manic monday

If you could have a servant come to your house every day for one hour, what would you have them do?

A servant??
I probably just would give a coffee and have a talk.
A servant!!

On the other hand... it depends what kind of servant and what time.

In the morning I would give a psychological assistant the task to get my autistic son to school. I'm sure my bloodpressure would drop soooo much, they would fear for my life. LOL!

In the afternoon I would give him the task to get my children clean their rooms.
Supervision, some help here and there.

Has your life ever been changed by an apparently random occurrence?

Yea... isn't eveything what goes on in life ad random?
I have to believe that, otherwise there's a cause for everything that happens in my life.
Either me... I'm not THAT bad!!!
or a God... why choose me for all this? Spread it out over more people, please!!!
or a force... get lost! I've had enough!!!

You're having dinner with several friends and acquaintances. They all criticize a close friend of yours (not knowing he/she is a friend). The criticism is unjustified. What would you do?

Let them talk, ventilate, throw with mud, enforce each other.
I would keep my mouth shut and try to control my bloodpressure and try to prevent my face from radiating my anger.
Then, when they're finished, I would summarise and ask if that's right.
Then I would very calm state that I'm amazed they would even consider I'm that bad a person to have such a friend.
I would tell them calmly they're completely wrong and ask them to appologise.

I've been in such a circumstance.... argghhhHHHHHHH!!!!!


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saturday special

january 26 2007

~Creative Adventure X~

1. While on vacation in Europe I decided to visit an old landmark Inn at the top of the cliffs. The Inn was the place to stay for the rich and famous during the turn of the 20th century. As I rode along the winding road up to the top I noticed __________?:

a bagpiper. His kilt was moving in the strong wind.
He was wearing the tartan of my ancestors, and he played one of my favorite tunes.
I was caught completely in the moment.

The lamenting sounds echoed from the stone of the cliffs and faded away over the sea.

He made me think of the history that was shared so many generations. One of our ancestors walked in front of the army and led them into battle, the sound of his bagpipes signalling important messages.

Then the sun casted it's rays from behind a cloud, and i had to cover my eyes for the light.

2. Gathering my senses I continued to the Inn grounds and drove the long unkept driveway to the now abandoned building. Stepping out of my car I walked to the door and found __________?:

the remains of an old bagpipe-reed.
It was worn out, and the top of the redd was chipped. The result of rain and bad weather.

3. Entering the enormous lobby I walked to the desk and opened an old falling apart guest register and as I was reading the list of guests who were part of the past of this once famous Inn I thought I heard __________?:

bagpipe music again.

But when I went outside there was nothing, but the wind and the sun, and the white foam on the tall waves beating against the cliffs.

So I went inside again and tried to read some names in the register.

My grandmother took pride when I was young, to teach me old handwritings and reading faded entries in old diaries and grocery shop books.
Now I could see which names where entered with swirls and bows.

One of them was the name of my ancestor. The H was entered with high pressure as if he was making a statement. And behind his name it said: bagpiper.

Right after the sunlight faded away, and the grey clouds started to float inland, signalling rain.

4. Leaving this lonely ghostly place with a smile on my face I thought to myself __________?:

that I can't deny the strong bond which excists between me and Scotland.
It was a pity that I didn't take my highland bagpipes with me to the old inn, otherwise I could have played along with the lamenting song from the old times.


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friday's feast

Appetizer
How many times per day do you usually laugh?

Haha! I'm not going to count and loose my spontaneity!

Soup
What do your sunglasses look like?

Brown glasses, blue rim.

Salad
You win a free trip to anywhere on your continent, but you have to travel by train. Where do you go?

To the hightest peak.
There's a station in Switzerland that's very high. It's to the Jungfraujoch.
And I would also try to get as far away as possible.

Main Course
Name one thing you consider a great quality about living in your town/city.

Nature. There are many woods near my town. And ofcourse I hardly go there. But I've grown up there and it feels good to know they are still here.
In the summer we have a tremendously large international event, with a lot of open air music from all around the earth.

Dessert
If the sky could be another color, what color do you think would look best?

Marvellous question!!

It has been grey so long, that I long for fresh spring aqua.
But I can deal with a light-purple one. I like wine-red, but I;'m afairad the quality of light down here would not be good enough.

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works for me

We have a flashlight standing near the back door.
After some jerk stole a bycicle out of the garden I wanted one to be able to react appropriately when I hear someone during the evening or night.

I think light is a good prevention and apart from that, it helps me to see what is happening.

Last time the sound came from a hedgehog who enjoyed himself for quite a long time with a pot the children had put ready on the ground for the next day.
It was fun to see.

So, a flashlight beside the door works for me.


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Bullying at school

Bullying is a world wide problem.
Not only at schools and in the playground, but also on workplaces and everywhere else.

The line between innocent teasing and bullying is small and very personal.

With 6 children I've had plenty of time to think about it.
In how far do I want to strengthen my children so they can take it, and where do I put the limit before stepping in.

In the years I have developed a no tolerance policy.
I'm able to enforce it at home reasonably well, and children who visit know I suddenly need my children to clean their room when they start teasing or calling names. Out they go. And no need to come back here within a week.

I've even had one boy keep away for a complete month.
That was ages ago.
He's now an almost grown man, and he still remembers. Last month he said he respected me for it.
WOW!!

Drawing the lines at school has become more and more a problem.
In the past it was easy to mobilize a teacher. The feeling to want to prevent the problem to grow was enough to have a talk with pupil and parents. And the problem was stopped.

But now bullying has grown to a huge problem and the way society works hasn't made it any easier.
The government expects women to work, grandparents to work, so there is none to talk to after school, unless there's an official complaint made.
And even then the fact that the parents needs to take time free from work arouses so many emotions that the message of responsibility isn't heard anymore.

I've seen schools here change from safe and happy environments into places where children have to guard their belongings, their feelings of security and their self esteem.

And the teachers? Many feel they have lost control and regard bullying as too much to handle.

Add to that a feeling of shame and the school becomes a fortress that guards itself against peeking looks inside, and against messages from inside that seep through the cracks to the outside. No spreading of the word!

I've hated the time we had to go with the policy of school to keep problems away from the public eye.
Bullying doesn't go away by ignoring it.

So I said three times I would keep it quiet and leave matters to the school.

Now we've gone to the police.

I don't want my children to grow up with the feeling that they have to fight to stay safe and alive.

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manic monday

If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be?

I don't have to be named after one of the 50 states of the USA, so you won't get an answer on this one from me.

