The Dining Room Is Back

 

"Set the table in the dining room. Use the good dishes."

"How come we're eating in there? It's not Thanksgiving."

"And the linen napkins," she added. "The ones with roses on them. Six place settings. Wash your hands first."

"Jeez. She's just a girl. You'd think the Queen of England or somebody was coming over."

Chesapeake Blue

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Mapelor, S.L., CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Why so many people are embracing a forgotten space

 

The formal dining room, long considered a symbol of wealth and privilege, has been the subject of much debate over the past 30 years. Some declared it dead, a relic of a bygone era when families sat down together each night for a home-cooked meal. Others clung to it as a place to welcome friends and family for holiday meals. All the while, American families turned toward eating in more informal spaces in the kitchen or — gasp — in front of the TV or on the go.

Washington Post

Daydreaming Has So Many Emotional Benefits

 

"For the moment. You're just daydreaming now. Go wherever you want."

"If it were warmer, I'd slide into the river."

"It's as warm as you want it to be. Close your eyes, Dru. Dream a little."

She did as he asked. The music, soft, romantic, was a caress on the air.

Chesapeake Blue

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Giora Eshkol, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Here's How to Reclaim This Childhood Pastime

Mentally drifting away to a better time or place can aid adults during times of stress, new research shows.

MARTHA STEWART

Quoting Nora

🎇 Happy Fourth of July

Every year, the Quinns held a huge come-one, come-all picnic. Family, friends, neighbors gathered at the house, as they had since Ray and Stella's day, to eat, drink, gossip, swim in the cool water of the inlet and watch the fireworks.

Chesapeake Blue

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Tim Corradino [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]

8 last-minute entertaining and food ideas for the Fourth of July

Last minute entertaining means all hands on deck. Lifestyle expert Maureen Petrosky shares her DIY décor, games and food for the Fourth of July get everyone in the family in on the fun. She shows us how to put a patriotic spin on Twister, make American flag pizzas, set up a sparkling bubble station and more.

TODAY

___________________

“Those some aren’t our tribe. And thinking of tribes, why don’t we gather ours for the

Fourth?”

“Fourth of what—oh. July. God, it’s nearly here.”

“We could play some ball, eat some hot dogs, watch the fireworks in the park.”

Savor the Moment

Can people be saved from a terrible childhood?

"But answer this last question.
Do you think that bright, troubled child should be denied a full and
normal life as an adult because he had the bad luck to be conceived by a
heartless, perhaps even evil woman?"
"No." His breath shuddered out. "No, that's not what I think."
"No buts this time? No qualifications? Then I'll tell you that in my
professional opinion, I couldn't agree with you more. He deserves
everything he can grab, everything he can make, and everything we can
give him to show him that he's his own person and not the damaged
product of one vile woman."


Rising Tides

____________________

By Mohamed Haddi [CC BY-SA 3.0  

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

US researchers have found early intervention can help prevent
negative experiences in infancy turning into long-term health risks

At bottom there is a revolutionary idea. It’s about moving 
from ‘what’s wrong with you?’ to ‘what happened to you?’

The Guardian

____________________

"He knew them—better than I did. When he died, I figured they'd ship me off,
or I'd have to run off.
I never figured they'd keep me around.
They didn't know me, so what did they care? But they kept their promise to Ray. They changed their lives around for him,  and for me. They made a home—
pretty wild one at first with Cam running it."
For the first time since he'd begun, some of the misery lifted.  Humor slid into his voice.
"He was always blowing something up in the microwave or flooding
the kitchen. Guy didn't have a clue. I pushed at them, gave them—Cam mostly—as much grief as I could dish out. And I could dish out plenty. I kept waiting for them to kick me out, or smack me senseless.
But they stuck with me. They stood up for me, and when Gloria tried to hose them like she'd done with Ray,  they fought for me.
Even before we found out I was Ray's grandson, they'd made me one of them."


Chesapeake Blue

Weird Things You Can Really Buy at Home Depot

She lifted her glass in toast. "I had a good day. How about you?"

She sparkled, he thought. A trip to Home Depot, or wherever she'd been, 

and she sparkled like sunlight.

Tribute

_______________

Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine [CC0]

Home Depot is a virtual wonderland for homeowners and DIY enthusiasts. 

Of course, if you spend enough time hunting the aisles in search of the perfect item 

to complete your project, you may come across some products that will surprise you. 

Here are 20 of the strangest, funniest and most unexpected weird things you really 

can buy at Home Depot.

Family Handyman

_______________

Guilt stung, just a little, but Ethan rationalized that deer and rabbits 

could be a problem, so she should take precautions anyway. 

