Secrets of Kitty Body Language
November 30, 2006
Kittens communicate in a very distinct way. Did you know that every twitch, every purr, every motion actually means something… at least to your kitten!
The key to building a devoted and caring relationship between you and your kitten is understanding how kittens communicate
Lets discuss the primary mechanisms a kitten uses to communicate.
Eyes
The eyes truly are the windows to the soul… even when you consider the souls of kittens. Kittens use their eyes to tell you what they want.
For example, if a kitten gazes at something for a few minutes, but then turns away, it is usually an indication that he recognizes the object or person, but chooses not to communicate with them for the time being.
If however, a kitten stares at something and holds its gaze for some time (and also twitches his tail and perhaps raises its fur) that is a clear indication that he feels threatened.
At times the kitten will also make an aggressive meow to indicate they are ready for combat if necessary.
Tail
Whisk Your Way To a Perfect Meal Every Time!
November 30, 2006
The whisk. A true versatile cooking utensil. Whisks come in all shapes and sizes and surprisingly accomplish far more then what most think they do. One of the dictionary definitions for a whisk is–A kitchen utensil usually in the form of stiff thin wire loops attached to a handle, used for whipping foodstuffs. We shall see that the whisks of today can do a lot more.
The whisk of today is made of many different materials. There are the traditional wire whisks and also many kinds of nylon whisks to. Sometimes called whips they are a great time saver. No matter what you are creating in your kitchen there is a style and design made for you. Let’s take a look at the most common and useful designs.
The nylon flat whisk is made to whip gravies and delicate sauces into shape. The flat design helps cooks get into corners and covers more surface area when whisking, and is also good for taking care of lumps in flour. The traditional balloon whisk comes either in nylon or stainless steel. It is the essential tool for meringues and silky smooth sabayons. The larger the balloon head is the quicker air is mixed into the sauces.
Getting To Know Your Characters
November 30, 2006
Interesting characters that readers care about are the most important ‘ingredients’ in your novel.
That might sound like a fairly sweeping statement, but think about it.
You can have a wonderful plot with twists and turns and a humdinger of a surprise ending… but if the reader doesn’t believe in your characters, all that plotting has gone to waste.
You can have a setting that seems so vivid you could imagine walking into it… but if the reader is bored by your characters, you might as well have not described the setting at all.
Characters are all important. To identify with them, the reader must believe in them. The reader must like them (at least the main character) - otherwise, why bother reading about them?
TIPS ON CREATING CHARACTERS READERS CARE ABOUT
1. You have to get inside the character’s skin.
Why? The reader ‘becomes’ the main character. What happens to that character happens to the reader. If she is cold, the reader is cold. If she is in despair, the reader feels that heavy weight of hopelessness. If she is scared, the reader looks over his shoulder. A common problem with beginning writers’ manuscripts is that the story is told ‘from a distance’ - it’s as though someone is looking on, rather than being in the scene and experiencing everything for herself.
Meditation: Time to Stop & Listen
November 30, 2006
As a co-active coach, one of the underlying principles that I subscribe to is that everyone has their own answers within. Most of what I do as a coach is to give people the time, space and permission to find these answers (and sometimes I provide a question or two to get things going).
So, outside of a coaching session, how can we learn to access these answers that we all have? One thing that I’m learning is that the answers can’t come to me if my head is always busy figuring things out, working, talking, or reading. If I’m doing those things, I’m actually blocking myself from hearing my own wise answers.
One sure way to get an answer to a question is to ask the question and listen for an answer. We’re all quite well-versed at this practice, “Have you seen my briefcase?”, “What would you like to do for dinner tonight?”, “When is that report due?”.
And what I’ve noticed for myself is that I forget this logic when it comes to listening for my own answers. Rarely do I sit quietly and listen. Rarer still do I actually intentionally *ask* myself a question.
Dogs & Kids: Happy Together
November 29, 2006
Dogs and kids, it’s a combination that at it’s best can be the stuff of childhood dreams. At it’s worst, it can be a source of heartache and pain and even injury. How can you ensure that your child and Man’s Best Friend have a loving and safe relationship? Mostly, it’s the responsibility of the adults of the house to teach toddlers and even older children that a dog is not a toy. It’s a living, breathing creature that feels pain, shame and humiliation as much as love, pride and happiness. A dog that bites a child may only be defending itself the only way it knows how. But to minimize ever having to worry about a parent’s worst nightmare, family animal psychologist, Larry Lachman, M.S., offers the following advice:
SAFETY PREVENTION TIPS TO TEACH YOUR CHILD:
Natural Garden Pest Control
November 29, 2006
No dig gardens essentially strive to be their own ecosystem. This is the sign of the best sort of garden, one that is in tune with itself without the need for pest or disease control. Starting with a weed free bed and clean compost, the garden should get off to a roaring start on this front.
