text:
Q: Difficulty in saving separate figures matplotlib I have written a program in python to map the random positions of points on a disc for a project. The idea is that for different numbers of points the random positions will be saved as a png for use later. The code is as follows:
def randr():#random r position
  return random.random()

def randphi():#random phi position
  return 2*pi*random.random()

nrange=[3,10,11,12,15,20,25,30]

for N in nrange:
   rposition=[]#create a table of r positions
   phiposition=[]#create a table of phi positions
   rinverse=[]#create a table of 1/rij

   for listcreation in range(0,N,1):#go through each charge
      rposition.append(randr())#allocate a random r position
      phiposition.append(randphi())#allocate a random phi position

   name=N
   filename = "c:/users/V/%i.png" % name
   pyplot.polar(phiposition,rposition,marker='o', markersize=10,color='b',
             linestyle='none')
   pyplot.savefig(filename, format='png')

The problem is that when this code is run the first figure saves with 3 points but the second one saves with 13 instead of 10! This goes on for successive N
I cannot post images so you'll have to take my word for it or run the code.
Does anyone know how to overcome this?

A: By default, the axes are not cleared between plots, so when you plot the second plot, it adds to whatever was already plotted.  To clear it, insert pyplot.cla() before your polar call.

A: I have found in similar situation it is good to properly initialise an axis that is
for N in nrange:
    {Make the data}

    ax = py.subplot(111)
    ax.plot({data})
    py.savefig...

This will automatically clear the axis and is clearly readable. If you also use py.xlabel you may wish to change these to ax.set_xlabel instead to make it clear.


Go to the journal entry and remove the project. This is the journal entry that the software creates as a result of the void.
The transactions will still exist but will not be associated with the project and will not show on the project report.


After that short gig I mentioned on the previous post and after moving, I finally got some time to I get back to working on my story portfolio, particularly on "The Hairdresser's Nightmare." As I said before, I decided to take the approach of giving it a more thorough treatment than just doing storyboards for it, so here are some more development sketches. I'm about a third into the storyboard thumbnails, and it's shaping up nicely and once I'm done with the first pass of that, I'll probably start developing a color script of some sort as I continue to refine the story and the character designs. Compared to my comic work, and with my previous animation work, I'm trying to make these characters look a bit more iconic and simpler in design. Of course the focus is on Harlow, the hairdresser, so I'm starting to develop the design of her expressions to help me develop those of the other characters. The early stages of any project are exciting because there are so many paths to take, but at the same time a little scary because there are so many paths to take (pardon the tautology.) But, organizing my sketches into the images below definitely helps me focus on where I want to go with this story.
Wow, The sketches are interesting; I might just follow it 😉 hehe.
Anyways, looking forward for more sketches! Or even e full side comic?


Dropbox is amongst the most popular file-hosting and file-syncing services and for good reason: it syncs files seamlessly, works on a bunch of platforms and, in addition to the free 2GB space, the company gives away free space to users every once in a while.
Recently, the company released a Beta version of their app on Android. It was accompanied by a beta version on the desktop which gives away 500MB of free space (up to 5GB) every time you upload 500MB worth of images/videos.
Well, we've discovered an awesome loophole of sorts that lets you skip the tedious uploading of 5GB of images/videos to get straight to the lovely 5GB of free space. Check it out after the jump!
Yes, that last bit may be a little disappointing for those of you who are fans of OS X or Linux. This method has only been confirmed to work on Windows 7 (though Vista and XP should also support this) because of a service called AutoPlay which scans removable media and gives options to the users to play/display the content inside it.
Step 3: Transfer DCIM to a removable media such as a microSD card, external HDD or a USB flash drive. Place this folder in the uppermost directory.
Step 4: Eject the removable media. Insert it back again.
Click on Import pictures and videos and wait for the pictures and videos to be imported. Because 5GB is a considerable amount of pictures/videos, this process can take time.
Note: If Dropbox doesn't increase your storage after you have completed above step, follow the step below.
Step 6: Delete all files inside the Camera Upload folder.
We've tested this method and can confirm that it works 100%. Yours truly has now 8.5GB of space on his Dropbox. Get yours before Dropbox patches this loophole.


text:
US defends trade barriers at World Economic Forum in Davos
By ASSOCIATED PRESS January 24, 2018
Economy General Government Manufacturing Davos free trade global economy government manufacturing merkel Pacific Ross TPP Trump
Meanwhile Canadian, European, Indian leaders champion free trade.
DAVOS, Switzerland — The United States is committed to free and fair trade while bracing itself for possible retaliation from China over new tariffs, top US Cabinet members said Wednesday, ahead of a much-ballyhooed visit by President Donald Trump to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Days after Trump backed new tariffs on imported solar-energy components and large washing machines, his combative commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, conceded that China could respond by imposing its own tariffs on U.S. products.
"In terms of any trade action you take, there's always potential for retribution or retaliation and that's up to the Chinese to decide," Ross told journalists Wednesday as part of the largest-ever US delegation to the annual Davos gathering of business and political leaders.
Ross insisted that the US government is not protectionist and that the tariffs are meant to deal with what he termed "inappropriate behaviour" by other countries.
Many in the Trump administration think that much of the global trading system is rigged against the US and that many countries have not been playing fair, using unfair methods to gain a competitive advantage.
"Trade wars are fought every single day," Ross added. "Unfortunately, every single day there are various parties trying to violate the rules, and trying to take unfair advantage of things … the difference is that US troops are now coming to the rampart."
Ross said it wasn't for him to set Chinese policy about whether to retaliate or not but he warned that if Beijing were to do so, there would be a question as to what the U.S. in turn would do.
The "America First" strategy that helped Trump win the presidency is partly a reflection of dealing with that apparent rigged system. It's already seen the US withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal with 11 countries, and seek a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. Trump has also pulled the United States out of the Paris agreement on climate change, a move that reinforced fears that "America First" means the US turns inward and opts for a more isolationist approach.
A day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi championed free trade, European leaders did likewise .
While acknowledging that it is legitimate for each country to say "My country first," Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said trade was the means towards economic growth – and that protectionism runs counter to that.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there is too much "national egoism" at the moment and that the World Economic Forum's motto of "creating a shared future in a fractured world" was "exactly right" for 2018.
"We believe that isolationism won't take us forward," she said. "We believe that we must co-operate, that protectionism is not the correct answer."
Trump is due to address the Davos forum Friday and there's been concern among some participants about what his economic and trade policies could do to the global economy – whether they will bring an end to decades of increasing trade and globalization. Trump's visit has sparked scattered, small protests in Switzerland and some participants among the 3,000 on hand say he's not welcome because of his controversial tweets, "America First" tack, and trade policies.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin brushed off concerns about a possibly tough reception, saying: "Our objective is to be here to interact with important counterparts."
Mnuchin took a softer line than Ross, insisting that the Trump administration believes in "free and fair trade" and just making sure that "US opportunities are equal to other people's opportunities in the US."
Mnuchin said Trump's over-riding priority is to boost US growth, and that "economic growth in the US is obviously good for the rest of the world," he said. "We are open for business."
Trump is due to hold meetings with political leaders, including British Prime Minister Theresa May and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, as well as with business leaders, notably from some big European corporations. He is expected to trumpet his recent tax reform package, which saw corporate tax rates slashed in the U.S., to attract business into the US.
Those tax reforms, Mnuchin said, have already reaped big dividends, with many U.S. businesses, including Apple, saying they will repatriate money back into the US, pay more taxes and hand out bonuses to staff.
"The response from US business has been even better than we expected," he said.
Mnuchin also sought to downplay concerns that China was preparing to ease up on its purchases of US Treasurys, an idea that recently surfaced and caused jitters in financial markets, including a fall in the dollar.
He said the US Treasury market is "one of the largest and most liquid in the world" and that the reports about China were "not accurate" and "not something we are particularly concerned about."
Environmental issues top worries at World Economic Forum
EU trade commissioner says trade liberalization has momentum
No plans yet for US, China presidents to meet on trade
Trudeau to tout climate and trade at Asia-Pacific economic summit
Huge pay package for Musk at Tesla, with ambitious goals
Two Canadians indicted in 2012 Montana oil plant explosion

