Jun 28, 2012

tattoos


It stung. She couldn't have said why, but the bland and goody-goody description
put her back up. "I've got a tattoo on my butt."
He set the rather sloppy sandwich he'd put together down. "Excuse me?"
"I have a tattoo on my butt," she repeated, with a combative gleam in her eye.
"Is that so?" He couldn't wait to see it.

....

"The tattoo? What is it?"
Embarrassed now, she slapped ham over mustard. "I hardly see that it's an issue."
"Come on." He grinned, leaning over to tug on her hair again. "A butterfly? A rosebud? Or are you really a biker chick in disguise, 

with a skull and crossbones hiding under my jeans?"
"A unicorn," she muttered.
He bit the tip of his tongue. "Cute."

Hidden Star


_________


The hidden meaning

Tatuagem rosa e cruz


Tattoos talk. Rather than meaning something literal and universal, the art on our bodies is often personal and complicated. A magnificent panorama of an underwater world is unlikely to simply declare the bearer's love of trout. However, some designs still shout a very particular meaning



 _________________



"I noticed. Why do you have a tattoo of a winged horse on your butt, Grace?"
"It was an impulse, one of those wild-girl things I dragged M.J. and Bailey
into."
"They have winged horses on their—"
"No, and what they do have is their little secret. I wanted the winged horse
because it was free. You couldn't catch it unless it wanted to be caught."

Secret Star

Jun 26, 2012

New York


She loved New York. Why hadn’t she ever realized how much she loved the city, with
its noise and traffic, its crowded streets. Its life. There was so much to see if you just
looked. The young women pushing baby carriages, the boy walking a group of six
little dogs that pranced along like a parade. The sleek, black, hired cars taking ladies
to lunch, or home again after a morning’s shopping. And look how gorgeous the
flowers were along the avenue, and how smart the doormen looked in their uniforms
as they stood outside the buildings.

Three Fates

_______________


Alicia Keys - New York


_______________________



Despite the heat, Cleo rolled down the window so New York could slap her in the
face. The blast of horns was music as the cab inched its way in jerks through crosstown traffic.
By the time they pulled to the curb in front of Mikey’s building off Ninth, she was
riding on such a high she didn’t think to complain when Gideon told her to pay the driver.
"So what do you think?" she demanded.
"About what?" he asked groggily.
"New York. You said you hadn’t been here before."
He looked around numbly. "It’s crowded. It’s noisy, and everybody looks annoyed about something."
"Yeah." Cleo felt sentimental tears clog her throat. "It’s the best."

Three Fates

Jun 25, 2012

eat when you're depressed

Just a headache didn't send a woman bolting out of someone's house as if the devil were on her heels.
Which was exactly how Gladys had described it. "You look pretty rough, honey, so I'm going to fix you the traditional Todd family restorer."
 
"I'm not much in the kitchen, but I can manage this—just like my mother did when one of us wasn't feeling right. Got any jelly?"

It was right in front of his face, she thought crossly. What was it about men that struck them blind the minute they opened a refrigerator door? "Second shelf."

"I don't—oh, yeah. We always used grape, but strawberry should work. Go ahead and work. Don't mind me."
 
"What are you fixing?"
"Scrambled eggs and rolled-over jelly sandwiches."


Dance Upon the Air


____________

 

Dashimaki tamago by titanium22 in Ebisu, Tokyo  

 

5 Foods To Eat When You're Depressed

Foods That Boost Mood

 

Feeling blue? Many people seek comfort from favorite foods like chocolate kisses, salty chips, and pillowy pastries when they're feeling down. But if you really want to boost your mood, make different choices, nutritionists say. 

 Although clinical depression is a serious illness that requires treatment beyond nutrition, changing what you eat can help beat garden-variety blues caused by stress, and will boost low energy, too.

 

SHINE



____________________






Jun 20, 2012

anxiety can bring out the Best

How do you conquer phobia? Dr. Lowenstein had asked. By facing the phobia.
You’ve got chronic shyness with whiffs of paranoia? Get out there and interact with
the public. 
She wondered when a patient came to Lowenstein with a fear of heights
if his solution was a fast leap off the Brooklyn Bridge.
Had he listened when she’d assured him she was positive she had social anxiety
disorder? Perhaps agoraphobia combined with claustrophobia?
No, he had not. He’d insisted she was merely shy, and had suggested she leave the
psychiatric evaluations and diagnoses to him.
As her stomach churned when the first members of the audience walked up for a
word and a signature, she wished she could face Dr. Lowenstein right this minute. So
she could punch him.

