tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348665222024-03-05T03:38:57.964-05:00Beach House in the BurbsKaren Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-10170249726837181402014-02-06T12:52:00.001-05:002014-02-06T12:52:42.186-05:00SnowJam2014Like many, MANY people in the ATL, I spent a looooooong time--8.5 hours WITHOUT a potty break, which is really like 205 bladder hours--in my car last Tuesday trying to get home in the snow and ice. In that 8.5 hours, which started at 12:45 p.m., I ate a handful of tiny little chocolate candies that I grabbed out of my desk, just in case it took me a couple of hours to get home--because I hadn't had lunch yet. And no water--but that was actually okay, since I had nowhere to pee. <br />
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Here's the first indication (besides, you know, the fact that I wasn't moving very fast on the interstate and it was snowing) that I wasn't going to get home for a while:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwkDfyQQCgnM-MOF1Xdi5a2KGgBCq_S69fmZCCwAIohCFrLXqjiJVripsMZkthvt2jWNVAZV_WP27KML6NSSViWG509ronaOJvnYRIVIOGSciMpAoOjqJ1IwQrSX0VFXoD4wg6A/s1600/IMG_2992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwkDfyQQCgnM-MOF1Xdi5a2KGgBCq_S69fmZCCwAIohCFrLXqjiJVripsMZkthvt2jWNVAZV_WP27KML6NSSViWG509ronaOJvnYRIVIOGSciMpAoOjqJ1IwQrSX0VFXoD4wg6A/s320/IMG_2992.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Yes, that does say it's going to take 89-91 minutes to go 9 miles. But, it lied. It took me more than three hours. I'm not sure how many minutes that is, but I know it's more than 89-91.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ03CPWR9pEUDoq6GCP7lXPxiDCqLJ7ENajvbvMr_T5PrdndzUtFdHtSvjAOi5TRkzVeKkqGVpYty89iYGIWLBcIT_dJ_jRdO1gIWWpyp71xxTp_XcBFzlLKPStTv7EzNBrDix2g/s1600/IMG_2972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ03CPWR9pEUDoq6GCP7lXPxiDCqLJ7ENajvbvMr_T5PrdndzUtFdHtSvjAOi5TRkzVeKkqGVpYty89iYGIWLBcIT_dJ_jRdO1gIWWpyp71xxTp_XcBFzlLKPStTv7EzNBrDix2g/s320/IMG_2972.JPG" /></a></div>Here's my view for most of the ride.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCU_ditVYjUWOd7yq6ZM4rUkHdUtWth14s_QtSrLp3Uydp7BDPjIBY1tejhq1V15obyEx-RMH3k0H14L0g5Annh47gYnLZzYv-Mvo0xQUgogmfPtBGrcz456R9Ih_kuOxEdT9I5g/s1600/IMG_2973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCU_ditVYjUWOd7yq6ZM4rUkHdUtWth14s_QtSrLp3Uydp7BDPjIBY1tejhq1V15obyEx-RMH3k0H14L0g5Annh47gYnLZzYv-Mvo0xQUgogmfPtBGrcz456R9Ih_kuOxEdT9I5g/s320/IMG_2973.JPG" /></a></div>Here's the Delk Road exit (the one mentioned on the sign in the first photo). It was about 4:30 by this time. Nearly four hours since I'd left my office.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6FvINbwbOLZ5hffxxOlY_3HvAdtaW60M9TP20ECPqxrStnS__vR-K5Z30hKIHvWcXSIgT0PkW7kQZ-pGJ3rkuz31jvAds8p94ZwlvkvZAit3uRuXkqmGxxFGmoPU_mQF1oly1w/s1600/IMG_2974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6FvINbwbOLZ5hffxxOlY_3HvAdtaW60M9TP20ECPqxrStnS__vR-K5Z30hKIHvWcXSIgT0PkW7kQZ-pGJ3rkuz31jvAds8p94ZwlvkvZAit3uRuXkqmGxxFGmoPU_mQF1oly1w/s320/IMG_2974.JPG" /></a></div>It was all fun and games until it got dark. Actually, that picture makes it look prettier than it was. Not only was I stuck in my car for-freakin'-ever, but I felt like I missed all the pretty snow. Snow ain't pretty on the interstate. And it was all done falling by the time I got home.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlvnN8Az1u_HoOgzuDl5caL1BYxRnNPyXJGZYdU19q_j7OHBQg7WpEcirvPS6ADwNFpAHpWExuqqTOVcQ35USXYCefrjosGc-ed7z6scosnVs1aRq0UiEFouIersbEYAyjE2tOQ/s1600/IMG_2976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlvnN8Az1u_HoOgzuDl5caL1BYxRnNPyXJGZYdU19q_j7OHBQg7WpEcirvPS6ADwNFpAHpWExuqqTOVcQ35USXYCefrjosGc-ed7z6scosnVs1aRq0UiEFouIersbEYAyjE2tOQ/s320/IMG_2976.JPG" /></a></div>Here's my car clock, 7 hours into the journey--boredom and ridiculousness had clearly set in by this time.<br />
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After 8.5 hours in the car, I gave up. I crested a hill, about a mile from my house, and watched several cars slide to the bottom of the other side. And I was done. My car spent the night in a restaurant parking lot, and I walked the last mile home. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefxiYNf5DtKhGL4wX1FoFmSw5ETzxk3E9ziXRsoolgUuJaI5WEw8Xgf6SwKp-VD1uzA1nVaeUyoLH_YNPteq8jhG1-2Rn3A5zvwLqIUSeJRFPl43d7RTbRXP5iTMNDdQ0UdbSZw/s1600/IMG_2977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefxiYNf5DtKhGL4wX1FoFmSw5ETzxk3E9ziXRsoolgUuJaI5WEw8Xgf6SwKp-VD1uzA1nVaeUyoLH_YNPteq8jhG1-2Rn3A5zvwLqIUSeJRFPl43d7RTbRXP5iTMNDdQ0UdbSZw/s320/IMG_2977.JPG" /></a></div>9:45 p.m. I've never been so glad to see the place in my whole life. <br />
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And I was luckier than the many who didn't get home that night at all. I know people who slept on buses, in Target, in their cars, at a stranger's house. A friend was forced to turn my sister's snow yellow at 4 a.m., because she was still a mile from home and just couldn't wait any more. Even had an acquaintance, who couldn't get home, spend the night at the Beach House. <br />
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Granted, there were some nice stories of people delivering food and water to folks stranded in their cars or opening their homes for potty breaks (clearly this became an important issue for me). But, really, it sucked for whole lot of people. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyaPE7ztT6VDr7w1LG1KK2Ii2086jbi5koPswTWeZ5ahkY5JABg39wHT9gEjBnNRFEmZlzHfJJ6IKHTPs0Qlkpz3djZiziQv4QLVPZN0O4MadJeNSZEiWmkQGkDCqPkQzDgKIaw/s1600/IMG_2987.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyaPE7ztT6VDr7w1LG1KK2Ii2086jbi5koPswTWeZ5ahkY5JABg39wHT9gEjBnNRFEmZlzHfJJ6IKHTPs0Qlkpz3djZiziQv4QLVPZN0O4MadJeNSZEiWmkQGkDCqPkQzDgKIaw/s320/IMG_2987.PNG" /></a></div>Made me glad to see the more normal Georgia winter weather return just three days later.Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-52261349604277029592013-08-12T19:57:00.002-04:002013-08-12T19:57:40.482-04:00When life is too good for just a smiley face ...Smiley belly!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofHBeb5q9qunwGSplbNqxP18t_i8ReucMZbRD2jAZCUlAfk0swT5DZgI81ebELBXIYHLOm4sFYQioY2VJjvmPRIVP64wifEpl7uu_xE9iTRjizw0MUqPrEoakRkWR_ZQjWkkXDg/s1600/IMG_2138.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofHBeb5q9qunwGSplbNqxP18t_i8ReucMZbRD2jAZCUlAfk0swT5DZgI81ebELBXIYHLOm4sFYQioY2VJjvmPRIVP64wifEpl7uu_xE9iTRjizw0MUqPrEoakRkWR_ZQjWkkXDg/s320/IMG_2138.JPG" /></a>Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-74751030528195604312013-08-07T21:31:00.002-04:002013-08-07T21:31:33.366-04:00Time travel in GreeceYou cain't sling a dead cat without hitting a really, REALLY old pile of rocks in Greece -- something that continues to amaze this Atlanta resident. Where I come from, old is the late the 1800s. If something from before THE war (you know the one I mean) exists, it's ancient. We just don't have a lot of old sh*t laying around.<br />
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But, in Crete, you get such an appreciation for old, and for history, and for living with your past (we still tear a lot of old stuff down around here). Not to mention a sense of wonder for how anything Greek still survives, given a history that includes conquering and occupation by the Romans, the Venetians, the Turks, the Germans. The list seems endless. We think America is a melting pot, but you want to see a melting pot that stretches back centuries, go to Greece. Spend a week in Crete for a journey that will take you back thousands of years -- and that doesn't even include the <a href="http://beachhouseintheburbs.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-history-of-man-in-45-minutes-or-less.html">Homo Sapiens Museum.</a><br />
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When you land in Iraklion, it's the largest city in Crete and where most planes and ships land--or dock--you immediately see the way modern architecture incorporates ancient ruins. This is the marina or harbor, I'm not so good with the ship language. The stone arches are Venetian, that makes 'em about 900 years old or maybe only 500 years old--I write, I'm not so good with math. And now cars drive under them all day long. Probably not what the Venetians had in mind when they built them.<br />
