Mar 31, 2016

This Magic Moment

The Lady Vanishes. It was an old illusion, given a modern twist, and never failed to leave the audience gasping. 

The glittery crowd at Radio City was as eager to be duped as a group of slack-jawed rubes at a
dog and pony show.

Even as Roxanne stepped onto the glass pedestal she could feel their anticipation—the silvery edge of it that was a merging of hope and doubt glued together with wonder. Those inching forward in their seats ranged from president to peon.

Magic made equals of them all.


Honest Illusions



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By Glueballs - Own work, Public Domain, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8283189


Magic allows you to experience the impossible. It creates a conflict between the things you think can happen and the things that you experience. While some magicians would like you to believe that they possess real magical powers, the true secret behind magic lies in clever psychological techniques that exploit limitations in the way our brains work. Many of these limitations are very counter-intuitive which is why we can experience the magical wonder of the impossible.



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He gave a small laugh and shuffled the cards gently. 
“Mumbo jumbo, Miss Swan. A device to keep someone's attention focused 
and to add mystery to quick thinking and observation. 
Most people prefer to be fooled. Explanations leave them 
disappointed. Even most realists.”

.......


He managed to keep his face seriously composed as he stripped off his shirt. “The mind wants to believe the impossible,” he continued as he went into the bath to wash. “Yet it doesn‟t. Therein lies the fascination. If the impossible is not possible, then how was it done before your eyes and under your nose?”



This Magic Moment

Mar 30, 2016

Things You Didn’t Know about Your Handshake

Too young to be competition, he decided. He doubted if the guy was old enough to buy beer. 

But there was a territorial sense in the drape of the arm and a look in the eyes that was a combination of curiosity and warning.

The stepbrother, Gabe concluded, and he stepped forward to meet them.

“Haven’t you dried off yet?” he said to Kelsey, and watched the vague annoyance flit over her face.

“It’s a new day, Slater. This is Channing Osborne, Gabriel Slater.”

“It’s nice you could pay your sister a visit.”

“I thought so.”

It amused Gabe that Channing increased his grip several unnecessary degrees for the handshake.


True Betrayals


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By Rufino - hermandad - friendship, CC BY-SA 2.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7783936




Almost any human-to-human interaction goes more smoothly if people first shake hands, finds research in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. By activating parts of your brain tied to social interaction, shaking people’s hands primes them to see you in a favorable light, and lowers the odds of them negatively interpreting your words or behavior, the authors say.






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Sheriff Curtis Dearborne harbored an innate distrust of outsiders. Since he considered any member of the LAPD an outsider, an East Coast cop was an entity to be watched with extra care.

He was a towering, well-muscled man who wore his uniform proudly starched, kept his sandy
moustache well trimmed and lightly waxed, and spit-polished his boots. Beneath his military sense of polish and style lurked a well of country-boy charm that he used cleverly and with great success.

He rose from his desk when Jed and Dora entered. His square, handsome face was set in serious lines, his handshake was dry and firm.

“Captain Skimmerhorn. Pretty handy you being out our way when we identify the John Doe.”

Jed summed up his man instantly. Dearborne was going to be territorial. Jed’s first move was to
acknowledge Dearborne’s authority.

“I appreciate your passing on the information, Sheriff. I’m sure Lieutenant Chapman filled you in on the mess we’ve got back home. This quick work on your part will be some comfort to Officer Trainor’s widow.”

It was exactly the right button. Dearborne’s eyes frosted, his mouth thinned.


Hidden Riches

Mar 29, 2016

when to have The Sex Talk... with your Pet?!



“Last, those of you who have no plans to breed your dog and haven’t already made arrangements for spaying or neutering, it’s time.”

She didn’t lecture on the subject. Yet.

As her students began heading out, she strolled over to Simon. “I saw your face.”

“That’s because it’s right here, on the front of my head.”

“The look on your face when I mentioned neutering.” She gave him a poke. “He’ll still be a guy. Balls don’t make the man.”

“Easy for you to say, sister.”


The Search


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By yasmapaz & ace_heart from Germany - 3 days and I love you more, CC BY-SA 2.0,
 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5552765



Why You Should Spay/Neuter Your Pet


The decision to spay or neuter your pet is an important one for pet owners. It can be the single best decision you make for his long-term welfare. 




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“And what are you going to say the first time he catches a whiff of some sexy bitch in heat and runs off to bang her?”

“Score?”


The Search

Mar 28, 2016

Nora Roberts News

Great News, in fact. 

I'm so looking forward for this book... I believe the postman will start avoiding my house in "those" days waiting for it (men are such babies and don't know that handling a mad woman - that would be me waiting for a book I'm sure he has and isn't delievering ;) - it's good for them)... 

