tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53863598106153589652024-03-14T06:43:01.181-04:00The Land of LinLin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-19533822946105292272011-12-08T20:26:00.003-05:002011-12-08T20:40:14.665-05:00Win a Book of Poetry!<h2 style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://linneiswenderpoetry.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/compressedfrontcoverhr.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-50 alignleft" style="margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 15px;" title="Lifelines" src="http://linneiswenderpoetry.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/compressedfrontcoverhr.jpg?w=680" alt="" height="614" width="408" /></a></strong></h2><h2><strong>From Dec. 7 - 14, 2011 the Poetic Muselings (six Muse Conference friends) are having a crazy contest at their web site <a href="http://www.blogger.com/poetic-muselings.net">http:poetic-muselings.net</a> with a book of our poetry called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lifelines-Poetic-Muselings/dp/0981333559">Lifelines</a> as the prize.</strong></h2><br /><strong>To win, you must provide us with the most awesome answer to a few questions:</strong><br /><br /><strong> -- Who is your favorite poet?</strong><br /><br /><strong> -- What is your favorite poem?</strong><br /><br /><strong> -- Why?</strong><br /><br /><strong> Now, a cool thing about this contest is that your favorite poem may be a stand-alone you discovered -- not necessarily by your favorite poet. And the answer to the question "Why?" is the critical piece. Why did you choose this poet? Why this particular poem? What is it that resonates with you, or just won't let go?</strong><br /><br /><strong> We anticipate serious arm-wrestling and shouting by the end, as we select the ONE set of responses we feel best captures the essence of why we write, what moves us, creates unforgettable imagery . . . and we'd like your help to drive us nuts in this process. The winner will receive a copy of Lifelines, mailed to your house.</strong><br /><br /><strong> And, if you have a blog or website and would be interested in connecting to us or spreading the word, please let us know. We're starting a blogroll. </strong><br /><br /><strong> So -- thank you for reading this, and we hope you will have some fun and enter our contest.</strong> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img style="border: medium none; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=05608726-480f-459e-bbca-2b9a2226d64c" alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" /></a></div>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-23144629870335881732010-07-30T19:29:00.003-04:002010-07-30T20:24:10.818-04:00Soul Collage Blog Party<span style="font-family:Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:Tahoma;font-size:12px;" ></span></span>My two most recent cards followed by a slide show of cards on the Gulf of Mexico Crisis. Enjoy!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Summoning the Gray Fox Totem<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinx4zbINvLv-KpfC36xkNwFtSQHApMjvF_fyq6q7jvVGtmt8MdmmWpc-Gn67r0uSlXEa524C4rewqGIh6_hsE2gkkrTE8IK1fw8oo1bBpCC1dM1Do1u9lHfmKOMgkYi4YcaoVDscKz_vmJ/s1600/Summoning+the+Gray+Fox+Totem031.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinx4zbINvLv-KpfC36xkNwFtSQHApMjvF_fyq6q7jvVGtmt8MdmmWpc-Gn67r0uSlXEa524C4rewqGIh6_hsE2gkkrTE8IK1fw8oo1bBpCC1dM1Do1u9lHfmKOMgkYi4YcaoVDscKz_vmJ/s320/Summoning+the+Gray+Fox+Totem031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499847899485714210" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I Dream of Dancing But Have Two Left Feet<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4p31zRku9QAbRDL9vUr-3PLhSz0M3evwrvwhhIrE1_2H5OBYAZ7EuXmmyl74R5eXhJacm-ThEG5wdwe1-sk2AXC2p_O5gGzpJk-d1xeR9N8ivUlKZ8Z6PoO6dYIDndC_JH7nA2BKhhJb/s1600/I+Dream+of+Dancing+But+I+Have+2+Left+Feet030.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4p31zRku9QAbRDL9vUr-3PLhSz0M3evwrvwhhIrE1_2H5OBYAZ7EuXmmyl74R5eXhJacm-ThEG5wdwe1-sk2AXC2p_O5gGzpJk-d1xeR9N8ivUlKZ8Z6PoO6dYIDndC_JH7nA2BKhhJb/s320/I+Dream+of+Dancing+But+I+Have+2+Left+Feet030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499848266940027538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Gulf of Mexico Crisis Slide Show<br /><br /></div><table style="text-align: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4d5467784f444d354e6a453d0d0a&blogview=true&campaign=blog_playback_link" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to play this Smilebox slideshow" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4d5467784f444d354e6a453d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none;" height="303" width="386" /></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img alt="Create your own slideshow - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none;" height="46" width="386" /></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/slideshows/slideshow-software/" target="_blank">Slideshow</a> made with Smilebox<br /><br /><span style="font-family:Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:Tahoma;font-size:12px;" ></span></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><script src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=37331" type="text/javascript" ></script>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-86590921918676124412010-07-18T23:49:00.002-04:002010-07-19T00:06:41.234-04:00Soul Collage for the Gulf Oil Crisis<br><br>I was moved to make 7 Soul Collage cards for the healing of the Gulf of Mexico, its animals, plant life, waters and people. OK, maybe I got a bit carried away, but I was moved by the Spirit. That and a stack of awesome National Geographics. May the Spirit of Healing be upon them all. I'll be posting a card a day till I have them all posted, so keep looking till you see the dolphin card- that's the earliest one.Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-10288046971859685712010-07-17T20:11:00.001-04:002010-07-17T20:14:34.315-04:00Heal the Birds and the Marshlands<br><br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4QSsJJ2OBDq1jUVGqy6K0FQXtKwJbVTWIyKZnKCnWZt3PeY-diMn-CnCx32RIxYNlUyfUp_HAM-0vW-q8CvmFwgD-l5zm7fTAnmOr6XLdIG6sv1mCew-bdC7ad7Lts9NxbF25N3DxAEe/s1600/SC+Heal+the+Feathered+Ones012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 201px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4QSsJJ2OBDq1jUVGqy6K0FQXtKwJbVTWIyKZnKCnWZt3PeY-diMn-CnCx32RIxYNlUyfUp_HAM-0vW-q8CvmFwgD-l5zm7fTAnmOr6XLdIG6sv1mCew-bdC7ad7Lts9NxbF25N3DxAEe/s320/SC+Heal+the+Feathered+Ones012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495032666553258770" /></a>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-91111802614797126142010-07-13T18:14:00.001-04:002010-07-13T18:17:37.273-04:00Heal the Whales and the Gulf People<br><br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghb1G3YJ0RIMJantNQh-oLFaGChxhlYXbpYQolthH7mbW9HQpsZYvGZgJhRKwvP7CM13_twS1gqNmihZghqDxL4VPqETgHKp1TtcOWiJkoHXEqNXDwU9Ff1j57PlMD7JJaG4GMyO1DJCl6/s1600/Heal+the+Whales+and+Gulf+People012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 201px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghb1G3YJ0RIMJantNQh-oLFaGChxhlYXbpYQolthH7mbW9HQpsZYvGZgJhRKwvP7CM13_twS1gqNmihZghqDxL4VPqETgHKp1TtcOWiJkoHXEqNXDwU9Ff1j57PlMD7JJaG4GMyO1DJCl6/s320/Heal+the+Whales+and+Gulf+People012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493518218571086354" /></a>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-66207380005120539282010-07-11T21:22:00.001-04:002010-07-11T21:24:47.329-04:00Heal the Fishes and Plants<br><br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievxZiVNImAQt73nNLEUN5MYjea7In20A4lFw1BP8hygg9gsqxl9TtfBG3mjBkRweI0zrscq6qldZyRXtxVidKtdxfiZrX92JdxygBWsInzeSG588X9wqRYV_9EE4orAsuDfNIV1wbEzw7/s1600/SC+Heal+the+Fishes+and+Plants013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 202px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievxZiVNImAQt73nNLEUN5MYjea7In20A4lFw1BP8hygg9gsqxl9TtfBG3mjBkRweI0zrscq6qldZyRXtxVidKtdxfiZrX92JdxygBWsInzeSG588X9wqRYV_9EE4orAsuDfNIV1wbEzw7/s320/SC+Heal+the+Fishes+and+Plants013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492824282489268866" /></a>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-29235112749511946382010-07-11T21:19:00.001-04:002010-07-11T21:22:21.277-04:00Heal the Birds and the Fishermen<br><br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2ArxJQ6CDKwEPSmWnQ6mkAMQjCRAtSXilv8sFg_C1oAnF8Pat66RpYrbrjUSMoSQoI09FkglhYJ_MiJtxuqRwpXK9iM9bGxiafYzdXPNx8-aiqFDFziSkpcca-QHdajz30lfyVpyfc9K/s1600/Heal+the+Birds+and+Fishermen009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 202px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2ArxJQ6CDKwEPSmWnQ6mkAMQjCRAtSXilv8sFg_C1oAnF8Pat66RpYrbrjUSMoSQoI09FkglhYJ_MiJtxuqRwpXK9iM9bGxiafYzdXPNx8-aiqFDFziSkpcca-QHdajz30lfyVpyfc9K/s320/Heal+the+Birds+and+Fishermen009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492823492589190834" /></a><br />oLin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-40051693048421511312010-07-09T11:34:00.003-04:002010-07-09T11:38:25.467-04:00Heal the Turtles<br><br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavAUkMbwUZ1dYCbpfgiaz9U2zqBIaTf0MjX9cW06YJOapEVUiLV1gb324aj5Be8zPVkRUcikLVwOLBbTgmUTWHB7Dl2gcmHu-3Gl7k7PW1v8ThZHlbpKMUgR4J8MSc4l1rXwN_2ctwAYp/s1600/Heal+the+Turtles011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 198px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavAUkMbwUZ1dYCbpfgiaz9U2zqBIaTf0MjX9cW06YJOapEVUiLV1gb324aj5Be8zPVkRUcikLVwOLBbTgmUTWHB7Dl2gcmHu-3Gl7k7PW1v8ThZHlbpKMUgR4J8MSc4l1rXwN_2ctwAYp/s320/Heal+the+Turtles011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491930707302951138" /></a><br /><br><br>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-43652071867533518362010-07-08T21:56:00.004-04:002010-07-08T22:02:58.183-04:00Heal the Gulf People and the Coral<br><br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70FZE11nO9ov525Os7C8cDdGeT5Ad6JUtBbiN8sB5Hhm49zoQDMdL3ya43u42TTrtGZeSLywg0YnOdVP348ipSV9R56xPU7qho01GfBt3XsjEgr2IUmKrjTb9MmFY5yNXYP6w3Zgi8AmG/s1600/SC+Heal+the+Gulf+People+and+the+Coral014.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 202px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70FZE11nO9ov525Os7C8cDdGeT5Ad6JUtBbiN8sB5Hhm49zoQDMdL3ya43u42TTrtGZeSLywg0YnOdVP348ipSV9R56xPU7qho01GfBt3XsjEgr2IUmKrjTb9MmFY5yNXYP6w3Zgi8AmG/s320/SC+Heal+the+Gulf+People+and+the+Coral014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491719798305958418" border="0" /></a>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-66856628773051666182010-07-08T00:22:00.004-04:002010-07-08T22:05:24.758-04:00Heal the Dolphins<br><br><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RnIC3GnuSPj2yB9_bt4Er6DRCjfsYyzsGImx_6xsg4nVK4-nwJJ6YKY495oMRHwVmK-Ka5sphzTCB_RkZlZtWvgcBtr9uLtaT9rPWdIQG4sre7h8xKqwsWs2ySxXHFiyCjnPsQgOMvxJ/s1600/Heal+the+Dolphins010.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 202px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RnIC3GnuSPj2yB9_bt4Er6DRCjfsYyzsGImx_6xsg4nVK4-nwJJ6YKY495oMRHwVmK-Ka5sphzTCB_RkZlZtWvgcBtr9uLtaT9rPWdIQG4sre7h8xKqwsWs2ySxXHFiyCjnPsQgOMvxJ/s320/Heal+the+Dolphins010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491386275971623218" border="0" /></a>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-6257033956493777002009-08-11T23:05:00.001-04:002009-08-11T23:05:37.027-04:00Vicious Verses and Reanimated Rhymes: Zombie Fare for the Mind!