Last Halloween post then I'm packin' it in for another year.

Fright Nights on Oct 30. Good ghoulish times :)










hahaha...chainsaw guy was pretty funny :)



Happy Halloween friends!

See you on the mat boys and ghouls :)

tradition.


third year in a row.
caramel apples with my besties. 
+++
only this this year, i did round two.
we needed MORE!

you'll need:
-apples. pretty round ones. i chose gala's.
-caramel bits. one bag covers five (or so) apples.

-white chocolate chips
-brown sugar
-cinnamon
+++
-milk chocolate chips
-coconut

be sure to wash your apples in hot water. 
this melts the shiny wax off and will help the caramel to stick a little better. 
prepare a cookie sheet with waxed paper sprayed with cooking spray.
i used the double broiler method to melt my sweets. it was easier not to burn them that way.
i'm very good at burning things. 
i dipped the apples in caramel first. then let them cool completely in the fridge while melting my chocolate chips.  
i frosted on the chocolate, (i liked that look better than the dipping method) sprinkled on the toppings, then back to the fridge for more chilling. 
+++
the funnest part? packaging them up. 
-black grosgrain ribbon
-manila tags - initialed.
+++
and then delivered!

The Arts.

No idea who wrote this but I think we'd all agree.Where would we be without art?

Fan of the macabre? I am. warning- **only watch if you dare**.

Dr. Warren Chapin- Ladies and gentlemen, please do not panic! But SCREAM! Scream for your lives!

Fact-Janet Leigh never again took showers after filming Psycho.
(When asked if it was true that she doesn't take showers) "It's actually, honestly true. And not because of the shooting of it. It was the seeing of it. It never dawned on me how truly vulnerable we are. But that's what Alfred Hitchcock did". A shower. A bird. All these things that are absolutely ordinary, he made extraordinary. –Janet Leigh 1027-2004

“One thing is certain: the arts keep you alive. They stimulate, encourage, challenge, and, most of all, guarantee a future free from boredom. They allow growth and even demand it in that time of life we call maturity but too often enter it with a childish faith that what we learned in youth is sustenance enough for the years when most men are mentally famished but won't admit it—or when they are apt to curb their hunger with the sops of complacency, security, and the assurance of death.”- Vincent Price

The schoolhouse, in Bodega Bay, California, has also been known to be haunted, even back during the filming. According to Tippi Hedren, the entire cast was spooked to be there. She also mentioned how she had the feeling, while there, that "the building was immensely populated... but there was nobody there." When Hitchcock was told about the schoolhouse being haunted, according to Hedren, he was even more encouraged to film there.

In the scene where the fishbowl falls to the ground, (dead) sardines painted orange were used in place of actual goldfish, which director Richard Donner refused to kill for the sake of making a movie.

10,000 Formas de Morir


Ilustración para la tapa del libro 10.000 Formas de Morir.
Un libro sobre el Western Italiano o Spaghetti Western
que sale en los próximos días.
Por lo poco que leí hasta ahora el autor investigo muchísimo
sobre el genero y esta lleno de información detallada y
completa para los amantes del genero.

A mi personalmente me dio la oportunidad de homenajear
a héroes personales de toda la vida, entre los cuales los ya
detallados Bud Spencer y Terence Hill ahi arriba a la izquierda.


Desde arriba a la izquierda después de Bud y Terence trate de retratar a:
Charles Bronson, Giuliano Gemma, Tomas milian y Eli Wallach
Bajando a la primera fila siempre desde la izquierda Gianni Garko,
Jean Louis Trintignant, Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef y Franco Nero.
Muchas gracias a Nicanor Loreti (traductor) y Sergio Salgueiro (editor)
por el trabajo y a los dibujantes Fernando Calvi y Carlos Pedrazzini por los consejos!

You can click on the image to enlarge (and I hope you do).

This is really worth contemplating. Feel free to share and re-share. I really hope things change one day. I have posted this on both my Facebook pages, Twittered it, and now posted it here.

pills pills pills. lives are wrecked by them and others saved.