Three Fates


______________


Keep-calm-and-carry-on



Actually, a little anxiety may be just what you need to focus your efforts and perform at your peak, psychologists say. 

Somewhere between checked out and freaked out lies an anxiety sweet spot, some researchers say, in which a person is motivated to succeed yet not so anxious that performance takes a dive. This moderate amount of anxiety keeps people on their toes, enables them to juggle multiple tasks and puts them on high alert for potential problems.


WSJ


__________________________


She trailed off,
flushing a bit when she realized everyone was looking at her.
"No." Malachi watched her. "Go on. Finish it out."
"All right." She steadied herself as she’d learned to do before a public lecture.

Three Fates

Jun 19, 2012

finding true love




Vanessa listened to the monotonous plunk of the keys as Annie ground
out “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” 
She might have good hands, but so far Vanessa hadn’t seen her put them to good use.


Potential, Vanessa thought as she tried to smile her encouragement.
Surely there was some potential buried there somewhere.


Unfinished Business


_______________

Finding True Love: Helping Your Kid Choose The Right Instrument

 

Pierre-Auguste Renoir 105

 

If it's a "love match," the kid is more likely to stick with it. That's not to say that every day will be easy, of course — but if the child enjoys the sound and feeling of playing the instrument, all the better.

NPR

___________________________


“Mmm.” Sympathetic, Vanessa stroked her hair. “And what do you want to play?”
“Stuff like Madonna sings. You know, good stuff. Stuff like you hear on the radio.”

She slanted Vanessa a look. “My other teacher said that’s not real music.”
“All music is real music. We could make a deal.”
Suspicion lighted in Annie’s pale eyes. “What kind of deal?”
“You practice an hour every day on your finger exercises and the lesson I give you.” She ignored Annie’s moan. “And I’ll buy some sheet music. One of Madonna’s songs. I’ll teach you to play it.”
Annie’s sulky mouth fell open. “For real?”
“For real. But only if you practice every day, so that when you come next week I see an improvement.”
“All right!” For the first time in nearly an hour, she grinned, nearly blinding Vanessa with her braces.

 

Unfinished Business

Jun 18, 2012

celebrate your big day as if it's your last...



“I burned his birthday cake completely forgot about it, never heard the timer. Might’ve burned the house down if Cal himself hadn’t smelled the burning. So he never got his ice planet or his ten candles. I hate remembering that. I burned his cake and he never got to blow out his birthday candles. Isn’t that silly?”
“No, ma’am. No,” Quinn said with feeling when Frannie looked at her, “It’s not.”

Blood Brothers

 

________________

...it may well be


A study of 2.4 million people suggests the chance of dying is higher on your birthday

Birthdays are a time for celebration. But, in truth, after a certain age few people greet yet another birthday with unconfined joy.

According to scientists, the flatness we feel at the passing of another year is the least of our problems. It emerges that we are 14 per cent more likely to die on our birthday, according to new research based on a study of more than two million people.




______________________________


She took his face in her hands, kissed him. “Happy birthday.”
“I keep hearing that.”
“Expect to hear it more. I baked you a cake.”
“No joke?”
“A seven-layer cake—as promised.”

The Pagan Stone


Jun 14, 2012

judge people by their shoes




“You like shoes.” 
“Like is a soft, weak word for my feelings regarding shoes.”

Happy Ever After


________________



 

Maybe you were already judging people by the shoes they wear, but now, a new study reveals that at least some of those judgments are accurate. We can correctly guess a person's age and income from their footwear -- plus, incredibly, whether they're more likely to be an overly-attached girlfriend or boyfriend.





_________________________________




"I have a weakness for Italian shoes. I'd rather do without lunch for a month 
than a nice pair of pumps."

Hidden Star




Jun 13, 2012

how to do a karaoke?

“Everybody’s got a little clucker pecking around, depending on the circumstances.”
“What are your circumstances?”
“That’s a change of subject, but I’ll give it to you. Semiannual dentist visits, wolf spiders and karaoke.”
“Karaoke. That’s funny.”
“Not when I do it.”

The Witness

______________


TheHouseJacks DekeSharon Acapella02


It's that time of the night again - your friends are in the singing mood and all they want to do is karaoke. Do you flee because you can't stand the thought of humiliating yourself with your bad voice?

Well, stop right there, because we're going to teach you how to do karaoke (even if you think you can't).




______________________


Jun 12, 2012

what would Jane Austen do?


"A woman doesn't want to be told she looks nice," Jude muttered as she sat down beside Maude's grave. "She wants to be told she's beautiful, sexy. That she looks outrageous. It doesn't matter if it's not true." 
She sighed and laid the flowers against the headstone.
"Because for the moment, when the words are said and the words are heard, it's perfect truth."