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The Venetians also built this fortress on Spinalonga, a tiny island just off the northern coast of Crete. Then one day, the Turks took over the island--along with other parts of Greece. When the Greeks finally defeated the Turks in the late 1800s, several Turkish families refused to leave Spinalonga, that is, until the Greek government decided in 1903 to make it leper colony. I don't believe the Turks let the door hit 'em in the ass on the way out after that.<br />
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Even earlier than the Venetians, the Greek gods made their mark on Crete. This is the Dikteon Cave, said to be the place where Zeus was hidden by his mother, Rhea, so his father Kronos wouldn't eat him. Kronos apparently had an appetite for baby gods to be. But, Rhea's ruse worked. Zeus grew up and defeated Kronos, who promptly threw up all of Zeus' siblings that he'd eaten earlier. The bunch of them ruled as the Greek gods from Mt. Olympus for years. Mostly, I just tried to imagine how a really pregnant woman managed to climb down into this really deep, dark hole. But, I guess she was pretty motivated.<br />
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Phaestos is a <a href="http://www.ancient-greece.org/history/minoan.html">Minoan </a>palace site (that's archeology talk for really big pile of rocks). The Minoan period was 3,000-1,000 BC. The Minoans are said to be Europe's first "civilization." That means they had real pretty stuff and some of it exists to this day. Phaestos was great. A beautiful site, gorgeous view, and we took my sister, the anthropologist who has spent a LOT of time in Crete--it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it--so we know that some of the piles of rocks that we saw might have been bathrooms or bedrooms or theaters or something. But, it was definitely a palace, they think.<br />
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All the history in Crete isn't ancient. Some of it dates to WWII. Crete is the southernmost island of Greece, not too far from Africa, which is what has made it such a desirable place over the centuries. Even the Germans wanted it during the second World War. This monastery--still in use today--was home to a band of resistance fighters, who operated an underground radio. When the radio was discovered, the Abbott of the monastery was executed. <br />
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You say time travel isn't possible yet. But I say you're wrong. In Crete, you can travel from the time of the Greek gods to World War II in a week. And find yourself wondering how there's any Greece left.<br />
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Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-29902854227598208662013-08-04T20:31:00.000-04:002013-08-04T20:31:08.803-04:00There goes the neighborhood!One of our new across-the-street neighbors--a family of four. You reckon our property values will go up if we talk about the wonders of free-range, fresh goat cheese right here in the 'hood? <br />
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Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-69505205425208691122013-07-29T09:00:00.000-04:002013-07-29T18:03:44.121-04:006 parenting tips for the new royal parentsWhile the new royal baby, George Alexander Louis, has an awful lot going for him--a mouthful of name, money and his pick of fabulous castles to call home--his new parents may need some parenting tips, and I'm not sure they have the best role models to turn to. <br />
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<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v253/chode6/princefeatherhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v253/chode6/princefeatherhead.jpg" /></a><br />
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In case they want to swim outside the Royal Gene Pool for parenting help, I'd like to offer up these tips from my dad, who's been a parenting King for longer than I can remember!<br />
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1. Love unconditionally. Dad loves cars a lot. This was brought home to me when in the months following me getting my driver's license I hit everything in sight--and many things that were out of sight--poles, the garage, an MG convertible driven by a nasty man in a mustard-colored suit smoking a huge, smelly cigar. And as hard as it was to call Dad and tell him I'd hit something else, it was never because I thought he'd stop loving me. Keep this in mind when little George throws the royal crest, just to see if it will break or teenage George plows the Rolls into the side of the palace. <br />
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2. Have a sense of humor. (see above!)<br />
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3. Step outside the castle every now and again. Develop your own interests. It will make you more interesting to your child--and others. Daddy flies planes ... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3qL5Lq25oPoOIz2uA-U9QMAgYiIXbgJ7vnyOVKCkG8viblxXtDcV2pf5HsJ3N1nrExhzw8xv69atyW5WvGyVe8BDXKUOmRd4e9WKoW_PJNHwB8lTk3K7FNcAYYrsBeIoI1b4ag/s1600/100_0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3qL5Lq25oPoOIz2uA-U9QMAgYiIXbgJ7vnyOVKCkG8viblxXtDcV2pf5HsJ3N1nrExhzw8xv69atyW5WvGyVe8BDXKUOmRd4e9WKoW_PJNHwB8lTk3K7FNcAYYrsBeIoI1b4ag/s320/100_0038.JPG" /></a><br />
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(even landing them in the occasional corn field)<br />
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and rides <a href="http://beachhouseintheburbs.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-dad-wrecked-his-harley.html">motorcycles</a>--sometimes with Mom strapped to the back.<br />
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4. Sing. I grew up with country music coming out of the radio and out of my dad's mouth--which of course I hated. But now, I wouldn't trade the sound of my dad's singing voice in my head for anything. And, while I don't sing so much, I do love music and play in a band. <br />
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5. Plan to keep on parenting long after the prince is grown. Don't get too busy being king and queen to check in on your prince--and whoever else might come along. Kids never stop needing their parents.<br />
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6. Stay married if you can. I am grateful every day that my parents are still married to each other and still live in the house I grew up in. Buck recent royal family tradition and try to stick it out for the long haul.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUEpPv81Im52hHnKLP710De2DSAtfw2U2Ti8j1gff6Dc7VNJodCcHawIVwW5zPzK7PbndyTCFn3rCUcpTQ4d9GKKkgDYLJEec-lyWGxyE-TFwOYe19MJr7CYGVvC7KoqAsSAf2A/s1600/family+wed+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUEpPv81Im52hHnKLP710De2DSAtfw2U2Ti8j1gff6Dc7VNJodCcHawIVwW5zPzK7PbndyTCFn3rCUcpTQ4d9GKKkgDYLJEec-lyWGxyE-TFwOYe19MJr7CYGVvC7KoqAsSAf2A/s320/family+wed+1.jpg" /></a><br />
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Finally, Kate and Will, if you need a few more tips, check out these <a href="http://beachhouseintheburbs.blogspot.com/2009/07/7-things-ive-learned-from-my-dad.html">things </a>my Dad taught me over the years. Things that continue to be important to this day. Congratulations on the new little prince! Try to raise him right! <br />
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And Happy Birthday, Dad--a prince of parenting!<br />
Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-15106636658885748532013-07-27T11:26:00.000-04:002013-07-27T11:26:01.427-04:00Around-the-world architecture tour ...... in 37 minutes or less!<br />
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This has been the summer of colossal, all-encompassing museum experiences. First up, was the <a href="http://beachhouseintheburbs.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-history-of-man-in-45-minutes-or-less.html">ENTIRE HISTORY</a> of mankind (not WOMANKIND, NO, NO, NO) in 45 minutes or less. Now, I've seen ALL the marvels of architecture -- from the Great Wall of China to St. Peter's Cathedral -- without leaving Cullman, Alabama. <br />
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<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2015">Ave Maria Rock Grotto</a> at <a href="http://www.stbernardabbey.com/">St. Bernard Abbey</a>, "the only Benedictine monastery of men in Alabama" (If you'd have asked me, I'd have said there were NO Benedictine monasteries in Alabama, of men or women or even armadillos. How did they get past the Baptists?) "consists of 125 small stone and cement structures, the handiwork of creative genius (or obsessive fruitcake) Brother Joseph Zoetl, a monk at the abbey for almost 70 years." <br />
