Sunrise near Taos
Rio Grande River near Taos
Friday Favorites
Field of Beautiful Yellow Wildflowers
Unknown Little Girl Picking Daisies
Unknown Little Girl Running Through Daisy Field
Darmiscotta Bay, Maine
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Texas Coastal Bay
New Mexico Valley
Pecos River, West Texas
Yosemite Valley, California
Valley in California
sunrise through the pines
For Theme Thursday = EarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Terra.
Home to millions of species, including humans, Earth is the only place in the universe where life is known to exist. The planet formed 4.54 billion years ago, and life appeared on its surface within a billion years. Since then, Earth's biosphere has significantly altered the atmosphere and other abiotic conditions on the planet, enabling the proliferation of aerobic organisms as well as the formation of the ozone layer which, together with Earth's magnetic field, blocks harmful radiation, permitting life on land. The physical properties of the Earth, as well as its geological history and orbit, allowed life to persist during this period. The world is expected to continue supporting life for another 1.5 billion years, after which the rising luminosity of the Sun will eliminate the biosphere.
Earth's outer surface is divided into several rigid segments, or tectonic plates, that gradually migrate across the surface over periods of many millions of years. About 71% of the surface is covered with salt-water oceans, the remainder consisting of continents and islands; liquid water, necessary for all known life, is not known to exist on any other planet's surface.[note 4][note 5] Earth's interior remains active, with a thick layer of relatively solid mantle, a liquid outer core that generates a magnetic field, and a solid iron inner core.
Earth interacts with other objects in outer space, including the Sun and the Moon. At present, Earth orbits the Sun once for every roughly 366.26 times it rotates about its axis. This length of time is a sidereal year, which is equal to 365.26 solar days. The Earth's axis of rotation is tilted 23.4° away from the perpendicular to its orbital plane, producing seasonal variations on the planet's surface with a period of one tropical year (365.24 solar days). Earth's only known natural satellite, the Moon, which began orbiting it about 4.53 billion years ago, provides ocean tides, stabilizes the axial tilt and gradually slows the planet's rotation. Between approximately 4.1 and 3.8 billion years ago, asteroid impacts during the Late Heavy Bombardment caused significant changes to the surface environment.
Both the mineral resources of the planet, as well as the products of the biosphere, contribute resources that are used to support a global human population. The inhabitants are grouped into about 200 independent sovereign states, which interact through diplomacy, travel, trade and military action. Human cultures have developed many views of the planet, including personification as a deity, a belief in a flat Earth, and a modern perspective of the world as an integrated environment that requires stewardship.
Amigo's New Hope a.k.a. BoSarah Brown - CEO of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, after reports showed that nearly 40% of the babies born in the United States in 2007 were delivered by unwed mothers.
"I wish people spent as much time planning when to get pregnant, with whom, under what circumstances as they do planning their next vacation."These statistics are surprising to me. Of course this information does not tell us what percentage of the 40% were teen mothers, but still it is a surprisingly large number. It would behoove us as a nation to spend time & money teaching our youth how to prevent pregnancies. It does not do just to tell a person to abstain from sex. Precautions must be taken when having sex because just saying "No" does not appear to be doing the trick.
Classy is as classy does...What is Angie Harmon's problem?
I am a Democrat and have no idea where she came up with the idea that disagreeing with our new president makes one a racist! I haven't yet disagreed with him, but if I do it would never enter my mind that it's because I'm a racist nor would I be referred to as a racist. I can't imagine who would give her the idea that disagreeing with any African-American would make her a racist... Now I might think she's moronic , but disagreeing does not constitute one being a racist!
Part One of Interview:
Angie Harmon is not afraid to come out and say she doesn’t like how President Obama is handling the job — but she’s sick of having to defend herself from being deemed a racist.
"Here's my problem with this, I'm just going to come out and say it. If I have anything to say against Obama it's not because I'm a racist, it's because I don't like what he's doing as President and anybody should be able to feel that way, but what I find now is that if you say anything against him you're called a racist,"
The interview started with Harmon defending Bristol Palin, and became the larger reasons Harmon loves the Republican Party:
"I think one of the greatest things about the Republican Party is the understanding, we don't point fingers and we have class..."When I began writing this post I was being terribly sarcastic about the above reference and decided to start over even though it was a funny comment, but not very classy. In the interview Harmon defends Bristol Palin & the situation she is in as a child of 17 which could happen to almost any young girl. Harmon is right in that a child should not be used as the brunt of anyone's sarcasm. Of course it was our President Obama who made sure that the children of Gov. Palin were off-limits in the days leading up to the election. Angie Harmon needs to remember that little fact about President Obama when she's discussing people of a particular party having class... doesn't look like the Republicans have a monopoly on class.
Good tidings to all.
Flowers to Celebrate Spring!
White porcelain sink resurfaced in black with tan flecks...
