It was never between you and them...

Always Believe, Merry Christmas

Carl Sagan. What An Astonishing Thing a Book is.

Teddy Afghan Baby Blanket Cross stitch pattern

 

Patchwork Blanket

If you're overwhelmed by knitting, start by choosing a simple project that comes together quickly. A patchwork blanket creates an impressive blanket. But, it's easy to do since it's made by knitting individual squares and sewing them together. Choosing chunky yarn and large needles will also make the blanket come together quickly and can hide any beginner's mistakes.

Definition of time

All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all.

Cover for my singer machine

The Making of Met Gala 2018 DeMuse Doll

Why You Should Read Every Day

1. Mental Stimulation

Studies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow the progress of (or possibly even prevent) Alzheimer’s and Dementia, since keeping your brain active and engaged prevents it from losing power.

Just like any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy, so the phrase “use it or lose it” is particularly apt when it comes to your mind. Doing puzzles and playing games also been found to be helpful with cognitive stimulation.

2. Stress Reduction

No matter how much stress you have at work, in your personal relationships, or countless other issues faced in daily life, it all just slips away when you lose yourself in a great story. A well-written novel can transport you to other realms, while an engaging article will distract you and keep you in the present moment, letting tensions drain away and allowing you to relax.

3. Knowledge

Everything you read fills your head with new bits of information, and you never know when it might come in handy. The more knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are to tackle any challenge you’ll ever face.

Additionally, here’s a bit of food for thought: should you ever find yourself in dire circumstances, remember that although you might lose everything else—your job, your possessions, your money, even your health—knowledge can never be taken from you.

4. Vocabulary Expansion

The more you read, the more words you gain exposure to, and they’ll inevitably make their way into your everyday vocabulary.

Being articulate and well-spoken is of great help in any profession, and knowing that you can speak to higher-ups with self-confidence can be an enormous boost to your self-esteem. It could even aid in your career, as those who are well-read, well-spoken, and knowledgeable on a variety of topics tend to get promotions more quickly (and more often) than those with smaller vocabularies and lack of awareness of literature, scientific breakthroughs, and global events.

Reading books is also vital for learning new languages, as non-native speakers gain exposure to words used in context, which will ameliorate their own speaking and writing fluency.

5. Memory Improvement

When you read a book, you must remember an assortment of characters, their backgrounds, ambitions, history, and nuances, as well as the various arcs and sub-plots that weave their way through every story. That’s a fair bit to remember, but brains are marvellous things and can remember these things with relative ease.

Amazingly enough, every new memory you create forges new synapses (brain pathways) and strengthens existing ones, which assists in short-term memory recall as well as stabilizing moods. How cool is that?

6. Stronger Analytical Thinking Skills

Have you ever read an amazing mystery novel, and solved the mystery yourself before finishing the book? If so, you were able to put critical and analytical thinking to work by taking note of all the details provided and sorting them out to determine “whodunnit”.

That same ability to analyse details also comes in handy when it comes to critiquing the plot; determining whether it was a well-written piece, if the characters were properly developed, if the storyline ran smoothly, etc.

Should you ever have an opportunity to discuss the book with others, you’ll be able to state your opinions clearly, as you’ve taken the time to really consider all the aspects involved.

7. Improved Focus and Concentration

In our internet-crazed world, attention is drawn in a million different directions at once as we multi-task through every day.

In a single 5-minute span, the average person will divide their time between working on a task, checking email, chatting with a couple of people (via gchat, skype, etc.), keeping an eye on twitter, monitoring their smartphone, and interacting with co-workers. This type of ADD-like behaviour causes stress levels to rise, and lowers our productivity.

When you read a book, all of your attention is focused on the story—the rest of the world just falls away, and you can immerse yourself in every fine detail you’re absorbing.

Try reading for 15-20 minutes before work (i.e. on your morning commute, if you take public transit), and you’ll be surprised at how much more focused you are once you get to the office.

8. Better Writing Skills

This goes hand-in-hand with the expansion of your vocabulary:

Exposure to published, well-written work has a noted effect on one’s own writing, as observing the cadence, fluidity, and writing styles of other authors will invariably influence your own work.

In the same way that musicians influence one another and painters use techniques established by previous masters, so do writers learn how to craft prose by reading the works of others.

9. Tranquility

In addition to the relaxation that accompanies reading a good book, it’s possible that the subject you read about can bring about immense inner peace and tranquillity.

Reading spiritual texts can lower blood pressure and bring about an immense sense of calm, while reading self-help books has been shown to help people suffering from certain mood disorders and mild mental illnesses.

It’s not about avoiding sadness, it’s actually about embracing the negativity in life while enjoying and coping every moment you’re going through it.