<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'> <font face='Comic Sans MS'>I'm in print for the first time! <br/><br/>My Zombie poem "Amore, Zombie Style" is appearing in the </font><font face='Arial' size='2'><font face='Comic Sans MS'>anthology </font><span class='status'> <span class='hsmStatus' id='hsmStatus'><font face='Comic Sans MS'><b>Vicious Verses and Reanimated Rhymes: Zany Zombie Poetry for the Undead Head, </b>just released August 11th. <br/><br/>I am extremely excited to see my name in print and on real paper, dammit, for the first time. The anthology is stuffed with poems, so if you're into Zombies- or poetry- let your fingers walk on over to <a href='http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmFtYXpvbi5jb20vZXhlYy9vYmlkb3MvQVNJTi8xODk3MjE3OTUxL3RoZW1hbml3b3Jsb2YtMjA='>Amazon</a> and pick up a couple of copies as a Halloween surprise for your best ghoul-friends.</font><br/></span></span></font><span class='status'><span class='hsmStatus' id='hsmStatus'><a target='_blank' href='http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vbG5rLm1zLzA2QnFK'><br/></a><a><img width='191' height='191' src='http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/98/l_84444e1d9aa8451f838f31915d66b89a.jpg'/></a></span></span><br/><br/><div class='zemanta-pixie'><img src='http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=a0c3c81e-5d0c-89a9-b573-35a1111e0e6e' alt='' class='zemanta-pixie-img'/></div></div>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-29643641285980843902009-01-18T12:34:00.006-05:002009-01-18T12:44:59.122-05:00Just a Dog<center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNVujGo-f3bPXAcdYtz4fEj7fHJf3q0Rgrbjockb3xC7HSA3VxtOplJBbIs41VF20L9UcY30qWGHNdzrjycPFOQO-9L4DJt5nmd3nyFLOH4iiZOpO4c9tIgTfoTKQ9rsslNevLeuK7Ezf/s1600-h/justadog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 410px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNVujGo-f3bPXAcdYtz4fEj7fHJf3q0Rgrbjockb3xC7HSA3VxtOplJBbIs41VF20L9UcY30qWGHNdzrjycPFOQO-9L4DJt5nmd3nyFLOH4iiZOpO4c9tIgTfoTKQ9rsslNevLeuK7Ezf/s400/justadog.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292688896662314130" /></a></center>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-7915323690145812502008-09-16T23:46:00.012-04:002008-09-17T01:35:07.380-04:00From Point A to Point B: Making Art Again<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><font face="comic sans ms" size="5" color="yellow"><b>Thanks, Lacey!</b><br><br></font><font face="comic sans ms" size="3">I think my recently passed dog Lacey wants to see her Mama doing something she loves. I knew when I heard her ghostly dog tags mysteriously jingling that she was telling me "Get on with things you love- I know you haven't forgotten me".<br /><br />It's still lonesome here in my computer room/quasi art studio because she always laid under my desk. Still I feel her presence strongly in here, and it keeps me good company, as my other dog Smokey is as quiet as a church mouse. He's feeling the loss too.<br /><br />As far as getting from Point A to Point B, I joined a collage group seven weeks ago and make a collage a week. I also joined a mandala group a few weeks later. How on earth are those two things related? Well, both involve art, and both are ways I've been expressing my creative urges and my emotions. And recent events have brought the emotions to the forefront.<br /><br />This week my collage was about art and the spirit it evokes in me, the urge to play. Our animals teach us about this important part of life every day but we often ignore it as silly or childish or foolish. But we really <i>need</i> it. It keeps us balanced and healthy. The animals know it but we forget. So the collage was called "The Point Is Play, Play, Play" and here it is: <br><br><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4CjpauCf8VmsOOheg_KvN7VXGdh6pu4Da2uUOqu4xiECOmGjTSZo7r3HqTe2UrHzLDwKIYWqQMU_zvXdhNV6wAaCn07NvZ3nZLMqRR8SYUn2lfNw39jBv_gEedYNZR1-_2oNdvphJ3If/s1600-h/thepointisplayplayplay.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4CjpauCf8VmsOOheg_KvN7VXGdh6pu4Da2uUOqu4xiECOmGjTSZo7r3HqTe2UrHzLDwKIYWqQMU_zvXdhNV6wAaCn07NvZ3nZLMqRR8SYUn2lfNw39jBv_gEedYNZR1-_2oNdvphJ3If/s320/thepointisplayplayplay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246833164661027458" border="0" /></center></a><br /><br />I got some good feedback on it and was pleased with it. I had been playing with some new filters for my graphics program today so when I got a challenge to create a mandala with an Autumn feel to it, remembering Lacey and Smokey's past antics, I decided to play.<br /><br />I got out the central image of the collage, the woman in orange, and used a new kaleidescope filter on it that had all kinds of settings to play with. I dialed away, moved sliders and just had fun, till I finally came up with this image.<br><br><center> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgEtR0wVzAItCxBbqjnlodzBWHWT6R7i3Po22S_FBiiWlED6mn-wBPHZWK36uiA54h_S45XCFLQZYr4VhBOjsd-yjJcq-89KjNxZMU2-VI7aLH-dyc_JNzpJlJvYu4bVZjoPEBADZnFwQ/s1600-h/autumncolor.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgEtR0wVzAItCxBbqjnlodzBWHWT6R7i3Po22S_FBiiWlED6mn-wBPHZWK36uiA54h_S45XCFLQZYr4VhBOjsd-yjJcq-89KjNxZMU2-VI7aLH-dyc_JNzpJlJvYu4bVZjoPEBADZnFwQ/s320/autumncolor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246834271029864594" border="0" /></center></a><br /><br />I cropped it into a circle, and voila, instant flame medicine wheel. I wanted to do more though. I brought in a second image, a photo I took of some faded yellow Ixoras, seen here. <br><br><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgks8hO-EwnossgSqmiOwDjYGBuI73dQMp98qIZJhS6gGpQPgePTP6dG_ZCgqShxzVrLl-MHNtDAZJh6tuKaPHYR9Yndu0JiK_HmUg42rna8RQNQz9ldjERErmkgOTjE4-4wJFlcdjVNiGD/s1600-h/yellowflowers.