...(more than) half in love with the characters *only* by the Excerpt I read in FALL INTO STORY:










Mar 27, 2016

happy kids from all over the world who’re just enjoying their day

When he stepped into his bedroom, Cam heard the commotion from the backyard. He walked to the window and looked down on Seth and the dogs. 

Simon was sitting stoically while Seth soaped him down. Foolish raced in mad circles, barking in excitement and terror at the hose that was pouring out water where it had been carelessly tossed on the grass.

Of course, the kid was wearing his brand-new shoes, which were now soaking wet and muddy. He was laughing like a loon.

He hadn't known the boy could laugh like that, Cam realized as he kept watching. He hadn't known he could look like that, unreservedly happy and young and silly.

Simon stood up, gave a long, violent shake that sent water and soap flying. Backing up, Seth slipped in the wet grass and tumbled onto his back. 

He continued to howl with laughter as both dogs pounced on him. They wrestled over the water and mud and soap until the three of them were soaked and filthy.

Upstairs Cam just stood watching with a mile-wide grin on his face.


Sea Swept


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Por Kwameghana (Obra do próprio) [CC BY-SA 4.0 
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], undefined



No matter what their culture, or where they live, or whether they have toys, kids will always find ways to have fun.

Today, Bright Side would like to suggest that you forget all about your troubles and just stay positive. 

Give your inner adult a well-deserved break. 

You can start by taking a look at these 30 amazing images — we’re convinced that they’ll remind you to enjoy the simple things in life!




Mar 23, 2016

Beautiful Photos That Show What It's Really Like to Be a Ballerina

Smiling, Lindsay let herself remember the music, the movement, the magic and the times she had felt her body was without bounds, fluid and free. 

Reality had come afterward, with unspeakable cramping, bleeding feet, strained muscles. 

How had it been possible, again and again, to contort her body into the unnatural lines that made up the dance? But she had done it, and she had pushed herself to the limits of ability and endurance. 
She had given herself over, sacrificing her body and the years. 
There had been only the dance. 


Reflections


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 By Lambtron - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6353701



Darian Volkova is a professional ballerina and photographer who captures what goes into practicing ballet. Volkova says her perspective is unique because she can "feel, see and shoot the dance like only [a] dancer can."

While traveling with her company, Volkova photographs ballet dancers from around the world, and the results are stunning. See 15 of her photos below:



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She wondered how much truth had been in his angry words. Bursting through the front door of the building, she headed straight for her dressing room.

Once inside, she closed her door and leaned back against it. She was shaking from head to foot. A few short remarks from Donald had dehumanized her. 

Ruth moved slowly to her mirror and switched on all the lights. 

With hard, searching eyes, she studied her face.

Had her love and devotion for dancing made her selfish and one dimensional?

Was she really unable to feel deeply for a man, to make a positive commitment?

Ruth pressed her hands to her cheeks. The skin was soft, smooth, the scent on her hands was feminine.

But was she? Ruth could read the panic in her eyes. 

Where did the dancer end and the woman begin?

She shook her head and turned away from her own image.

Too many mirrors, she thought suddenly. 

There were too many mirrors in her life, and she was no longer certain what they reflected. 

What would she be in a decade, when the dancer faced the twilight of her career? 

Would memories and clippings be all she had?


Dance of Dreams

Mar 22, 2016

Happy Easter!!!

His mother wanted him to come home for Easter dinner. He’d intended to go, to ask Abra to come with him. He’d been ready for it, primed for it—the family event, with Abra in it, the big ham Alice would bake and his mother would insist on glazing herself. 

The baskets, the candy, the colored eggs.

The tradition of it. And the comfort of it.


Whiskey Beach

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It was a good day, though he ate enough candy that the idea of waffles for breakfast made him a little queasy. But he ate them anyway, and put everything aside to enjoy the moments.
His father in light-up bunny ears that made Selina belly-laugh. The pleasure on his grandmother’s face when he gave her a pretty bowl filled with mixed spring bulbs in fragrant bloom.

Waging war with water pistols against his brother-in-law and accidentally (mostly) shooting his sister dead in the heart when she opened the terrace door.

Surprising Abra with a vivid green orchid because it reminded him of her.

They feasted on ham and roasted potatoes, tender asparagus and Abra’s herbed bread, on eggs deviled out of their colorful shells—and more—in the formal dining room. Candles flickering, crystal winking, the sea singing its siren song against the rocky shore made the perfect backdrop for the very good day he’d predicted.