Jewels of the Sun



_____________

JaneAustenCassandraWatercolour


I suddenly realise I don't care. I can't manage to make myself into an Austen heroine, because in the modern world, you need more than good principles to guide your own conduct, and it's not sufficient in your colleagues, friends and lovers, either. You also need a bit of silliness, too. I slink home, put on my fluffy slippers and, embracing my shallow side, watch an entire Sex and the City box set. They really do have great hair.





_______________________________


“I‟ve never been the one. Not for anybody.”
He closed the distance between them. “You‟ll get used to it.” 
He tipped her face up to his, kissed her.
“Why? Why am I the one?”
“Because my life opened up, and it flooded with color when you walked back into it.”
She wrapped her arms tight around him, pressed her face to his shoulder as emotion swamped her. 


Vision in White

Jun 11, 2012

10 tips for adopting a cat

"Shane. Rumor is, you've got kittens."
Shane grinned down at Bryan. "Talked her into it, huh?"
All innocence, Bryan shrugged, but his quick, triumphant grin betrayed him.
 "She needs company when I'm at school."
"That's a good one."

The Pride of Jared MacKade


_______________



 
Learn 10 tips you should consider when adopting a cat,
courtesy of the American Humane Association.



_____________________

"You could take two." Jared stepped into the stall. 
Her face, he thought, was an open book. "It's nice for them to have company."
"Two?" The idea burst like a thousand watts in Bryan's brain.
"Yeah, Mom, we'll take two. One would be lonely!"
"Bry-"
"And it wouldn't be any more trouble. We've got lots of room
now. Cal's going to want somebody to play with, to hang around with."

"And anyway," Bryan went on, because he'd come out of his
own excitement long enough to see the way his mother was
cuddling the orange kitten, "this way we could each pick one.
That's the fair way, right?"

The Pride of Jared MacKade

Jun 9, 2012

yoga mistakes to avoid

“Quinn’s remedy, weights and machines. Mine, yoga. Yours . . .” She gestured to the cards.
“Everybody’s got something.”

The Pagan Stone



_____________________________


Lotus Water Flower

Afraid to try yoga because you are worried about getting injured?

Our Daily Dose blogger got tips from David Magone, a yoga instructor who teaches workshops at Exhale in Boston, on how to avoid common yoga mistakes...




___________________________________________



“Either. But thanks. I’m going over to the gym. I want some cardio. I assume that’s where Quinn is?”
“Noises were made. Why don’t you stick with the Gumby routine?”
“It’s not what I’m after. Yoga relaxes me. I need to pump.”

The Pagan Stone

Jun 8, 2012

Psst…keeping a secret can be a real physical burden

“It’s her opinion that he would have had a physical reaction, headaches, nausea, that
would have debilitated him. If he is still able to function on a normal level for periods of
time, it’s placing an enormous strain on him. She believes it would show in fatigue, loss
of appetite, inattention.”

Sacred Sins



__________________________



Feeling burdened by a secret?
Does being sworn to secrecy make you feel sluggish and tied?
That physical anguish isn't all in your head.

A new study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, found that secrets
really do "weigh people down," and not just mentally.





 ________________________________________________



Jun 7, 2012

bring him home



“I wouldn’t have gotten through without you and Frannie.”
“I think you’re wrong about that. But we damn sure helped.” She laughed now
She started out, turned. “I pray for you. Being me, I cover my bases. God, the Goddess, Buddha, Allah, and so on. I pretty much tap on them all. I just want you to know that a day doesn’t go by that I don’t have all of you in my prayers. I’m nagging the hell out of every higher power there is.

The Pagan Stone





________________







_____________________________________


"It's so good to have him home."
"I told you he'd come back. Quinns always come back to the roost."

Chesapeake Blue

Jun 6, 2012

benefits in sharing a bed

"Why couldn't you sleep?"
"How do I know? The doctor's got some sort of holistic tea he wants me to try."
"Sex is a good sedative."
"Maybe. Especially, for instance, if your partner's on the inadequate side. You can catch a quick nap quick nap during the act."

Angels Fall

______________

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec 062




Couples may get health benefits simply from sleeping in the same bed, a burgeoning field of study is showing. In fact, some scientists believe that sleeping with a partner may be a major reason why people with close relationships tend to be in better health and live longer.