10. Free Entertainment

Though many of us like to buy books so we can annotate them and dog-ear pages for future reference, they can be quite pricey.

For low-budget entertainment, you can visit your local library and bask in the glory of the countless tomes available there for free. Libraries have books on every subject imaginable, and since they rotate their stock and constantly get new books, you’ll never run out of reading materials.

If you happen to live in an area that doesn’t have a local library, or if you’re mobility-impaired and can’t get to one easily, most libraries have their books available in PDF or ePub format so you can read them on your e-reader, iPad, or your computer screen.

There are also many sources online where you can download free e-books, so go hunting for something new to read!

There’s a reading genre for every literate person on the planet, and whether your tastes lie in classical literature, poetry, fashion magazines, biographies, religious texts, young adult books, self-help guides, street lit, or romance novels, there’s something out there to capture your curiosity and imagination.

Step away from your computer for a little while, crack open a book, and replenish your soul for a little while.

https://www.lifehack.org

Are you Self-Employed?

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The Tao of Pooh

Cremora Tart... A quintessentially South African dessert that will satisfy any sweet tooth!

This is my recipe for the Cremora Tart, as I live in the UK I cannot get Cremora so I used double cream. Luckily I can get guava at the Tesco super market.

Ingredients

250ml double cream  (250ml boiling water - 500g Cremora. Beat till creamy and thick)
1 tin condense milk
250ml lemon juice
2 packets tennis biscuits (I used malted milk biscuits - Tesco)
1 tin quavas

Beat the double cream till it starts getting firm, add lemon juice and condense milk alternatively then mix till thick and creamy.

Separate the guava and the juice, chop the guavas keep aside, dip the biscuits into the guava syrup and line the serving dish.

Add a layer of the cream over the biscuits then chopped guavas then layer of cream then layer of biscuits dipped into the guava syrup till. Repeat, allowing the cream to be the last layer at then sprinkle with crushed biscuits.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy

When God created woman...

This is one of the best posts I've read about woman... Please read it completely... it's worth it..(NOT MINE)

WOMAN. . . . . . . . .

When God created woman he was working late on the 6th day.......

An angel came by and asked." Why spend so much time on her?"

The lord answered. "Have you seen all the specifications I have to meet to shape her?"

She must function on all kinds of situations,
She must be able to embrace several kids at the same time,
Have a hug that can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken heart,
She must do all this with only two hands,"
She cures herself when sick and can work 18 hours a day"

THE ANGEL was impressed" Just two hands.....impossible!

And this is the standard model?"

The Angel came closer and touched the woman"
"But you have made her so soft, Lord".
"She is soft", said the Lord,
"But I have made her strong. You can't imagine what she can endure and overcome"

"Can she think?" The Angel asked...
The Lord answered. "Not only can she think, she can reason and negotiate"

The Angel touched her cheeks....
"Lord, it seems this creation is leaking! You have put too many burdens on her"
"She is not leaking...it is a tear" The Lord corrected the Angel…

"What's it for?" Asked the Angel..... .
The Lord said. "Tears are her way of expressing her grief, her doubts, her love, her loneliness, her suffering and her pride."...

This made a big impression on the Angel,
"Lord, you are a genius. You thought of everything.
A woman is indeed marvellous"

Lord said."Indeed she is.
She has strength that amazes a man.
She can handle trouble and carry heavy burdens.
She holds happiness, love and opinions.
She smiles when she feels like screaming.
She sings when she feels like crying, cries when happy and laughs when afraid.
She fights for what she believes in.

Her love is unconditional.
Her heart is broken when a next-of-kin or a friend dies but she finds strength to get on with life"

The Angel asked: So she is a perfect being?
The lord replied: No. She has just one drawback
"She often forgets what she is worth".

What you see in the world around you..........

Smoked Mussel Quiche

Smoked Mussel Quiche

1 Chopped onion

Punnet mushrooms

2 tins smoked mussels

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

3 eggs

4 tbs butter

125ml milk

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tbs cake flour

1 tbs aromat

Pepper to taste

Paprika to taste

Heat oven to 180C

Grease a 9-inch baking dish

Fry chopped onion in butter, add chopped mushrooms, let it cook for awhile then remove from stove.

Add smoked mussels and 2 tbs of the mussel oil.

Add grated cheddar cheese, paprika, mix gently and pour into prepared dish.

In a separate bowl beat the eggs, milk, mustard powder, cake flour, aromat and pepper, make sure all ingredients are blended.

Pour gently over the mussel mixture in the dish.

Bake for 30 min or until golden brown.

I added some chopped parsley and decorated with unpitted green olives before putting in oven.

Serve with a mixed salad.

Enjoy.

Creative ideas.

It's a BEAUTIFUL Day.