Whiskey Beach

Mar 21, 2016

Successful Women Who Were Late Bloomers


"I'm tired. Sick and tired of being made to feel as if I have nothing to offer. No skills, no talents, no brains."
"Then you weren't listening."
"Oh, I heard you." She yanked off her gloves, tossed them down as well. "I'm to be charming and elegant. Like some well-tailored doll that can be plunked down at the right time and the right place, and tucked away in the closet the rest of the time. Well, no thanks. I've been tucked away quite long enough."
She started to push by him, yanked her arm when he closed his hand over it. Then stared in shock as he simply took her other arm and held her in place. No one handled her. It simply wasn't done.
"Just hold on."
"Take your hands off me."
"In a minute. First, charm is a talent. Elegance is a skill. And it takes brains to know the right thing to say at the right time, and to make people feel welcome. You're good at those things, so why not use them? Second, if you think handling tourists and accounts at tastings and tours is fluff work, you'll find out different if you work up the guts to try it."
"I don't need you to tell me—"
"Apparently you do."


The Villa





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By Peter Flaherty - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2230750



Wildly Successful Women Who Were Late Bloomers


Is there a set age you should expect success to happen in your life? At what age should you stop trying and realize the dream is over? Just like there isn’t a one-fits-all doctrine for the right age to start a business, there is no set timeline for when success will strike either. For most of us, our 20s are a blur of job-hopping and career mistakes, and while it certainly doesn’t feel like it at the time, these are crucial career building blocks.

MY DOMAINE


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"I haven't come in before during your tours. Didn't want you to think I was checking up on you." 

He lifted her pearls, let them run through his fingers. "You, Ms. Giambelli, are a natural."

"You know what? You're right," she agreed, delighted with herself. "Just as you were right to push me into this. It gives me something tangible to do."

"I didn't push you. The fact that no one does is one of your secrets. You figured out a long time ago how to live your life the way that made sense to you at the time. Times changed. I opened a door, but you're the one who walked through it."

"That's very interesting." Amused at both of them, she cocked her head. "I'm not sure my family would agree with you. I'm not sure I do."


The Villa

Mar 20, 2016

Cheers to all Happy Begginings created by Nora Roberts

Their pinched faces, the bruises, the fear—and worse, the dull acceptance in their eyes—tormented her.


Sea Swept


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Growing up in a foster care system isn’t a walk in the park. It’s more like a walk down a pretty dark alley in the middle of a rainstorm






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"When you're a child, you do nothing," she said flatly. "You're at the mercy of adults, and the reality is, a great many adults have no mercy."


Nightshade

Mar 19, 2016

Treasures In Vasco Da Gama Shipwreck

“Pretty piece,” Buck commented. However casual the words, his voice betrayed his excitement.

“Tate liked it.” Matthew glanced toward her. She was standing in her wet suit, the tears that had threatened forty feet below flowing freely.

“There are so many things,” she managed. “Dad, you can’t imagine. Under the sand. All these years under the sand. Then you find them. Something like this.”

After rubbing the heels of her hands over her face, she crouched by her mother, dared to skim a gentle fingertip over the rim of the bowl. 

“Not a chip. It survived a hurricane and more than two hundred and fifty years, and it’s perfect.”


The Reef

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By Jorge GT from Orihuela, Spain - http://www.flickr.com/photos/24735056@N00/485316236/, 
CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2064442

The wreckage of a ship from the fleet of the celebrated 16th century Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (1460-1524) has been discovered off the coast of Oman, archaeologists said on Tuesday.
National Geographic called the 500-year-old shipwreck the oldest ever found from the Europe's Golden Age of Exploration, a period when European nations sought to uncover global sea trade routes. Da Gama established the Indian trade route in 1498 when he sailed around Africa and through the India Ocean to what is now the southern Indian state of Kerala. 
It's believed to be the wreck of the Esmeralda, which went down in May 1503 during a storm near al-Hallaniyah Island in the Indian Ocean, likely on its way to India.




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Tate swam clear to set the plate beside the broken sword out of
the range of fallout. She studied the two pieces lying side by side on the sand.

They had been on the same ship, through the same storm, had been tossed, then
buried by the same sea. Two different kinds of pride, she mused. Force and
beauty. Only one had survived.

What whim had chosen between them? she wondered. 

Snapping steel and leaving the
fragile undamaged?


The Reef

Mar 18, 2016

Raise Successful Kids

"I still say the essay's a raw deal," Seth complained as he walked into the house. "That kind of stuff's crap. And I don't see why—"

"You'll do it." Cam pulled the bag out of Seth's arms. "And I don't want to hear any bitching about it. You can get started right after you clean up the mess your dog just made on the rug."

"My dog? He's not mine."

"He is now, and you better make sure he's housebroken all the way or he stays outside."

He stalked off toward the kitchen, with Phillip, who was trying desperately not to laugh, following.

Seth stood where he was, staring down at Foolish. "Dumb dog," he murmured, and when he crouched down, the puppy launched himself into Seth's arms, where he was welcomed with a fierce hug. "You're my dog now."


Sea Swept


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By Сања Малохоџиќ - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45675159



If there's one thing many parents want more than to lead happy, successful lives, it's to make sure their kids lead happy, successful lives.
Now a former dean of Stanford University freshmen, Julie Lythocott-Haims, says many parents' hearts may be in the right place--but they're screwing things up big-time nonetheless. 