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The quote is from the flyer you get when you visit the Grotto--expect for the parenthetical comments. Those are mine. And it pretty much sums up the works, but it does nothing to capture the JOY the whole experience brought. It's like a much more orderly version of Georgia folk artist <a href="http://www.paradisegardenfoundation.org/">Howard Finster's Paradise Gardens</a>.<br />
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Just take a look at these incredible representations--created from the images on postcards, because Brother Joe didn't travel, so they have no backsides. That also helps explain the bizarre relative scale of some of the creations. Like this one--who knew the Lizard Condo was so much bigger than the Great Wall?<br />
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They are all made of found and donated materials, like marbles (Brother Joe's lost ones, perhaps), shells and toilet parts.<br />
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To give you an idea of scale, that orange blob in the center left is the Abbey Tabby sitting on the roof of St. Peter's in the display called Roman Group. <br />
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I loved the leaning Tower of Pisa, a tiny structure stuck up at the top right of the Roman group like an afterthought.<br />
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This one was like a cross between the roadside shrines you see all over Greece and the fortune tellers at state fairs. It looked like if you put a quarter in, Jesus would lay your whole future out for you.<br />
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It's not all famous buildings and religious themes, though. Brother Joe had a soft spot for fairy tales. This is the Temple of the Fairies. I love the little bitty pipe organ in the lower right.<br />
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And here, Hansel & Gretal visit the Temple of the Fairies. This time a dragon, that looked a lot like a slobbering and happy dog, was literally chained up under the temple.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeycIX7KZhVS-947JlutM0e05h9k3pF-A1ebDhqn0MFsWVLWonY5_xxP_3edQan55MCjJYxB_uUP3Xsv1oNlHv4W9Ru6p-VPsHC8w4SJymPzLhnnQs6kl03Dyhtl-J4jVaUlRHQ/s1600/IMG_2087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeycIX7KZhVS-947JlutM0e05h9k3pF-A1ebDhqn0MFsWVLWonY5_xxP_3edQan55MCjJYxB_uUP3Xsv1oNlHv4W9Ru6p-VPsHC8w4SJymPzLhnnQs6kl03Dyhtl-J4jVaUlRHQ/s320/IMG_2087.JPG" /></a></div>Go visit Brother Joseph and his creations. It is an unbelievable, fun time!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1FebZNl9gSx9XyVWvTlZ7D87wc6T2vQqSpbc9HTHEL9HL-OepXnFAH13Mskex2C_isqyv2N6hYb0zm8szfE8zwydA1K8MMD_bPVcvmZ4gTdYDqWjeQEbl3ykXgea1FKauvWc7Q/s1600/IMG_2089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1FebZNl9gSx9XyVWvTlZ7D87wc6T2vQqSpbc9HTHEL9HL-OepXnFAH13Mskex2C_isqyv2N6hYb0zm8szfE8zwydA1K8MMD_bPVcvmZ4gTdYDqWjeQEbl3ykXgea1FKauvWc7Q/s320/IMG_2089.JPG" /></a></div><br />
And when you're finished and starving, hit <a href="http://www.theallsteakrestaurant.com/">All Steak</a>--who knew there were two places in Cullman a tourist would want to go?--for their orange rolls and whatever else is the special that day. YUMMY!!!!Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-32730092875930863212013-07-21T19:34:00.000-04:002013-07-21T19:34:57.115-04:00The end of the convertible era?After 15 years, I traded my 17-year-old Mustang convertible this week for the more grown up, fuel-efficient (boring) car sitting beside her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BAahVYxkzV5IfVqOogAgkLF9LOmezkX6MvwyqtPVglave8MWEHAKL0H53bFECBkVhjy3whTz5wJ21OfszJeq5dlfGgAWO-vBgNsglRcy2wk2MgWh-qXzbTbFEpsaNd72A8i3dg/s1600/IMG_1944.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BAahVYxkzV5IfVqOogAgkLF9LOmezkX6MvwyqtPVglave8MWEHAKL0H53bFECBkVhjy3whTz5wJ21OfszJeq5dlfGgAWO-vBgNsglRcy2wk2MgWh-qXzbTbFEpsaNd72A8i3dg/s320/IMG_1944.JPG" /></a><br />
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It was a tough decision. I loved that Mustang, but her parts were going bad and dropping off. It was time to put her out to pasture.<br />
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This is my baby being towed in the spring--just the first of several times this year she had to visit the garage in an ambulance.<br />
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She was ready to relax, get out of traffic, have a nice cold quart of oil on the veranda. Funny how she got so old and I didn't! :)<br />
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She carried small, squealing children, who now at 6 feet+, have literally outgrown her. She carried saxes and costumery and dogs and beach chairs. And she carried me; offering a ride home in the open air after a long day in a cube filled with artificial ligh<br />
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Enjoy your rest, old girl! And thanks for 15 years of joy.<br />
Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-27029225410553284172013-07-04T12:55:00.000-04:002013-07-04T12:55:26.927-04:00Celebrate Your Independence!Happy 4th from the <a href="http://seedandfeed.org/">Seed & Feed Marching Abominable</a>! <br />
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If you look closely, to the right of the fabulously tall stars and stripes hat and just behind the clarinet player in the bright blue shirt, I'm the sax player in the red tutu. <br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_V8FYixMzoU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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I had no idea I could play Stars and Stripes Forever that FAST!<br />
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Have a Stars and Stripey Day!Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-53379096119813437522013-07-01T20:40:00.000-04:002013-07-01T20:41:13.894-04:00This must be a happy placeI started a new job today. It seems like I've said that WAY too many times in the last few years. A by-product of the down economy is how I explain it to myself and anyone else who'll listen.<br />
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But, my new job, has these great sculptures outside the door. Look:<br />
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It feels like a happy place, after just one day. Here's hoping it stays that way!Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-6810879677526053352013-06-14T11:52:00.000-04:002013-06-14T12:07:34.377-04:00Dear Elton John<br />
I dreamed the other night that you showed up at our band room to donate some of your fabulous costumes to our fabulous band, the <a href="http://seedandfeed.org">Seed & Feed</a> Marching Abominable. And I woke up thinking, "What a great idea! It's a natural fit." As a member of the Seed & Feed, I sometimes feel like a Rock Star. Not an <a href="http://www.eltonjohn.com">Elton John</a> caliber rock star, but a small, local bringing-joy-to-the not-quite-so-massive-masses rock star. (Though our rock star status got a big boost this week when we made the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pam-grout/charleston-travel_b_3424069.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false">Huffington Post</a>.) And in my band, we wear costumes—elaborate, Elton John in his best costume-wearing day costumes. Maybe you’ve seen us. We’re in Atlanta, where I know you spend some time. <br />
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So, anyway, the point of my letter. I thought maybe the dream was a sign, even a glimpse into some fabulous future where you'd show up in our band room and present me with costumery to wear and share. And figured a letter to you, one of my costumery idols, might help that future along. I’m trying to take my costumery to the next level—more feathers, more sequins, more, more, more. And oh, what a boost you could give my efforts.<br />
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So, you know, not to add to your already busy schedule, what with the young children and all, but maybe you’re cleaning out the closet one day and you realize you just don’t have anywhere to wear that sequined boa anymore. <br />