Where do you go for advice?

I have nowhere to go, so when I really need advice I have to find something online.

The most advice I ask online is about issues at school.
There's a special emailservice from the government and I use that.
I try to get people there motivated to ask my questions higher up, because when i don't know the answers, someone else experiences the same. That means things need to change as soon as possible.
So I try to make people who work there bring these matters under the attention of the minister.

What is the sickest you've ever been?

After my birth I was found all grey and blue, not breathing in the hospitalcraddle.

I've had meningitis when I was 4.

The most conscious near death experiences I've had when I had a terrible uterusinfection.
Before leaving the hospital I brought this to the attention of the obstetrician/gynaecologist but he said I was suffering from post partum contractions.
I phone my family doc when leaving the hospital, to come over as soon as possible.
I didn't have a fever, but I knew things were wrong.
I also left a note for a friend who is a midwife and was expected in hospital soon after I left.

When I came home I felt rather OK, but an hour later I was barely conscious.
My friend the midwife arrived, saw me, and immediately phoned a doc and ordered on his name antibiotics.
10 minutes later She sat beside me and I could only hear her talk from afar. She said not to worry, all would be OK.
She and the doc just violated about all the rules about home treatment and pushed the antibiotics in.
I survived.
But my friend told me later she didn't think I would make it. I was so ill it was not responsible anymore to wait for an ambulance.

Another time was when I lost a baby halfway pregnancy.
Luckily I was in hospital.
Another friend was visiting just after I gave birth to the baby, which couldn't live.
The gynaecologist was in the room.
We all knew each other well.
Right at the moment my friend told him I was starting to look white very fast, I felt there was a terrible bleed. I could feel life flowing away.
He looked and ran to the phone. I heard the panick in his voice, which really alarmed be and the others, because he was always as quiet as could be.
I was rushed to the operating rooms. Had to wait there, and while the nurses kept talking to me, slapping me to keep me conscious, I felt life just flowing out of me and got unconscious.

When I woke up I was surpised to be alive. (And oh boy, was I cold!)



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Aplus and credit card processing

Running your own online business is not only about setting up a nice website, it's also about setting up a safe environment for clients to pay.
Providing Visa & Mastercard Payment Solutions will mean more sales, because flawless Credit Card Accepting will speed up the shopping experience.

Many starting companies hoewever, experience problems setting up a system of
Credit Card Processing Services. It's not only that they deal with technical problems, but they also don't know where to go to get the lowest rates.
Especially international payments can be quite expensive in the end.
But this is not necessary.

Aplus is a Provider of Merchant Accounts.
By filling out the Merchant Account Application Form you'll get information and assistance on how to Setup Credit Card Processing .

Don't think that you can go about without any bonds.
Before you are able to accept credit card payments and to Process Visa Cards and other cards you need to have a merchant account.
It's a safeguerad for you and for the client, to ensure payments will reach the place they need to be, and to ensure legal rules are followed.
Click Here for Merchant Accounts .

Keep a close watch on your financial situation by not paying too much for services.
Aplus will assist you.

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mid air collision

With some regularity private planes cause accidents.

This time two small cessnas collided at 3:35 p.m. near the small Corona Municipal airport and a freeway in Riverside County, Los Angeles.

The collision in mid air caused a rain of debris and killed a man in a car.

This totalled the victims up to 4.

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unconscious mutterings

1. President :: money-competition


2. Stare :: gaze


3. Embrace :: love


4. Movie :: make one of my life. LOL!


5. Everything :: and all


6. Profile :: description


7. Satire :: cabaret


8. Erratic :: unpredictable


9. Costume :: uniform


10. Secretary :: typing

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saturday special

~My Personal Preferences~

1. Quiet evening at home or Out on the town?:

I'm having a quiet evening at home, but I'm not happy with it.
I should be with my girls at the Robert Burns night, and I'm at home,

because I didn't have a ride to get at the location. Grrrr.

2. Watching a movie or Reading a good book?:

After watching Atonement, which should be a good movie, according to so many,

I'm back to reading books. When time allows.

3. Ordering a meal or cooking one yourself?:

Cooking myself.
Ordering a mail... do you pay?

4. Going for a walk or taking a ride in the car?:

Well, as we have no car, it's either a walk or a bycicle ride.

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friday's feast

Appetizer
What is your favorite beverage?

Do you mean alcohol? Otherwise water is OK.

I don't have a favorite one, I have some favorites, and each one is a reflection of my mood.

I love Port, or Porto, as some call it.
I don't like wines, and because there's something in it what I'm not allowed to use because of a metabolic disease I never drink it. It's not in Port.
Port is for the lazy, laid back mood. For the long quiet discussion, for the time with a good friend, without clock, the slow drifting into the night.

I like Beerenburger.
It's a spirit made in the North of The Netherlands from local herbs.
It's dynamic, strong, fresh, and one way or another I can drink as much as I want and never get ill nor drunk.
It for being with friends and have fun and loud discussions. It makes me laugh and aware.

And I like whisky. Not the cheap one, the water with a taste. But the good golden glow where the scottish hills step in and one feels one can withstand the heaviest storms.
Well, I guess it's a bagpipers thing to drink it on every occassion.
But to be honest: when the taste is water with alcohol the plants die where I have been. LOL!
I like the old versions, that one can roll in the glass like cognacm and that makes one wants to smell it all the time.

Funny is I hardly raise a glass, I almost never drink.
Once in 3 months is much nowadays.
But maybe that makes me appreciate a quiet glass even more.

Oh and eh... when I drink, I use a good piece of Old Amsterdam with it.
That's a strong old cheese.
Well, I'm Dutch and we're cheese eaters.

Soup
Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work.

Didn't I mention this last week too?

Right now:

coffee
lipcare
and a little bear I have to babysit for a little child here in the neighbourhood.


Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are?

9.
I'm very honest and straightforward, but I tell a white lie now and then to keep pthers happy.

Main Course
If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why?

I need a couple of years to think about this question.
I don't want to hurt people by changing the name of their town.

But maybe, maybe I want to change the name of a little city.. well, it's a street and a few houses, somewhere in the USA and it's called: The Netherlands.

Some people in a group thought that I was living there instead of in the marvellous country called: The Netherlands.

Dessert
What stresses you out? What calms you down?

What stresses me out:
Onprofessionalism in people who claim to be high standing professionals.
People who lie and cheat to get what they want.
People who don't stick to the law (like that careteam at school).