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgks8hO-EwnossgSqmiOwDjYGBuI73dQMp98qIZJhS6gGpQPgePTP6dG_ZCgqShxzVrLl-MHNtDAZJh6tuKaPHYR9Yndu0JiK_HmUg42rna8RQNQz9ldjERErmkgOTjE4-4wJFlcdjVNiGD/s320/yellowflowers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246834514813922434" border="0" /></center></a><br /><br />I cropped that to get the best bits of the flowers. Then I got brave enough to try making a mask with an alpha channel - my first ever - and was successful. I loaded in the flowers as partially transparent and moved them around to look the best with the medicine wheel, using the mask to get rid of the unwanted parts of the flowers. <br /><br />Last I played with the color and added an edge and a drop shadow, as well as a background. One final cropping and I was done. Here it is, Autumn Medicine Wheel: <br><br><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dFGltXGjfr4wBmyNyhM__szvu4gyZHBrNKdgi313OjnLpf45RCgP1500tlC9pbfLCDzsyhGmR5mZGEx8GB1hWTTDE1dPf73Qly8SWzgnOrjLx7yb00aal9joOR0v-Q6cY6dwzGOI0pil/s1600-h/autumnmedicinewheel.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dFGltXGjfr4wBmyNyhM__szvu4gyZHBrNKdgi313OjnLpf45RCgP1500tlC9pbfLCDzsyhGmR5mZGEx8GB1hWTTDE1dPf73Qly8SWzgnOrjLx7yb00aal9joOR0v-Q6cY6dwzGOI0pil/s320/autumnmedicinewheel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246834670004116594" border="0" /></center></a><br /><br />You'd never believe one picture would lead to another, would you?<br><br><br />It just goes to show, we have an innate need to play. So go outside (or inside) and do it!<br /><br /></font><br /></div>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-56874275322299613182008-08-27T22:20:00.005-04:002008-08-27T22:28:44.885-04:00Almost 14 Years of Love and Devotion<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src='http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n297/neiswender/lacey46.jpg' style='max-width: 400px;'/><br/><br/><font face='Comic Sans MS'><big><big><center>Lacey<br/><br/>1994-2008</center><br/></big></big><br/></font><font face="comic sans ms" size="3">I lost my sweet, beloved Sheltie Lacey to cancer today. Life had ceased to be a thing of joy and adventure and instead become full of lassitude and pain, so I elected to end her suffering and set her feet onto the Rainbow Bridge. I know she waits for me, happy and whole, and will be wondering what takes me so long.<br/><br/>She was my nurse dog, always first on the scene to investigate and treat any owies with a good licking and gentle nudging. For a long time she shared a pillow on my bed, keeping away nightmares, until arthritis made it too difficult to jump that high up. She was my intrepid adventurer, sneaking out of the fence on voyages of exploration, assisted by kind neighbors returning her home when they found my phone number on her collar. And she was my four-legged alarm system, alerting to any suspicious activity in a two-block area like it was her own personal front yard. Then too she would perform her duties as the welcome wagon at the vets as we waited our turn, going around the room to visit with everyone, two-legged or four.<br/><br/>She taught me patience, unconditional love, and the power of cheese. I will be lost without her. I have her collar in my purse and it will be going up around her picture- it still carries her scent. I got a few strands of her beautiful orange and white fur as a memento as well. But nothing takes the ache away, only time. This poem helps a bit, as well-<br/><b><br/><i>The Loss of a Heart-Dog</i></b><i><br/><br/>I stood by your bed last night,<br/>I came to have a peep<br/>I could see that you were crying,<br/>you found it hard to sleep<br/><br/>I whined to you softly as<br/>you brushed away a tear,<br/>"it's me, I haven't left,<br/>I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here"<br/><br/>I was close to you at breakfast,<br/>I watched you pour the tea<br/>You were thinking of the many times,<br/>your hands reached down to me<br/><br/>I was with you at the shops today,<br/>your arms were getting sore<br/>I longed to take your parcels,<br/>I wish you could do more<br/><br/>I was with you at my grave today,<br/>you tend it with such care<br/>I want to reassure you,<br/>that I'm not lying there<br/><br/>I walked with you towards the house,<br/>as you fumbled for your key<br/>I gently put my paw on you,<br/>I smiled and said "it's me"<br/><br/>You look so very tired,<br/>and sank into a chair<br/>I tried so hard to let you know,<br/>that I was standing there<br/><br/>It's possible for me,<br/>to be so near you everyday<br/>To say to you with certainty,<br/>"I never went away"<br/><br/>You sat there very quietly,<br/>then smiled, I think you knew<br/>In the stillness of that evening,<br/>I was very close to you<br/><br/>The day is over,<br/>I smile and watch you yawning<br/>And say "goodnight, God bless,<br/>I'll see you in the morning"<br/><br/>And when the time is right for you<br/>to cross the brief divide,<br/>I'll rush across to greet you<br/>and we'll stand, side by side<br/><br/>I have so many things to show you,<br/>there is so much for you to see<br/>Be patient, live your journey out,<br/>then come home to be with me.<br/><br/>- Author Unknown</i><br/><br/>That consoles me, that I will see her faithful soul running towards me again up there. It must be a wonderful place. Two things though I hope they got straight: dogs need to live as long as we humans do, and God needs to let dogs sit on the sofa in Heaven. It's much homier that way.<br/></font><br/><br/><br/></div>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-87715328258689816812008-08-08T15:25:00.008-04:002008-08-08T15:58:21.139-04:0012 Foods You Should Alway Buy Organic<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><br/></p><p><br/></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PlHEmKckoL2St-rp-Ph_sxVNHBQv2Bydl2u9JJ4NIXxXAAAJr5Mg6DpxduZfRH0dfcHVN3ae0M7u-bi7aNsFTKAsPoDbTcDChoySmRyCNTlW8HYOR1vUeR85xaqsqCgOgbblsGukYfLO/s1600-h/bell-pepper-9831.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PlHEmKckoL2St-rp-Ph_sxVNHBQv2Bydl2u9JJ4NIXxXAAAJr5Mg6DpxduZfRH0dfcHVN3ae0M7u-bi7aNsFTKAsPoDbTcDChoySmRyCNTlW8HYOR1vUeR85xaqsqCgOgbblsGukYfLO/s320/bell-pepper-9831.