily talks from award winning nurseries and welcomes budding gardeners big and small to discover, learn and indulge their inner plant hunter.

LIVE WELL

Newly introduced for the very first time, this dedicated zone interprets and explores the theme of health and wellbeing in the 21st century.

JEKKA MCVICAR’S HEALTH & WELLBEING GARDEN

The centrepiece of the Live Well zone, British Queen of Herbs, Jekka McVicar designs and builds a specially commissioned permanent garden, bringing to life the role gardens continue to play in our health and sense of wellbeing. Jekka’s garden is a living working space for mind, body and senses.

The garden is both a tranquil seating space where visitors can spend time amongst the aromatic herb beds, and a place to learn and explore what living well meant in yesteryear and what it means today. Visitors are invited to join daily ‘herbal conversations’ with Jekka herself and explore the awe-inspiring world of alternative therapies. The garden is in support of Pathways, a day service for adults with learning disabilities and difficulties.

GROW

A horticultural experience by Jon Wheatley, RHS Gold Medal winning gardener and Chairman of RHS South West in Bloom, Grow takes inspiration from interactive Country gardens and wildflower borders, showcasing a variety of edible beds and bountiful Grow To Show competitions.

SPA GARDENS

A brand new category introduced for the very first time to RHS Malvern Spring Festival, offering a unique platform for emerging gardening talent. Glorious gardens from up and coming designers bring to life the new vision and reflect the thirst for knowledge, new horizons and innovative technology at the heart of Malvern’s Victorian heritage. Gold Medal winning Chelsea garden designer, Jo Thompson is mentoring the new talent as they embark on this exciting new challenge. The Spa Gardens category also features one garden from an international designer supported by the esteemed Moscow Flower Show. This is part of a newly introduced exchange programme, which in return offers one selected British Spa Garden designer the once in a lifetime chance to showcase at Moscow Flower Show in July.

INDOOR SHOPPING ARCADES

A premium quality shopping experience, it is here that visitors can pick up unique pieces in fashion, furniture, homewares, horticulture, gifts and more from independent designers, craftsmen, artisans and artists.

PLANT ARCADES

An exciting open-air shopping experience with over 35 nurseries, each showcasing a wonderful array of plants. Plant steals aplenty can be found here, especially during the famous sell-off on Sunday.

MAKING A WELCOME RETURN

FESTIVAL GREEN

The heart of RHS Malvern Spring Festival featuring a colourful array of pleasure gardens, a bandstand of live music, an impressive collection of classic cars, an array of global flavours from the International Street Food Market, and plenty of places to picnic. It is here visitors rediscover the Victorian love of amusement, surprise and delight, alongside enjoying unique show gardens unlike any other.

FESTIVAL THEATRE

Hosted by RHS Malvern Spring Festival favourite and award winning writer and broadcaster, James Alexander-Sinclair, the Festival Theatre plays host to a lively line up of leading experts and familiar faces. Visitors may take a seat and enjoy demonstrations, talks and exciting features as personalities share their knowledge and passion for all things gardening and food. Confirmed experts include Carol Klein, Joe Swift, Jekka McVicar and Jon Wheatley with plenty more to be announced soon.

SHOW GARDENS

The highest standard of garden design is showcased in the Show Gardens of RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017. Leading designers create awe-inspiring gardens as they compete for prestigious RHS accolades including Gold medals and the coveted Best In Show. RHS Malvern Spring Festival is famed as the show that raises the bar for design and horticultural talent with numerous RHS Gold medals awarded in 2016. This year is tipped to be no exception.

FOOD & DRINK PAVILION

A foodie hotspot, the Food & Drink Pavilion is a magnificent celebration of British tastes with bountiful offerings from the country’s best-loved artisan producers. Expect the freshest field produce, big cheeses, bread of heaven, specialty gins, decadent bakes and more.

KITCHEN GARDEN THEATRE

This animated live kitchen, hosted by Mark Diacono, showcases a line up of delicious cookery demonstrations from culinary experts and the country’s top chefs. Mark shares advice from his home farm cookery school, Otter Farm and experience as head gardener at River Cottage.

YOUNG GARDENER

A hive of activity tailored to inspire the next generation of gardeners and horticulturalists with fun hands-on activities to help children learn and explore the wonderful world of plants and gardens.