What calms me down:
The sea,
Making or listening music,
Getting on top of a situation.

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Appetizer
What is your favorite beverage?

I don't have a favorite one, I have some favorites, and each one is a reflection of my mood.

I love Port, or Porto, as some call it.
I don't like wines, and because there's something in it what I'm not allowed to use because of a metabolic disease I never drink it. It's not in Port.
Port is for the lazy, laid back mood. For the long quiet discussion, for the time with a good friend, without clock, the slow drifting into the night.

I like Beerenburger.
It's a spirit made in the North of The Netherlands from local herbs.
It's dynamic, strong, fresh, and one way or another I can drink as much as I want and never get ill nor drunk.
It for being with friends and have fun and loud discussions. It makes me laugh and aware.

And I like whisky. Not the cheap one, the water with a taste. But the good golden glow where the scottish hills step in and one feels one can withstand the heaviest storms.
Well, I guess it's a bagpipers thing to drink it on every occassion.
But to be honest: when the taste is water with alcohol the plants die where I have been. LOL!
I like the old versions, that one can roll in the glass like cognacm and that makes one wants to smell it all the time.

Funny is I hardly raise a glass, I almost never drink.
Once in 3 months is much nowadays.
But maybe that makes me appreciate a quiet glass even more.

Oh and eh... when I drink, I use a good piece of Old Amsterdam with it.
That's a strong old cheese.
Well, I'm Dutch and we're cheese eaters.

Soup
Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work.

Didn't I mention this last week too?

Right now:

coffee
lipcare
and a little bear I have to babysit for a little child here in the neighbourhood.


Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are?

9.
I'm very honest and straightforward, but I tell a white lie now and then to keep pthers happy.

Main Course
If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why?

I need a couple of years to think about this question.
I don't want to hurt people by changing the name of their town.

But maybe, maybe I want to change the name of a little city.. well, it's a street and a few houses, somewhere in the USA and it's called: The Netherlands.

Some people in a group thought that I was living there instead of in the marvellous country called: The Netherlands.

Dessert
What stresses you out? What calms you down?

What stresses me out:
Onprofessionalism in people who claim to be high standing professionals.
People who lie and cheat to get what they want.
People who don't stick to the law (like that careteam at school).

What calms me down:
The sea,
Making or listening music,
Getting on top of a situation.

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sponsored blogging

Well, I guess the page rank of this blog has died under my hands.

I thought things like this happened to surgeons, but not to bloggers.

Yesterday it was rank 3, today it's 0.

Well, after the value of my saved dollars was cut in half during the recession, putting the smallpipes I was going to buy out of reach again.

I just needed 50 dollars more.

Slowly I was saving towards the needed amount again...towards realising a very old dream.

And now the rank of my blog has dropped to zero, so I can wave sponsored blogging bye bye.

I found out in a rather rotten way:

Put all my effort in blogging for a task I was choosen for.
But it was rejected, because over night google didn't like me anymore.

It's clear that we bloggers are used, and thrown away when there isn't a number attached to us anymore.

While I was at the psychiatrist hearing that my fourth boy has autism spectrum disorder too, the last bit of fun, an instrument to realise a hobby, and maybe a way to start earning some money by bagpiping at weddings and funerals, this last bit of fun for me is blown out of the window.

It makes me feel sick.

The way I was told was not "Sorry...I've found out that your blog...". Oh no!!
It was robotlike unkind.
Like I accepted a task I shouldn't have, like I knowingly accepted to write something...

Well, I wrote some nice pieces of blogadvertisement.
Was one of the many that enable those mediating firms to excist, that enable people to have a well paid job, was one of the many that provide links for advertisers, and I always gave more links than they needed.
All for a few dollars.......

Well, let's say I'm happy I didn't have the time to convert sponsored blogging into a joblike enterprise, otherwise I would have lost an income.

Now I've just lost a dream.

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NationalRelocation.com

Friends in the USA are in real trouble, financially.

Last week they decided to move to a cheaper part of the country and buy a far cheaper house.

They have been lucky.
Jim is a very good, almost professional, DIYer and he has done so much to his house that even in this terrible time for selling houses he has gained some money by selling the house.

We're now going through all the insurances to see how and how much he can save on them.

Because I have very good experiences with NationalRelocation.com I have adviced him to read the information on the site and ask for quotes.
It doesn't cost anything else than a few minutes and he can save a lot of money.

NationalRelocation.com offers all sorts of information on real estate relocation and insurances.
You can find houses, apartments, condos for rent or lease.
You can even find schools on a map, so you can find the nearest schools without a problem.

Beside taking a responsible decision about the new mortgage, my friend should at least cover three areas which enable him to rearrange his families financial life:

• life insurance


• car insurance


• home insurance

It's important to make a list of what a family really needs and what is additional luxury.
You can compare that list to what insurances offers.
Read all the little letters, so when you sign something you are fully informed and you have made the best choice you have made.

We discoeverd that one of my friends insurances was made under pressure. He was told he could get the offer only when he signed that same day.
Never ever accept that you are forced in such a way.
A good insurance gives you plenty of time to inform yourself.

When you're not sure, ask advice and compare.

NationalRelocation.com offers you the information to do so.

You want to save money without putting your financial security at risk.

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guestparents

Now so many mothers are working a simple babysitter is not enough to are for the children.

Apart from daycare and schools there are grandparents, friends, and family members who take care of little children against a fee from the government.

There's nothing wrong in paying these people for what they do, but when they receive payment from the government there should be quality requirements.

These requirements are listed now, and a controlsystem has been developed.

This should give the parents the quarantee the children are kept in a safe, clean and sound environment.


The Netherlands

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autism research

Joseph Piven, M.D., Director of the Neurodevelopmental Disorders Research Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and an ACNP member, and researcher has found indications that a larger brain is connected with development of autism.
How it works precisely is unknown, but the correlation will be investigated.
The study is part of the new Autism Centers of Excellence funded by the National Institutes of Health.

More than 500 infant siblings of autistic individuals will be examined with magnetic resonance imaging at the University of North Carolina, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Washington University of St. Louis and the University of Washington in Seattle.
Siblings of autistic children will be examined at 6, 12 and 24 months. Some of them are expected to develop autistic behavior during the course of the study.

Knowing the cause of autism might shed light on the treatment.

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flu

We can't seen to get rid of the flu.

It's like it's turning circles in the house.

I think the girls bring it back into the house when it's gone.
They're the first who cough and snif.