Have you cleaned out your medicine chest lately? I have been doing my fall cleaning and attacking one cupboard at a time and feel like its never going to end. The above bag is from my own cupboard and its larger then it looks. I was amazed by it actually. Although it has no actual pharmaceuticals in it and very few (if any) were actually bought at a "drug store/pharmacy", all drug stores will gladly toss them in their bio-hazard for us, which is wonderful as I'm sure we all know by now the environmental concerns of throwing them in the trash and flushing/ pouring them down the drain etc. with trace drug residues in our water supply/community drinking water and such.

But what do you do with tinctures/liquids and salves ? The truth is, I just don't know. And neither does anyone else seem to.

Even after speaking with two different London Drug Pharmacists, two different Choices Markets locations, and even The Recycling Council of British Columbia (click here for them- an AMAZING resource) this morning I still don't quite know for sure...

One Pharmacist when I asked what they did with liquids told me that he just sends them back to the manufacturer. Somebody else said to throw them in the garbage and to mix it (the substance) in with used coffee grounds or kitty litter, and still another person told me to just flush them. (the latter I am not willing to do). The Recycling Council dude and I had a really great conversation about lots of issues, and they really are a terrific resource. In the end on this topic he said that its really hard to mandate every single product we have/use but we are really close in BC to having to having that happen! Isn't that exciting?

In the meanwhile I'll just hang onto my tinctures until I learn of the best way to dispose of them.
If you have any suggestions feel free to pass them along. As well, I'll repost on this topic should I get the answer. Namaste.

Commission



Character design commission

Its almost time for the Shanti Love Project!!!



Have you got your ticket?
It's THIS Saturday Oct 29, and the event is one of a kind and has lot's for everyone! And prizes? There are prizes/raffles/silent auction items galore. And I mean GALORE including West Jet tickets, visits with Naturopaths, Yoga, yoga and more yoga all over this beautiful city of ours (including some with me)! , Garden works certificates, toys for children, Norwex cleaning products, clothing, tons of delicious body work and seriously the list goes on and on...and on!

Check out the event and list of goodies for yourself by clicking here

Even if you have Halloween party plans you can still stop by beforehand. The event is at Semperviva City location. #100-1985 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC (Corner of Maple Street in the Wawanesa Building)

All funds raised this evening will contribute to Shanti's work to reduce infant and maternal mortality in Uganda. For more info on The Shanti Uganda Society and why it means so much to this Ambassador click here and Happy Halloween!

RELEMBRANDO O PASSADO RECENTE

No mês de novembro de 2009, em nosso informativo mensal nosso então presidente Silvio Guterres escreveu uma breve mensagem de estimulo e gratidão.

Relembre ai como foi:



"Irmãos e irmãs em Cristo!
Está próximo o dia em que a CEL São Lucas completará 40 anos de existência. Ao longo destes anos, a nossa congregação passou por diversas provações, mas com fé em nosso Deus e no seu filho Jesus Cristo, nosso Salvador, e abençoados por Eles soubemos enfrentar todas as dificuldades .

Somos uma congregação pequena em número de membros mas grande e forte pela ajuda e ações de seus congregados e pelas bênçãos concedidas por nosso Deus ao longo da nossa história.

Com isto, nos últimos anos alcançamos nosso maior desejo: um local próprio para realizarmos nossos cultos e eventos. Conseguimos também concretizar a construção da casa pastoral e o conseqüente chamado de um pastor com dedicação exclusiva ao trabalho espiritual e missionário na congregação.

Todavia, este trabalho não pode e não deve ser realizado somente pelo pastor, diretoria ou departamentos da Igreja. Por isto, contamos com a continuidade do seu apoio para que a CEL São Lucas realize este trabalho missionário de levar Cristo para Todos, como vem fazendo na comunidade local de Canoas e no vizinho município de Nova Santa Rita."

Quantum Man -5.13a Grade IV.