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Can we judge suffering and do we have the right?
Photo by Arwan Sutanto on Unsplash
A British High Court recently deliberated that life the support system should be withdrawn from a 9 month old child whose brain, due to a birthing crisis, was nothing but liquid. Many highly-qualified doctors had concluded that the child was suffering unimaginable pain. The parents strongly disagreed saying that the 'spasms' shown by the child were simply reflex movements. How can 'liquid' feel pain? Who had the right to judge? The loving parents? The professional medical teams or the judiciary?
I don't know, and coward that I am, I am glad I have not been asked to decide.
Who is to judge suffering?
Suffering comes in many forms — physical, emotional, mental and, at times, indefinable. For many years I practised as a veterinary general practitioner specialising in small animal surgery and, as such, I witnessed suffering every working day of my professional life. As veterinary surgeons we are both blessed, and cursed, by the availability of the ultimate weapon — I hesitate to call it a cure — of euthanasia.
A widow who had been alone for the previous eight years since her husband died, but for the companionship of her 12 year old black Labrador, Windsor. She brought him in to my surgery one morning because he was off his food and listless. The first symptom I noticed was the colour of his eyes — they were a lemon yellow. His lungs were clear and his heart beat was sound but simple palpation of his tummy told me that his liver was enlarged. He had jaundice which depresses the appetite. The lady was living on a small pension and the original insurance policy had lapsed beyond the age of 8. X-rays, ultrasound scans and blood tests would have confirmed my provisional diagnosis of a liver tumour but would have cost her too much money.
Windsor was the last link to her late husband and her only child had emigrated to Australia. Specific blood tests were the cheapest way of confirming my diagnosis and I visited her at home the next day with the results. The cancer was inoperable. Her one remaining companion was not only dying, but suffering. It took her another three weeks before she asked me to visit and perform the final kindness. Was she right to prolong that suffering? I don't know.
As veterinary surgeons we are both blessed, and cursed, by the availability of the ultimate weapon — I hesitate to call it a cure — of euthanasia.
Two years earlier a middle-aged aged couple, the Robinsons, had brought in their beagle, Sally. This dog had suffered glaucoma in the left eye and, at that time, the late 80s, the only remedy was to remove the eye. This was no problem as many animals can live an enjoyable life with only one eye. Unfortunately certain breeds of dog are more prone to glaucoma than others and once glaucoma had been diagnosed in one eye it was often only a matter of time before it developed in the other eye — and this was the case with Sally. Her right eye was painfully swollen with glaucoma and my considered advice, at the time, was that euthanasia was the kindest option. The owners were horrified at my suggestion and a 'lively' discussion followed.
"Why can't you remove her second eye?"
"Surely, you cannot ask me to do that. She will suffer unnecessarily."
"Please give her a chance."
It ended by the owners agreeing to sign a letter of authorisation which stated that if, if in my opinion, and mine alone, I considered the dog to be suffering within three months I had their permission to put her down.
With great reluctance, and the disapproval of many of the surgery staff, I removed the second eye. I could not wait the full three months and after 10 weeks I arrived unannounced at their front door. Mrs Robinson opened the opened the door and beamed a huge smile at me which rather took me by surprise.
""Sally! Look who's here."
The beagle came racing round the corridor, banged into my legs and jumped up with her tails going furiously. To say I was gobsmacked would have been one of the understatements of the year.
"Come in," said Mrs Robinson. "Shall we show Mr Arnold, our game?"
She led me through to the dining room — there were dining rooms in those days! — picked a tennis ball off the sideboard and tossed it into the wooden jungle of chair and table legs. Sally dived in, hardly missing an obstacle, and brought the ball back within a minute or two.
"I am amazed," I said.
"Oh, no! That's not the game," said the lady. "Give me a hand will you?" and we turned the whole dining room suite through 90 degrees, while Sally pounded her feet on the carpet in her excitement. I was then given the ball and asked to throw it into the new configuration of wooden legs. I don't know which part of Sally's body hit the wooden legs most; it was a close run thing between the head and her tail. She was having a ball — in many more words than one.
Within five or ten minutes Sally had worked out the new geography of the dining room and, after a welcome cup of tea, I left the house feeling rather small.
Joe Barrett
My Weekend Dog "Rescue"
Gerald Holmes
Pet Therapy Notes
A Chinese word for Beautiful
Caroline Bond
Life With My Little Brown Street Dog
Rufus Inu
Rufus Inu: Moving Forward
A Kitchen Canister and a No-Name Dog Changed My Destiny
Wilfredo Resto
My Dog Is Scared of Fireworks and Thunder
Vera Ciu
A Story of My Quarantinecat


The PATH Foundation was established in 1989 in Houston, Texas. The Alabama branch of the PATH Foundation ("Alabama Hypnosis Center") was established in 1995.
1207 18th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama.
2400 Augusta Drive, Suite 372, Houston, Texas.
Cell Command Therapy is the technique of Hypnosis that is used to stimulate healing and physical change or growth.
Cellular Releasing Hypnosis is the technique of hypnosis that is used to release mental causes and blocks for physical, mental and emotional healing and health.
Super Learning Hypnosis is the technique of hypnosis that is used to assist in improving learning skills, memory and IQ. It incorporates both Cellular Releasing hypnosis techniques and Cell Command Therapy hypnosis techniques.
Super Star Sports improvement Hypnosis is the technique of hypnosis that is used to assist in improving skills and abilities in sports or performance, to achieve "Super Star" performance ability. It incorporates both Cellular Releasing hypnosis techniques and Cell Command Therapy hypnosis techniques.


Please note online purchase of Friday Night Friendzy is for 3 hours (7pm - 10pm). If you miss the 7pm deadline you can still purchase 2 hours at the park. Friday Night Friendzy is designed for ALL families and children of all ages.
Please note online purchase of Saturday Night Flight is for 3 hours (7pm - 10pm). If you miss the 8pm deadline you can still purchase 2 hours at the park. Saturday Night Flight is designed for ALL families and children of all ages.


Taste&Travel magazine is headquartered in Ottawa and is expanding to Asia.
Taste&Travel publisher Janet Boileau has found a niche in the tough magazine world. Her quarterly publication, which is distributed in Air Canada lounges and Chapters bookstores, has rapidly grown and she is expanding with an Asian edition. Headquartered in Ottawa, Taste&Travel features stories from around the world that focus on culinary experiences. It's a beautiful product, with breathtaking photographs and outstanding writing from experienced contributors.
I recently caught up with Boileau, who is also one of the newest judges for the 2014 Vacay.ca Top 50 Restaurants in Canada Guide and a fellow Vacay.ca advisor.
Janet Boileau publisher of Taste&Travel knows how to chill when she is on the road.
Question: How did you get the idea for Taste&Travel?
Janet Boileau: Global food culture fascinates me and I love to travel. When Gourmet magazine closed in the US in 2009 we lost one of the few magazines that offered really good food and travel writing. Like many Gourmet readers, I was shocked and disappointed. As a publisher, I also saw this as an opportunity to create a new magazine devoted to culinary travel. I wanted Taste&Travel to be educational as well as entertaining, to be a magazine that people would actually read and pass around, not just flip through and toss in the garbage. I also suspected that there would eventually be a backlash to the saturation of the blogosphere and that some people would want to return to the great visuals and more relaxed reading experience that a print magazine offers.
Q: Culinary travel is a major growth market in the tourism industry. Why do you think that is?
JB: Even a single generation ago, the majority of women did not go out to work and prepared three meals a day for their families. Now most of us work and have little time to cook and the skills that used to be passed down from mother to daughter or son are being lost. So we engage with food differently; we eat out, watch chefs on TV, visit farmers' markets, read food blogs and go on food-related vacations. Culinary travel is the fastest-growing sector in special interest tourism. Countries that rely on tourism as a source of income are aware of this, which is why you will find more and more destinations developing food trails, agritourism attractions, culinary tours, cooking classes and the like as part of their product.
Q: What makes a good culinary travel story?
JB: To me the best culinary travel story is one that makes the connection between food and culture. Food connects people to their place, their history and their traditions. A good culinary travel writer sees cultural difference as something to be celebrated, not criticized, laughed at, or recoiled from. Our tagline "Expand Your Culinary Horizons" is not just about being open to trying new foods, it's about appreciating the beautiful and tasty diversity of our global village.
Q: Where are your favourite food cities and why?
JB: Singapore for great, cheap hawker food and incredibly glamorous high-end dining. Hong Kong for dim sum and the world's most breathtaking cityscape at night. Merida for fabulous Spanish colonial architecture and the unique cuisine of the Yucatan. Goa for fish curry, Portuguese sausages and gorgeous beaches. Rome for espresso bars, Tokyo for sushi and Lima for ceviche. Montreal for Quebec cheeses, foie gras and being able to buy bir and vin at a corner store.
Q: On the international scene, Canada doesn't get mentioned a lot as a destination with great food options. Do you think we are being overlooked or is the global perception of our nation's cuisine an accurate one?
JB: Don't get me started on this one! Canada is a world-class culinary tourism destination. You have great landscapes, some of the best ingredients in the world and hugely talented chefs. If there is a global perception of Canadian cuisine as being anything less than brilliant, it's probably due to the fact that Canadians don't toot their own horns very much. Which is why every issue of Taste&Travel has pages dedicated to Canadian stories and why two of Canada's most respected food writers are on our Editorial Board.
Q: You recently dined at Atelier in Ottawa for the first time. That's been one of the favourite restaurants among Vacay.ca readers and Top 50 Restaurants in Canada judges. What were your impressions?
JB: Considering how fabulous this place is, dining there was a surprisingly relaxed experience. Marc Lepine is a genius in the kitchen but he and his staff are totally unpretentious. I went with Anne DesBrisay, who was the Ottawa Citizen's restaurant critic for more than 20 years and knows the Capital's food scene better than anyone. Thirteen perfectly proportioned tasting courses and nine wine pairings later, we were delirious with pleasure. And I was really surprised by the bill … elsewhere in the world that kind of superb dining experience would probably have cost twice as much.
Watch the Vacay.ca video featuring Marc Lepine and Atelier.
Q: Word on the street is you like octopus. Where can you find the best one in Canada? What about the rest of the world?
Q: Where can readers find Taste&Travel and what's in the latest issue?
JB: Taste&Travel is sold in Chapters stores throughout Canada. It's also available free in the Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges worldwide, although it tends to disappear from there pretty fast! The easiest way to get the print edition is to subscribe via our website. It's only $25 a year and the magazine is delivered to your door. The digital editions are available through zinio.com, Apple Newsstand and Google Play for Android users. We are also especially proud of the Taste&Travel app available through the App Store for Apple devices.
The Fall issue has a great compendium feature about the food scene in Melbourne, Australia, a yoga trek (with chilies!) in Bhutan, a road trip down Highway 1 in California and a feature on Iceland. And that's just for starters. There's also the usual mix of recipes, cookbook reviews, travellers' reports from the road, news updates and culinary guides to major Canadian cities. Enjoy!