"Dried blood."

"Dried blood ? Whose?"

"You can buy it at the garden store, and you just dump it around. It'll keep them away."

"Dried blood." Her lips pursed as she made a mental note to buy some.

"Or urine."

"Dried urine?"

"No." Ethan cleared his throat.

Rising Tides

Teach Your Teenager How to Paint Their Room

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 ambiance, Phillip thought now, amused at himself.

He'd circled back to that soft green right before he moved to Baltimore.

Inner Harbor

___________________________

When your teenager wants to update their bedroom, why not use it as an opportunity to teach them an important life skill? How to paint a room! We break down the basics so your teenager can make their own decisions, do the work and even clean up. You won’t have to lift a finger, unless you want to.

Family Handyman

Does awe lift your spirits or stress you out?

"It's not for sale," Cam said simply.

"It… is it…" It couldn't be, he thought, while his heart thumped with nerves and hope and shock. But hope was paramount. In the past year he'd learned to hope. "Is it mine?"

"You're the only one with a birthday around here," Cam reminded him. "Don't you want a closer look?"

"It's mine?" He whispered it first, with such staggered delight and shock that Sybill felt her eyes sting. "

Mine?" He exploded with it as he whirled around. This time the sheer joy on his face closed her throat. "To keep?"

Inner Harbor

________________________

By {{{1}}} - Flickr: 'Hands Across the Divide' sculpture, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19153395

Awe is an awfully complex emotion, conjuring feelings of reverence that can range from wonder to dread. It's a blend of fear and surprise, according to some definitions, although it often feels like more than the sum of those parts.

"Awe is an overwhelming and bewildering sense of connection with a startling universe that is usually far beyond the narrow band of our consciousness," 

mother nature network

________________________

"Reed Valentine would like to schedule a meeting and arrange for a professional demo, in studio, in New York, when it suits you."

She couldn't feel her hands. Or her feet. She realized dizzily that all she could feel was the sudden, ferocious hammering of her heart.

"Reed Valentine? Valentine Records? A meeting? With me? Why?"

"Suddenly you're full of questions." With a laugh, he toasted her again. "Yes, Reed Valentine of Valentine Records wants a meeting with you because he was very favorably impressed with the tape you put together."

"You sent it in? You sent it to Reed Valentine."

"I told you I was going to send it to a connection of mine."

Valentine Records. Now she couldn't feel her own lips. But she could feel the abrupt lurch of her stomach. "I didn't expect—I never thought…"

"Didn't you think I meant it, Cat? I don't play games like that."

"No, I don't—God, I can't breathe." She pressed a hand to her chest as if to push out air, but couldn't find any. "I can't get my breath."

Alarmed, he reached for her. She'd gone dead white. "Hey. Sit down."

"No. Yes. No. I need some air."

She shoved the wineglass into his hand and bolted for the balcony doors. Her head was light, as if she'd swallowed the whole bottle of champagne in one gulp. She couldn't get her breath because the air was trapped somewhere under her diaphragm.

Duncan @ MacGregor Grooms

memories as infants might not be lost

The light from the lamp slanted over her face, caught something, something in her eyes that jiggled at the corners of his memory.

"Did you have a picture on the wall? Flowers, white flowers in a blue vase?"

Her fingers tightened on the brush. "Yes, in my bedroom in New York. One of my watercolors. Not a very good one."

"And you had colored bottles on a table. Lots of them, different sizes and stuff."

"Perfume bottles." Her throat was closing again, so she was forced to clear it. "I used to collect them."

"You let me sleep in your bed with you." His eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the vague blips of memory. Soft smells, soft voice, colors and shapes. "You told me some story, about a frog."

The Frog Prince. Into her mind flashed the image of how a little boy had curled against her, the bedside lamp holding back the dark for both of them, his bright-blue eyes intense on her face as she'd calmed his fears with a tale of magic and happily ever after.

"You had—when you came to visit, you had bad dreams. You were just a little boy."

Inner Harbor

____________________

By © Nevit Dilmen, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28857001

Memory traces from our earliest years might stay in our brains.

Most people don't remember anything before the age of 3, but a new study out of New York University suggests that memories formed in our early years might still be latent in our brains. With the right triggers, those memories might get unlocked, reports New Scientist.