Apart from giving them as healthy food as possible I air the house very regularly and keep it clean well.

What more can I do?

Put everyone in isolation?

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unconscious mutterings

1. Dream big :: about an elephant or money


2. Competition :: don't like it


3. Torn :: between two lovers


4. Modeling :: clay


5. Coaster :: try sailing between windturbines


6. Slut :: certainly not me


7. Spread :: sandwhich spread


8. Amanda :: a quite little girl living nearby


9. Romance :: love


10. Paradise :: I want to go there

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Gaines Manufacturing mailboxes

One of the troubles all houses here in the neighbourhood have: bad doorbells.
So I decided to go and have a look around.
I love waterglass victorian doorbells.

Wouldn't it be great to have a reliable doorbell on all houses?

And then I realised I've always wanted one of the real Gaines Mailboxes.

Gaines Manufacturing stands for nostalgia and renewal alike.
The Gaines Classic Mailbox is internationally known for it's solidity and it's marvellous look as are the Keystone Mailboxes.

There's a fair amount of colourchoice and one can even choose the materials of the ornaments.
Or choose for a Signature Keystone Mailbox.

The customer service is outstanding. Each package contains a drill bit, for example, so one can put the mailbox to use as soon as possible.

Our gardens are not large enough to keep the postman out, so we don't need an Original Keystone Mailbox, but we can do with one hanging on the wall.

Maybe we have to wait untill the new neighbour has settles in and then discuss the look of the part between the houses.

I know Gaines Manufacturing has so much choice that most of the people need time to decide.
Did you know there's even a Gaines Pedestal Mailbox?

Well, Gaines Manufacturing is always willing to give advice and enable a choice thsa will please you for many many years.

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hair color

The girls had a lot of fun at school.

They're at an age that they giggle about everything.

Today one of the main events was that one of the more boring teachers had her hair painted red.
Not a bit red...but ... RED!!!

I can only imagine how the teachers must have felt under the critical looks of the girls.

I remember painting my hair and it turned out carrot-orange.
Washing my hair made it look even worse, and as the shops were closed and I really had to go to work, I had to face countless people on the streets and in the train looking back and telling each other to look.

Oh my dear!!

At the hospital where I worked I asked permission to go to the hospital hairdresser.
We were never allowed to go there, but this time I was.

I was so relieved when I could face my collegues with brown hair. A bit too brown.. but none cared.

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I just read about a near collision at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Atlanta.

Just 3 seconds were between the two airplanes.

3 seconds between life and death!!!


You can read it here

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early diagnosis autism

A research group here at the university work hard to create a test to diagnose autism and autism spectrum disorder as early as possible.

Accounts of parents has made scientists aware that there is no need to wait untill a child is older than a certain age in order to get a proper diagnosis.

When my son was about 12 they aid that was the perfect age to diagnose.
During the next yeras the age lowered and now toddlers and even babies can be diagnosed.

In the USA pediatricians want a double screening at age 2.

But even before that age there are very clear signs:

Not wanting to look the parbnt in the eyes
no babbling
not reaching for toys
not listening to the name
not smiling at 4 months when the baby hears the voice of mom or dad

or loosing already gaines skills, like talking.

Ofcourse children can display strange behaviour at any time during development.
So one always needs to be careful to ascribe individual symptoms to autism.

My autistic boy got no official diagnosis when he was little.
When I said I had the feeling he was creating a distance between us people told me that maybe he didn't like the smell of my clothes, so I should get other detergent and laundry softener.

But I was lucky to have studied autism long before it got into the dictionary of the regular home physician and Pedriatric doc.

From early on I taught my son to look at me, and to look me in the eyes.
Just like parents of deaf children focus the attention on the mouth to enable a child to learn lipreading, I pointed to my eyes and his, to make the connection clear.

When he uttered noises to get something to drink, I told him the word, and gave nothing.
It was hard to do, but I felt it was the only way to get him out of his coccoon.

It made clear to me that with thourough training, conditioning if you like, an autistic child can learn socially acceptable behaviour.

But I've never been able to stop him completely from having meltdowns.
I can prevent most of them, or stop them right at the beginning.

My experience makes clear that autistic children can be trained to display certain behaviour.
The younger a child is, the less it will resist this training.

So the call to have children screened at a very early age is mine too.

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CSkills provides all information for career planning in the construction industry

Had a long talk with a fellow bagpiper who works in construction.
Last year he married and now a little one is on his way. (Yes, it's a boy!)

He never cared for anything like career development, because he had a job he liked and didn't want to do anything else, but now he feels more responsibility towards his family.

It's nice to see that he's moved from accepting the diplomas he's got to wanting to develop his skills and achieve relevant industry certification.

I told him about CSkills, a partner in ConstructionSkills - the
Sector Skills Council for Construction.
It's a site that provides a tremendous lot of information on career progression for people who work in or around the construction industry.

We've made a plan.
He'll apply for membership of Membership of a professional organisation at the appropriate level.
He'll make a file containing descriptions of the jobs he's had and statements of his former employers that he had been able to meet the required standards of competence.
He'll also make a curriculum vitae, so when he wants to apply for a job there's no need to stress about making one.

Being propared also involves staying up to date with the developments within the profession.
He wasn't aware of the the latest health and safety legislation. He relied on the information his employers give him, but it's better to be prepared well and to inform yourself.

On the site he did the health and safety test, and he read all the information available.

We agreed to meet each other tomorrow and discuss his plans for the near future and see which skills and knowledge he needs. The site provides information about courses, so I hope we'll be able to make the decision which course he's going to take first.

The sooner he starts the more he has done when the baby is born.
That way he ensures he'll be better certified in 2010.

I told him about the grants that are available for employers, which might be of benefit for him and his collegues. He didn't know anything about them, but now knows where to find important information.
When you want to manage your own training it's always important that your employer backs you, and when more money is involved that'll help.

The site provides even more information.

I'm so glad it's of help for him and his collegues and employer.

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and she was amazing...she is!!

We've had a talk a school about one of the girls.

She's had a difficult time with a bad teachers three years ago, and we've always thought she's intelligent, but not too good at doing schoolwork.

Well, I'm not thinking that anymore.

Looking back she has taken a year of relaxation after that bad year, started to work last year, and now she's at full speed.

Last year the teachers asked us to enable her to do the year again.
She didn't want to.
I told her that meant very hard work to keep up with the others... eh... to get at the same level as the others.

A few months ago she wasn't at the level of maths and a few other subjects as other children her age.

And now she's OK.