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Or if one of the feathered headdresses just doesn’t make you smile like it used to and you find yourself wondering, "Who could I donate these to? Who would enjoy wearing them? Who would use them to bring joy to the not-quite-massive masses?" <br />
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Why, members of Atlanta’s own Seed & Feed, that’s who. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFu5VRP3UdWladrsy1YURb9jGgnoue9y-bTH23lmBDxpfPOxBJWWXC5GzPGAv-y5tRSlwPoUIfX83db_M3rnEGv29S7z5O34-uURJqubKku52trPhj6PT9H3TkqfEFW3C-hk0bpg/s1600/photo+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFu5VRP3UdWladrsy1YURb9jGgnoue9y-bTH23lmBDxpfPOxBJWWXC5GzPGAv-y5tRSlwPoUIfX83db_M3rnEGv29S7z5O34-uURJqubKku52trPhj6PT9H3TkqfEFW3C-hk0bpg/s320/photo+copy.JPG" /></a><br />
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I know, your costumes are worth a LOT of money, but we have a foundation, so if you made a donation, it might just be tax deductible.* And I could swear those sequins and feathers would have a good home and be well cared for and trotted out on special occasions.<br />
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So, let me know if you’re interested. I’d be glad to meet you at the bandroom--you could sit in with us at rehearsal on night--or anywhere that works for you. <br />
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Yours Sincerely,<br />
Karen the sax player<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLa7IDz2bxlyBNbyYgKzqIy4pgpL4zFzvaw8L_SrmLAPan8Gzyj-qsPQhkppgHF8ffvprJt609SfRJ0-3TYLhRqoE__SBGMcU0vBBF1lPpdctMmqZdqduj6mM8GHIDi7JEPdim9w/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLa7IDz2bxlyBNbyYgKzqIy4pgpL4zFzvaw8L_SrmLAPan8Gzyj-qsPQhkppgHF8ffvprJt609SfRJ0-3TYLhRqoE__SBGMcU0vBBF1lPpdctMmqZdqduj6mM8GHIDi7JEPdim9w/s320/photo.JPG" /></a></div><br />
*I’m not a tax attorney and don’t even play one on tv. But I hear tell donations are tax deductible. Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-71813574757437411802013-06-11T13:05:00.000-04:002013-06-11T13:05:38.628-04:00Fun with Camera +I went to Greece last month, one of the most photogenic countries in the world. And would love to say I took fabulous, professional quality photos with my fabulously expensive, complicated camera. But, no. I could either afford to go to Greece or I could afford to buy the fabulously expensive, professional camera and stay home and take more pictures of the cat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOmzpSBvkk35RHjvLDIz6SIHSqpMbeds94Cl3Mk7N_ar3Sxea8_rgtnmWgPK5ZN587ojcEFL39Sgjg8BcNRsG-J8MsodF0QUNuGBNEQakZIBsuZwAN5Chzwwryedhltv7qxicJg/s1600/Stewie.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOmzpSBvkk35RHjvLDIz6SIHSqpMbeds94Cl3Mk7N_ar3Sxea8_rgtnmWgPK5ZN587ojcEFL39Sgjg8BcNRsG-J8MsodF0QUNuGBNEQakZIBsuZwAN5Chzwwryedhltv7qxicJg/s320/Stewie.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Clearly I've done enough of that.<br />
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Instead I invested a whopping 99 cents in <a href="http://campl.us">Camera +</a> for my iPhone and had fun with it all over Greece--taking perhaps not professional-museum quality photos of the lovely landscape, but taking decent photos, then having more fun editing/filtering/adding captions. <br />
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Take a look:<br />
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Before leaving for Greece, I practiced at <a href="http://www.noahs-ark.org">Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMk5UVjm7pvgkY4EN2HyaimsFJGJ9d9od5OjGFnFc2jNdY2VT4eiUqBrxx0khuxl4Odjh351y3g0JLXP4pWpkwmG-nnvwXQWPG0EYQTud8cBYTLH9Q1KTEHedPpKQoN_qBEjTAQ/s1600/IMG_0303.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMk5UVjm7pvgkY4EN2HyaimsFJGJ9d9od5OjGFnFc2jNdY2VT4eiUqBrxx0khuxl4Odjh351y3g0JLXP4pWpkwmG-nnvwXQWPG0EYQTud8cBYTLH9Q1KTEHedPpKQoN_qBEjTAQ/s320/IMG_0303.JPG" /></a><br />
This is the original photo of the alligator.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokMC_r3jfIZTCw_MfqWD2MaRPPMhUGqzNqtkoA5gucudm8mrFd-Jot4hIvkgEBwYZ80m2cqqRC2hqrccNN940J8Ld_7fy7CM0rJJ5XAEigxktc6hvrMAYGmuzTKQHO_NULx9urg/s1600/IMG_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokMC_r3jfIZTCw_MfqWD2MaRPPMhUGqzNqtkoA5gucudm8mrFd-Jot4hIvkgEBwYZ80m2cqqRC2hqrccNN940J8Ld_7fy7CM0rJJ5XAEigxktc6hvrMAYGmuzTKQHO_NULx9urg/s320/IMG_0015.JPG" /></a><br />
This is it after I made it look like a cool, 1950s Florida postcard using the HDR setting to add the color and the borders to add the border--duh--and the text.<br />
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Here are some other photos I took at <a href="http://beachhouseintheburbs.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-best-animal-name-ever.html">Noah's Ark</a>.<br />
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Then, it was off to Greece.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZlnhzH8U01HXqo2PC-XB2eJaU6v1cBQSntO7aM0yC64hMZ11dfUBzL-7WwLWHhBigvGJxlZj_G0EaU6J2CnXUtOab22QvE4xacqeaOKomCpHC6VrGqpq8F4HkXj_lQNNpjjQqQ/s1600/IMG_1462.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZlnhzH8U01HXqo2PC-XB2eJaU6v1cBQSntO7aM0yC64hMZ11dfUBzL-7WwLWHhBigvGJxlZj_G0EaU6J2CnXUtOab22QvE4xacqeaOKomCpHC6VrGqpq8F4HkXj_lQNNpjjQqQ/s320/IMG_1462.JPG" /></a><br />
Original of Mom and my nephew<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9wXh2K5ub5dKA0ag07XSOq1kLNzsfQs4E8Vjsh_W_s-Uoi-Gjq9lzT_e4py9acRXFGeIGiJFPCLpg4dvDX9vRz5dhRDP64JYn0AkrvcThk9O97MKXurZ_vlf9zCl6GmGZBViTA/s1600/IMG_0194.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9wXh2K5ub5dKA0ag07XSOq1kLNzsfQs4E8Vjsh_W_s-Uoi-Gjq9lzT_e4py9acRXFGeIGiJFPCLpg4dvDX9vRz5dhRDP64JYn0AkrvcThk9O97MKXurZ_vlf9zCl6GmGZBViTA/s320/IMG_0194.JPG" /></a><br />
Here's where I drained the color out of them. And added a border again. I love the borders.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0Y0VX8kDjNY-ODbCR27opWcXnc6PNln-WaKWo7Orba3jyJ_40GE2JMrmxPD-RDDfMZiXNysx7r8fQRN9J7GJhBx-GaIeDH4qSUjwdD_Dk3W_WsmjKr2eWbOGGjVHhmqZU98_Bg/s1600/IMG_1448.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0Y0VX8kDjNY-ODbCR27opWcXnc6PNln-WaKWo7Orba3jyJ_40GE2JMrmxPD-RDDfMZiXNysx7r8fQRN9J7GJhBx-GaIeDH4qSUjwdD_Dk3W_WsmjKr2eWbOGGjVHhmqZU98_Bg/s320/IMG_1448.JPG" /></a><br />
Original of the view from the restaurant at our hotel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZwT0voD3Lau5m3D1n7gE-C02mFwg4qJVIxWrx2EfX3ywMJHXRBs33sL-lRffTZog4IJg_YqOh1RjlVYqwhc7sqJSSUegJfUEEF7W0BhB9mx_QKuYNZGTPW-hIZTUcxglFCNXpg/s1600/IMG_0187.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZwT0voD3Lau5m3D1n7gE-C02mFwg4qJVIxWrx2EfX3ywMJHXRBs33sL-lRffTZog4IJg_YqOh1RjlVYqwhc7sqJSSUegJfUEEF7W0BhB9mx_QKuYNZGTPW-hIZTUcxglFCNXpg/s320/IMG_0187.JPG" /></a><br />
Here it is after I cropped it and again used the HDR setting. I love the cartoony/old-timey postcard look it gives.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4Ba3ust8YDsym23v7JNfY7mtdQGvtAWduW5T2_q6QzHkS2TXk4h0nKCUa3NqCFIolTBlZkPe5tggQYS5jO6ZdWGuXDAMyrd66wvSqzWboqxPGHgGzOdGeAiTIwjI0VQOZbVBqA/s1600/IMG_1624.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4Ba3ust8YDsym23v7JNfY7mtdQGvtAWduW5T2_q6QzHkS2TXk4h0nKCUa3NqCFIolTBlZkPe5tggQYS5jO6ZdWGuXDAMyrd66wvSqzWboqxPGHgGzOdGeAiTIwjI0VQOZbVBqA/s320/IMG_1624.jpg" /></a><br />
Original of the Dikteon Cave, where Zeus was born and hidden by his mother so his father Kronos wouldn't eat him. They don't tell you how a really pregnant woman might have gotten into this steep, dark cave. But I guess she was pretty motivated to keep her kid hidden.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-47bOrsV4wZAbbHGZBIonM7WHk9Y4-gewMwZK2Bwo23yifH8y87MangjJfScM_GvmkR7b1T9GpvrKEBnSNJqjn-f58v5M817EeDqHHVybUne4vCTgsJV7bIrRQ8i5NzvyKcyAA/s1600/IMG_0220.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-47bOrsV4wZAbbHGZBIonM7WHk9Y4-gewMwZK2Bwo23yifH8y87MangjJfScM_GvmkR7b1T9GpvrKEBnSNJqjn-f58v5M817EeDqHHVybUne4vCTgsJV7bIrRQ8i5NzvyKcyAA/s320/IMG_0220.JPG" /></a><br />
Here's where I cropped it and hit the clarity filter, which brightened it up a lot.<br />
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So, while I still want a fabulously expensive, hard-to-use camera, I'm gonna go with Camera + for the time being. I'd rather do that than give up travel! <br />
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What are some of your favorite camera apps? Let us know in the comments. <br />