The first ascent of the Quantum Man (Quantum Mechanic to Astroman via the Quantum Leap variation) was made in October of 2011 by myself and Madeline Sorkin with a couple of falls and returns to no hands ledges. The first free ascent was made later in the month by myself and Ben Ditto. Neither climber fell that day with Ditto making an impressive flash ascent. I am hoping to climb the route out the roofs in the longer days of spring.

The first pitch follows the initial climbing on Astro-man to the two bolt belay and then cuts across a slab to the base of a widening splitter. Delicate face traversing and lots of rope drag make the 5.8 moves to the crack feel difficult. A few finger size pieces will make a natural gear belay. 200’



Off a gear anchor, the crack widens from a section of difficult big fingers to thin hands to full on offwidth. Reaching the top of the crack is a forty foot horizontal roof. An enormous granite manta ray hangs at the beginning of the roof. After clipping a long sling to the bolts at the top of Terminal Research (5.11c), it is possible to undercling the manta ray feature. A big hands piece then a fist piece can be placed behind the flake. If this piece of rock came off it would seriously jeopardize team safety as the belay is directly below it. Undercling left to better rock. Catch a small break by a flake keystoned in the undercling and then fight leftward. This is not an undercling. It’s a Thundercling! Place a 4 camalot, a 5 camalot and then a 6 camalot. Two bolts protect the final moves. It is easier to clip the first bolt when it is behind you. Moving to the next bolt requires an interesting, though not difficult kneebar move. A few moves of 5.10 liebacking take you to a two bolt anchor. A 60 meter rope will reach to the ground from here. The pitch is 5.13a though the rating comes from the difficulty in placing the large gear and the offensive pump. Some might call it "athletic 12c." It It is difficult to follow and tagging out the gear at the Terminal Research anchor is advisable as it takes some weight off. It's hard to clean the gear- try the pink point tuff stuff. 120’

A few wide moves leads to a hanging rock and a small roof encounter. A finger to hands to fingers crack allows passage on the right side of the hanging rock. A short 5.11c footless 1 camalot hands traverse across the top of the rock leads to the next belay.

Belay off a two camalot, a solid bolt and a quarter incher at the stance. 40’
A series of detached pillars lead to a corner, which is often wet. Place two blue alien size pieces then layback the fin of the corner to a couple of pin scars and a large flake at 5.12. A 3 camalot fits in at the base of the flake. Climb to the top of the flake and clip a manky pin. Either down climb and make a reachy traverse right on delicate feet or continue up to a steep hand crack, a couple funky chimney style moves and the tree out right. Either way is 5.11. Belay at a two bolt anchor by the tree. 100’

Follow a finger crack up and then traverse right through delicate face holds at 5.11c. Climb the corner with care of loose rock at 5.11. The original Quantum Mechanic traverses right on orange rock. The Quantum Leap variation continues in the corner. A belay stance rests below a steep corner. There are 3 solid bolts at the belay. A 70 meter rope just makes it to the top of Planck’s Constant, the Thundercling. 100’

A steep fingers section followed by a wide block marks the initial difficulties of the next 5.11 pitch. Climb both sides of a large block, clip a bolt, then make some steep layback moves up a corner with good feet. A two bolt anchor should be drilled on the left arête to make a solid stance but instead continue climbing the amazing corner to a hanging two bolt aid anchor. 90’


The overhanging hand crack of the Quantum Leap pitch

The Quantum Leap pitch follows a steep 5.11+ hands pitch off the hanging belay. Stay left and be careful not to place a cam at the lip of the crack- your rope might get stuck behind it. After the hands section, continue up to a large ledge. Clip a bolt off a swaying pillar, gaston, cross and then campus to the arête doing a v3 boulder problem. Mantle and place a green alien behind a flake at head height. Traverse left and then up on dirty terrain placing another finger size piece. Good news is that you’re at Hotel California. This is a good bivy for two with no need for a ledge120’
Head up and then left on 5.8 terrain being careful of dirt and loose rock to a two bolt anchor. From here, an easy downclimb can be made to the base of the changing corners pitch on Astroman or the route can continue up the 5 roof pitches of the full Quantum Mechanic.