That doesn’t mean pests or disease won’t ever be present, but it may be minimised under these conditions. Once your garden is underway, factors may change to alter the harmony in your garden. There is an astonishing range of things that can bring your garden plants under attack. To rectify problems, always go with the least toxic option for your garden’s sake and for your sake, starting with these home recipes.
To discourage animals and some insects from eating your plants, combine one cup of water, 5 garlic cloves and 6 large hot peppers. Blend thoroughly in a blender, then strain into a spray bottle. Add another cup of water and spray away.
For red spider mites, mix 4 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid in one gallon of water. Spray plants weekly until mites are gone, then monthly to stop them from returning.
How to Value Your Jewelry at Home or Work
November 29, 2006
Many thanks for taking the time to read this compact jewelry article entitled ‘How to Value your Jewelry at Home or Work’. You are about to discover the intricacies and formulas that highly qualified Gemologists and Valuers are using, right now, to evaluate and appraise gold, silver and platinum jewelry.
But before we begin, I would simply like to bring you ‘up to speed’ on what will be required. As you know, the art of valuing jewelry takes many years to learn (over five years before you can graduate) and then it takes several more years to gain the necessary experience to ‘get it right’.
Gemologists don’t all become Valuers because of this high level of study, which doesn’t include the expense of Microscopes and Refractometers and Dichroscopes and and and….
In this program we don’t even want to explain what these pieces of equipment are because firstly; they are too expensive (you can pay thousands of dollars just for a binocular microscope) and secondly because you are not a trained jeweler, and probably don’t want to be.
So don’t let that put you off because we are NOT trying to turn you into professionals overnight. That would be wrong of us to even try.
Everything I Play Sounds the Same
November 29, 2006
Many students want to create music that has a certain emotional quality. For example, I once had a student ask me to show her how to play something that sounded happy.
Of course, this student missed the entire point of my teaching - to play where you are emotionally and to not try and come up with something. I tried to explain to her that if she were feeling happy, then the natural outcome of the music would be flavored with this emotion.
As a natural outgrowth of the proceeding statement, there will be times, many times perhaps, when the music that comes out of you sounds the same. Many interpret this as being uncreative, when in fact, you are being true to yourself. When you don’t try and come up with material, but instead, let the music come up, you are not forcing or willing the creative act. Instead, you are allowing yourself to express in the moment - whatever the sound may be.
If someone tells you that everything you play sounds the same, acknowledge it silently as a compliment and know that you are being true to yourself and the integrity of the artistic process!
Be A Savvy Writer: Go Where The Business Is
November 28, 2006
If you’re a writer, you’re in business. It doesn’t matter whether you’re writing picture books, or a self-help book for underachievers, or promotional material and flyers for anyone who wants it… YOU’RE IN BUSINESS.
Therefore, it makes sense to go where the business contacts are. I know, I know - it’s tempting to just sit at home in front of the keyboard. No chance of getting rejected that way (at least not face to face!) But - don’t do it. Get out there and meet people - you never know which contact might come in handy. Here are a few suggestions:
USEFUL CONTACTS
- Librarians (what are people reading? Which books don’t stay on the shelves? Visit regularly and stay abreast of the trends) Bookstore owners and managers (ditto). Bookstore employees and managers can also give you a good idea of what goes on behind the scenes - marketing, returns and so on.
- Anyone in publishing - editors, art directors, marketing people, publicists, sales reps.
- Secretaries and assistants who work with those people.
- Other writers
WHERE YOU’LL FIND CONTACTS
Why Does My Cat Drink Dirty Water?
November 28, 2006
You know that cats should always have a supply of water, especially if you are feeding them dried food. There on your nice clean kitchen floor is a bowl of nice clean fresh water, in a nice clean bowl.
What does your cat do? Maybe gives the bowl a sniff and walks away from it, or just ignores the bowl completely, as if water were the last thing a self respecting cat would consider drinking.
“Okay”, you think to yourself, “Kitty just isn’t thirsty at the moment”. But then later, you happen to spy your cat busily lapping up stale water from a puddle in your garden as if it was nectar.
Cats are self-reliant, independent creatures, but surely your cat is not going to turn its nose up at the nice clean water you provide, just to let you know it can survive without you? After all, kitty does not reject the food you provide even though it is perfectly capable of catching mice.