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Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-20890840950367630422013-06-04T13:03:00.000-04:002013-06-04T13:03:49.556-04:00Ogres, Unicorns & Goddesses, Oh My!The littlest nephew (who is now 6'2") and I went to the <a href="http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/">Atlanta Botanical Garden</a> this past weekend to see the Imaginary Worlds exhibit--and all the other pretty stuff too. <br />
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What a cool exhibit! Enormous, fantastical plant-covered creatures scattered throughout the garden. <br />
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The Unicorn was one of my favorites. I loved the way the plants that make up her mane and tail waved in the wind. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-MYMbKTQVd2bSJbA8b3SLfXmMeuXRyYd6mbSLztQNWDjxS3El84nKqCPzEy9m2_hzZD5aKbeWC0GfxpXc0oc-d6ECYrGRxkW26o75LGcl8_r5h3gVz72h2a9LTCuvR81dI9QZg/s1600/IMG_0302.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-MYMbKTQVd2bSJbA8b3SLfXmMeuXRyYd6mbSLztQNWDjxS3El84nKqCPzEy9m2_hzZD5aKbeWC0GfxpXc0oc-d6ECYrGRxkW26o75LGcl8_r5h3gVz72h2a9LTCuvR81dI9QZg/s320/IMG_0302.JPG" /></a><br />
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The Ogre was good too. You can't tell from this picture, but he had a tunnel through his side, like he was a bridge or a hidey-hole or a playhouse.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAI0d97Hg2aMqlW7xReW1fN8BLmeojdLZf6OJMVCdj34yp2dg7OC9nisNedTAyGrcl0eryRad4I8FY9b84ZVOs3GkfuLNNF_YW1DZv_Dk1cmdTks2LVsPV7Xs4OOyuxw78akfIqg/s1600/IMG_0301.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAI0d97Hg2aMqlW7xReW1fN8BLmeojdLZf6OJMVCdj34yp2dg7OC9nisNedTAyGrcl0eryRad4I8FY9b84ZVOs3GkfuLNNF_YW1DZv_Dk1cmdTks2LVsPV7Xs4OOyuxw78akfIqg/s320/IMG_0301.JPG" /></a><br />
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But those two were only my favorites until I saw the Earth Goddess. At 29 tons, she is quite a woman! <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLyxHRAVzUR5_peencZHbu25pQlIzF7J67wW3Q-TYq6XTHYKGP8Q7Pbb5KuCW5eRV3uYphW46qS3AeuhnZSn-ZLlKqzK7ifqpxq35N1izjfOoKDdsHzTHH6Wqtfr701dZagGtBcg/s1600/IMG_0299.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLyxHRAVzUR5_peencZHbu25pQlIzF7J67wW3Q-TYq6XTHYKGP8Q7Pbb5KuCW5eRV3uYphW46qS3AeuhnZSn-ZLlKqzK7ifqpxq35N1izjfOoKDdsHzTHH6Wqtfr701dZagGtBcg/s320/IMG_0299.JPG" /></a><br />
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More ordinary critters such as butterflies, bunnies and cobras also were fun to see, but I loved the fantasy creatures best. They weren't the only bits of beauty, however. <br />
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I longed to take home orchids from the filled-to-overwhelming orchid room, but settled for lots of pictures instead.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHM-C_rxueZOUZGp-EEcw23HflZdNwxCK-BULzFPMwwxUNUpM8b8sMgP8V90M8cD9hbBfoutvlmQ91bgaLkqC2e6jrrjkDpBXWxO05ddF6994MgT6eoEEq-Kyci-zBFIKCY7ZV9A/s1600/IMG_0293.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHM-C_rxueZOUZGp-EEcw23HflZdNwxCK-BULzFPMwwxUNUpM8b8sMgP8V90M8cD9hbBfoutvlmQ91bgaLkqC2e6jrrjkDpBXWxO05ddF6994MgT6eoEEq-Kyci-zBFIKCY7ZV9A/s320/IMG_0293.JPG" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXBmTfTZcfBu_zeTxBm9ojM390c2D3H08mPCpjGLnCCMmDw_Ge_VBXhe1kqwAzRq9b87r0_RufJj_dxFuecLDKulSiLDLIyYLU3Ztvn0fDFxj_ZwD-kc2CQp9AXVtb_fcU12rvw/s1600/IMG_0296.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXBmTfTZcfBu_zeTxBm9ojM390c2D3H08mPCpjGLnCCMmDw_Ge_VBXhe1kqwAzRq9b87r0_RufJj_dxFuecLDKulSiLDLIyYLU3Ztvn0fDFxj_ZwD-kc2CQp9AXVtb_fcU12rvw/s320/IMG_0296.JPG" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nPk8v-h_mo_guzQGhzfkHLkJt_QbTCP8WMcyv9dQeAvB8k_lI5K8uV6NSAVZ2-h4oSuKhZJ7QECxZXBRb-9JxFJuLRid0bb-ZducRQ-G4kJNL3nDKGyxo2rTgeS1EuCVdgxYHg/s1600/IMG_0297.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nPk8v-h_mo_guzQGhzfkHLkJt_QbTCP8WMcyv9dQeAvB8k_lI5K8uV6NSAVZ2-h4oSuKhZJ7QECxZXBRb-9JxFJuLRid0bb-ZducRQ-G4kJNL3nDKGyxo2rTgeS1EuCVdgxYHg/s320/IMG_0297.JPG" /></a><br />
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And what would a day in the garden be without a time-out for a word from our sponsors. I know, the Garden has to support itself and the commercial was fairly unobtrusive, but obviously it obtruded enough for me to notice. Which is the point I guess. So, we'll be back after this short commercial break. Hum the Jeopardy theme in your head if you don't want to look at the picture.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OgnCuS-1WbqSoLUZdmKjH-mU3I5SvThcQdF50TljeZ760KIQOID1NCsWm0IxoJXb0HQs0qRoqyD3VwQKcKplhSx2oXLyTxzNE0Qu8qusovcBH3x5Nn0cSq7-eofW7hrvbcfPRg/s1600/IMG_0298.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OgnCuS-1WbqSoLUZdmKjH-mU3I5SvThcQdF50TljeZ760KIQOID1NCsWm0IxoJXb0HQs0qRoqyD3VwQKcKplhSx2oXLyTxzNE0Qu8qusovcBH3x5Nn0cSq7-eofW7hrvbcfPRg/s320/IMG_0298.JPG" /></a><br />
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Welcome back!<br />
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And while I was taking a ton of pictures, what was the littlest nephew doing? Creating art of his own. He sketched plants and characters holding plants and people who were made of plants as if possessed by some planty-arty demon. Just before I snapped this photo, he stopped mid-step and collapsed onto the wall where he's sitting. "Aunt Karen, I gotta draw!" he said in a desperate voice as if the sketch couldn't come fast enough. I stopped walking and waited for him to finish, happy that Imaginary Worlds had sparked his imagination. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZIdPzKgh_Z3pwWNsvQfoNJzWZyN07BJR8PSbWMSbDN6rfmvIUQTwD7cyqtRPO1iSwy1fcqEFYh0iJobKx4ddMhP96WDhlyBFhwf4ARJVIsJkcAzMJpoMCuurqiQIjQLMfOZTbg/s1600/IMG_0295.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZIdPzKgh_Z3pwWNsvQfoNJzWZyN07BJR8PSbWMSbDN6rfmvIUQTwD7cyqtRPO1iSwy1fcqEFYh0iJobKx4ddMhP96WDhlyBFhwf4ARJVIsJkcAzMJpoMCuurqiQIjQLMfOZTbg/s320/IMG_0295.JPG" /></a><br />
Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-55531602764232586262013-06-01T09:12:00.001-04:002013-06-01T09:13:30.185-04:00The History of Man in 45 Minutes or LessEverybody talks about the beautiful beaches, the ancient ruins, the spectacle that is Knossos if they go to Crete, the southernmost Greek island. But, honest to the Greek gods, the most fabulous museum on that island, hands down, is the <a href="http://www.homo-sapiens-village.gr">Homo Sapiens Village</a>. This museum covers the entirety of the human (or at least male) experience in one place that you can experience from start to finish in about 45 minutes. This will leave you plenty of time of sit on a lovely Cretan beach or eat more delicious food or drink Retsina or Raki, because you’ll never need to visit another museum again.<br />
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Take a look at what you can learn at Homo Sapiens Village:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EtPNYo2kVjUcSbpr2Sr8Z_yiBGsWDosT-6pUFrO8jJ-topqDLYECUchtqey-tdAYVhGTTIPWwWAxJ5li1LV1Aqf0jXkKCoZByYteGDmhly46OaoUmxFZtxfGfVUBH-va6iNzYg/s1600/photo%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EtPNYo2kVjUcSbpr2Sr8Z_yiBGsWDosT-6pUFrO8jJ-topqDLYECUchtqey-tdAYVhGTTIPWwWAxJ5li1LV1Aqf0jXkKCoZByYteGDmhly46OaoUmxFZtxfGfVUBH-va6iNzYg/s320/photo%252811%2529.JPG" /></a><br />
My sister, the anthropologist, says this progression is all wrong. Maybe it's the blood splashed all over it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgus2gJshTxBpl1PRzvamPiWRcbwgcb2pWhx_u16ArY-L5hg01xg_fu0ap5jvEgiyiEavc7nWXU62ULuGl7Ehun6USmqEYYKul6HoJkwKV7Px-OuJ-D0ZDlopv1ePuUjqXkVxbJjQ/s1600/photo%252815%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgus2gJshTxBpl1PRzvamPiWRcbwgcb2pWhx_u16ArY-L5hg01xg_fu0ap5jvEgiyiEavc7nWXU62ULuGl7Ehun6USmqEYYKul6HoJkwKV7Px-OuJ-D0ZDlopv1ePuUjqXkVxbJjQ/s320/photo%252815%2529.JPG" /></a><br />
Shouldn't this should read “From the caves <b>TO </b>the moon”? Unless we evolved from caves on the moon—and I don’t think so.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-94uYAqZTzuadsUBDbFkbAXROxGhAVjPoXUWP4OMTnJtgaZ80fPNp2jPeZ0pnEmJU5tdK2DnfXRzmNxvcqZIo3n0RyKBDRbpjQHk96YGBATWQ7edl2VY52pRXzjmv16pBOaIDg/s1600/photo%252814%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-94uYAqZTzuadsUBDbFkbAXROxGhAVjPoXUWP4OMTnJtgaZ80fPNp2jPeZ0pnEmJU5tdK2DnfXRzmNxvcqZIo3n0RyKBDRbpjQHk96YGBATWQ7edl2VY52pRXzjmv16pBOaIDg/s320/photo%252814%2529.JPG" /></a><br />