A double set of cams from blue alien to 2 camalot will suffice. Include a 3, 3.5, 4, 5, and 6 for Planck’s Constant. Rappeling from Hotel California requires two ropes, directionals, and there will be a lot of rope drag. It is possible though.
Much thanks to Tim Derohen, John Schmid, Todd Bartlow, Jake Whittaker, James Selvidge and Rob Miller for the belays, beta and support.
Only the man who learns to relax is able to create, and for him ideas reach the mind like lightening. Cicero

one birthday.

charlie grey turns one! 











custom cake toppers by: roxana barrus for roxy marj

NÃO ESPERE...

Be sure and watch...


Watch your habits, for they become your posture.
Watch your posture, for it creates your boundaries.
Watch your boundaries, for they restrict your growth.
Watch your restrictions, for they create immobility.
Watch your immobility, for it becomes your illness.
-Katy Bowman

Day after day...

Let the yogi practice harmony of soul: in a secret place, in deep solitude, master of his mind, hoping for nothing, desiring nothing. Bhagavad Gita

Use it or literally lose it. remember your yoga practice


Its been a couple of years since I have posted this Gil Hedley video but it is brilliant and describes so clearly the fascia, and how critical it is to move our body/the sliding surfaces of our body every single day. Otherwise the fuzz literally builds, and builds, and builds.

A facebook discussion on my own self myofascial release this evening prompted me to post this video again. MOVE MOVE MOVE your body, and lose the fuzz. And feel delicious. Remember your yoga practice :)

the circle game.



on this day last year:
my belly was big. and tight.
my mommy was here - baking a baby-be-born-soon pie.
+++
there were cranberries. 
and a crumbly topping.
crisp apples.
cinnamon.
 and lot's and lot's of love.
+++
we tucked ourselves in for the night
...and then there was a babe.


- V -












Terence & Bud


O Mario & Carlo realmente...
Un pedacito de una ilustración que estoy haciendo.

E o fim do mundo não chegou...

Mais uma vez o americano Harold Camping se enganou – e também a milhões de pessoas ao redor do mundo – sobre a chegada do Juízo Final. Segundo seus cálculos, o fim do mundo estaria marcado para 21 de outubro. É a terceira vez que ele tenta adivinhar o apocalipse – as anteriores foram 21 demaio deste ano e em 1994.

Ele não é o único a afirmar que tem o poder de prever o fim do mundo. Outros “profetas” de diversas religiões também já lançaram suas previsões, também equivocadas. Mas o mais engraçado, na minha opinião, foi o argumento de Camping, com seus longevos 90 anos, para justificar seu “erro de cálculo”. Ao sobrevivermos ao dia 21 de maio, o Sr. Camping disse que a data correta do apocalipse seria 21 de outubro, mas que desde o dia 21 de maio, estaríamos sobre julgamento divino e que “Deus não salvaria ninguém mais depois de 21 de maio”.

E aí me pergunto: passado mais de 2000 anos da vinda de Jesus – justamente para nos salvar – que espécie de crença nós, seres pecadores evoluídos, temos? Qual a imagem que temos de nosso Criador? Em tempos de barbárie, Deus enviou seu único filho para morrer em nosso lugar, livrando-nos assim dos pecados. E hoje, em plena era digital, em um mundo super desenvolvido e individualista, em que e quem acreditamos? O que temos feito para viver de acordo com os princípios cristãos?

Quando o Sr. Camping anunciou o apocalipse para maio, muitos de seus seguidores deixaram seus empregos e doaram suas economias, vindo a se arrepender depois. Há quem diga que os prenúncios do americano são justamente para “engordar sua conta bancária”. O que não é de se duvidar, já que a própria Bíblia alerta quanto aos falsos profetas que virão antes da vinda do Senhor.