text:
Zielona Gora inks veteran Kelati
Polish champion Stelmet Zielona Gora has announced the signing of two-time 7DAYS EuroCup champion Thomas Kelati to a two-year contract on Monday. After three seasons away, Kelati (1.95 meters, 34 years old) returns to the competition that he won in 2010 with Valencia Basket and two years later with Khimki Moscow Region. Kelati began his Eurocup career with another Polish Club, Turow Zgorzelec, in 2007 and has played a total of 58 games over four seasons in the competition, averaging 10.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists in that span. He has slightly lower numbers in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, where he played parts of three seasons with Unicaja Malaga, Khimki and Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz. He has played the last two seasons for a new EuroCup team, UCAM Murcia of Spain. Despite playing just four EuroCup seasons, Kelati ranks 12th all-time in the competition with 129 three-pointers made.
Zielona Gora adds size with Vaughn
Polish champion Stelmet Zielona Gora bolstered its frontcourt by signing center Julian Vaughn to a two-year deal, the club announced Friday.
Zielona Gora adds size with Zaytsev
Stelmet Zielona Gora bolstered its frontcourt by inking forward Ihor Zaytsev to a one-year deal on Wednesday. Zaytsev arrives from Rosa Radom, where he averaged 10.8 points...
Stelmet Zielona Gora puts Florence at point
Stelmet Zielona Gora found a new playmaker, none other than James Florence, who inked a one-year deal with the Polish League champion on Thursday. Florence arrives from Cibona...