Next year she can apply for a place at the school she wants to go to, and not at the lowest level.

This girl is petite, but when she wants something she goes for it.

I told her: "amaze the world."
She did!

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Friends

It's such a pity I had an appointment this morning.

A few friends living near New York decided to go shopping and it would have been great to accompany them.

Ofcourse they all took the time to inform me about what they've bought and especially what they've talked about.

I can make a book from all the mails about new friends, silly events and everything else. LOL!

Well, it's almost weekend.

There's a lot that needs to be done, including tidying and cleaning.
I need to make place for a new desk.
The neighbour doesn't take it with her when she moves, and as it's the desk I always wanted...

But I really need to make space....

If I only knew how.

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Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery can help you change your body.

Now the holidays are over people are confronted with the extra curves and other outer signs of unwanted bodychange.

There are several options to deal with it.
Diet and exercise are the less invasive methods, but they don't always give the wished results.
There might be loss of weight, but often the problem-areas won't disappear.

Liposuction is the fastest way to deal with these areas.
It's one of the most used surgical procedures and the techniques are under constant development.
This calls for specialisation and that's why Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery decided to develop it's own specialised centre: LipoPlus.
It's also known as Beverly Hills liposuction, because each individual person gets a star treatment.
After careful examination the plastic surgeon will recommend a type of liposuction procedure and a recovery program fit to your individual needs.
You won't have much pain, because painkilling is an integral part of the treatment.

Some women want more extensive make-over and consider more plastic surgery.

Loosing weight often shows at the breasts in an unpleasant way.
Breast implants enable women to keep their feel of femininity so they opt for breast augmentation.
It's important to have no unrealistic expectations.
At the clinic women are clearly informed about possible risks or complications, what results to expect, and how the procedure is performed.

Dr. Lloyd Krieger, Medical director of Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery, has lots of experience and he's always willing to give good advice.

But whatever you consider, a healthy diet combined with exercise is an absolute must to feel energetic.

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friday's feast

january 11 2008

Appetizer
What is your middle name? Would you change any of your names if you could? If so, what would you like to be called?

I have no middle name.

Soup
If you were a fashion designer, which fabrics, colors, and styles would you probably use the most?

Give me a chance and I'll show you. I've always wanted to be a fashion designer.
I would use colourfull clothes for the day.
Absorbing and breathing material, so you won't have those sweaty patches or the feel you're stuck in a plastic bag.
Lots of pockets, either loose or hidden.
Something you'll feel elegant in, but won't break you're neck because it doesn't stretch when you slip off the sidewalk.

Evening: more of one tone, or larger colour areas.

I can't tell my style, because noone has invented a name for it, yet.

Salad
What is your least favorite chore, and why?

Cleaning after people.
Come on... with 8 people in the house... It seems to be all I do.

Main Course
What is something that really frightens you, and can you trace it back to an event in your life?

Hmmm.. have to think about that.
I've an inborn fear for large spiders and snakes.

I don't like a sudden cold shower, because it literally takes my breath.

Dessert
Where are you sitting right now? Name 3 things you can see at this moment.

At my own place at the desk.
I can see a waterglass, my glasses and a little santa that's glued on the computer this christmas.

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Couscous recipe

Slice an union into little squares and melt them in a pan with a little bit of butter.

Boil water in another pan, add some salt, a tiny piece of butter or two drops of oil and a bit of broth.
Add couscouss.

Add minced meat to the glacy unions and bake it, while "chopping it into little pieces.
Add salt, white pepper and nutmeg.

Take boiled carrots, green beans and fresh tomatoes.
Put them in a blender shortly, so they will be little pieces, no sause.
When the meat is ready, add this mixture and make warm.

Take a cucumber and slice it in the length, and again, so you get lang thin pieces.

When the couscous is ready lay it on a plate like a half ball.
Make a hole in the middle and pour the meat mixture in.
Around you can lay the cucumberpieces.
Serve with salat if you like.

Eat well.

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RBS six nations - only the best for rugby fans

Have you seen the RBS 6 Nations Official Website?

It's the official website for Europe's premier international rugby tournament: the 6 nations championship.
6 nations compete for the title: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy.

The site is full of the latest news (and archived news, so you can always find what you want to know), there are comprehensive lists of tournament fixtures and results and the pages of the countries and ofcourse there's news about other tournaments, and the all time stats.

I for myself love the photogallery and the fanzone, where I can find wallpapers, venue guides, games, podcasts, mobile, team RBS, competitions and ofcourse the newsletter.

While browing through the site I found a photo with some of my scottish friends. I'm sure they haven't seen it yet, so it'll be fun to hear their reactions.
All the photos are very sharp, so it's creating a feel to be present at the scene.

I've just seen the video of the latest rugby game and completely lost track of time. (When you can't reach the url, this one works: http://www.rbs6nations.com/en/home.php)

I appreciate the fact that the site ios translated in french and italian, so all fans can enjoy this marvellous sites.

To me it's the best of its kind.

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cat

There's a new cat in the neighbourhood.

I saw it's head under the gardengate a few days ago, but before I could look twice it was gone.
Some of the birds screamed and yelled, but the cat must have been very quiet as thing got silent soon.

This morning the blackbird signalled unknown entrance in our garden.
So I had a look.

And there it was. A brown furry animal, looking curiously.

He's not as stubborn as the red cat, because I took one step outside the door and it jumped and then ran off.

I wonder who's cat it is.

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ADHD

Two of my children have a different type of attention disorder.
I like it to be informed well and I always value good oversights and explanations.

I've found a site that give a good overview here.

In the sideline the discussion is mentioned between professionals that state that attention disorders are just the natural differences between people and the professionals that ADHD is a biological/neurological disorder.

My oldest has got ADD.

It's often said it's ADHD without the hyperactivity.

Forget it!

It's a complete different disorder.

He can focus when he's able to control the input to his brain. So he can play a computergame, read a book, and watch a movie.
But oh my dear when you distract him.
It means you'll pull him out if his selfmade prison and expose him to far too many influences.

He can stay kind and listening, but when you ask him what you have said he will use all he has to escape from giving an answer.
He just doesn't remember.
Either because his mind is clinging to what he was doing in a desperate attempt not to forget what he was doing, or because he can't make a choice between impulses.
He needs to focus his mind a 102% to puzzle all the impulses into meaningful information.