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232230753032133714" /></a><br /><font face="comic sans ms" size="5">From Dr Weil: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02985/12-Foods-You-Should-Always-Buy-Organic.html</font><br /><br /><font face="comic sans ms" size="3">The Environmental Working Group (<a target='_blank' href='http://www.ewg.org/'>www.ewg.org</a>)<br />is a nonprofit organization that advocates in Washington D.C., for policies that protect global and individual health. Among the many valuable services they provide is a <em>Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce</em>.<br /><br />It is based on the results of nearly 43,000 pesticide tests performed on produce and collected by federal agencies between 2000 and 2004. Nearly all of the data used took into account how people typically wash and prepare produce - for example, apples were washed and bananas peeled before testing.</p><p>Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories tested, these had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy organic versions - or to grow organically yourself:</p><ul><li>Peaches</li><li>Apples</li><li>Sweet bell peppers</li><li>Celery</li><li>Nectarines</li><li>Strawberries</li><li>Cherries</li><li>Lettuce</li><li>Grapes (imported)</li><li>Pears</li><li>Spinach</li><li>Potatoes</li></ul><p>Why should you care about pesticides? The EWG points out that there is a growing consensus in the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can have adverse effects on health, especially during vulnerable periods such as fetal development and childhood.<p>A few other notes from the EWG: Nectarines had the highest percentage of samples that tested positive for pesticides (97.3 percent) followed by peaches (96.6 percent) and apples (93.6 percent). Peaches had the<br />highest likelihood for multiple pesticides on a single sample: 86.6 percent had two or more pesticide residues.</p><p>Also keep in mind that maintaining your family's health is not the only reason to choose organic food. Pesticide and herbicide use contaminates groundwater, ruins soil structures and promotes erosion, and may be a contributor to "colony collapse disorder," the sudden and mysterious die-off of pollinating honeybees that threatens the American food supply. Buying or growing organic food is good for the health of the planet.</font></p></div>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-53455405867615648112008-08-05T13:48:00.009-04:002008-12-11T09:06:32.452-05:00Failure-Smailure!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqigrfUbq0w7rwDaGUr1trztxsNLrW41MQzrDCSAGFV5RX57OfRhpi5W7EISvJ0541v980SB-laerW8oT3aBIdQkvwWOfIglSddqXqdC26J7qSMrd84vk_eKfr0-utFNeMHx1ukS8mOmG_/s1600-h/queenmeadowlark.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqigrfUbq0w7rwDaGUr1trztxsNLrW41MQzrDCSAGFV5RX57OfRhpi5W7EISvJ0541v980SB-laerW8oT3aBIdQkvwWOfIglSddqXqdC26J7qSMrd84vk_eKfr0-utFNeMHx1ukS8mOmG_/s320/queenmeadowlark.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231097777309195586" /></a><font face="comic sans ms" size="3"><i><br />"A failure a day is success on the way!"<br>- Lin Neiswender</i><br /><br /><br /><br />I came up with this meaningful quote yesterday, in a discussion about <a href="http://coachcreativespace.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=827120%3ATopic%3A129049">Redefining Failure</a> at <a href="http://coachcreativespace.ning.com/">Coach Creative Space</a>. Nick pointed out the vital necessity of frequent failures on the path to success, and that we should be seeking out failures, not running away from them, as they are getting us closer to our goals. That struck me as so profound, and whammo, the quote was born. Thank you for that Nick, and Dan for establishing the discussion.<br /><br />I used the motivation from the quote to do my first collage - shown above - for an artists' collage group called Collage Play (info about it <a href="http://somethingtwocrowabout.typepad.com/something_two_crow_about/">here</a>) that I just joined. I was nervous about my virgin effort- what if it was awful? What if my style was nothing like anyone else's? In short, what if I sucked at this? But I did it anyway, printing off things I had made that I thought would go together with the required elements, changing some of the graphics, scaling them and altering the colors, playing. <br /><br />And a funny thing happened. I started getting excited about the process, and started having fun. Isn't that what creativity is all about, the process? The fun? So even if the end product had been ugly, it still would have been OK. I would have had great pleasure making it. The piece is called the Queen of the Meadowlark Palace. And, paradoxically, I don't think it is ugly. Whew!<br /><br />Well, got to go get busy now and seek out some new failures. Success is calling my name!</font>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-36617898623197368802008-07-30T17:18:00.003-04:002008-07-30T17:35:13.318-04:00Take That Tiny Step<font size ="3" font face="comic sans ms"><div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><center><br/><img src='http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/milky-way-map_atlas-of-the-universe.jpg' alt='http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/milky-way-map_atlas-of-the-universe.jpg' style='cursor: -moz-zoom-out;'/></center><br/><br/>Here's a quote I ran across this afternoon in the lung health group I belong to, where they were talking about outliving their predicted mortality and mentioned this strategy: <b>Do something about it.</b> <b>"If it's to be it's up to me."<br/></b><br/>Many times I find myself whining and complaining and then totally failing to take even one baby step to help myself. This makes all the whining and complaining for nothing, and irritates my friends and family to boot! Inertia is easy; it's the status quo, business as usual. It's when I decide to get off my duff and do something about my situation, however small the step, that magical things start to happen. The universe or God or my Higher Power sends things or people I need into my path, where it is then my responsibility to connect with them and or use them to move myself forward. Don't let depression or inertia or despair hold <span style="font-weight:bold;">you</span> back any longer. Take that tiny step today! And make your universe a brighter space.