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I've been talking with a CP (critique partner) this week about finding our "niche" -- what kind of author do we want to be? "Author branding" is a big buzz word these days. I'm no expert on either of these things. But as an enneagram 4, knowing myself is important. As a faith writer, knowing my values are paramount. And, having been around the sun 54 times and married for 32, I guess I have some wisdom to offer. Since coming to the writing community, I realize more and more the importance of "knowing ourselves" I believe this is one of the keys to finding our "niche" or our "author brand". Every year when I apply for the PBChat mentorship, one of the questions is: what kind of stories do you want to be known for? What do you want to put on the shelves? What do you want people to remember about you as an author? These type of questions can help us identify who we are as writers -- and who we want to be, what legacy we hope to leave behind. If they are difficult for you to answer, maybe some of these strategies will help.
These suggestions are not a course in creating your brand or even finding your niche. They are simply exercises that may help you to that end.
Recently, I watched a webinar about writing for the educational market, and one of the things they recommended was to make lists of things that really interest you -- things you know about, things you're good at. Think about your job, your hobbies, your trainings, what TV channels you enjoy watching, what sports you participate in, what instruments you play, etc.
Another training I attended early on (I think the speaker was discussing writing about what you know) talked about creating a list of all the things you know, love, are trained in, have experience with, etc. Still another (Joana Pastro during StoryStorm: Here's the link: https://taralazar.com/2021/01/13/storystorm-2021-day-13/) recommended making lists: festivals/celebrations, music, dances, clothing/accessories, food/dishes, places, people, sports/entertainment, aspects of nature, etc. that you have experienced or know about. Someone along the way recommended keeping a running notebook/document of childhood memories AND their feelings to incorporate into your writing. While all of those are brainstorming tools, I think they also give you a window into yourself and your experiences that might help you identify your niche. Now that I have over 40 manuscripts (at least rough draft or further along), I'm definitely starting to see some patterns of those things I love showing up: music, nature, animals, and lots of stories based on my childhood memories.
Reflect on your jobs/trainings/hobbies/experiences/childhood memories/family history/faith and spiritual values, etc. One version of that exercise is to create a page in your journal/notebook called 100 Things I Love. That may help you narrow it down as well. It's always a good exercise. It's great for brainstorming, when you're stuck and need something to write about. It's great for identifying those things that really matter to you. Perhaps 100 seems like a lot. If so, you don't have to do it all at one sitting. Keep it near your workspace, and keep working on it until you're up to 100! I tried to think about these questions as I made mine:
1. What are the most important things to me? (Quickly I filled in friends, family, our cats [fur babies], God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Church, Bible, music, reading, writing and books.)
2. What would I miss the most if it disappeared from my life? (Here I added things like playing trumpet, singing, prayer, etc.)
3. When I think of having a really good day, what comes to mind? (For me, this meant sleeping in/waking naturally to bird song, pajamas [or other comfy clothes], reading, writing, worship, nature, etc.)
4. What are some hobbies/activities that are important to me? (Music, playing trumpet, singing, cooking, reading, writing, etc.)
5. What are some things that have enriched my life? (Twitter kidlit, picture books, worship, , being included/belonging, etc.)
6. What things do I find fun or relaxing? (sleeping in, singing, looking at the stars, hanging out in a hammock, listening to wind chimes, twinkling lights, playing in the water, camping, walking on the beach, etc., etc.)
7. What are some foods that I particularly enjoy? (cheesecake, food boards, ice cream, pineapple upside down cake, s'mores, etc.)
8. What are some sensory experiences that I love? (warm blankets, cool breezes, moonlight, firelight, wind chimes, snuggling, misty rain, twinkling lights . . .)
9. If I have nothing I HAVE to do, what will I choose to do? (reading, writing, cooking, sleeping late, etc.)
10. What do I MOST enjoy about what I do for a living? (teaching, singing, dancing, music)
Etc., etc., etc.
Holidays?
Where would you travel?
What do you most like to wear?
What are your favorite colors?
Favorite animals/plants?
By the time you actually get to 100, you'll probably think of quite a few more and be disappointed by what you left off. You could always start another one :-). These are great places to start when you need to brainstorm for a new story or a blog post. It also really helps you identify who you are at the core. What matters most? Your values show up in some way of other. Here's my current one:
If 100 is too much for you to think about, here's a link for a template for 50 Things I Love -- perfect to get you started (or if you're a teacher --a great way to teach your students how to find some things to write about):
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-50-things-I-love-759175
If you'd like to find out your personality type using Jungian-style quiz (MBPTS/ Myers-Briggs, etc), you can do that here: https://www.16personalities.com/
This site is full of lots of resources for understanding yourself better. (There are lots of other sites that have free quizzes and resources as well; this is simply one I'm sharing.)
If you're not familiar with the enneagram and would like to see where you fall on that spectrum, you can find out here: https://enneagram.bz/en (Again, there are lots of sites that have free quizzes and resources for the enneagram too; I'm sharing one for simplicity's sake.
Knowing yourself in these ways: your personality, how you process the world, how you function in the workplace, your innermost dreams, goals, etc. can help you become a better writer in many ways. Hopefully one way they are beneficial is to help you begin to identify your niche and/or begin to think about your author brand by knowing the things that are most important to you.
Good luck as you seek to identify yourself and find your place in the writing community! If I can help in any way, please feel free to reach out!
A VIRTUOUS WOMAN
I'm wrapping up this series of blogposts in tribute to Mama. Having said that, I reserve the right to share more about her. She was one of the greatest impacters on my life.
A couple of weeks ago, Shane and I were watching TWO WEEKS NOTICE. (I'm a big rom-com fan . . . ). There was a quote that struck me like a ton of bricks: "But for better or worse, she's the voice in my head pushing me to do better." Lucy was speaking about her mother, who was a "piece of work." This conversation could have been absolutely been mine about Mama. My sister and I sometimes joke still about chopping vegetables. I can rarely peel, chop, slice, dice, mince or any other kitchen task without hearing her voice in my head. "Too much, not enough; too thick, too thin, wrong knife, not even, etc." While those words felt critical as a daughter growing up, they were Mama's way of pushing us to always do better. Looking back, I can see so many of her words in a different light now than I had heard them growing up. But for better or worse, she's the voice in my head, pushing me to do better. I hear you, Lucy. I feel you, and Mama, I hear you, too. I understand what you were trying to do, and I'm sorry for the times I was too much, too little, too uneven, too loud, too lazy, too _____.
ilyWhen we held the service for Mama a few weeks ago, I was a bit surprised when my husband (who did the service) chose to use Proverbs 31 as a scripture reading. But as he began reading, it became clear that it was quite apropos. Oftentimes, it is the scripture held up as a mirror to women of the church to see if you "measure up". And it often seems an arduous task. But here, as Shane read the passage, I realized that most of it fit Mama well. Granted there are a couple of things -- like the whole getting up early to feed/take care of your family and plan your daily business -- yeah, not so much that one ;-) What a blessing to know, in spite of faults and flaws, that the bulk of that description fits.
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 "Many women do noble things,
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Over 50 people came to celebrate her life with us and honor her memory. There are more that would liked to have been here and could not. My dear friend, Janet, spoke of 2 memories of Mama -- Mama came to their house when Janet was a young wife and said, "Janet, what are you doing?" Janet said, "I'm trying to cut up this chicken, Mona." Mama said, "You are massacring that thing. Here, let me show you how to cut up a chicken." And she did. That is quintessential Mama -- the brash, know-it-all, tell-you-the-truth-whether-you-want-to-hear-it-or-not Mama. . . But then she also told the story of Mama's honesty, friendship, and integrity when Janet said some things after surgery while still under the affects of anesthesia, and Mama promised to take those words to the grave and never tell a soul -- and she didn't; not even to Janet :-)
Then, my other best friend (since fourth grade) stood up and told of how Mama's hospitality shone and how she enjoyed spending time at our house and how she cherished some special moments when her family wasn't present and I shared my family with her. Mama accepted her and treated her like family, because she was. Rachel knew she was loved by Mama and that she was truly part of our family.
Mama wasn't perfect -- far from it. But she was a virtuous woman, a hospitable woman, an honorable woman, a loved woman, a woman of faith and integrity. I am so thankful that I learned to appreciate her before it was too late. I'm grateful that she knew I loved her and that I knew she loved me.
There are no words to say how much she is missed. Every day brings some little (or big) conversation that I want to share with her, ask her advice about. The pain of not being able to do that is palpable at times. Grief still hits hard sometimes, but less often. That, in no way makes the love any less.
We will continue to rise and call her blessed, and we all look forward to the day when we can see her again and catch up, and I sure do hope that when I get to Heaven, she'll have a big pot of stew beef ready. We'll have lots of catching up to do!
Oh, the Games Mama Played!
When we think of Mama, we mostly think of her serious side. She was not to be trifled with. She was a strict disciplinarian. Much like Grandmama before her, she saw things largely in terms of right vs. wrong with no in between. She was more serious than Daddy, and often more serious than we would have liked. But she also loved games and play and having fun, and because that side of her was a bit rarer, we appreciated it all the more when she showed that side.
Mama as a young woman, showing her sillier side. We didn't get to see this side often, but we loved it when we did!
Growing up, there are a few memories that stand out where Mama was playful and we enjoyed her lighter side.
Jacks, or jack rocks, was one of Mama's favorite games from her childhood. She taught me how to play, but she also taught lots of my friends to play as well. I remember when I was in late elementary school/early middle school, a new girl had started coming to our church -- Sharon. She came over to our house often and we could usually be found playing jacks/jack rocks -- with Mama on the floor with us -- tossing the ball and scooping jacks. She was better than us always, but oh, how we strove to beat her.
Aunt Gwen (L) and Mama (R) playing Canasta. Look at that mischievous expression. You know she was trying to get away with something ;-)
One of my favorite toys growing up was a hula hoop. Part of the reason is because it was one of the things Mama would do with us. She was a pretty good hula hooper! We spent hours and hours hula hooping together or taking turns or having contests. We were amazed (my brother and I) that Mama could throw the hula hoop out on the grass and make it return to her. We spent additional hours practicing until we could do that, too. One of our favorite hula hoop games that Mama played with us was this: she would roll the hula hoop into a grassy area of the yard and Dale and I would wait patiently and try to find just the right timing and just the right angle to jump through the hoop and land in the grass on the other side. We begged her to keep playing this one time and time again!
Mama was also really good at jumping rope. She always made sure we had a jump rope on hand. If Santa didn't bring one at Christmas, rest assured it would find its way to us somehow during Christmas -- or other times, too. She taught us how to straight jump, skip jump, and jump backwards. She could even criss-cross the rope while jumping! As a child, it was amazing to see your mom be so good at something that everyone knew was of prime importance. And it was. This, at least, was an area I could hold my own with the kids at school because I was a fairly decent jumper -- thanks to Mama.
Shane (L) and Mama (R) and another game of Canasta. Playing with Elvis Presley cards. Mama's sweet tea mug was a constant staple of our life since I was in middle school at least.