Mother Nature Network

You And Your Dog Share A Bed

 "Yeah, you fell into roses, didn't you? And didn't have to do a thing to earn it. Goofy-looking dog." 
Seth nearly blinked, realizing Cam was speaking to Foolish and not him. 
"It'll be his problem, won't it, when you're grown and take up more of the bed than he does."
 Cautious, Seth slitted his eyes open just enough so he could see through his lashes. He saw Cam's hand come down, give Foolish a quick, careless stroke. Then the tangled sheets and blanket came up, smoothed over his shoulders. That same hand gave Seth's head a quick and careless stroke.
 When the door closed again, Seth waited thirty full seconds before daring to open his eyes. He looked straight into Foolish's face. The pup seemed to be grinning at him as though they'd gotten away with something. 
Grinning back, Seth draped an arm around the pup's pudgy body.
 "I guess it is a pretty good deal, huh, boy?" he whispered.
 In agreement, Foolish licked Seth's face, then yawning hugely, settled down to sleep again.
 This time, when Seth dropped off to sleep, there were no sweaty dreams to haunt him.


Sea Swept
  

_____________________

Sleeping with another person can be cozy, but being able to snuggle up with your dog is great.

By Edralis - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26565004

Like people, dogs have all kinds of sleeping habits. In fact, the way your dog sleeps can say a lot about who they are, other than just being a good boy.

LITTLE THINGS

_____________________

With that mess sorted out, he moved into the bedroom, tossed down one of the big pillows that grouped on the sofa in his sitting area. 
But the dog, fully at home now, jumped onto the big, high bed, stretched out like a potentate at his ease. 
“Well, at least you’re clean.” He climbed in himself, decided on a book rather than TV to ease him toward sleep. 
By the time Fin turned off the light, Bugs was quietly snoring. 
Fin found the sound of it a small comfort, and wondered how pathetic it was when a snoring dog eased the lonely. 



Blood Magick

boozing personality types

 He took her hand, held it as the wine was brought to the table, as the label was turned for his approval. He waited while a sample was poured into his glass, watching her in that steady, all-else-aside way she'd discovered he had. He lifted it, sipped, still looking at her.

 "It's perfect. You'll like it," he murmured to her while their glasses were being filled.

 "You're right," she told him after she sipped. "I like it very much."

 "Shall I tell you tonight's specials," their waiter began in a cheerful voice. 

While he recited, they sat, hands linked, eyes locked. 

Inner Harbor

__________________

By Jon Sullivan - pdphoto.orghttp://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?oldpg=2479, 
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25990

What type of drinker are YOU?

Are you a highly sociable shot clinker, or a clever pleasure-seeker who knows the value of taking your time over your favourite drink?

 DAILYMAIL

__________________

“How ya doing, hotshot?”

“I’m good. How about you, Swede?”

In answer she tapped her third shot glass to his before they tossed back the contents together. She brought the lime wedge to her mouth. “Do you know what I love about tequila?”

“What do you love about tequila?”

“Everything.” 

After a wicked laugh, she drank the fourth with the same careless gusto as the first three. Together they slapped down the empties. 

Chasing Fire

Little kids think birthday parties actually make you get older

"We're having a party," Aubrey told her and put both her hands on Sybill's cheeks 

to ensure her full attention. 

"I'll have a party next time when I'm three. You can come."

Inner Harbor

_____________________

By Patrick Subotkiewiez from BAZIEGE, FRANCE - 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/28781447@N04/8355725866/, CC BY 2.0,

 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29241457

Adorable munchkins fundamentally misunderstand how times passes.

This kid could stay a baby forever if she would just stop having parties!

MSN

Creative Christmas Tree Themes

There, before the wide windows that opened onto a view of the cliffs, the Christmas tree soared, fifteen feet of glossy pine, every bough and branch heavy with ornaments and twinkling with lights.

It would stay lit, day and night, until Epiphany.

Beneath it were mountains of gifts. At midnight, following family tradition, there would be a minor riot of ripping and laughing and love.

Most of all love, she thought. No matter how they fought, no matter how much noise and confusion there was, this house was always filled with love.

And how she hated to think of Royce alone on Christmas Eve.

"I don't know how they do it," Caine said from behind her. He stepped up, laying his hands on her shoulders to rub. "Every year they manage to find the perfect tree. Ever since I was a boy, there's been a tree right there at Christmas. And it's always been the perfect tree."

The MacGregor Brides - Laura 

______________

Whether coastal, snow-covered, or Charlie Brown-approved, 

these Christmas tree theme ideas are sure

to make your home all the more merry.

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS

______________

As he crept downstairs, Seth saw they'd left the tree on. He'd never seen anything like it. Anna had wanted a real one, and in Seth's opinion, Anna ruled.