WSJ

____________________________


Roz woke at four, too early to jog, too late to talk herself back to sleep. She lay awhile, in the quiet dark. It amazed her how quickly she'd gotten used to having Mitch in her bed. She didn't feel crowded, or even surprised to have him sleeping beside her.
It felt more natural than she'd expected-not something she had to adjust to, but something she'd discovered she no longer wanted to do without.
She wondered why it didn't feel odd to wake with him, to start the daily routine with another person in her space. The bathroom shuffle, the conversation-or the silence-while they dressed.
Not odd or strange, she decided, maybe because some part of her had been waiting to make this unit again.



Black Rose

Jun 5, 2012

baby's first haircut




Through the barbershop window, he could see a toddler
experiencing his first haircut, while his mother bit her nails and blinked
damp eyes.

The Heart of Devin MacKade




________________________________







Auckland Museum [CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)]





Today we were talking in the office about keeping our baby's first locks, the trauma of first haircut... hint, hint...  the hardest in NOT on the baby, most mums recognize  it (or should ;)) as a passage rite and some  even cry witnessing it... no more gold locks baby, hello towhead toddler!







Worried your baby will freak about the first haircut? These snippy strategies will keep the baby calm.





Jun 4, 2012

garden for longevity

she walked home through the woods and raided her personal greenhouse. She planted cannas in a spot she wanted to dramatize, larkspur and primroses where she wanted more charm. In the shade, she added some ladybells and cranesbill for serenity.
Her serenity, she thought, could always be found here, in the gardens, in the soil, in the shadow of Harper House.

Black Rose



_________________

From Pots to Plots


Strawberry1


What does your garden grow? 

You may have a few humble window boxes or an ambitious veggie plot, but did you realize that when you’re playing in the dirt, you’re protecting your physical and mental health? 

Gardening is one of the best ways to tune your body to the seasonal fluctuations in your environment. 
Plus, it can reduce incidence of heart disease, osteoporosis, stress, and weight gain. 
No wonder this is one of the most common hobbies amongst centenarians around the world! 

And the best news? 


Studies show that you don’t need to dig up your entire yard to reap these benefits, a few houseplants or urban window boxes will do the trick!




___________________________




Jun 2, 2012

adolescents in their corners

Phillip settled down in his room with his laptop and his files.
It was the same room he'd been given when Ray and Stella Quinn had brought him home. The walls had been a pale green then. Sometime during his sixteenth year he'd gotten a wild hair and painted them magenta. God knew why. He remembered that his mother—for Stella had become his mother by then—had taken one look and warned him he'd have terminal indigestion.
He thought it was sexy. For about three months. Then he'd gone with a stark white for a while, accented
with moody black-framed, black-and-white photographs.
Always looking for ambience, Phillip thought now, amused at himself. 

Inner Harbor


___________________



Black Converse sneakers 


 
Stefano Giogli photographs teens from Tiber Valley in their intimate haven


Who can forget the hours of adolescence in own bedroom? Generations change, but some ways don't.
How many secrets does the bedroom of those kids, that are no longer children but not yet adults, hold ... Each room, a world.





 _____________________________



 They'd kept his room. It had changed over the years, different paint for the walls, a new rug for the
floor. But the bed was the same one he'd slept in, dreamed in, waked in.
The same bed he'd sneaked Foolish into when he'd been a child.
And the one he'd sneaked Alice Albert into when he'd thought he was a man.
He figured Cam knew about Foolish, and had often wondered if he'd known about Alice.

Chesapeake Blue

Jun 1, 2012

running for beginners

“I don‟t understand walking on an electric belt when there are sidewalks right outside.” Gripping the bar with one hand—just in case—Carter gestured vaguely. “And they don‟t move under your feet.”
“Kick it up, Carter. Snails are passing you. How‟s my Macadamia?”
“She‟s good.” Brow furrowed, Carter increased the speed slightly. “Staff meeting this morning, and a studio shoot. It‟s probably good I‟m out of the way for a couple hours.”
“You‟ll have your professor room before long,” Jack told him. “Then we‟ll move on to Emma‟s new space, and Laurel‟s.”
“Speaking of Laurel, we‟re dating.” He heard the oof from the left and glanced over. “You okay, Carter?”
“Just missed my footing."


Savor the Moment


_______________________

  US Navy 111208-F-UI176-619 A runner sprints for the finish line during the 29th annual Grand Bara 15K race in the Grand Bara Desert, Djibouti

Five tips to get you on track

If you're new to running and are eager to get started, fitness blog Fitsugar shared this week five quick and easy goals to get you started on short runs, slowly building up to longer ones.




__________________________________



“I‟m kind of busy trying to stay on my feet.” To ensure he did, Carter gripped the bar one-handed again. 

“Okay. Three miles?”
“You‟re on. Kick it up, Carter,” Del told him.
Carter said, “Oh God.”
Savor the Moment