Over the years, board games became one of our favorite things to do together. Mama was always very competitive! And, often . . she won. I won't even lie. Sometimes, it was because she would cheat (or at least stretch the rules like a rubber band!). But it was also a reminder that Mama was brilliant and so good at so many things! As we grew older, and into adulthood, she especially enjoyed word games like Scrabble and Boggle. Up until the very end, she enjoyed her computer games and board games with the family.
Card games were another place where she excelled. Growing up, she taught me to play Solitaire and Rummy. Mama and Daddy and their dear friends, Don and Joyce (the same ones we visited in Virginia from my Doctor Mama stories) loved playing Canasta together. Oftentimes, we'd go visit them when they were living close and the grown-ups would play cards or talk theology while Donna, Susan, Dale, and I (and later their younger brother Donnie) played. I have rarely played a game of Canasta with Mama that she didn't win. Whatever she did, she did it with gusto and with the intention of being the best she could be. As years went on, Sunday afternoons often found us playing Canasta. We learned how to play with 5 players or 6 to accommodate whomever was available for play. It didn't matter who was on Mama's team -- she almost always ended up on the winning side!
Mama's silly side -- This was in the backyard garden at "the house on the Hill". Probably middle school for me -- c. 1977-78 maybe
I'll forever be grateful for all the things Mama taught me, and all the gifts her serious nature brought (even when I didn't enjoy it at the time . . .) But this side of Mama was one of my favorites, and I loved getting to play with her, no matter how old I got. It is for sure one of the things I miss the most now that she's not here any longer, and I'm sure if they have games available in Heaven, Mama has already found her way to the table and has won quite a few rounds of whatever they play.
While this was not games/play, it was a sweet day of recreation as we took the pontoon boat out on Lake Waccamaw. I love everything about this photo. Her floppy hat, the colorful floral shirt, her feet tucked up under her, staring our at the water. I loved these moments!
Mama with a Needle and Thread
I've tried a few times to learn to sew. I'm sure Mama tried to teach me, and I had a mentor when I was in middle school who did sewing lessons for me and a friend, I actually took a sewing class in college, and Shane's Grandma Nita helped me with a couple sewing projects after we married. Having said that, I still can't sew well at all. I can do very basic things like sewing on a button or repairing a seam that has split, but I missed out on the part of Mama's DNA that made her good at everything she tried. She had a gift for sewing and we all benefited. Read on to find out how:
Me (far left), Uncle Jerry [Daddy's younger brother] and Shanda (far right). Notice the plaid material -- Mama made these matching outfits for Shanda and me :-)
Dale's little bicentennial jacket from Kindergarten, C1976, handmade by Mama.
Mama was an excellent seamstress, and her skills enhanced our lives in so many ways. She was quick to use her skills to save money, to help out, to bless others. She could make pretty much anything -- and often did. . .
Barbie Clothes
One of my favorite ways that Mama used her sewing skills was by making clothes for my Barbie dolls. I loved Barbie and her friends (both name brand and generic). Such teeny tiny clothes for teeny tiny bodies, but Mama would use a few scraps, design and make clothes all the time fit for a Barbie. It was the season of polyester and one outfit I remember particularly was a polyester gold pantsuit for my doll. She enjoyed wearing it, I'm sure -- and I certainly enjoyed dressing my Barbies in all the clothes Mama designed and sewed for me and my dolls!
Bicentennial Costumes
The year was 1976 and I was in third grade (Ms. Bowen's class). The whole country was awash in excitement over our Bicentennial Anniversary -- 200 years for this fine country of ours. Celebrations were rampant! At Whiteville Primary School, we were having a big celebration, too! It consisted of square-dancing and patriotic music. We were all (I guess) dressing in period costumes for the event, so Mama made for me a long skirt and a round bonnet, trimmed with fabric matching my skirt. For Dale, it was knee breeches and a jacket with brass buttons and a tri-corn hat, too, I think. Not just for us, but for several classmates, too -- Mama put her sewing machine to work as grade-parent and we were outfitted with Bicentennial excellence -- suitable for singing and square-dancing!
That same third grade year, Mama also made stockings for my whole third grade class (and I think Dale's whole class, too!) Not only did she sew the stockings, but also, added all my classmates' names with glue and glitter, along with a glitter Christmas tree with a star on top. These were not just cheap felt stockings cut with pinking shears and barely stitched together either! These were really nice, thick-fabricked stockings with turned-under hems and no raw edges anywhere! Her willingness to use her skills and her gifts made a lot of kids happy that Christmas. We kept those same stockings and used them for years afterward, and I bet lots of other kids did, too!
Dreams of Red
As a child, my favorite color was red and I wanted a red bedroom from the time I was very young. In fact, Mama and Daddy got in "almost-trouble" with our cousin/landlord because someone misunderstood Mama and Daddy when they were telling someone else in the family that I wanted red walls and they thought Mama and Daddy had painted the walls in their house red . . .
So, when we got the new house at Pleasant Hill, and I had my own bedroom as a fifth grader, I wanted a red bedroom. While I wanted red walls, Mama and Daddy compromised with just a hint of red in the white paint (It really looked white -- not even pink. . .) and red carpet and bedroom linens. Mama scoured stores and bargains and found a red velvet bedspread, but to buy matching curtains was very expensive, so Mama bought maybe 3 bedspreads, which were a good price. We used one on the bed, and she used the other two to make curtains for my two windows and cover a chair that we had gotten from someone. The carpet was red and black shag carpet and thanks to Mama and her bargain-hunting and sewing/upholstery skills, I had my dream bedroom!
Special Outfits
Daddy had a class reunion coming. I don't remember what number -- maybe 20? That would have made it 1981, and that seems plausible. Daddy was wearing a mustache at the time. Mama made them matching outfits to wear for Daddy's reunion. Remember, it was the era of polyester. Mama fashioned herself a long dress (Now they call them maxi-dresses) with long sleeves. Daddy had a matching short-sleeve shirt. The fabric was black polyester covered with pink roses. It was striking fabric, and they made a striking couple in such beautiful outfits. While that memory has NOTHING to do with me, it is one of my favorites.
I was one of the servers at the Jr-Sr prom my sophomore year (Maybe because I was in the National Honor Society? I don't remember for sure, but this blue skirt was made by Mama, along with that snazzy matching bow-tie ;-).
Jr. Prom with my date (a friend), Wayland Nobles in the antebellum-style dress Mama and I found at the yard sale. The neckline was lower when we bought it. Mama added layers of lace, and also removed the bottom of the sleeves (big puffy bottoms) and poof! a prom dress for $3.00 plus labor and the cost of the lace :-) I actually loved this dress!!!
Mama was quick to make something from scratch or to modify something with what she had on hand.
Once, we were at a yard sale and found a beautiful powder blue antebellum dress with ruffles and lace and big balloon sleeves. It also showed a lot of cleavage. I loved the dress and wore it just for fun around the house as an upper middle-school/early high school student. It well- suited my romanticism. Mama reworked that same dress so that I could wear it for my junior prom. She removed the balloon sleeves, and added extra lace at the neckline so not-so-much cleavage was revealed. I loved the dress and I loved that I got to wear it to prom. Mama was a master at using what we had to make things special. I didn't always appreciate that, but other times it was perfect -- like this time.
Next year's prom wasn't so smooth. Mama insisted on making my dress. It wasn't what I wanted. It wasn't the greatest time -- lots of arguing and hard times. In retrospect, I understand that the money just wasn't there to buy a dress, and it really didn't matter anyway. I respect all the effort that she put into the dress, and it turned out pretty. While it wouldn't have been my first choice, I wish I had handled it differently, and I am so thankful for all the gifts and skills and resources that she used to try to make life good for all of us.
Oh, the drama! Oh, the arguments we had over this dress. I would take them all back now if I could. I appreciate every stitch now, but at the time I wasn't so gracious -- and she was so proud of her hard work. I wasn't always an easy daughter . . .sigh :-(
I wish I had pictures of the Barbies and the stockings and all the amazing work Mama did as seamstress for our family, but hopefully you can see her talent and hard work in these photos. I sure do appreciate how she wielded a needle and thread and wish I had learned more when I had the opportunity. My life was certainly richer for all her capabilities -- especially, this one.
Reflections on Winning and Losing and Perseverance
This post is not about Mama -- exactly. Thoughts of her occupy my mind often, and all the more with her "Celebration of Life" service this Sunday. Yesterday was a hard day. Maybe because of that, maybe hormones, maybe my thyroid medicine change -- probably a combination of all that (and more). Losing is hard. Losing pets, losing people, losing at contests, losing anything is really difficult. But, it is part of life. We have to learn to lose well so we can win well. Losing keeps us humble, makes us appreciate the wins when they come, reminds us what NO or GRIEF or LAST PLACE feels like so that we can live in gratitude for all we have, fully enjoying YES or FIRST PLACE when it comes. Sometimes we get lucky straight out of the gate. Sometimes it takes long hours and lots of practice.
I've been reflecting on this quite a lot lately -- not just for me, as you can see from the photos. My niece and nephew have been experiencing this a lot recently. They were both local and state winners in our NCRA Young Authors Project. It was my nephew's first time winning, although he has written for 3 years now. My niece has won every single time -- it's been hard for him, but he's been such a trouper and has celebrated every win for her and with her, even though he didn't win. He wasn't going to write this year. It took lots of talking to convince him. I was so thrilled when he was finally a winner, and I love his poem, Magnified Light. Perhaps I'll feature it soon on my blog.
They both entered poems in the local AR Ammons poetry contest. Once again, niece won 2 honorable mentions and nephew -- nothing.
This weekend, they both participated in their first karate tournament. (Please forgive my ignorance of vocabulary if I use something improperly -- this is all new to me. . .) When they went into the ring, the first thing they had to do was demonstrate their bow skills. Nephew was reticent, but tried his best. He took last place in that event. Niece totally drew a blank in the ring, and even when the judges encouraged her and walked her through step by step, she still couldn't perform well. She took last place. There were tears of failure and disappointment on her part, but she still had two events to go. She brought me her bronze medal, wiped her tears, took a deep breath and stepped right back into the ring, taking 2nd place in Form, while her brother took FIRST place in that event! She brought me her silver medal and suited up for sparring, in which she took FIRST place. I've been proud of young people so many times in my teaching career, but never any prouder than I was of her (and her brother) on Saturday! One of the judges sought her out after their division and commented how proud he was of her for sticking with it and he reminded her that she went from last place to first place because she stuck with it! Perseverance and resilience emanated from her and when I asked her afterward if she was glad it was over, she said, "NO! I'm ready to go again!" Losing builds resilience and resilience brings courage and eventually perseverance brings WINS, and the confidence to try again.
It happened again on Sunday. She was to read her entry aloud at our small celebration gathering, honoring the NCRA Young Author winners for our local association. When she stood up to read, she got in her feelings and got teary. It took her a few tries, but she read her entire piece, to lots of cheers from the small audience! Resilience! Perseverance!
It applies to me, too, in my writing -- I've been writing and entering every contest I could for over a year now, with nothing but no's and no mentions and losses. Then, just a few weeks ago, I had a win in 50 Precious Words. Then I entered a birthday writing contest -- no luck, another loss. Most recently, I am thrilled to say I was named an Honorable Mention in the SpringFling KidLit writing contest, but many of my friends were not named this time. While my heart hurts for them, I know they are building resilience -- we are ALL building resilience. A yes today can be a no tomorrow, and a no today can lead to a yes! We must persevere and build our resilience so when the big YES comes, we'll be ready, and we'll be humble, and we'll be grateful.