</font></div>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-38117294047577391912008-06-07T09:10:00.005-04:002008-06-07T09:24:55.085-04:00Like Science Fiction and like to laugh? Download "Hal Spacejock" - Free!<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/199fon9/xhtml'><br /><font face="comic sans ms" size="5">"Fast, funny, quirky, enthralling comedy adventure" Tom Holt</font ><br/><br/><center><img src='http://www.spacejock.com.au/images/Hal1Facp_NEW.jpg'/><br/><font size="3" face="comic sans ms">Hal Spacejock Cover</center><br/><br/>The Hal Spacejock series is published by Fremantle Press & distributed by Penguin Australia<br/><br/> To celebrate the release of Simon Haynes's latest novel, Hal Spacejock: No Free Lunch, Fremantle Press is giving away <b>free</b> electronic copies of the first book in the series! Read this free novel on your PDA or computer screen, or print the whole manuscript off and read it on paper. Whichever you choose, you get the whole book exactly as published, completely free.<br/><br/>Even if you're not interested - what about sons, daughters, nephews, neighbours, nieces, grandkids, fellow workers, friends, enemies ... Give them all a treat! <br/><br/>Here's the link: <a href='http://www.spacejock.com.au/Hal1Download.html'>http://www.spacejock.com.au/Hal1Download.html</a></div></font>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-38971378354126779692008-05-20T01:41:00.003-04:002008-08-08T21:27:58.378-04:00We *Heart* You , Miss Snark<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div style=''><center><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/lin52me/SDGjL2lnNbI/AAAAAAAAAJc/ma8u7ImrTpY/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg'/></center><br/><br/><br/><font face="comic sans ms" size="3">May 20th, 2008, marks the first anniversary of literary maven Miss Snark, the Literary Agent's final blog post. The woman- or was it a man?- made an impact on wannabe writers throughout the country, gathering a following of avid Snarklings who turned to her for writing advice, humor, and a reality check with every delicious post. <br/><br/>I made my goal of getting (anonomously) into the blog with the Killer Yap Sex Toy Contribution ("Killer Yap is not amused" <a href='http://misssnark.blogspot.com/2007_04_15_archive.html'>http://misssnark.blogspot.com/2007_04_15_archive.html</a>) and making Miss Snark almost shoot coffee out her nose. Sorry it couldn't have been for my literary genius, but I took what I could get. I was so saddened when it all came to an end a short time later. I miss her every day. But there is still plenty of writing gold to be mined there, so new writers, do check out the archives. You will be amazed. And amused. <br/><br/>Perhaps the Snarklings' dearest wish will someday come true and Miss Snark will come out of retirement, but then again, I have to respect her wishes if she doesn't want to write us a sequel. Two million plus visitors wore out the welcome mat. It would take George Clooney in red stiletto heels to lure her back out, and I don't think they make them in his size.</font></div></div>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-44347015345120684622008-03-29T22:41:00.001-04:002008-03-29T22:41:59.024-04:00DreamLand Calls: New Discovery Health Series "In Your Wildest Dreams"<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><center><img alt='' style='width: 469px; height: 600px; border: 0' src='http://api.ning.com/files/cgGdWr3sW*PCQ3U0IC9ak9rz7RM4lz8axYffU5fUMSf1SxKZZwpNon*gqgymFTm6P4-iPF8hXohFhyfEwm6J62gbiZuI3bgO/dreaming.jpg'/></center><font size='3' face='comic sans ms'><br /><br />I caught about 45 minutes of a television program today that absolutely fascinated me called "In Your Wildest Dreams" on Discovery Health today, Saturday, 2 PM eastern. In it, three people whose recurring or frightening dreams were impacting their lives received help from professional dream interpreter Lauri Loewenberg in learning to recall, decipher, and ultimately control their dreams. It was eye-opening. If you get a chance to see it on repeat, check it out. I believe it is the start of a regular series. Loewenberg has a dream interpretation book but I haven't had a chance yet to check it out. Her interpretations were right on the money for these people.</font><br /></div>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-6703802857635995712008-03-12T12:49:00.001-04:002008-03-12T12:49:24.807-04:00The Source of Creativity<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p style='text-align: left;'><center><img height='468' width='300' alt='' src='http://api.ning.com/files/7o62ZutYPhWS37l4EcTNHWe9*EFU9kx4ZhBzEaZPi*9rVgyReM7IOfdy28C35rpDE1OkT5memrc9X4rEJS*ScIdsPIbrPT75/Braincollagewbox.gif?width=300'/></center></p><br/><br/><font size='3' face='comic sans ms'><br />Some major kewl info on creativity found on the website of Charlotte Rains Dixon called "This is Your Brain When it is Creative", <a href='http://wordstrumpet.typepad.com/word_strumpet/2008/03/this-is-your-br.html'>here</a>. At least for jazz musicians, an MRI has shown that creativity is like a dream state: "Creativity in the form of jazz improv utilized the same parts of the brain as dreaming. First of all inhibition switched off and then self expression switched on. The musicians also showed heightened sensory awareness, with areas associated with touch, hearing and sight lighting up."<br/><br/><br /><br />While the areas may turn out to be different for writing and art, the implications are staggering. Are we at last onto the source of the wellspring of our creativity, and on our way into tapping into it directly, not just by chance?