Celtic Cross on My Desktop“Whether or not you believe the resurrection of Jesus Christ is an absolute truth or a powerful is not critical to whether you consider yourself a Christian.”For me those were quite powerful words. I am rather logical and do not understand nor believe in the supernatural; therefore, these words allowed me to have that indecision that comes to so many of us in life. The fact that Jesus existed and taught us how to live is reason in and of itself to consider oneself Christian.
– Fr. Bill Miller @ his first Easter service at St. James around 1991
"You are welcome at this table wherever you are in your journey of faith."Per the Welcome page on the St. James website:
"We hear these words at every Eucharist, and we seek to live these words every day in the respect we show for one another. Whoever you are, you are welcome here. There is a place for everyone at the table at St. James: It is God's table."
"We cherish, affirm, and hold fast to our African-American heritage. Remembering that St. James was founded by black Episcopalians who were not welcome in white churches in Austin; we strive to be a church where all of God's children can worship in a spirit of loving acceptance."I feel very lucky to have found this church. I live a ways from it now and don't go so regularly as I once did, but I think of it and its members often. It is a place of love and understanding.
The Mockingbird on a Live Oak tree branch at The Legends Golf Course, Kingsland, TX
Photos by Cheryl Cato, April 2009
Legend has it that when Texas chose the MockingbirdThe song of the mockingbird is, in fact, a medley of the calls of many other birds. Each imitation is repeated two or three times, then another song is started, all in rapid succession. In the above sample audio file, the songs of four distinct species were recorded in the span of about seven seconds. It is common for an individual bird to have as many as 25-30 songs in its repertory.
The mockingbird is also known as a fierce protector of its nest and environment. It is sometimes seen swooping down on a dog, cat or predator that may be venturing too close to the bird's protected territory.
The mimus polyglottos, as the mockingbird is known scientifically, is about ten inches in length, including its relatively long tail. It has a light gray coat and a whitish underside. Its wings and tail are darker gray with white patches.
Several people have asked how "Lizzy Frizzfrock" came to be or have asked what is a frizzfrock. In 1976, after reading Even Cowgirls Get the Blues with the wonderful character on Bonanza Jellybean, I decided I needed a "nickname". So with my middle name being Elizabeth, the Lizzy part was easy. But where to get a last name? My hair is naturally curly/frizzy; so frizz became part of the last name. The work frock is an old-time term for dress which my aunt used to refer to my pretty little dresses... it sounded good with frizz, a nice transition. So I became Lizzy Frizzfrock! It's an original.The expression "pay it forward" is used to describe the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to others instead. More specifically, the creditor offers the debtor the option of "paying" the debt forward by lending it to a third person instead of paying it back to the original creditor. Debt and payments can be monetary or by good deeds. In sociology, this concept is called "generalized reciprocity" or "generalized exchange". A related transaction, which starts with a gift instead of a loan, is alternative giving.History:
The concept was described by Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to Benjamin Webb dated April 22, 1784:
I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you [...] meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes (February 14, 1913 –March 12, 1987) was a college football coach who is best remembered for winning five national titles and 13 Big Ten championships in 28 years at Ohio State University. He popularized the term with one of his famous quotes, "You can never pay back; but you can always pay forward."
Additional information:The term "pay it forward" was coined, or at least popularized, by Robert A. Heinlein in his book, Between Planets, published in 1951:
The banker reached into the folds of his gown, pulled out a single credit note. "But eat first — a full belly steadies the judgment. Do me the honor of accepting this as our welcome to the newcomer."
His pride said no; his stomach said YES! Don took it and said, "Uh, thanks! That's awfully kind of you. I'll pay it back, first chance."
"Instead, pay it forward to some other brother who needs it."
So ladies & gentlemen that is what I know of the phrase "pay it forward". Have you seen the television advertisement that uses this "good deed" idea in its commercial? The Liberty Mutual commercial titled "Half Acre" is effective in promoting good will! It is posted above from YouTube.In 2000, Catherine Ryan Hyde,'s novel Pay It Forward was published and adapted into a Warner Brothers film, Pay It Forward, Ryan Hyde's book and movie it is described as an obligation to do three good deeds for others in repayment of a good deed that one receives. Such good deeds should be things that the other person cannot accomplish on their own. In this way, the need to help one another can spread exponentially through society, creating a social movement with the goal of making the world a better place.
The idea of the book has been championed in real life by the Pay It Forward Foundation. The Foundation focuses on bringing the idea of paying it forward to school age children, parents, and educators. The simple idea of doing good works for others to repay the good that has happened to you is one that can easily be conveyed to children and encourages them to be socially aware and take a role in making the world a better place. The main character of the book was a 12-year-old child, thus giving other children someone they can relate to.
Renee's Award
Tiling bathroom
Resurfacing the white porcelain sink to a stunning black with tan flecks.
Kitchen before
Demolition
Mess
The Supervisor
Start of tile
