Sarah - I know you're getting tired of all the rain in Georgia too. Thanks for the comments! Nat - It is so much easier to weed after a rain. I wish it would just stop raining long enough for me to do some weeding. I've seen Last Snowflake offered several time this year on the Lily Auction, so you might check there for it every once in awhile. Nancy - I'm glad you had a break in the rain long enough to get something accomplished. Every time I would go outside, there would come the rain again. I thought Indy Fling looked really nice today. That's the most ruffled I can remember seeing it. Debra

Annie.... Ashley was just asking a logical question wasn't she LOL! But it's so true that tourists....often strong German men.....underestimate the strength of the undertow on the open Atlantic and there are drownings here, of either swimmers or people being swept off rocks when they get closer than they should. I just came back from a little walk down to a lookout point near our house and as it's late in the day, I caught an evening cloud over the volcano, as well as a look over the edge to one of the downtown beaches. Here's the volcano,and here it is 6 minutes later, taken from another vantage point. The clouds have totally changed formation. (Click will enlarge.) Here's the view looking downtown to one of the beaches and the developed pool area with nightclub in the centre of the artificial lake, all together called The Lido, then a closeup of same. (Click will enlarge.) In the second photo you can see that the waves are still very large here as the islands are all on 'orange alert' which is one step below red alert or extreme danger from the seas. And in a calmer note, I decided to make better use of the lovely little two-tiered Moroccan cake plate I bought at Laura Ashley, since we buy cake one piece as a time, so I put it into the little tree outside my computer room window where the birds congregate every day. I filled it with dry cat food and set my camera up on my desk. Only had to wait a few minutes before they noticed that their food was now up in the tree! I hope to get some wild bird feed for the smaller birds and wild canaries as they also abound here. They came to check out the cat food but the biggies chased them away. The kibbles are too big anyway for small birds. (Click will enlarge.) SharonCb

anitamo I am glad you asked the questions you asked. Many of the things you ask can be answered by reading the links about Vipassana meditation and what it is and isn't. Your thoughts are not silenced so much as re-directed when they arise. You learn to focus your breathing on a point at the base of your nose on your upper lip area ...a spot the size of your fingertip. Breath normally...don't try to regulate your breathing. As you concentrate on the breath and the spot there will of course be thoughts that will arise..gently...smilingly let them go and refocus on the breath and the spot. This is why it is necessary to meditate for an hour. Some days it takes almost 1/2 or more of that hour to get the mind to settle. The reason people have repeat behaviors ...negative, addictive...whatever they are is because they don't have the patterning in their brain to waylay those thoughts and behaviors. Meditation allows you to get into that calm place that , over time, allows your brain to short circuit the behaviors and reactions that you want to change. There is a split second between the time something touches one of your 6 senses and you react. Meditation allows one to enter that split second and change the response. It is a simple and as complicated as that. This does not happen on a time table. Each person is different. You do really need the intense 10 day course to learn the entire technique. The part I told you about above is only the first 3 days of the course. It is a start though. Meditation is not secular...it is NOT related to any religion. it is a way of life. it is based on the 3 premise that I linked to above. Anyone can learn and anyone can practice and change the habit patterns of the mind. It is an experience that requires a very alert and sharp mind. it is not a passive practice. Sit up right and be alert and allow yourself an hour 2x a day. Set aside a place that is only for your meditation...a pattern will begin to form. Please feel free to email me and we can talk more. I am SO glad you asked. c

LOL Yeah! I swear the larger sizes were ALWAYS cheaper, and when we caught on to that, the companies switched it on us! DH says.. wait.. buy the bigger one, nope, look at the unit price kiddo! I too, have gotten down on my knees to check prices! ah, lunchlady, I was always stuck behind the peeps who waited till then end to scan their debit cards, fumble with the pen thingy, hitting wrong numbers for their pin and taking too long! All the while my check was already written out! lol I finally started using a debit card last year, but now may revert to old school and do checks again. I was spending too much money, cause every time the machine asked if I wanted cash back, I'd tap, SURe! give me twenty.. and then 20 bucks was gone in no time! lol