FAMILY DAY

Budding gardeners great and small are invited to get green fingered with a dedicated Family Day on the Sunday of RHS Malvern Spring Festival. This exciting and educational day with plenty of hands on activities is the ideal opportunity to engage children in the fun of gardening and the great outdoors. Expect Kids Cookery demonstrations, make and take crafts, Kids Plant and Grow workshops with BBC Blue Peter Gardener, Chris Collins and more.

SCHOOL GARDENS

RHS Malvern Spring Festival is one of the only RHS Shows in the UK to have a collection of Show Gardens designed and built entirely by young people. This year sees over 12 schools and educational groups from across the three counties taking part, led by BBC Blue Peter Gardener, Chris Collins.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017 will take place from Thursday 11 May until Sunday 14 May. For more information, please call 01684 584900 or visit

British Queen of Herbs, Jekka McVicar will unveil the first ever specially commissioned permanent garden at RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017. A magnificent centrepiece of the celebrated event’s all-new Live Well zone, Jekka’s garden will bring to life the contribution horticulture continues to make to our health and wellbeing in today’s bustling modern world. The Health & Wellbeing Garden will be launched when the show opens its gates on Thursday 11 May at the Three Counties Showground.#

RHS Ambassador for Health through Horticulture, Jekka McVicar said: “I am delighted to have been asked to create a lasting garden for RHS Malvern Spring Festival. I want the Health & Wellbeing Garden to be a usable and beautiful space that is embraced by people of all ages – a space for growth, education and reflection. With the Malvern Hills as a dramatic backdrop, RHS Malvern Spring Festival is such a beautiful place and because it’s at the start of the summer, it’s always a time of such optimism. It is a real privilege to bring this garden to life as part of such a dynamic and exciting show.”

Jekka’s Health & Wellbeing garden, as the focus for the new Live Well Zone, is inspired by the increasing need for reflection and escape from the stresses of modern life. It also seeks to preserve and share the vital knowledge of how horticulture and its associated therapies can help the mind, body and soul. The garden will be a living, working space with a tranquil seating area, where visitors can immerse themselves amongst the aromatic herb beds, and also educate themselves on the place that herbs and horticulture play in today’s society.

Head of RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Jane Furze said: “It is a real pleasure to be working with Jekka to build a garden not only for this year’s event, but also for the future. Jekka’s designs look spectacular and we cannot wait to see these brought to life and shared with our many visitors. The Health & Wellbeing Garden will no doubt be a real highlight of RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017 and for many years to come.”

Throughout the 4-days of RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Jekka will host daily ‘herb conversations’ in the garden, unearthing hidden gems from the world of alternative therapies, food and gardening. Jekka will also provide insights into herbs as the foundation of modern medicine, seeking to preserve the knowledge that over time is danger of being lost.

The Health & Wellbeing Garden is in support of Pathways, a work-focused day service for adults with learning disabilities and difficulties. Pathways use gardening and the environment as an educational tool to introduce young adults to the working world. Clients of Pathways benefit from gaining vital skills for entering the working world, these include trust, communication, interaction with peers, taking direction and responsibility for themselves and others.

Leaving a legacy, Jekka’s garden will provide Pathways with a nurturing space to continue their works in encouraging clients to grow. Throughout the show times, Pathways will sell plants and refreshments from the garden. Funds raised from these sales go towards covering the costs of the residential trip taken twice each year for clients of Pathways, a vital retreat for clients that contributes to their sense of wellbeing. Outside of show days, Pathways and local schools will host sessions in the garden. The garden aims to inspire visitors of all ages and abilities with engaging elements tailored for all.

Jekka’s design will incorporate the unique and flexible WoodBlocX system, specially selected to provide permanent raised bed structures to house the garden’s vast selection of herbs and edibles. The centrepiece of the garden contains four large planted sections featuring smooth curves constructed from the unique WoodBlocX system. WoodBlocX use sustainable, long-lasting, organic and FSC accredited wooden bricks, which can be used to create any shape such as the naturally fluid curves seen in Jekka’s elegant design.

Considered an unmatched expert by the UK’s top chefs and horticulturalists, Jekka McVicar is an enterprising British herb grower, organic gardening expert, author and broadcaster. Jekka’s Herb Farm, in nearby South Gloucestershire, boasts the largest collection of culinary herbs in the UK with more than 500 different varieties.