Confesso que não prestei muita atenção nas previsões do Sr. Camping – nem em maio nem agora. Só fui realmente acompanhar, quando fui designada a escrever sobre o assunto no jornal. E fiquei surpresa quando li sobre sua justificativa para ter “errado” a data, e também chocada quanto aos comentários desrespeitosos, na minha opinião, quanto a esse tema tão sério. Por exemplo: “que pena o mundo acabar na sexta-feira, não vou poder curtir o final de semana”, “não vou precisar pagar minhas dívidas”, “escapei do Enem”, entre outras barbaridades. Não li nada do tipo: “desculpas a todos que magoei”, “ame ao próximo” ou simplesmente “que todos tenham um bom dia”.

Particularmente, não acreditei na profecia do Sr. Camping e segui meu dia de quinta-feira normalmente até dormir. Mas quando acordei na sexta-feira, a primeira coisa que pensei foi que eu estava viva e, portanto, o mundo não tinha terminado. E agradeci a Deus por mais esse dia - por sinal, um lindo dia de sol. Sabe que quando saí de casa, olhei para o céu azul, lindo, e vi dois pássaros brancos voando bem pertinho de mim. Aí, me dei conta das coisas belas que nos rodeiam e, muitas vezes, não percebemos. E Deus criou tudo isso para nós – como somos ingratos. Estamos sempre correndo, preocupados com tantas coisas banais... Não nos damos conta de que temos que estar preparados para quando esse dia chegar de fato – não sabemos quando, mas temos a certeza de que ele virá. Enquanto isso, a vida segue: pessoas nascem, morrem, casam, se separam, brigam, riem, trabalham, descansam, oram... E, você, está preparado?

Uma abençoada semana a todos!

Luana Lemke Guterres




What does it mean to visit a city you don’t know? How do you approach it? What does an encounter with a new place mean to you? How do you create your own space, your personal connection with the city – in this case, Prague?
As a visitor you might search for frames of reference, for memories of books you read with the city as the place of action, or for photographs that signify Prague for you. Joseph Sudek and Milan Kundera might be on your mind, or the beautiful book “La pleurante des rues de Prague” by the French writer Sylvie Germain.
Or maybe you will approach the city as an indexical sign of your presence there at a certain moment in time. You want to approach it, and in order to frame it, you look at windows. Windows are the frames that stand for the outside and for the inside. The inside is impossible to know, however.
Approaching a new city is always a fragmented experience. The "frame" provided by windows seems to be an attempt to overcome "fragmentation", but at the end of the day fragmentation is all you get. What you can apprehend by approaching a city is fragmentation, disseminations of thoughts, of subjectivity, of looking. The windows and the frames are illusory.
That seems to be the point of a journey through the windows of a city. The look evaporates at the same moment you touch the frame of the window with your camera.
You can only see the city through an infinite series of frames all endlessly removable.
Nevertheless, approaching Prague from windows or through photographed windows gives us the opportunity to look again and again differently. And maybe to position or to project ourselves within and outside a city that will stay elusive while giving us fresh looks all over again.


Ever have a day just go completely sideways on ya?


Oh yesterday was that sort of day for me. Sigh..
Thankfully today is a new day.

My biggest disappointment yesterday when my afternoon went horribly wrong was not being able to go to a Shanti Uganda Society event I had been looking forward to for weeks and weeks. I got my hair done, picked up the clothes from the cleaners (not a fan of dry cleaners ) when sadly life threw me a curve ball and attending became impossible. Other than having a big fat cry and trying to remedy a situation in which I had absolutely no control I thought...

How do I make something good out of something bad?

And I I purchased a Fence Post. *See Post For Peace to find out all about what the fence project is about.

There are so many ways to support this marvelous organization, and like Rumi said: There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground

For all other happenings/upcoming events and ways YOU can make a difference click here, and be sure to get on their mailing list. Get ready to be blown away!

500 anos da REFORMA LUTERANA

Pelvic floor issues for men? Yup. you betcha.