Where’s the guitar or better yet, the alto sax (that’s what I play)?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrljrWBWvSEZBnPfUd95QQnLg7hEp9GPGWuXUdXm0Bp8y536tQeP0KkSy1JKVxg1Q5pJzYRE24emMYf6pZpmBSIy1zNQsQS98A5ltrt1ZTvTn32WrRkkAlt9B8Qo07qs35EiNgKg/s1600/photo%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrljrWBWvSEZBnPfUd95QQnLg7hEp9GPGWuXUdXm0Bp8y536tQeP0KkSy1JKVxg1Q5pJzYRE24emMYf6pZpmBSIy1zNQsQS98A5ltrt1ZTvTn32WrRkkAlt9B8Qo07qs35EiNgKg/s320/photo%25289%2529.JPG" /></a><br />
From the cave on the far left--it's kinda hard to see, but trust me, it's there--to a sort of wigwamy thing to stone huts to a fancy room dedicated to the Greek gods to a Christian church to an entire section devoted to astronauts—Homo Cosmicus—they are called, the Village covers it ALL!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERgI_qT9_aJTiQdVF1f9Yu9VcGEwlp8v0I-Wl2KLfO3MUdebVmphQUvASnbirzYvSdMgLQU502FFkPyZA0P0SRjnrk9Um7hlPYOrYuqUrYuacKv9y5geKkYyvhuRsfGIsX3Od4A/s1600/photo%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERgI_qT9_aJTiQdVF1f9Yu9VcGEwlp8v0I-Wl2KLfO3MUdebVmphQUvASnbirzYvSdMgLQU502FFkPyZA0P0SRjnrk9Um7hlPYOrYuqUrYuacKv9y5geKkYyvhuRsfGIsX3Od4A/s320/photo%25288%2529.JPG" /></a><br />
Is this the primordial guu?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIhcZtBNgX0MMrbf7ujzKHa7VGbBEuhbRweCyJxRzR75QeVC8Vk9_n9twonlcnXPtao4xqUufAnEAwbaVOQEIPNObOWEwpfdH4u6PBjaFgg6-IpAhFh7bKMF30n8tSPxY7QLJog/s1600/photo%252816%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIhcZtBNgX0MMrbf7ujzKHa7VGbBEuhbRweCyJxRzR75QeVC8Vk9_n9twonlcnXPtao4xqUufAnEAwbaVOQEIPNObOWEwpfdH4u6PBjaFgg6-IpAhFh7bKMF30n8tSPxY7QLJog/s320/photo%252816%2529.JPG" /></a><br />
Why can’t the Gods just watch us? They need cameras? Damn, distrusting Gods!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguosCrD0HFxbN5UAh6M4PSrV8WwWIMhXx5H5lt-HC32CmsJWO-86ZANdFBvqV6n5DuNlv2Uj8BlCFRDUWypIEVM8V_JnNnMl5tdxT2Is9qC0pf5zOFgG-DI-5peBsI4Eu2gncqHg/s1600/photo%252812%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguosCrD0HFxbN5UAh6M4PSrV8WwWIMhXx5H5lt-HC32CmsJWO-86ZANdFBvqV6n5DuNlv2Uj8BlCFRDUWypIEVM8V_JnNnMl5tdxT2Is9qC0pf5zOFgG-DI-5peBsI4Eu2gncqHg/s320/photo%252812%2529.JPG" /></a><br />
Jesus came ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvmVY6C-nQmpejrjYNjxKe3GFbDCYkWtLn6c-sueZxyAkw2JQQZB40ltcx_oSrDZyDaPBmb0cBmA8XkFwoluT4UqSwX41CLjq7Ce_otUvnWb6pm3pVYmdfqqccf25Gvd0zNzOcA/s1600/photo%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvmVY6C-nQmpejrjYNjxKe3GFbDCYkWtLn6c-sueZxyAkw2JQQZB40ltcx_oSrDZyDaPBmb0cBmA8XkFwoluT4UqSwX41CLjq7Ce_otUvnWb6pm3pVYmdfqqccf25Gvd0zNzOcA/s320/photo%252813%2529.JPG" /></a><br />
and landed on the ceiling of this tiny church<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_SDNcrAkMV4vJlGNZ1jsrGQ0BM6OIJcq0ml-_TzQpr6V_wT3ii48tQ3L6EYpialZGpxvF0HbNA-tPCRBwVVo03leD6ec9TWT4VFxh9t-lSkWodPetvUTe2jQTT6RlKQ_96gcTg/s1600/photo%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_SDNcrAkMV4vJlGNZ1jsrGQ0BM6OIJcq0ml-_TzQpr6V_wT3ii48tQ3L6EYpialZGpxvF0HbNA-tPCRBwVVo03leD6ec9TWT4VFxh9t-lSkWodPetvUTe2jQTT6RlKQ_96gcTg/s320/photo%25287%2529.JPG" /></a><br />
You thought I made that up, didn’t you?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwRwE9XFPipLL5MDZOtcZDxwcgpgPhmApAvDtTzY1mDdm5teP51YkBdXaKhPHPEdZ7q-R1FE2yJJ-g02839GPrqS3yEpTVhR8XC9nBSIy0e0SyM_JnDTH8_Ad0PQ-Yj7CTLa6YA/s1600/photo%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwRwE9XFPipLL5MDZOtcZDxwcgpgPhmApAvDtTzY1mDdm5teP51YkBdXaKhPHPEdZ7q-R1FE2yJJ-g02839GPrqS3yEpTVhR8XC9nBSIy0e0SyM_JnDTH8_Ad0PQ-Yj7CTLa6YA/s320/photo%25285%2529.JPG" /></a><br />
"The First Woman" this sign is titled. And it's about Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman cosmonaut, who went into space in 1963. If there was no woman until 1963, then where did all the men come from?<br />
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This museum is some of the most fun we had in Crete. And it’s easy to get to. As the directions say, “Do not ask where you will find us! We are in the road that leads you to Lasithi's plateau, just 1 kilometer before you get there.“ <br />
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Buy your tickets now. You don’t want to miss this!<br />
Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-2022864961020147382013-04-21T10:48:00.001-04:002013-04-21T10:49:14.181-04:00Fun with CatsTallulah (the cat) loves walks around the block as much as Prissy (the dog) and Chrissy (the man).<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_AIBuPR7yJPXE2impbfHofpAWfRuoQaCqKEFR1QknH5K2s48QTqGfDTOYOZbABH2uKQqIneLnwAxsZgem_HROrebH7QV11cYasFrcfSKWTTpNTj443pcF0FGSkiBi63xGS-QhQ/s1600/IMG_1228.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_AIBuPR7yJPXE2impbfHofpAWfRuoQaCqKEFR1QknH5K2s48QTqGfDTOYOZbABH2uKQqIneLnwAxsZgem_HROrebH7QV11cYasFrcfSKWTTpNTj443pcF0FGSkiBi63xGS-QhQ/s320/IMG_1228.jpg" /></a><br />
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I guess it's true what they say. Sometimes when you order Mongolian Beef, you get cat. YUM!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIhxvNYYxTDQ-KKMmshjM5w2uvz3XuLE8n1QTEERtt7pnHpvvE6NJvkIbhNPewcDUkKU34DAhX8ewk9MJFdPa9fQD0zTssLEPpyo9GBdz8M3WrXK0s4rSUECHCgZyy6R76Ecjpw/s1600/IMG_1236.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIhxvNYYxTDQ-KKMmshjM5w2uvz3XuLE8n1QTEERtt7pnHpvvE6NJvkIbhNPewcDUkKU34DAhX8ewk9MJFdPa9fQD0zTssLEPpyo9GBdz8M3WrXK0s4rSUECHCgZyy6R76Ecjpw/s320/IMG_1236.jpg" /></a>Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-57055972887267004762013-04-14T17:04:00.001-04:002013-04-14T17:04:37.177-04:00Elvis has NOT left the buildingOnce upon a time, many, many years ago, there was a King.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/8650041718/" title="IMG_1225 - Version 2 by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8537/8650041718_8b38e45b2b.jpg" width="500" height="354" alt="IMG_1225 - Version 2"></a><br />
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When he <a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2016258_2016259_2016261,00.html">died</a>, as even Kings must, it was in a bathroom. <br />
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This unfortunate demise seemed worth commemorating in a shower curtain.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/3179014161/" title="ElShower by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3359/3179014161_a4515307cd.jpg" width="324" height="367" alt="ElShower"></a><br />
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A decision with which I heartily agree. <br />
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A while back, this shower curtain was the inspiration for our <a href="http://beachhouseintheburbs.blogspot.com/2009/01/happy-birthday-elvis.html">bathroom decorating scheme</a>. Check out this post about it from 2009.<br />
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As you can imagine after a bunch of years in the bathroom, Elvis was looking a little tired. But he was NOT ready to leave the building. <br />
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So, we're still loving him tender in a clean, bright, updated room he'd be proud to call to home. It's a guest bathroom, so the shower curtain is in remarkably good shape.<br />
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A new window brightens up the room, so much so that for days after we installed it, I kept thinking someone had left the light on in there, it was so light when I'd wake up in the mornings.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/8648937077/" title="IMG_1225 by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8529/8648937077_263b4808be.jpg" width="387" height="500" alt="IMG_1225"></a><br />
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The paint is clean. The wall colors lighter versions of the pink and green in the shower curtain. The mirror and shelves are the same as the cherry pink.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/8650041846/" title="IMG_1224 by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8099/8650041846_b88339b5b1.jpg" width="500" height="387" alt="IMG_1224"></a><br />
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The trim and the vanity are black--and the vanity is extra tall. My 6'4" dad is one of our most frequent guests. He and his back are thrilled with the taller sink!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/8650042220/" title="IMG_1222 by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8266/8650042220_942aeb991b.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_1222"></a><br />