</font></div>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-34425357500510319282008-03-10T11:32:00.001-04:002008-03-10T11:32:12.881-04:00Mixed Bag of Chips (er, Tips) for the Diet<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><big><b>From <a href='http://www.realage.com/'>Real Age</a> and <a href='http://www.prevention.com/cda/homepage.do'>Prevention</a></b></big><br /><br /><center><br /><img src='http://www.realage.com/NutritionCenter/Recipes/RecipeImages/MF5390.JPG'/></center><br /><font size='3' face='comic sans ms'><b><br /><br />100 Ways to Save 100 Calories:</b></font><b><font size='2' face='comic sans ms'/></b><font size='2' face='comic sans ms'><br /><a href='http://www.prevention.com/100calories/'>http://www.prevention.com/100calories/</a><br /></font><font size='3' face='comic sans ms'><b><br /><br />Peanuts- Good For Your Diet!</b></font><b><font size='2' face='comic sans ms'/></b><font size='2' face='comic sans ms'><br /><a href='http://www.realage.com/ct/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/tip/5227'>http://www.realage.com/ct/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/tip/5227</a><br /></font><font size='3' face='comic sans ms'><b><br /><br />Fresher Breath With Food:</b></font><b><font size='2' face='comic sans ms'/></b><font size='2' face='comic sans ms'><br /><a href='http://realage.typepad.com/food_bites/2007/07/5-foods-that-fi.html'>http://realage.typepad.com/food_bites/2007/07/5-foods-that-fi.html</a><br /></font><font size='3' face='comic sans ms'><b><br /><br />Why You Should Be Eating Brown Rice:</b></font><b><font size='2' face='comic sans ms'/></b><font size='2' face='comic sans ms'><br /><a href='http://www.realage.com/ct/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/tip/5185'>http://www.realage.com/ct/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/tip/5185</a><br /></font><font size='3' face='comic sans ms'><b><br /><br />Recipe for "A Gilding of Shrimp and Saffron Rice":</b></font><b><font size='2' face='comic sans ms'/></b><font size='2' face='comic sans ms'><br /><a href='http://www.realage.com/NutritionCenter/Recipes/A_Gilding_of_Shrimp_and_Saffron_Rice.aspx'>http://www.realage.com/NutritionCenter/Recipes/A_Gilding_of_Shrimp_and_Saffron_Rice.aspx<br /><br /></a></font></div>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-46813763881757723872008-03-02T09:48:00.002-05:002008-03-02T09:50:21.045-05:00A Picture Worth a Thousand Words<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><font size='5' face='comic sans ms'><center><img alt='' style='width: 425px; height: 424px; border: 0' src='http://api.ning.com/files/9Zq9vDqrT*d7ciQ*Ue0n7kGNEdobwT*7brY72Ta7HG4_/artistsseasonsone.jpg?width=425&height=424'/></center><br /><br />This is a series of four poems on the seasons, each two-hundred and fifty words, to make up a picture worth a thousand words.<br /><br />I wish you could see it in it's full size format but it's way too big for here.<br /><br />So here is the text for each season:</font><font size='2' face='comic sans ms'><br /><br /><b>Winter</b><br /><br />Winter’s frosty reign opens cold but serene,<br />Austere and clear, echoing across frozen lakes<br />The death of the green and the living <br />It seems, masked in ice crystals, sleet and snow,<br />Shivering in the chill air, waiting and still<br />A dark night creeping upon us in midday,<br />Something gray and ominous and unwanted<br />That steals our breath away and freezes it<br />Unyielding and too strong for us to fight<br />So we surrender to it and give in as it<br />Dims our eyes with a storm of stinging white<br />A cold embrace from an opened door<br />That sends feet scurrying back within <br />To seek a warm fire or loving arms<br />But once more frozen in time, until<br />One day seeing the beauty of a single snowflake,<br />As it dances its way down to the snowbank<br />Or witnessing black bare branches silhouetted<br />Against a bluer backdrop that heads toward March,<br />Its beauty and perfection jogs loose memories and we<br />Realize the earth didn’t die and pass away into darkness, <br />It just lay asleep, silently dreaming<br />Nodding and turning over onto her other side, to wait<br />For the resting time to rejuvenate soil and sky,<br />Regenerating creatures too, bodies and souls alike<br />The peaceful, silent days required to<br />Make all things clean and pristine, culling<br />The weak and those whose time was at an end<br />Old feelings and old thinkings both alike<br />Waiting for the proper time to start<br />Thawing and repeat the process all over again,<br />Winter, when all of life begins<br /><br /><b>Spring</b><br /><br />Spring time earth soil warming slowly, root hairs <br />Tingling, stretching out underground, prodding <br />Earthworms to reclaim dark soil, as grasses’ roots <br />Push their way to the surface in a burst of green<br />So shocking it almost hurts the eyes after<br />All the somber colors of the cold time, stark trees<br />Put on new garments of fresh color, budding into flowers<br />While far below tubers prepare to release the blossoms held within<br />Tulips, hyacinths, daffodils with their pungent scents announcing<br />Light and color has returned to the world, reflected in pools of rainshowers<br />Let spirits rejoice with the woodland and the field, drinking in<br />The rich jewel tones of red and yellow and purple, regal enough for any king<br />To wear as proud plumage, like the birds that call, announcing their joy<br />To mate and bear young, replenish the skies with new life as<br />Flowers and trees and grasses and weeds replenish the face of the earth mother<br />She is pleased and sends out her blessings and benediction, richness<br />Overflowing as the flowers set fruit and the eggs are laid,<br />Cubs and kits are born, the acorn forms in microcosm, and winter <br />Becomes a distant memory, life is moving fast, a blur, quickly