So they'd hauled in this big pine, and the guys had grumbled about stringing lights. But Seth knew they'd liked it. Now it was loaded with what seemed like a thousand ornaments, and presents with big bows and miles of ribbon were stacked under it.

Some of them had his name on them.

Probably dopey stuff like underwear and socks, he told himself, struggling against the sheer thrill of seeing those brightly wrapped boxes sparkle under the lights. Like they belonged there.

Like he belonged there.

The Quinn's Christmas

Here’s Why Your Pizza Delivery Person Hates You

"Pizza," he said at the brisk knock on the door.

He snatched his wallet off the workbench and, still shirtless and barefoot, went to the door. "Hey, Mike, how's it going?"

"Hanging loose."

The skinny, pimply-faced teenager handed Seth the pizza box. Then his gaze shifted, and he caught sight of Dru. The way his Adam's apple bobbed, the way surprise, interest and envy sped over his young, bumpy face, warned Dru there would be fresh fruit on the grapevine, and it would have her and Seth clustered together.

"Um, hi. Um. Grandma sent you a bunch of napkins and stuff." He shoved the paper bag into Seth's hands as well.

"Great. Tell her thanks. Here you go, Mike. Keep the change."

"Yeah. Well. Um. See you."

"Looks like Mike's got a little crush on you," Seth commented as he booted the door closed.

"I'd say Mike's double-timing it back to Village Pizza so he can spread the word that the artist and the florist are having hot pizza and hot sex."

"I hope he's right. If we're going to make the first part come true, we'd better dig into this." 

Chesapeake Blue

___________________

By U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Bo J. Flannigan - This Image was released by the United States Navy with the ID 040814-N-5781F-033

Delivering pizza isn’t the most glamorous job. Most of the time pizza delivery people are high school or college kids just trying to make a few bucks after school, but some may even be trying to make a more substantial living. They sacrifice their evenings and weekends to hand-deliver your dinner so you can cook less and enjoy life more. Here are all the reasons they might secretly hate you — and how to fix them.

CHEAT SHEET

qualities that make a person attractive regardless of their physical appearance

She thought for a moment, then spoke in a lazy Shore accent. "Old Mrs. Wilcox died—would've been eighty-nine come September. Came home from the market and had a stroke right there in the kitchen while she was putting away her canned goods. Too bad she didn't make things up with her sister before it was too late. They haven't spoke word one to each other in twelve years."

"That's good." Amused, Cam propped his chin on his hand. More than looks and brains, he thought.

There was warmth and humor in there, too. Once you tickled it out of her.

Seth was toast.

Chesapeake Blue

____________

By Quinn Dombrowski - Interlocking, CC BY-SA 2.0,

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35723047

Some of us might believe that only beautiful people are attractive. But actually, we find people attractive based on other factors aside from physical appearance. In fact, the charm and attractiveness of a person are not always determined by their physical appearance. The main thing here is the magic of the attractiveness.

Bright Side put together a list of ten ‘magical’ qualities that the opposite sex finds attractive.

Bright Side

____________

Interesting-looking woman, though, he decided as he poked around a little. The hair that wasn’t really red, wasn’t really blond, the eyes of absolutely clear and perfect blue. Her nose tilted up a little on the end and sported a dusting of freckles, and a slight overbite made her bottom lip seem particularly full.
Long neck, he thought as he poured the coffee, lanky build with no rack to speak of.
Not beautiful. Not pretty or cute. But . . . interesting, and the few times she’d smiled? Almost
arresting. Almost.


The Search 

open letter to the foster parents

Seth stuck his hands in his pockets and lifted his chin. He didn't want to be there, didn't want to talk to anybody. 
At Grace's he'd been able to just sit on her little stoop, be alone with his thoughts. 
Even when she'd come out for a little while and sat beside him with Aubrey on her knee, 
she'd let him be.
Because she understood he'd wanted to be quiet.


Sea Swept

____________________________

By Mferr020 at en.wikibooks, CC BY-SA 3.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9097807

What I hope is that by sharing the tips for foster parents that follow — what hurt and what helped — I can ease the delicate transition from “home” to “foster home."

Here's what I really wish I could have said to those foster parents:

SheKnows

____________________________

The smile, Phillip noted, came much more quickly and easily than it had a few months before. But there was a gap in it.
"Hey." Phillip butted a finger on the bill of the cap. "Lose something?"
"Huh?"
Phillip tapped a finger against his own straight, white teeth.
"Oh, yeah." With a typical Quinn shrug, Seth grinned, pushing his tongue into the gap. His face was fuller than it had been six months before, and his eyes less wary.



Inner Harbor