My ADHD son can do many things at once.
He's not paying attention during conversation it seems but when you ask him he will convery the message loud and clear...only you will have the job to choose between a lot of information he just pours out over you.
When you were telling him a story life was not on halt. A fly was flying to the window and landed just a cm under the curtain, there was a faint smell of the lemon in the ktichen and the neighbour started his car.

There two are not opposites on a line...they're different. Completely different.

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At BullionVault.com you can keep your wealth stable

Just another 14 days and it's Robert Burns night again.
It's a traditional Scottish festivity, celebrated around the world by many who feel tied to Scotland. Bagpipers included.

For this year I planned to have smallpipes and surprise my fellow bandmembers with a nice piece of music, which sounds completely different from the highland pipes we all have.

Well. It won't happen.
I'm earning my money in dollars and I need to buy my bagpipes in Euros.
I should have been able to buy my smallpipes last month, but with the drop of the dollar, I'm just over halfway.
It feels so sad.... so sad....

It reminded me of the mother of a friend who gave him a gram of gold each year, and urged him to invest regularly in a few more grams, so he would always have something to fall back on.

Gold keeps it's value, no matter what happens.
Money doesn't.

In the past money was backed up with gold that was kept safely and carefully somewhere hidden. The gold wasn't used, so it didn't loose weight at all.
This golden standard is abandoned last century, and money is now backed by the faith that it's worth a certain amount of desirable products.

Inflation has caused the value of money to drop.
I can now only buy half of my smallpipes with my welldeserved earned money.

To influence the value of money more money is printed or it's taken off the market.
But the amount of gold always stays the same.

In a way money is still an indicator of how the economical situation of the world is.
When there's inflation the prize of gold goes up.

In a way gold still is guarding the economy.
It prevents governments to pump too fast too much new money into circulation, because when the value of the money drops too low too many people want to buy gold, and the value of money will change. Etc etc.

Even now the different currencies are not backed up by gold anymore, it's still a better investment than anything else in currency.

When buying gold you can invest in jewelry, coins or bare gold.
Ofcourse jewelry offers added pleasure, as do coins for the collector, but one has to consider that thare are manufacturer and shippingcosts and such have to be paid, so you'll get less for your money than when you buy bare gold.

Gold is made in bars.
They are large, usually 400 troy ounces each (12.4kg). Length is about 11 inches (28 cm) and purity is above 99.5%.
The professional market doesn't allow you to own part of a bullion bar, because they want to keep the weight of the bars stable. They're not moved, but are carefully kept in bullion vaults recognized and monitored by the local gold dealing community.
Because of this the gold isn't checked by buyers, which reduces costs. That's why they're called good delivery bars.

BullionVault.com is one of the places where you can buy professional market gold in a trusted and internationally acknowledged environment and keep it in any quantity in officially recognized bullion vaults in London (UK), New York (USA), or Zurich (Switzerland).

BullionVault.com enables individual gold buyers to trade on-line in increments as small as 1 gram - currently about $20.

Costs are kept low because of many reasons carefully explained at the site of BullionVault.com.

BullionVault.com has nearly 5 tonnes of gold in its vaults.
It's a transparent business. All client holdings are reconciled every day and published online using anonymous aliases. Protection of privacy is very important.

All the information you need is available at the site.

You can find the dynamic real time gold price at the gold price chart.
(Oh, it makes me feel I should have bought some grams of gold just two hours ago, so I could sell them right now at a far higher prize.)

Like I said, BullionVault.com provides all information needed. And more.
You can get more insight in the subject by reading the get started guide, the research section and all the other pages.

Because not everyone has enough english language skills to understand it all the site is translated in German, French and Italian.
And the goldprizes are given in dollars, english pounds and euros.

Now there are so many changes going on the national and international markets, leading to skyrocketing of prizes, like of oil. Now new participants are taking part in the world economy, like China, we need something to endure our money is worth the same over a few years, or over a lot of years.

Gold does this for you.

Think about it.

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People are not aware of new laws and rules

Talking with a couple of mothers made me aware of the fact that people aren't informed at all about changes in legislature and rules involving schools.
So matters that are of utmost importance to children and parents are not communicated well or at all.

Last year I've found out several times that not even teachers and coördinators know the laws that have been created to protect children that are ill for instance.
Or the laws that are made to ensure that schools take the responsibility to protect the safety of children.

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final exams and books!

I had such different plans for the evening...

But it turned out the boys have to have a book and a lot of questions about it finished for tuesday.

One of the boys has read the book, but can't remember everything.
My autistic boy just panicks when he has to read a whole book, and so the afternoon was crap, and we're now confronted with the fact that I have to read the booklet, otherwise I can't help my son with finding the answers.

I've read the book when I was at school, and went through all the moves to get the assignment finished, but I can't remember a thing about the book.

Jamaica inn... one of the books that are most used for final exams.

We can't use internet stuff, because the teacher can trace where the answers come from within a moment.

So guess what I'll be doing tomorrow morning, instead of vaccuuming, cleaning and decorating the rest of the tree?

Arggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

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Keurig Coffee maker at Wise.com

In The Netherlands "keurig" means neat, nice, well cared for, with an undertone of homeliness, family spirit.

So even before I have seen the coffee machines of Keurig, I have already a certain image, and I have to tell you, I'm not disappointed.

The Keurig one cup coffee machines fit the image perfectly.
Especially the Special Edition B60 keurig coffee maker.

According to Wise.com I'm not standing alone.
947 users have given their opinion and they have ranked this machine at a wise rank of 97 which is very high.

In case you don't know Wise.com:
It's a site where consumers can give their opinion about all sorts of products.
Their ranking is weighted with the ranking of experts, leading to one overal wise rank.

So you can choose a product based on the experience of others.
Above the rank the best prize online is provided, with a link to the shops where you can buy the product. In addition the shipping costs are listed, so you can make a well informed choice.

In the case of my favorite coffee maker it means I have the choice for extra costs for shipping of $11.25 or nothing. Not a difficult choice.LOL!

Since I discovered Wise.com it's a well used bookmarked site.
The itemdiscriptions are to the point and detailled, so I know even better what I'm buying than when I'm standing in a shop and have to rely on information on the box or of a salesperson.

Ofcourse I like the fact that I can share my own experiences too.

Have a look, and let me know what you think.

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the bully and the pen

Yesterday one of the girls came home for lunch.

She was angry with a boy at school.

Because his pen was empty he asked her if he was allowed to use one of her.
Ofcourse she was OK.

When the lesson was ended she asked her pen back, and he wouldn't hand it over.
When she stood up to take it fromhim, he walked to the cabinet and when he came back he had a tape on the pen with his name on it.