Just last evening I looked in the faces of about 20 women and told them that even if they didn't have babies/have a vaginal birth/wound up having a c-section/were a man etc. our pelvic floors can become compromised no matter who we are for various reasons. I looked at them point blank (the previous day I told even more...25-30 people easily) that even my own pelvic floor is changing and I haven't even ever had a baby. I certainly wouldn't call it compromised in any sense of the word thankfully, but at 47 it's just a little different. And if you live long enough you'll notice too that things just change a little bit. Its not bad and difficult to explain. The bottom line (pun intended haha) we ALL need to take care of our pelvic floors, thats all. Those muscles are holding our internal organs in there, babies in there, women use those muscles to push baby out if they deliver vaginally, and men too need to keep a strong and healthy pelvic floor to support the organs and core and spine just as we do because everything is connected. The latest research seems to speak of really strengthening the adductors and to keeping that lumbar curve while sitting. Saw this video this morning and thought I'd share. See ya at yoga! Registration is on. Namaste.

O Caráter e o Sucesso na Vida!

Se você quiser ter sucesso na vida deverá garantir que possui um caráter ilibado e ele será posto à prova todos os dias com problemas que aterrissam em sua mesa.
O caráter é o elemento que o distingue das outras pessoas. Você vai constatar que pessoas bem-sucedidas são únicas.
Você observa pelas notícias que pela falta de caráter, alguns empresários ou executivos que eram muito populares no mundo dos negócios caíram em desgraça. Por quê?
Embora eles possuíssem um excelente retrato de sucesso, a verdade é cristalina e nela eles deixaram a desejar em algumas áreas, a principal, o caráter.
Apresentar sinais externos de sucesso está longe de ser sucesso de verdade, ou seja, de ser o suficiente, pois isso é muito artificial e se perde facilmente.
O verdadeiro sucesso começa dentro de nós num comportamento ético adequado tanto nos negócios como na vida pessoal.
Ser sucesso é ser seguido por outras pessoas e isso exige responsabilidade, seja seus funcionários, seu patrão, seus clientes, seus fornecedores, seus amigos e principalmente seus familiares.
Seu caráter, com certeza vai se manifestar nos tempos difíceis. Você desiste facilmente? Você permite que outras pessoas lhe digam o que quer da vida ou permanece focado comprometendo-se a buscar o que deseja?
Sua escolha determinará seu caminho, sua estrada, seus resultados, seu triunfo. Assim como poderá também determinar sua derrota. A diferença entre o veneno e o remédio está na dose.
Ter equilíbrio é fundamental. Sucesso é mesclar motivação e saber que esta deve caminhar de mãos juntas com a ética. Sucesso é comprometimento, é disciplina, é continuidade. Sucesso é não fugir das responsabilidades! E sem caráter não há sucesso verdadeiro.

Pense nisso, um forte abraço e esteja com Deus!

Gilclér Regina

Is this not the most idyllic scene? I hope to dream about this very place tonight :)


"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth
seeking the successive autumns."
- George Eliot

right now:

this is very quickly becoming my favorite time of the day. 
my time. 
+++

am loving:
 ryan adamswithout the cardinals. 
it's like finding a long lost friend. 
mmmm. missed that voice.
and it's full of A-plus-L-equals-true-love dancing songs.

am loving:
cath's new space
can't wait for her to fill it with new words. 
and loved the one-in-the-morn phone calls until we got it right. 

am loving:
my husband back to building houses. and not apartments. 
we can breathe again.
and he comes home happy from a day spent doing work that he really truly loves. 
that is so lucky.

am loving:
the peaceful light.
the lamp on at eight o'clock in the evening.
the curtains drawn.
my favorite part of these few cozy months.

am loving:
feeding my family. good food.
food from my own stovetop. 
from my own warm oven.
and discovering that i can. 


we call these russian donuts 'round here.
only andrey actually says something like donuts in russian.
he says they're just like some sweet little pastries that his mom used to make.
...and he'd hide them in his pockets.
+++
i've been stuffing my own boys' bellies up with them. 
hoping that they'll remember them too, someday.

mmm...mmm....garden.