Alongside her RHS Ambassadorship for Health through Horticulture, Jekka’s accolades include 62 RHS Gold Medals, Garden Media Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and the RHS Lawrence Medal for the best exhibit shown at any RHS show in 2009. Jekka is also a Vice President of the RHS, Vice President of the Herb Society, is a founder member of the RHS Herb advisory group, and a member of the RHS Three Counties Agricultural Society Joint Committee. Jekka has herself exhibited at RHS Malvern Spring Festival since 1993 and has been a vital contributor to the team at Three Counties for over a decade.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017 will take place from Thursday 11 May until Sunday 14 May. Tickets are now on sale. For more information and to book tickets, please call

Stylo Bic

As expected... 85mm on a m4/3 body is supper cropped~!!! But love the colors that the lens renders...

Although it's not meant close ups... with closest distance 1m, this lens can take close ups since it's magnifying capabilities... :)

2017 World Championship Group Stage at Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium in Wuhan, Hubei, China on 13 October 2017.

2014 Burt Munro Challenge (Invercargill) November (Wyndham Street Races Sunday 30th November 2014 10am)

Triumph Trident T160 Pros:

Performance: 120mph. Tridents have a great race history.

Looks: Stylish design still turns heads. Expect admiration.

Cornering: Excellent. Expect a close asphalt shave.

Handling: Very good. Positive front. Good weight spread.

Sound: These engines howl and inspire confidence.

Clutch: A little heavy, but strong and smooth.

Comfort: Good. But expect high-speed vibes/tingle.

Spares: Very good. Almost everything is available.

Tuning: Big bore kits/exhaust/brake mods, etc, available.

Acceleration: Rapid. Think hot rod.

Value for money: Very good. More bang for your buck.

Starting: Easy on the thumb, a little harder on the foot.

Pillion: High speed travelling shortens the journey.

Luggage: All you can carry. The Trident pulls like a train.

Electric starter: These work well.

Experts: Plenty of people around who speak Trident.

Triumph Trident T160 Cons:

Airbox: Ugly plastic design built to silence induction noise.

Braking: Marginal at high speed. Upgrades needed.

Engine rebuilds: Expensive. 50-percent more than T140s.

Fuel economy: Hopeless. Expect 35-40mpg, or less.

Electrics: Average. But lighting needs upgrade for speed.

Weight: These are heavy bikes at around 460lbs.

Bulk: Not really for the very little guys/girls.

Carburettors: Three to balance/optimise. Tedious chore.

Throttle: Three carbs. Three springs. Work it out. Heavyyyyy.

Maintenance: Trickier than most classic British twins.

Emissions: Annular discharge silencers strangle bhp.

Ignition: Forget points. Three are a pain. Fit electronic.

Threads: Tridents have lots of castings. Expect to helicoil.

Overshadowed: Specifically the Rocket Three and Hurricane.

(Source: www.sumpmagazine.com/triumph-trident/triumph-trident-t160...)

I wasn't expecting much from this film, but it is actually brilliant. The clear base makes scanning easy too. Getting it on the reels is a bit tricky since it has the feel of litho ortho.

Devleoped in Sprint Systems for 20 min @ 20 degrees following the time for D-76.

Shot on a FED-2 with the 50mm 3.5 collapsible.

I was expecting to get more photos of these dinosaur featured characters, however they were fast and hard to take photos of. I collected a small set of photos of these scaly friends to share.

Click her to view other photos I took in Curacao Dutch Antilles

Click here to see the top 10 photos you and other flickr members find the most interesting Your Most Interesting Photos

Click here to see top 10 pictures you and other Flickr members viewed the most out of the over 2000 photos that I have posted on Flickr click Your Most Viewed Photos.

Click here to see photos featured on Explore

Most of these photos, for the exception of the Willemstad photos, were take at or around the Santa Barbara Beach and Golf resort. For more information on this resort go to www.santabarbararesortcuracao.com/ . This is one fo the top five islands in Caribbean it is especially popular for snorkelers and divers because it boasts of 100m of visibility in their emerald blue waters. It is 25 miles from the coast of Venezuala and one of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) The landscape is beautiful but rugged full of thick brush and cactus. The temperature (in November) was close to 90 degrees F each day I was there. The capital city, Willemstad, is rich with history with fort walls and cannons protecting its coastline. The buildings are colorful and rich with the Dutch influenced architecture. For more information on this island to to www.curacao.com/ or en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cura%C3%A7ao

A couple who are expecting walks in a wheat field owned by their family. North Idaho Model released.

Calumet Wood-Field XM_Kodak Portra 160_Home Developed_SP-445 Tank

Does God expect me to say Jesus Christ’s Name in any particular way?