As it was her favorite pen, she got really angry and grasped it out of his hands.

He threatened her...

She has learned a lot last year, because I've always backed her up in her decisions, gave her advice and got the teacher on her back in such a way (involving the press always is a good threat!), that her teacher takes action everything she gets a signal of bullying.

So a little letter was enough to get things in motion again.

I hate those little boys.... just like I hated them when I was young.

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repeating

I don't like that some people don't take the effort to listen well.
One of them is the father of the children.

Today is one of those days he wants to take it easy.

That means he situates himself on the couch with the remote, and right after I've said I want to see a special program, he zaps to a detective and that's it.

One of the boys reminded him: "Mam wants to see something."

"Oh".

"Well, she said it loud and clearly"

The rest of the evening it's the same.
Whatever one of us says, he immediately asks: "what?"

So we keep repeating and we start feeling like we're growing feathers and are turning into parrots.

At last I tell him to give himself time to have his brains process what is said.

Interestingly enough that helps.

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Choose where to play at Dex Casino

They're building a new casino here. Near the renewed shopping centre.
I'm not sure if they planned it with the thought in mind that women can go shopping and men can go to the casino, or if they want to keep the area crowded both during the days and the evenings.

Talking with people who went to the former casino reveals that they have changed their focus from real life casino to online casinos, and they doubt if they'll change back to the bussy and noisy offline experience.

Being online means being able to concentrate, have your own kind of music, company and your own kind of drink.

And there's more choice online... that's fur sure.

Dex Casino online is a site that reviews the best and most trusted casinos online.
This is done by a highly experienced team, who review each online casino with an eye for detail and understanding of what players really want.
This is clearly reflected on the site itself, where each casino is efficiently described, so anyone can make a well documented choice.

I like the fact that on this site the experience is described and one doesn't fall back on simple ratings one sees so often.
Creating an image and a feel, make the choice where to play so much easier. And the look of the site is already a preparation of the joy of playing at the casino itself.

Whether it's solitaire or free poker, always realise that you have to set limits for yourself.
Playing online is very addictive.

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noise

We woke up because there was a lot of noise.

One of the people in the street tried to start his motor and he couldn't.

He was so angry that he closed the door behind his back with so much force that the whole block of houses trembled.
Even my kids never managed to do so.

An hour later the garage people arrived.
Radio on.
While they were trying to repair the motor music sounded through the whole street.
What a mess!

Maybe I haven't read the papers well and missed the announcement that this is the most noisy day of the year.

Before the garage men left, the council cleaningcar was moving through our street, only adding to the noise.

I felt like taking my highland bagpipes and start playing in the middle of it all.

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Affordable search engine optimization by Customer Magnetism

You can have a wonderful business and/or site, but when you can't be found at the first page of the searchengines you won't be as successful as you want.
You can't be, because people won't see the link to your site.

To get a better search engine placement, called search engine optimization you can study a lot, and you need to, and still not get the desired results.

Customer Magnetism is a firm with a team that is completely dedicated to getting your site to the top of the search engine ranking and according to many satisfied customers: they succeed to do so.
They have already experienced that a top listing generates more sales than other forms of advertising combined.

Customer Magnetism is specialised in getting clients and their sites at the top of the natural rankings.
(That means that their site is at the top of the main part of the search engine results.)
One of the reasons is that they know a lot about keywords, metatags and other ways of search engine optimization. Most searchengines also take into account how many links are incoming links from quality websites, and a main part of the fee is spend on link building services.

The last 10 years search engine marketing has become a real profession.
Customer Magnetism voted #1 by Promotion World and thus the Best Link Popularity Service and voted the winner of the Organic Optimization category by Top SEOs.

When you're interested in search engine advertising, go to the site and have a look yourself. You can find a lot of advice and ofcourse information about their affordable services.

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manic monday

What was the last thing you regret buying?

I bought online a jacket that should fit a certain look for a special occasion.
The measurements were not what they were told they would be, so it´s a miss.
Well, one of the girls will fancy it.

If you had a crystal ball that could tell you the truth about any one thing you wished to know about yourself, life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?

Pff. That´s a difficult question.
I don´t want to take away my dreams, my hopes, challenges, efforts.

I had a friend once. He was as a brother to me.
Because I critized the way he always was able to choose for himself, instead of looking what was important to and for his child, he said goodbye to me.

I've always hoped he would understand where I came from and that I said it out of care and love for both of them.

Yes, that's what I want to know. If he ever came past his hurt ego, and if we ever will be friends again.

How do you know when you're in love?

I can't stop thinking about him, I feel pretty, my phantasy is working overhours, I dress better....


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personalized candy bars

So, the year started out well.

Now we have to chew ourselves through the taste of january.

That's a bussy month here.
Not only because the schools have a lot of meetings this year, which is a real job with 6 kids, but we also have 5 birthdays in our house, and some others elsewhere. And we have some other festivities.

Time to find the right party favors, hand outs and little presents.

One of the kids found this site: CandyUnderCover.com, and it seems the perfect site to buy all in once.

Candy Under Cover stands for the finest Belgian milk chocolate covered with custom made candybar wrappers.

The whole idea started with the preparations of a birthdayparty in 1998.
Cheryl Salto wanted something else than the usual treats for the schoolmates of her son.
Now she owns CandyUnderCover.com and AllinOneFunFavors.com, two online shops selling quality items.

The idea of personalized candy bars was a golden one.
Her chocolate bar favors can be used at every occassion.
There are: personalized kids candy bars, bridal shower candy bars, bar mitzvah candy bars and bat mitzvah candy bars, and christening favors.

A friend use the bars to announce the birth of her son at her office and it was a huge success.
People didn't only have a nice bit of chocolate. Many kept the nice wrapper. Some laminated it, others put it in their scrapbook.

Another friends used the edible wedding favors along with the candy bar thanks million, which was a nice and sweet combination.

I've decided to make a special design for our own family chocolate bar. So the children can use it as treats at school, and i can use it as a thank-you, or as a special gift.

I'm sure it'll be a huge success!

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unconscious mutterings

1. Mist :: fog


2. Eating :: weight


3. Beacon :: sign


4. Speaker :: Lady speaker


5. Episodes :: temper


6. Conference :: meeting


7. Sneak attack :: mean


8. Medic :: doctor or paramedic


9. Web :: WWW


10. 2008 :: started out well

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saturday special

~It's Dinner Time~

1. Standard Oven or Microwave?:

Microwave.
We don't have room for a standard oven, but the function is added to the microwave.
I like the old fashioned cake... you know. A bit golden brown on the outside.
Lemoncakes are microwaved though.