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We went from vertical to horizontal stripes. Elvis looked plenty tall enough without the black and white vertical stripes that had started to look like prison bars. He finds these pink and green ones much livelier. In fact, they make him want to sing, as you can see from the way he's grabbing that mic on the shower curtain.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/8648937477/" title="IMG_1223 by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8244/8648937477_e113c8d49a.jpg" width="500" height="447" alt="IMG_1223"></a><br />
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Viva, Las Vegas, y'all! And thanks for reading!<br />
Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-28936499718569515612013-04-11T07:58:00.001-04:002013-04-11T08:31:54.297-04:00The Best Animal Name EverZeeDonk. Go ahead, say it. It sounds vaguely like the noise my computer makes when I mash the wrong button. But that's not what it is. A ZeeDonk is a cross between a zebra and a donkey--duh. It looks like a donkey wearing striped socks. Like this-<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/8631652686/" title="Zeedonk by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8631652686_788dd4940d.jpg" width="500" height="392" alt="Zeedonk"></a><br />
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The friendly, caring people at <a href="http://www.noahs-ark.org">Noah's Ark</a> Animal Sanctuary take in abandoned, injured and abused wild animals. They build nice BIG enclosures for them. And even let them live with their friends.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/8631652702/" title="Baloo by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8387/8631652702_70f05a422b.jpg" width="500" height="302" alt="Baloo"></a><br />
This is actually Baloo and Leo (not Shere Khan the tiger, like I put on the picture). Leo's a male lion who got neutered too young, we learned, and so doesn't have a mane. Poor Leo. But Baloo still loves him.<br />
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Baloo, Leo and Shere Khan, who's still friends with the others, he just didn't make the picture, have lessons to teach us. <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/8631652668/" title="Life-Lessons by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8246/8631652668_85f0edcb60.jpg" width="500" height="359" alt="Life-Lessons"></a><br />
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Now, if you want to break into a chorus of Kumbaya, I'll understand. But when you're finished, check out Noah's Ark, in bustling (ok, not really) Locust Grove, Georgia. You'll see things you ain't never seen before. And maybe leave feeling like anything's possible.<br />
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Update: <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/04/lion-tiger-and-bear-make-for-odd-yet-happy-family-at-ga-sanctuary/">ABC News</a> even thought these three were adorable and unusual. They made the national news last night. Check out their cuteness--and enormousness!Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-11026527855979427342012-11-06T09:22:00.001-05:002012-11-06T09:22:42.620-05:00Have fun this election dayA little political satire courtesy of <a href="http://youtu.be/5Xd_zkMEgkI">Monty Python</a> and the Holy Grail. Enjoy! And vote!<br />
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You don't want our system of government to be based on watery tarts tossing swords around, do you?<br />
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Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-4069117909165432102012-10-09T13:30:00.000-04:002012-10-09T13:30:08.495-04:00Seed & Feed in the NY Times!I didn't get to go to Honk! in Boston this past weekend, but many of the other members of the band I'm in, the <a href="http://seedandfeed.org">Seed & Feed Marching Abominable</a>, were there. <br />
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And one of our own was quoted in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/arts/music/honk-festival-of-street-bands-in-somerville-mass.html?smid=pl-share">New York Times story</a> about Honk! Scroll down about midway to learn how the Aboms choose our band members. Then come out and hear us Sunday, Oct. 14 as we open for Francine Reed at the <a href="http://fallfest.candlerpark.org">Candler Park Fall Arts Festival.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinamLFVbFSu3o2gINsU5juMmWfBsv3J2PcELDOWOFSodBl3lL7ecz6IQ81C4msrOADSYWjTbs4WifOpFGvof_M4CqM6n979-OVbkQJe2UMtXSSPKspKH9kagCgnybXUYAMYSF0BQ/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="138" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinamLFVbFSu3o2gINsU5juMmWfBsv3J2PcELDOWOFSodBl3lL7ecz6IQ81C4msrOADSYWjTbs4WifOpFGvof_M4CqM6n979-OVbkQJe2UMtXSSPKspKH9kagCgnybXUYAMYSF0BQ/s320/photo.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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I may not have been able to make it to Boston, but I'll be at Candler Park. See you there! Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-14730465234714074392012-09-21T15:51:00.000-04:002012-09-21T15:51:00.287-04:00Freelance Fridays -- Why did my perfume smell different ...... when I was pregnant?<br />
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No, I'm not pregnant. I don't even wear perfume. But <a href="http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/style/perfume-smell-different-pregnant3.htm">this</a> an interesting piece to write for HowStuffWorks. I learned many things--which is one of the best things about writing.<br />
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Happy Friday and thanks for reading!Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-90507759575375433462012-09-18T13:52:00.001-04:002012-09-18T13:52:59.811-04:00New Job, New DigsStarted work yesterday as Senior Writer at <a href="http://www.corporatereport.com">Corporate Reports</a>, a firm that produces annual and sustainability reports for some pretty big-time clients! Yay!!!<br />
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I'm very excited, for several reasons, not least because of my very own great, bright green office with a door AND a window!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/8000411096/" title="IMG_0309 by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8042/8000411096_b344a59711.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_0309"></a><br />
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I have a lovely view of the Wingate by Wyndham hotel sign just across the parking lot. But, if I stand up, which I need to do more often, I can see beautiful, green trees that don't clash with the bright green office more than a tiny bit.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/8000412188/" title="IMG_0316 by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8034/8000412188_931796b8bd.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_0316"></a><br />
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View when I stand up. Lovely, green and rainy today.<br />
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But, I'm also excited because, you see, I like to write. And for the past couple of years I've written approximately 5 words in a row, often starting with "Ideal for ... ", which in my book means I've really only written 3 words in a row, because somebody else made the decision about "Ideal for ..." so they don't count. <br />
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Now, for these reports, I will write THOUSANDS of words in a row!<br />
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I better get started!<br />
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Happy Tuesday and thanks for reading!Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-57555232623943839562012-09-14T19:14:00.001-04:002012-09-14T19:14:06.915-04:00Freelance Fridays--How Bullfighting WorksI am NOT a fan of bullfighting. It seems cruel, stupid, mean and bloody to me. But for some reason when the good people at <a href="http://www.howstuffworks.com/">Howstuffworks.com</a> looked at my resume and writing samples they thought, "Bullfighting. We'll get her to writing about bullfighting. It'll be great!"<br />