And while it's not about Mama, I told my niece Sunday, "Your grandma would be so very proud of you. I know she's about to bust!" And it's true. I wish she were here to experience all the wins and to "encourage" us when we lose with her pragmatic response, "Oh well, that's life." But I know she is proud and as she said in her letter to us, "whatever you endeavor to do in the future go for the mountain tops, stars, space, etc. and I'll be there in spirit supporting you every step of the way." Thanks for the support, Mama!
And to all my writing friends that feel the sting of disappointment today, tomorrow is a new day (and Write Mentor mentorships will be announced and PBChat apps are due) and there are more and more and more opportunities for wins, losses, resilience, and perseverance! Good luck, and don't give up!
School Memories
As a teacher for many years, I know that parents make the difference in the quality of learning and also make a difference in their involvement that doesn't just affect the kid, but also affects the teacher and the school. While there are school memories scattered throughout these other stories, these are simply specific to school. I am thankful that I had a mom who made a positive difference for me, my friends, my teachers, and my schools.
I didn't attend kindergarten (it wasn't required; yes, I'm THAT old. . . and plus which Mama said there wasn't any point in sending me to kindergarten since I already knew everything I would have learned there. [As a teacher, I might argue that point today in favor of socialization and herd immunity, but I certainly didn't suffer academically from her decision.]) From my earliest school memories as a first grader in Ms. Meachem's class, Mama made sure I was prepared. I had a sweet little red and blue school satchel, and I remember taking oatmeal creme pies for snack. Perhaps she sent other things, too, but it is the creme pies I remember. I was already reading and probably writing, too, when I arrived as a first grader at Whiteville Primary School thanks to Mama and her reading to me at home and making sure I had plenty of books available to me. Mama became a grade parent right away and helped out at school whenever there were parties or special activities. I remember specifically her being there for the Easter egg hunt we had, but I know she was there for other events as well.
Also, that first grade year brought my first trauma -- Leon Brown. Leon was a black boy on my bus -- #161 -- who decided it would be cute and fun to tease and attack me, culminating at some point in ripping my red plaid dress. That's the only detail I remember about the actual attack -- I know I came off the bus with a ripped dress courtesy of Leon Brown. Mama was livid. She made some phone calls -- or maybe she went in person -- I'm not sure. Coleman Barbour was in charge of buses, and he pulled a few boys together (I'm assuming they all rode my bus, but I don't remember) and we did an old-fashioned "Line-up" with me identifying Leon as the perpetrator. I don't know what punishment Leon received. What I do remember is that Mama had my back and she wasn't going to sit idly by while someone hurt her little girl.
Mama also fostered friendships. She allowed me to go over to Terri Nobles' house to play (and maybe spend the night? I have a vague recollection. . .). She knew Terri's family and felt safe. However if she didn't know the family, she would not allow me over to their house but she was always gracious and hospitable to my friends and allowed them to come to my house. In first grade, it was Cheryl Graham. She was my friend from the bus and my first school sleepover buddy. She and I sat on the bus singing "On Top of the World" by the Carpenters daily. When she came to visit, she did fine with Mama, but hid under the bed when Daddy came home. Mama always welcomed my friends and made them feel at home.
Mama continued to serve as grade parent until grade parents were not "a thing" anymore -- I know she was very active through 3rd grade. In the upcoming sewing segment of my tribute to Mama, you'll discover some other ways she positively poured into my schooling. Of course, even after grade parents were so "last year", she was still active in my school career. In middle school, I was involved in Gifted and Talented, and Mama was in PAGE (Parents of Academically Gifted . . . ). She was very active in that organization and was always quick to make sure I was allowed to participate in things that would help me grow and use my abilities.
In eighth grade, through PAGE and GT, we were allowed to take a psychology class in the evenings. It was a parent-child class, and it was Mama who went with me. I don't remember how many sessions, but it was wonderful. Dr. Jerry Paschal taught the class and that was special, because he had been Mama's teacher/principal during her schooling. He was serving as Superintendent of Whiteville City Schools. I don't remember all the topics we covered. I do remember taking an IQ test -- and Mama and I having the same IQ -- 132! Those were special times at a difficult time for me -- middle school girls are an animal unto themselves. Our relationship wasn't stellar during those years, but this is a pleasant memory amidst a lot of pubescent unrest in my world. I treasure those times we sat as equals and learners together.
Music made its first big appearance in my life in middle school. I joined band in sixth grade, which radically changed my life. As I began to play trumpet, new worlds opened up for me and Mama made sure I had what I needed and got where I needed to go to be able to participate, even though sometimes it was costly. She and Daddy allowed me to audition for All-County band starting in 7th grade, and it became an annual event through my high school years. Not only did she provide transportation and motivation, she also was the one at home who had to endure those first couple of years of practicing "Mary Had a Little Lamb", "This Old Man" "The Old Grey Goose" and so much more as I honed my craft -- loudly. I know she was at least thankful that my bedroom was upstairs and that we had a big yard. I joined the chorus during my eighth grade year, and I remember my family sitting in the bleachers to hear us sing "Sentimental Journey" "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and other standards from the 40's
Mama's care and nurturing extended into high school, as I continued to pursue my course in music and drama. Twice, Mama took me to auditions for Governor's School -- once for trumpet and once for drama. That meant traveling to Winston-Salem for auditions -- way out of her comfort zone, but she did it, for me.
Also, in high school, Mama was a devoted member of the WHS Band Boosters. She helped out in traditional and non-traditional ways; attending meetings, participating in fundraisers, and even creating a fund-raiser (much to my mortification as a teenager) where she paid Band Boosters for their "trash" -- labels and UPCs, etc. -- that Mama used vigilantly in her couponing and rebating/refunding endeavors to stretch our family dollars. While it might have been a hard pill to swallow, it came from her desire to help the band -- and help our family, which in her mind was a win-win situation!
Mama and Daddy also made the decision in my senior year to allow me to go to New York City for a drama club trip over Spring Break, which was QUITE a trek for this Southern country girl! I had only been to NC, VA, and SC at that point, and it was amazing and life-changing in my perspectives. We saw shows on Broadway and off Broadway. We went to NBC studios and saw Liberace at Radio City Music Hall. We ate Chinese food in Chinatown, shopped 5th Avenue, including FAO Schwartz. We rode the subway, walked for miles, and ate at Mama Leone's, where the waiters and waitresses were fascinated with our Southern accent (which we MIGHT have accentuated just a bit for effect ;-) I'm quite sure we didn't have the money for that trip, but they knew it was something they couldn't and wouldn't give me and they sacrificed in order for me to go. I didn't fully appreciate that then, but I am so thankful for that opportunity.
Throughout my school career, Mama pushed, supported, and nurtured my academic successes and my extracurricular endeavors. Without her support my life would have been much different in this area that has come to impact my life in more positive ways than I can begin to count. The friends and the teachers with whom I built relationships during these years and the musical/dramatic experiences that I participated in have shaped who I have become as an adult in myriad ways, and that wouldn't have been possible without Mama's support throughout my schooling.
**Sadly, I don't have any pictures of Mama serving as grade parent, helping at parties, chaperoning field trips, or selling concessions for Band Boosters. Moms, make sure you get pictures of you doing these things. Your children will want them one day. I know I do.
Doctor Mama
My brother, Dale has had MORE than his fair share of misadventures. From breaking his collarbone in kindergarten to shoving his hand through the storm door and running through hot ashes, his life seemed to be filled with medical emergencies! While I haven't been quite as misadventurous as Dale, there have certainly been moments in my life where it was helpful to have a Mama that was also a doctor. Don't misunderstand, Mama never attended medical school. Her knowledge is gleaned from experience and common sense -- and innate wisdom, but for all of her kids and now grandkids it has come in handy and it is often Mama that we seek when we have health questions, and now that she is gone, it is Mama that we miss calling on to solve medical mysteries large and small.
It is no wonder that she loved medical shows on TV -- from Marcus Welby to Quincy, ME back in the day to HOUSE, Diagnosis Murder, and NCIS episodes more recently, she would find herself fascinated by the medical knowledge. Mama was smart about many things. This is just one, but there were certainly times when her practical knowledge came in very handy. Here are a few of mine:
The Bicycle Accident
We were visiting friends Don and Joyce Meredith for vacation. As I remember it, it was our last morning there and Joyce was going to make toast for breakfast, but was out of bread. She sent her daughters, Donna and Susan to the local store to grab a loaf of bread. I was younger than either of them, idolized them both, and did NOT want to be left behind. Susan graciously allowed me to ride on her handlebars. Not the greatest decision. As we were riding down a gravel road, Susan hit a bigger rock, which cause the bicycle to careen off course. We toppled, wobbled and SPLAT! It was a tough and very painful tumble. For me, an apparently very dramatic 6-7 year-old it was quite traumatic. In fact, I remember running down the road screaming, "Help me, help me, I'm going to die!" Bless the woman's heart who came to our rescue. I guess Donna or Susan must have given her their phone number (pre-cell phone days). Our parents came and rescued us and had to take us to the hospital. We required bandages, tetanus shots and concussion watch. I remember Mama was proud of me because Susan cried for her shot and I didn't. I came home from vacation with bandages on my right wrist, elbow, and shoulder, along with my left knee and left ankle. It was quite an ordeal!
What we DIDN'T know was that I had brought back something else, too. Over time, as the wounds began to heal, Mama noticed the one on my right wrist didn't seem right. There was a darkness in the wound that didn't look good -- and it sounded/felt like bone scraping on bone. So she took me back to the doctor and he said it was just dirt in the wound and that my body would process it and deal with it -- nothing to worry about. I don't remember, but there may have been another doctor's visit -- maybe a couple more. Nonetheless, Doctor Mama didn't believe that doctor. She kept watching my wrist and began applying some home remedies. I was 6 or 7, so I don't remember all the details. . . .I do remember an Irish potato poultice to draw out whatever was in there. I think there were some other steps, too. Over time, it became clear that there was something in my wrist. The potato poultice drew it up enough that Mama could tell it was pieces of gravel. Eventually she did "surgery" with tweezers and peroxide and ended up removing 3 small pieces of gravel from my wrist. We taped them to a piece of notebook paper and kept them for years.
While no part of that experience was enjoyable, I was thankful then and for all the years after to have had a mom with such great instincts, wisdom, and steady hands ;-)
I also had a couple of additional misdiagnoses --
In 7th grade my doctors missed a mononucleosis diagnosis and sent me home with a wrong answer. I was so sick. Fever spiking to 104 and higher. I almost passed out and felt so bad I thought I seriously might die. Mama's tenacity and knowledge ended up paying off again, as they put me in the hospital for 11 days and a diagnosis of mono after all. My sister was about 6-7 months old, so Mama couldn't stay at the hospital very much, and Daddy was working so I stayed in the hospital by myself, and eventually healed up good as new. I think that was at the very end of the school year. I know my 7th grade teachers, Mrs. Hooks and Mrs. Shearin sent me flowers in the hospital.
My sophomore year in college at SCC, the doctor had said to my mom that I had cancer and it had already spread to the lymph nodes. As it turned out, it was merely cat scratch fever, and I lived to tell the tale. But for the 3 weeks - 1 month that things were uncertain, every time Mama looked at me she would cry, thinking I WAS dying. . .