There are a few in various Messianic or Hebrew-Christian roots movements that are pretty emphatic on this subject. They will tell you that you MUST pronounce our Savior’s Name exactly as He pronounced it Himself; that you must say something like, “Yahuah” or “Yahusha” in Hebrew, when addressing God or Christ. Well, as sincere as they might be; without any divine revelation, they will have a very difficult time proving that concept from Scripture!

Likewise, their criticisms of Christians using words which they label as “satanic”; words such as “Bible, Christ, Faith, Grace, Holy, Jesus, and Pastor, et cetera (and other things)”, are without any real academic merit.

Remember, it was God the Father and Jesus Christ, who initially confounded all the earth’s languages at the waterproof tower / city called Babel; a hundred years after the worldwide flood! The different languages that we have today, are all a product of something Divine, started by God Himself, to slow His human kids down a little bit (Genesis 11:1-9)!

We invite you to read our Bible Study on the subject of The Name of God. In it you will learn if God’s Name has ever changed, and what The Bible really says about how we are supposed to pronounce it today! Just go to www.onug.us or click the link below: BIBLE STUDY: The Name Of God

Remember, it was God the Father who allowed Alexander The Great, and later on; Imperial Rome, to dominate Samaria or what would become known as Judea (Daniel 2:1-49). It was God the Father who allowed for a multilingual society to exist in Jerusalem, at the time of Christ (Acts 2:5-11)!

The Four Languages Of Jesus Neighborhood:

1) Ancient Hebrew, sometimes called Mishnaic or Early Rabbinic Hebrew, (the spoken language of prayer, study, and religious texts) which co-existed alongside

2) Aramaic (the language of legal contracts and trade, and was prevalent in the lower class of Jerusalem; but not in the surrounding countryside); while

3) Koine Greek, “the common dialect” (was the language of the government, and along the coastal cities, and among the upper class of Jerusalem), its use allowed for a wider interaction with the known world. This complex melting pot lasted up until 63 B.C., when Rome under Pompey The Great, besieged and conquers Jerusalem; thereby adding

4) Latin, and the Roman Culture to this eclectic mix!

Hebrew ceased to be a spoken language by the end of the Roman Period, or sometime around 200 A.D. From this point on, Hebrew existed only as a literary language until the Byzantine Period of about 400 A.D., when it was almost completely lost in antiquity.

Jerusalem, today, is a mere shadow of her former glory; she is a city that had been fought over during sixteen wars as of 2014 A.D. (and more is in store, according to Scripture)! She has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times!!!

The modern language we call Hebrew today, fairs far worse than Jerusalem does! At least we can say the city of Jerusalem is in the same place as the old one of antiquity. Modern Hebrew cannot lay hold to the same claim.

The revival of the spoken Hebrew language was a process that took place in both Europe and Palestine toward the end of the 19th and into the 20th centuries. Hebrew went from an ancient, sacred, and written only language; to a modern language that is both spoken and written during daily life in Israel today! How did this happen? Can even surviving languages like Latin or Greek transcend time without evolution, and without any variance? Those who are born and raised, and live in Italy today, speaking fluent Italian; they cannot understand Latin! Has English survived unchanged from William Shakespeare days (26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616)? We know that American English today, is much different now, than it was in 1775 A.D., when America was fighting for her Independence!

Likewise, Modern Hebrew spoken today, is much different than the Judeo-Aramaic language spoken by Jesus Christ and His Apostles – and the First Century Church of God; not to think so is naïve! It is a language resurrected from the dead – with no native speakers. It was therefore necessary from 1904-1914 A.D. (a period known as the Second Aliyah) to form new and uniform linguistic rules, as opposed to the disjointed ones that were used previously; to prepare this new language to be used in all the affairs of life, to formulate rules of pronunciation and grammar; and to create many new words for use by schools and the general public! Modern Hebrew today includes characteristics derived from all known periods of the Hebrew language, as well as from the non-Hebrew languages used by the long established European, North African, and Middle Eastern Jewish communities; with the European variant of Yiddish being predominant! God Bless Israel, and her people, for their new nation and their new language; but Modern Hebrew is not the language of Christ’s Gospel! Jesus Christ, and His Gospel, are just too big to be limited to a new man-made language!

Consider, of the three languages that Pontius Pilate used to post his infamous decree on Jesus’ cross; only the Latin and Greek languages are still spoken fluently today, and they still carry the Gospel message of the Risen and soon coming Messiah to the world at large!