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Ok, maybe they didn't think exactly that after seeing my extensive experience with writing about electrical projects and economic development, but something made them think bullfighting would be a great test. So, the first thing I ever wrote for howstuffworks.com was <a href="http://www.howstuffworks.com/bullfighting.htm">How Bullfighting Works</a>. Enjoy--if that's possible!<br />
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Happy Friday and thanks for reading!Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-32683776835322500322012-09-11T01:26:00.008-04:002012-09-11T02:00:59.861-04:00What I did on my vacationIt was a staycation this year. But I managed to cram in a whole lot of stuff:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/7975379032/" title="cow by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7975379032_5c3ae51156.jpg" width="500" height="386" alt="cow"></a><br /><br />I had a birthday! <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/7975368553/" title="flowers by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8176/7975368553_fe74147dcf.jpg" width="432" height="324" alt="flowers"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/7975369136/" title="flowers2 by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8319/7975369136_2e8a26f635.jpg" width="432" height="324" alt="flowers2"></a><br /><br />I got beautiful flowers that are still beautiful a week later.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/7975368747/" title="chris_trader_vics by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8040/7975368747_a3e63591a5.jpg" width="324" height="432" alt="chris_trader_vics"></a><br /><br />I went to Trader Vic's with Chris. We had fruity, girly drinks. But, no Pina Coladas. My apologies to <a href="http://www.warrenzevon.org/index.html">Warren Zevon</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/7975369234/" title="fire by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8459/7975369234_f97c2781c5.jpg" width="347" height="500" alt="fire"></a><br /><br />Trader Vic's floor show--making bananas foster!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/7975369190/" title="tallulah_tree by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/7975369190_40b76a0713.jpg" width="429" height="500" alt="tallulah_tree"></a><br /><br />I finally got to see the cats playing on the new cat tree. Tallulah loves it the best.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/7975368427/" title="Mattie-Possessed by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8041/7975368427_cf418abd42.jpg" width="324" height="432" alt="Mattie-Possessed"></a><br /><br />Mattie is possessed by the tree demons.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/7975368949/" title="sequins by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8037/7975368949_33884bd127.jpg" width="500" height="463" alt="sequins"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/7975369059/" title="sequins2 by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8444/7975369059_d9bdd1bb9f.jpg" width="366" height="500" alt="sequins2"></a><br /><br />I suffered a sequin disaster. But, on the upside, learned that some things really can't go in the washing machine, even on the hand wash setting.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/7975368893/" title="show_bath2 by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8298/7975368893_84a72086fe.jpg" width="439" height="500" alt="show_bath2"></a><br /><br />I went to the <a href="http://www.southernliving.com/">Southern Living</a> show house. That's me taking pics with my new birthday iPhone. I was an iPhone virgin--and am totally in love now!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/7975368785/" title="show_bath by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/7975368785_aca0f942db.jpg" width="272" height="500" alt="show_bath"></a><br /><br />I found inspiration in the show house bathrooms.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/3179014161/" title="ElShower by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3359/3179014161_a4515307cd.jpg" width="324" height="367" alt="ElShower"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8504205@N05/7975369050/" title="bathroom by KK Kennedy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8037/7975369050_01c8c6c1c7.jpg" width="324" height="432" alt="bathroom"></a><br /><br />The show house inspired me to tear into the Elvis bathroom, which was last painted/updated before the Civil War. Of course, it's not finished, but don't worry, Elvis isn't leaving the building--or the bathroom. He's just getting new surroundings. <br /><br />And, I had a stomach bug. But, you can relax. There aren't any pics of that!<br /><br />So, what did you do on your summer vacation? <br /><br />Happy Tuesday and thanks for reading!Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-80747636444513228842012-09-07T09:50:00.000-04:002012-09-07T09:50:28.246-04:00Freelance Fridays--All you need to know about labor & deliveryNow, I've never had a baby--and believe me, the ship has sailed on that possibility. But, I've written all about <a href="http://www.wellstar.org/medical-care/obstetrics-gynecology/pages/labor-delivery.aspx">labor and delivery</a> for a regional health system. (I wrote about pregnancy, too, but I figured I'd start with the end game. 'Cause you're gonna get there.) <br />
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I've also written a lot about doing electrical work, and I don't plan to rewire my house, either. It's the nice thing about writing. You gain all the expertise without any of the pain.<br />
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So, if you're pregnant or plan to get that way or don't plan and find yourself in that condition or know somebody who is, take a look at all you need to know about what's gonna happen when that baby's ready to <a href="http://www.wellstar.org/medical-care/obstetrics-gynecology/pages/labor-delivery.aspx">come out</a>. Really, it's all you need. At least that's what they tell me.<br />
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Happy Friday and thanks for reading!<br />
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Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-31188189706961969832012-08-24T13:46:00.002-04:002012-08-24T13:46:45.631-04:00Freelance FridaysWell, thank goodness I've got plenty of freelance work to repost 'cause I'm ignoring the rest of the days of the week on this poor blog.<br />
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This week, let's look at the kind of diet you might try if you have arthritis. Arthritis is near and dear to my heart, unfortunately. It runs rampant through my family and is creeping its way around my body now, too. <br />
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So, if you're looking for ways to feel better with arthritis, check out <a href="http://www.arthritistoday.org/conditions/osteoarthritis/weight-loss-and-nutrition/osteoarthritis-diet.php">Healthy Eating for Osteoarthritis</a>.<br />
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Thanks for reading and happy weekend!<br />
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Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866522.post-68819327443623384012012-08-17T13:48:00.003-04:002012-08-17T13:48:59.317-04:00Freelance FridaysI've worked off and on for retail companies--including one GREAT BIG ORANGE BOX retailer with HQ here in Atlanta. In fact, I spent a year writing buying guides and project guides in the electrical category. <br />
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Go ahead, ask me how to rewire your house. I can tell you how to do it without killing yourself or burning your house down. Not that I'm going to do any rewiring myself. I'm not stupid. But I can tell you how.<br />
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Anyway, if you need to wire a <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/servlet/ContentView?pn=KH_BG_EL_Structured_Media_Networking&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&cm_sp=d27-_-Phone_Data_Communications-_-Subcats-_-How_To-_-link4">whole-house network</a>, you know, with the interwebs and intercoms and intercourse (oh, wait, that's a whole other topic) here's where you can learn how.<br />
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Happy reading and happy Friday!Karen Kirkpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851557636119759185noreply@blogger.com0