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Ethan stepped back from the controls. "We've got to go into the boatyard. You want to take her in?"

Though Seth's eyes were shielded by the dark sunglasses, Ethan imagined that their expression matched
the boy's dropped jaw. It only amused him when Seth jerked a shoulder as if such things were an
everyday occurrence.

"Sure. No problem." With sweaty palms, Seth took the helm.

Ethan stood by, hands casually tucked in his back pockets, eyes alert. There was plenty of water traffic. A pretty weekend afternoon drew the recreational sailors to the Bay. But they didn't have far to go, and the kid had to learn sometime. You couldn't live in St. Chris and not know how to pilot a workboat.


Rising Tides

Mar 17, 2016

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

“Bright blessings to you and yours 
this day.”


Blood Magick


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She lifted her glass in turn. “Blessed be.”


Shadow Spell

Mar 16, 2016

Tomorrow's Saint Patrick's Day!!!

He stopped in the kitchen doorway, and his grin spread from ear to ear. 

There she was, up to her

wrists in bread dough, her hair scooped up, her nose dusted with flour.



Born in Ice


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My Happy Dish: Mrs. Frings' Irish Soda Bread

from Sweet Paul Staffer, Paul Vitale



"This Irish Soda Bread is a treasured recipe from my dear friend's mother, Mrs. Frings.  
I make it every year for St. Patrick's Day!  I just know you're going to want to add it to your repertoire as well!"





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After she'd poured a cup, Shannon stood awkwardly, wondering what to do next. 
"You bake your own bread?"
"I do, yes. It's a soothing process. You'll have toast at least. There's a hunk of yesterday's still in
the drawer."
"A little later. I was thinking I might drive around a bit, see the cliffs or something."
"Oh, sure you'll want to see the sights." 
Competently Brianna patted the dough into a ball and
turned it into a large bowl.



Born in Shame

Mar 15, 2016

Attract Butterflies to Your Yard

“It’s going to be beautiful,” she told Bert. “And we’ll be able to sit on the porch and watch the butterflies. I think we’ll draw hummingbirds, too. I’ll
love seeing all this grow and bloom, the butterflies and birds. We’re putting down roots, Bert. The deeper they go, the more I want them.”
She closed her eyes, lifted her face to the sun.
Oh, she loved the way the air sounded, loved the way it smelled.


The Witness



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By Charlesjsharp - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27354030




Whether you fill a couple of pots or a whole bed, big clumps of color are what attract butterflies. Plant groups of five or more of a variety rather than a single plant. 


Mar 14, 2016

Dogs Are the Secret

She charged, sand kicking, legs blurring. She clamped the ball in her teeth, raced back to him and
dropped it at his feet. He winged it again, and again. Lost count of the number of times. When he timed it right, she was fast and accurate enough to leap, snatch the ball out of the air.
And each time she did, trotted back to drop it at his feet, they just grinned at each other.
She didn’t chase the birds, thankfully, though she did give them longing looks.
He argued with himself, but curiosity and the little boy inside him won. He hurled the ball over the
water to see how she’d react.
She gave a bark of sheer, unmistakable delight and roared into the sea.
She swam like—well, a retriever, he decided, laughing all the way down in his gut until he had to
brace his hands on his thighs. She swam back to shore, red ball in her teeth, wild happiness beaming from her big brown eyes.
She dropped the ball at his feet again, shook herself. Soaked him.
“What the hell?” He threw it out over the water again.
He stayed out longer than he’d planned, and his pitching arm felt like overcooked spaghetti. But man and dog were relaxed and pleased with themselves when they walked back into Bluff House.






Whiskey Beach




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By State Library of New South Wales collection [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons

to Mental Health, Science Says


It’s common knowledge that having a dog, or any pet for that matter, promotes happiness. Dogs are the ultimate life partner: loyal, lovable, and absurdly cuddly. But now “science supports a truth the heart has always known,”
...
However, it turns out that the most effective cure for depression at all ages could be having a dog.


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He picked up the dog biscuit. The minute she spotted it, Barbie dropped her butt to the floor while the look in her eyes went slightly crazed. Like a crack addict, he thought, about to take the pipe.
“Damn it, Barbie. You’re a good dog.”
He went out on the deck and ate lunch in the sun with the dog sprawled contentedly by his chair.
His life, he decided, if you didn’t count murder, break-ins and clouds of suspicion, was pretty damn good right at the moment.
When he went back upstairs, he heard Abra singing. He poked his head into his bedroom first and,
since the dog walked right in to explore, went over to see what towel art she’d left on the bed.
Unmistakably a dog, he thought. Especially since she’d fashioned a heart out of a Post-it. On it, she’d written:

BARBIE LOVES ELI


Whiskey Beach