Even as adults, we have all called on Mama to identify rashes, look down our throats, make medicine or folk remedy recommendations -- for us, our spouses, our pets. . . .
All of us in the family have had circumstances where Mama was a better doctor than our doctors, and we have been incredibly blessed to have her as medical caregiver and as Mama.
VENUS' SPRING TRAP -- A SpringFlingKidLit contest entry
One year ago (+a few weeks), I became active on Twitter. Originally, I wasn't excited about it. It was one of those things "they" say you need to do to become a successful author. So on Leap weekend, 2020, I leapt onto Twitter. As I explored and oriented myself to Twitter, I discovered the kidlit community. The first people to show me kindness and welcome were Kailei Pew and Kaitlyn Sanchez. Through them, I learned about this #SpringFlingKidLit contest, sponsored by Kaitlyn and Ciara O'Neal . Choose a gif. Write a Spring story in 150 words -- or less. Everyone who knows me knows I don't do much of anything in 150 words or less :-D But I threw my fairy story into the competition and did not place as a winner. However, I was a winner, because I was introduced to this amazing kidlit community that has provided help and encouragement to a new writer. And I have won every day since then -- sometimes I literally won (but mostly chance things -- critiques, (to help my writing improve), free books (to use as mentor texts), book bling (because . . .book bling! ;-), KidLit Zombie week came later and I got the "Miss Congeniality-ish" award from Jolene Gutierrez, who has become another dear friend in this community. With every critique, my writing and my knowledge improved. I took classes, webinars, read books, joined Twitter chats and mini-communities like #PBChat with Justin Colon, and #PBParty with Mindy Alysse Weiss, #KidLitSelfCare with Brittany Pomales. This year, I joined Julie Hedlund's 12x12 Challenge, and First Draft Friday with Hollie Wolverton. In this year, I have learned so much and grown as an author and as a person. I have won in so many ways. Most recently, I experienced my first big "win" as a writer, when I entered Vivian Kirkfield's #50PreciousWords contest. Yes, that's right -- a full story in 50 words. The top 51 were chosen out of 772 entries, and I was number 47! That's a ways down the list, but it put me in the top 16%, and it was the first time that my writing has won in a big international event. It has been a year of wins and losses, learning and growing, challenges and successes. I'm thrilled to be part of it all, and win or lose, I'm here for the duration, because that's the only way you'll ever be a winner!
I hope you enjoy my story about Venus. Feel free to leave me a comment here or on my Twitter or my Facebook. I've linked all the amazing people who have influenced my writing journey on Twitter. If you're missing any of them, go follow them now if you're an author hoping to win. If you're a reader, many of them have books out now, or will have soon, so check out their books.
Oh, and if you're an insect or very small animal, watch out for Venus.
VENUS' SPRING TRAP
72 words (not including back matter)
Venus awoke after a long winter,
stretched her leaves toward the sun, and set her traps.
She was hungry!
She unfurled her lobes,
Open wide. . .
What shall I eat first?
A row of ants ambled around. . .
Too small!
A bunny bounced by. . .
Too big!
A ladybug leaned in. . .
Too late!
Finally. . .
a fly fluttered in for nectar,
touched the trigger hairs, and. . .
Fly made a delicious snack!
Interesting facts about Venus Fly Traps:
(This back matter is not part of the contest entry -- just here for your curiosity)
Venus fly traps are carnivorous plants with hinged traps that secrete nectar to lure insects. When insects touch trigger hairs, the hinge closes and the plant digests the insect with enzymes.
It takes Venus Fly Traps a while to reopen a trap once it closes, so they often don't waste their energy on tiny insects like ants. Most plants have several traps available so while one is closed, they can still catch food in the other traps.
Venus fly traps only grow naturally in boggy areas in the sandhills of North and South Carolina. They are a vulnerable species, and removing them from wild spaces is a felony and can result in jail time.
OUTDOOR MEMORIES
Mama walking my niece around on the farm, with Rascal, the steady companion for many years. Sharing the love of the outdoors with the next generation.
June, 2004, Mama and Aunt Gwen planting daylilies. It seems odd now to see that cigarette in her mouth but she didn't quit smoking until 2008-ish.
My family loves the outdoors. I could probably write a whole book for this section. Mama grew up on a farm and enjoys gardening and flowers and lots of outdoor activities. She tried to pass this along as well -- and has -- though probably more selectively than she would have liked.
I'll start with the most enjoyable -- to me, at least. One of the greatest rewards (and most frequent) as we were growing up was to get to go fishing. It was sometimes bribe, sometimes reward, sometimes stress relief, sometimes recreation that we could afford.
I remember when we lived in the old white house there was a pond across the road. I was young and the memories aren't very specific, but I do remember fishing across the road and conversations about a Grandaddy catfish.
During the years at New Hope, living at Cousin O'Dell's house, I don't have very many memories of fishing, but the times at Pleasant Hill are replete with fishing memories. Sometimes we would traipse through the small section of woods that led to the creek and fish there. Often, we would fish from the roadside as the creek fed into Hilton Cox's pond. Hilton gave us permission to fish at the pond, too, so those are my very favorite fishing memories!
At the end of a day, when work was done, we would go digging for worms. Sometimes Daddy was home, too. Sometimes, Grandmama came over. (As I remember it, she was often the impetus for our fishing trips. . .) We would find rich soil -- oftentimes areas that Mama or Daddy had created for the purpose of drawing/breeding earthworms for fishing. Digging worms was often part of the adventure itself, although we often got whiny if they weren't abundant and easy. Sometimes it took several tries to find the right spot for lots of worms.
Once the worms were collected into a can or a bucket and all the fishing gear was gathered, we would walk down to the creek, roadside, or pond and settle in. We knew we needed to be quiet or the fish wouldn't bite -- or at least that's what the adults told us. In retrospect, perhaps just for a little peace and quiet. It was probably a moot point anyway, but we did try. Quiet moments by the pond are some of my favorite childhood memories -- catching fish, turtles, and even eels. Oftentimes, just drowning worms, but we were doing it together.
Somewhere along the way, someone has gotten the idea that I don't enjoy fishing anymore. That is absolutely not true. While it is difficult for me to carve out time from my other responsibilities at a time that is appropriate for fishing, and I don't enjoy the heat of the summer always, and I really, really hate mosquitoes and gnats that sometimes come with fishing, I LOVE fishing! I love the peace of it, the quiet anticipation, the shared experience, the sometimes-excitement of the catch. It's a legacy that lives on . . .
The Clothesline
I had a love-hate relationship with the clothesline. Mama taught me to hang clothes out from the time I could reach. Even before that, I would hand her clothespins or hang out while she was hanging out the clothes. I loved the smell of sheets after they had dried in the sun. I've never smelled sheets that smelled like Mama's sheets off the line. It's a beautiful sensory memory from the New Hope days that I treasure -- so soft -- and THAT smell.
Some days I didn't mind hanging out clothes -- or taking them in. There's a comfort to it. I love the smell and the stiff-yet-soft feel as you're gathering them up. The orderliness of shaking them out before hanging them up. The cool dampness of the fresh-from-the-washer clothes on a hot summer day. Even sometimes, the quick adrenaline rush of a quick unexpected shower and the mad dash to get the dry clothes in before they get wet again.
Some days, not so much . . .I don't know why. I don't know if there was a reason beyond my fickle childhood moods. Often it was my job. Sometimes I despised it, sometimes I tolerated it out of obligation, but sometimes I relished it and reveled in it.
As an adult, I've had times where I've hung out clothes, and where I've strictly used the dryer. Both have their positives and negatives. Sometimes I long for the feel and smell of air-dryed laundry. Sometimes I beg Shane to put up another clothesline. Then he reminds me that I work full-time and we are rarely here in the daylight and it would be a moot point. He's right, but the memory is strong, and sometimes I sure do miss it.
I remember at times having probably 30 or more African violets in our house. Mama loves plants and she has always been great at nurturing them and nursing them back to health even from "almost-death". She would grab an African violet for 25 cents that looked like death and pretty soon it would be vibrant and thriving again.
For a while, Mama really got into Gloxinias and we had them everywhere. They had beautiful showy trumpet-shaped flowers, and we enjoyed them for quite some time.
She loves anything green, and especially anything that flowers, but outside ones are her favorites. She loves planting them and watching them grow and bloom.
Mama always prefers living flowers over cut ones and often Daddy would get her a new rosebush for birthday or Mother's Day or some celebration. She had quite a collection of Roses at Pleasant Hill -- Mr. Lincoln and Peace were the two I remember most vividly. Mr. Lincoln with its deep dark scarlet hues and Peace, looking like a swirl of orange sherbet, vanilla, and lemon sorbet, with pink lemonade accents. I loved the variety of Peace's blossoms.
Long after I married, and once Mama and Daddy tried to get the nursery business established, they really got into Daylilies and we would take family trips to the daylily farm to peruse all the newest, showiest varieties and add a few new ones to their collection.
I remember once at Pleasant Hill, I wanted to establish a little bed of the tiny little wild violas. I loved them! Mama helped me carve out a spot in the yard and plant a few to try to get them established. I have no idea how well they did, but I always appreciated her taking the time to help me with something I enjoyed.
Our tastes in flowers tends to be very different, along with a lot of other things in life, but just like everywhere, variety keeps things interesting and makes life better!
We've had a garden as long as I can remember, and growing up, it was definitely a family affair.
Even though I'm probably the least farm-oriented member of the family, I still enjoy the feel and the smell of fresh-turned dirt, watching things grow, and eating things fresh from the garden. That appreciation comes from Mama and Daddy both.
Growing up in a gardening family was such a blessing, and it has spoiled me in many ways. There is NOTHING like a big slice of fresh garden tomato whether you're eating them with pork chops or on a sandwich (with Miracle Whip of course). Grocery store tomatoes do NOT compare!
It was Mama who taught me to pick the worms off cabbages, how to pick butterbeans and string beans. She showed me when cucumbers and squash are ready and when you need to toss them, save them for seed or feed them to "the animals" (depending on which ones they had at the time) Because it's always been something we do together, in this area, it's hard to tell where Mama ends and Daddy starts and vice versa. Together, they taught me a lot about gardening. We've spent more hours than I can count shelling beans, snapping beans, shelling peas, "looking" collards, picking cucumbers and squash, shucking corn, silking corn, "squishing" strawberries, and lots more.
One area where I know it was Mama is the cooking of garden-fresh fruits and veggies -- prepping and cooking, freezing, canning were always Mama's domain. Because of her, I know how to easily peel a bunch of tomatoes or peaches using boiling water. I know how to make strawberry punch bowl cake (a family favorite during the strawberry-growing years). I know how to blanch vegetables to put them in the freezer. I can peel potatoes using a knife (even though she still would complain that I leave too much potato on the peelings. . .) . I can peel and slice cucumbers and tomatoes, though never as evenly as she can. I can cook new potatoes and green beans. I can boil peanuts.
Because of her teaching, I don't throw out a whole fruit or veggie just because it has a "bad place". I know how to work around that, saving the good.
Because of her encouragement, I am willing to try lots of different foods, and I will eat almost anything, although turnips are at the BOTTOM of that list!!!!!!!!
Even though I've chosen a professional life and my continued "extracurricular" activities don't allow much time for gardening, I so appreciate all the lessons that came from the time spent in the garden, and using things from the garden, and I appreciate all the effort that went into helping us eat well and eat healthy from the garden that continues even now! What a blessing!
Last Easter, Mama brushing Nala. She's the latest farm dog, and nobody rubbed her ears the way Mama did.
I don't have nearly the green thumb that Mama had, but I love watching things grow and flower and this bed at my driveway is full of flowers that Mama shared.