The recently revived Hebrew has been silent for nearly two thousand years, and today, a newcomer to our modern world; it still only serves about 9 million people - most of whom still deny Christ as Messiah! This hopefully will change in the years ahead; but for now, the English and Spanish languages actually enable many hundreds of millions more - to hear the Gospel preached, to believe, to be baptized, and to be saved (Mark 16:15-20)!!!

God is called by many names in the Bible – so is His Son! Learn to follow and obey His Word and His Voice; don't get wrapped up in how you pronounce the Name of our Father God, or our Christ! Jesus is who He is (Exodus 3:14)!!! He is NOT how His Name "Sounds", in your particular language! Remember, Jesus Christ is going to give YOU a new name at His Return (Revelation 2:17)! Jesus will then write upon YOU, the very Name of God The Father, the name of the very city in which YOU will live, and then Jesus Christ will actually write upon YOU, His New Name (Revelation 3:11-13)!!! One day very soon now, we will all SPEAK the Name of God, just as our Father speaks it – if we can hear, follow, and simply obey His Voice!!! Amen!

Yes, we're pregnant. No, I am not leaving my job at Gonzaga.

(Will we find out if it is a girl or boy? No- We want it to be a surprise.)

I will do my best to refrain from pregnancy/ baby photos, so this is it!

expecting spring is really coming and all snows are melting....

August 2, 2012

film. expect to see way more in the following week.

and the harry potter coloured bracelets some of you requested to see :) it's probably way less then you guys were expecting x3

for some reason, my film photos come out dull-looking. i've edited the levels on this one. does anyone know why? could it be that i don't know how to use the settings (i put it on aperture priority) or the lens is dirty from decades without use?

and guys, if you decide to put my photo on your tumblr or something please give credit and/or link back to my flickr page. thanks.

+++i was taggeddddddd

Are you single/taken/heartbroken/confused?

singleeeee

What if I told you that you were pretty?

lol are you talking about the right person

What are you looking forward to in the next week?

may go on a last minute road trip to Ottawa! i've never been there before and i like to get awayyy

Do you want to be single?

i don't mind it.

Have you pretended to like someone?

nah

Is it hard for you to get over someone?

depends how much they mean to me ;D

What would you name your future daughter?

idk i'm terrible with coming up with names

Are you good at hiding your feelings?

definitely..to a point

Are you listening to music right now?

listening to the tv in the next room :3

How is your heart lately?

its great. keeping me alive; doing its job :]

Are you wearing socks?

i hate wearing socks in the house

What do people call you?

oh boy.... uhm.. theyre kinda stereotypical things like: asian, ming-ming, the next yao ming (yearbook inside joke cause im short).. then the ONES I DONT MIND like melissa, mel, etc.

Will you talk to the person you like tonight?

does fangirling about swimmers and divers from the olympics count

When was the last time a member of the opposite sex hugged you?

today... my grandpa LOL

Do you get stressed out easily?

YES YES DONT EVEN SAY THE WORD EXAMS DONT EVEN

Who do you go to when you need to talk to someone?

no one, really..

What is on your wrists right now?

nothing.

What do you like better: hot chocolate or hot apple cider?

i prefer french vanilla cappuccinos.... but i guess i'd say hot chocolate

Are you a good artist?

yes! i do believe so... aside from photography i like to paint and draw digital art

Do you miss the way things were six months ago?

six months ago...what month is that? february? anyways not really because i was a niner starting second semester in school ew

Ever stayed up all night on the phone, with who?

nope.

Do you use chap stick?

sometimes. if i can find it.....

Do you have a little sister?

no. i wish i did. brothers are icky. and i would love to dress up a little sister and do her hair :3

Have you hugged someone within the last week?

yessir

What were you doing at midnight last night?

watching tv - american dad and futurama:)

Have you ever regretted kissing someone?

never been kissed

Will next Friday be a good one?

ITS FRIDAY FRIDAY GOTTA GET DOWN ON FRIDAY maybe. dont have anything planned yet.

More photos posted on the Blog

------------------------------------------

© Becka Lynn Photography

Santa Rosa Maternity Photographer | Do Not Copy

Bom Dia. Que a cada manhã, você sinta em seu coração a certeza de que a vida lhe espera de braços abertos, para receber suas expectativas e realizá-las uma a uma !!!!

Not the most wonderful timing, but we are very happy about it! I am 12 weeks and I am due January 7th, the same day as my niece! Jason and I were both born in January as well. We are going to be a household full of Capricorns!