spurred<br />By a rhythm that tolerates no delay, no pausing by the way, only<br />The quickening of the earth and all its creatures, including us,<br />We who would set ourselves apart from this cycle, but really<br />Are as much a part as any other, observer, participant, and lover<br /><br /><b>Summer</b><br />Summer rolls in lazy and soft, her countenance hot and hazy<br />From a distance, we doze, lying under laden peach trees sucking<br />Rosy flesh from fuzzy skins, juices running freely down our chins<br />While bees hum over our heads and butterflies alight to sip nectar<br />Here in this wilderness garden a thousand plants bloom with abandon,<br />Lantana with its prickly stems and golden heads of tiny flowers,<br />Trails of white clover, perfect for threading into blossom<br />Necklaces, crowns for our heads, bracelets, and rings, <br />Our little fingers find, digging right down among the grass<br />Hiding way down low, bright delicate strawberries<br />Nestling there, from tiny nub to sweet luscious orb, sprinkled<br />With tiny seeds that shine on the ripe surface sublime<br />We plunder them too, more juices streaking our skins,<br />Our leavings attracting the white doves who peck at the bitten fruit<br />Then we spy not far away, over a low stone wall another delight<br />With a thousand shades of red and pink and yellow<br />The rose garden so tangled and wild, a faint path<br />That winds through sun baked field heady and nodding<br />With their spicy scent, the two, the fruit and the flower,<br />Scarlet rose-hips nodding in rhythm while rose petals ruffle <br />In rare breezes, here we can only look with wonder and breathe deep<br />The perfume guarded by spiky thorns, stems too strong for surrender<br />To young hands, they go free of our plundering ways and know<br />They will survive the end of our pirate summer days<br /><br /><b>Autumn</b><br /><br />Autumn unfurls carpets of bright wheat, ripening in fields<br />Rippling proudly by strong northern winds snapping cold<br />Sharp air that makes the chest expand with joy at being alive<br />Relief from the heat of the season past, now glowing with energy<br />Gourds and pumpkins snake their way over land<br />Yellows and golds, striped, and rusty orange with dark green leaves<br />Earthy potatoes huddling underground to breed white flesh <br />Tall gnarled trees dangling shiny crimson apples come to ripeness<br />People in sweat-stained, worn clothes swarm gardens and fields<br />Hay falls before machines and rolls into great shocks<br />Corn stands at attention and then leans into tents of stalks<br />Harvest is readied to be scythed and bundled, then trundled away<br />To granaries and silos, to be salted, dried and preserved,<br />By wise, knowing young or ancient hands, in jars and crocks<br />Filled to the brim for the empty season that lies ahead<br />A rich time, a turning time, a winnowing time<br />When the world waits for the bounty to be stowed away<br />Red squirrels gather stores of acorns from stately trees<br />Oak leaves evolve from sage to yellow to burnished amber,<br />Dark veins tracing patterns in leathery matrix, falling<br />And spiraling down down down to the damp ground<br />Wind piling them in drifts of colors all mixed, a blaze<br />Of fall’s chaotic design, a kaleidoscope that shifts <br />With every breeze, frost coming on with setting sun<br />Bonfire burns brother oak’s beauty to soot and ash<br />Announcing to all, this season is done<br /></font><br /></div>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-65254941022487036192008-02-28T14:25:00.005-05:002008-03-07T17:43:39.132-05:00Stress-Buster Guaranteed<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><font face='comic sans ms' size='5'><br/><b>"A little more to the left. Ah, perfect!"</b><br /></font><center><br /><img src='http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n297/neiswender/massage.gif'/ width="400"></center></div>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386359810615358965.post-77368310664305774672008-02-25T11:28:00.002-05:002008-02-25T11:31:00.255-05:00Five More Diet-Friendly Real Age Hints<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br/><font face='Comic Sans MS'><br/><b><big><big>Fabulous Five from <a href='http://www.realage.com/index.aspx'>Real Age </a><br/>http://www.realage.com/index.aspx</big></big><br/><br /><br /><a href="http://s115.photobucket.com/albums/n297/neiswender/?action=view¤t=strawberry_sweet_temptation.jpg" target="_blank"><center><img src="http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n297/neiswender/strawberry_sweet_temptation.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></center></a><br><br></b><br/><big>Pick the Best Breakfasts:</big><br/><a href='http://www.realage.com/NutritionCenter/Articles.aspx?aid=10377'><small>http://www.realage.com/NutritionCenter/Articles.aspx?aid=10377</small></a><br/><br/><big>Get a Good Night's Sleep With These Foods:</big><br/><a href='http://realage.typepad.com/food_bites/2007/04/the_secret_to_g.html'><small>http://realage.typepad.com/food_bites/2007/04/the_secret_to_g.html<br/></small></a><br/><big>Healthy Nails Start Here:</big><br/><a href='http://www.realage.com/ct/tips/5111'><small>http://www.realage.com/ct/tips/5111</small></a><br/><br/><big>Best and Worst at Chain Restaurants:</big><br/><a href='http://realage.typepad.com/food_bites/2007/07/best-and-worst-.html'><small>http://realage.typepad.com/food_bites/2007/07/best-and-worst-.html</small><br/></a><br/><big>Weekly Yum Recipe: Balsamic Vinegar-Spiked Strawberries</big><br/><a href='http://www.realage.com/NutritionCenter/Recipes/Balsamic_Vinegar_Spiked_Strawberries.aspx'><small>http://www.realage.com/NutritionCenter/Recipes/Balsamic_Vinegar_Spiked_Strawberries.aspx</small></a><br/></font><br/><br/><br/></div>Lin Neiswenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04023924561017035814noreply@blogger.com0