2. Fry or Bake?:

We waved the fryingpan goodbye last year.
No frites in large quantities anymore, but a moaning father who goes to get the frites.

I bake things.
I hate greasy things, so I use only a little bit of oil (wok) or butter. Sometimes not even that.

3. Cooking or Fast Food Meals? Why?:

Cooking.
Fast food is far too expensive with a family of 8 and they always are still hungry afterwards.

I don't like cooking though, only when it's for special occasions.

But hey, the herds have to eat.

4. Sit Down or On The Run Dinners?:

We don't have much On The Run Dinners here, because that's not the national custom. (I'm in The Netherlands).
We have dinner at 17.00 or 18.00 hours and whoever is at home has to sit down.
It's a bit difficult to run with soup. LOL!

Those who are not at home will have to eat with their dad who arrives at 19.30 hours.


Happy New Year!!

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Lockers

I can't believe it!

I've quit the management of school many, many years ago, but now they need renewal of the lockers I've been called.

I guess they wanted the easy way out.

But I'm not a fool.

I've arranged a meeting about the subject. When I have to invest, I'd better get the things at the school the parents and students want, instead of the cheap, insecure and smelly solution.
Lockers can be a dump of germs and mess, but they can also be a great way to assist the school and everyone else.

Lockerixchange is for me the place to order new Lockers.
No discussion about it.

When they want to have new School Lockers it's important to know what they are used for.

The yellow Plastic Lockers fit perfectly well in the teachers room and the individual offices.
Maybe yellow for the teachers and blue for the administration and the management.

For the students I prefer Steel Lockers or Metal Lockers. Maybe the students in the final year can have an extra wide model.

I want seperate Gym Lockers or basket lockers, which are vented, with matching Locker Benches.

I think careful consideration of what, why and where, can not only safe money but will also enhance the schoolclimate and look.

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friday's feast

When was the last time you received a surprise in the mail, and what was it?

Uh...I bet you don't mean the dentist bill, don't you?
Hmm... a real surprise... I can't remember.
Must have been a package hairshampoo. LOL!

Soup
If you could have a summer and/or winter home, where would you want it to be?

In summer I would love to walk through the snow and in the winter I long for a walk on the beach.
So what says that about me? LOL!

I don't like the extreme temperatures at all.
I'm kind of a springperson. I like the fresh mornings that are just OK enough to walk into the garden without a coat.

Salad
Pick one: pineapple, orange, banana, apple, cherry.

Banana. I'm very allergic to the rest.

Main Course
Describe the nicest piece of clothing that you own.

It's a tartan outfit I made after a description in a diary of 1894.
I also have a lace skirt with blouse set, that's far too small, but it's very beautiful. So maybe it'll fit one of the girls within a few years.

Dessert
If you could forget one whole day from your life, which day would you choose to wipe from your memory?

You'd better ask which day I would want to keep.

The day I want to whipe out is the day a policewoman phoned me at friday 18.00 hours and told me I was accused of abuse of my children.

I was so angry at her and the whole world.
I knew and I know I've never abused my children in any way.
I also knew that she accused me at that time because she wanted me to come up on monday with a statement accusing someone else they suspected. Like they can force me that way. Ha!
And I realised later that she must have called from her own house, as the shift ended at 17.00 hours. And she called as late so I couldn't reach anyone else to have the accussation confirmed.

I'm still getting mad when I remember this.

Happy new year!!


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microscope

I was asked how children of all age and be kept bussy this time of year.

Well, apart from internet, we have one special item in the house that always does the trick: a microscope.

Kids love to see, search and learn, and a microspcope provides all these opportunities.
Put water from outside under the miscroscope, a bit of leaf, a smear from whatever is smearable.

They can look up on internet which bacteria are involved, etc etc,

A microscope is the best for all ages.

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Paris, the place to be

Januari 2...

This is the date that you can learn a lot about yourself.

Are you rushing to your work, or do you want to keep the romantic feel of christmastime, or do you long for spring?

When you're living in France it doesn't really mnatter. You can find it all in Paris.

Not only is it the most romantic city of the world, it's also one of the main bussiness cities and one of the cities where spring can be sensed very early in the year.

The Paris Hôtels are ready, because they know Paris is one of the most favorite places to be for the french. They love the City of Light, and now most christmastourists are on their way home, they can roam the streets before the summerseason starts.
I often wonder how it's possible I don't feel like a rat in Paris, but feel like a Queen when I walk the stairs and streets, and admire the architecture.

with 2.2 million people live in Central Paris and another 9.9 million in the suburbs Paris is one of the largest cities in Europe. Still I can feel like I'm all alone when I'm enjoying the early morning sun.

You can enjoy this too.
When you're in England you can book for the lowest prices if the Paris Hotels at CheaperthanHotels. Many already do.
I've seen some very good offers, even at half the normal rate.

The German version, called: Hotels Deutsche, is especially designed for the German tourists and businessmen who need to find the quaranteed best offers on Paris Hotels

Paris is completely equipped for business.
Don't be amazed.
Paris produces more than a quarter of the gross domestic product (GDP) of France in 2006 with €500.8 billion.
It's the largest business district in Europe, hosting 36 of the Fortune Global 500 companies.
And many international organisations have their main office in Paris, because the city is easily accessible.

At the moment the Abrial Hotels offers it's room for a tiny bit more than half the normal prize. Conference room included.

Abrial Hotel Paris

Even the spanish can spend their romatic nights and days in the París Hoteles and book in their own language.

And these are not the only languages that represented at http://www.hotelsenfrancais.com/France/Paris.

It's great you can see photos from each hotel, as there's a variety in rooms and hotels all throughout the city.
You'll always be able to find a room that fits your requirements and/or lifestyle.
Modern, minimalistic, the 60ties, baroque.. it's all there.

Raphael Hotel Paris

Paris has a lot to offer.
Restaurants, museums, fashion. In fact you can spend all day either relaxing or working, and still feel you're on vacation.

So don't waste your time dreaming, when you can be there and enjoy the new year.

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Happy New Year!

I want to wish all my readers a very happy new year.

I hope this year will bring happiness, health and a lot more.

To me peace is very important.
Peace of mind, peace in my family and between the kids, and peace in the world.


Ok...I'm dreaming on....

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