text:
Ясная Поляна () — деревня в Иглинском районе Республики Башкортостан Российской Федерации. Входит в состав Калтымановского сельсовета.

География

Географическое положение
Расстояние до:
 районного центра (Иглино): 9 км,
 центра сельсовета (Калтыманово): 10 км,
 ближайшей ж/д станции (Иглино): 9 км.

Население

 Национальный состав
Согласно переписи 2002 года, преобладающая национальность — белорусы (41 %).

Примечания

Ссылки
 Совет муниципальных образований Республики Башкортостан

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
DELL RAPIDS NEWS
Wednesday,
» The Dell Rapids Board of Education approved two more staff contracts, including one for the new special education director position.
Phyllis Schaefer, who gained elementary principal and special education directorship experience during her years in the Viborg district, will take on the duties of SPED director in Dell Rapids starting with the 2007-08 school year.
» For many who attended country schoolhouses, the building and the students they shared it with are something that is fondly remembered.
From the one-room classrooms to the black paint on the wall that was used as the chalkboard, many members of the Dell Rapids and Baltic communities started their school careers here.
Celia Benson, who gave a presentation at First Baptist Church, started digging into the history and the printed records of the schoolhouses in Minnehaha County. In Minnehaha County, 144 schools opened and closed in a 44-year period.
» Baltic's Mike Moe and Colton's Tyler Hutchkiss both earned second-place showings in features to highlight the area's racing results from the weekend.
Moe was second in the Wingless Sprint Cars feature at I-90 Speedway in Hartford, while Hutchkiss took second in the Factory Stocks feature at Lake County Speedway in Madison.
» The Dell Rapids American Legion Post 65 baseball team improved to 3-4 on the season with a 7-2 win over Colton at Rickeman Field.
Jeremy Hanson started the scoring with a second-inning double that drove in runs by Jordan Solberg and Jeremy Rinehart.
Jordan Huska shined as starting pitcher for Dells. In over five innings, he gave up no runs and allowed two hits.
» Mavis King has replaced her last book on the shelf and chased down her last overdue book as a librarian.
King retired from the Dell Rapids Carnegie Public Library, and the City of Dell Rapids honored her for 20 years of dedicated service.
Mayor Tom Earley declared July 8 as Mavis King Day in Dell Rapids.
The new librarian, Linda Merkwan, hopes to build upon King's successes as head librarian.
» Ten students from Dell Rapids St. Mary's presented history projects at a national competition in Washington, D.C., as part of National History Day.
Students who qualified for the national contest after competing in local, district and state events were Brian Munk, Jennifer Fiegen, Angie Geraets, Matt Geraets, Annie Klein, Rebecca Juba, Debbie Huss, Jonathan Klein, Kim Baumberger and Heather Lindal. Crystal Crow also qualified to compete in Washington but was unable to make the trip.
» Everything is ready for the first tri-state tractor pulling contest to be 1 1/2 miles east of Dells Body Shop, according to John Stegeman, chairman of the Jaycees.
Competition will take place in six classes for adults and the garden tractor field for youngsters 12 and under.
» A change in ownership of the Voy's Drug Store was effective on July 1.
Mrs. Lyle Park bought the interest owned by Ward Millar in the business and now has sole ownership. The pharmacist under the new ownership is Dr. Floyd LaBlanc. Former Dean of Pharmacy at South Dakota State University, now retired from that position, LaBlanc will be a familiar face to SDSU graduates in the community.
» Sixteen friends and neighbors of Irwin Shjegstad came to his assistance when they brought their equipment and supplies and plowed 140 acres for him.
Mr. Shjegstad, who was hospitalized for two weeks, is now recuperating at his home.
» Cootie Days will be Aug. 3 to 5. Contracts have been signed for the orchestras for the three days, also for rides and concessions.
A feature of the Cootie Day dances will be the Cliff Keyes Orchestra of Omaha, which will play for the Tuesday and Wednesday night dances. It was necessary for the band to cancel and engagement at St. Paul to be in Dell Rapids for the Legion dances.
» A car and truck collided a mile south of Dell Rapids on Highway 77, which resulted in the six passengers in the coupe being injured.
One of the six was an 18-year-old woman, whose right let needed to be amputated that evening.


Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Remaining day is at leisure to relax and rejuvenate at the hotel or to venture out and explore the surroundings on your own. In the evening get ready to experience the Dhow Cruise. Cruising down Dubai creek is a novel experience, one which you cannot miss when in Dubai. Having fancy dinner on a Dhow Cruise with the fascinating lights of Dubai Creek and the soft music in the background, sip your favorite drink and enjoy a buffet dinner on board the cruise. Return to hotel for a comfortable overnight stay.
After breakfast, proceed for a half day morning city tour, viewing some of the city's most beautiful landmarks. The Magnificent Jumeriah Mosque built in 1979 is a fine example of modern Islamic architecture. The mosque is the most frequently visited and photographed sight. Tourists must wear appropriate clothing – trousers for men, long sleeves and scarf for women. Open to public only on Sundays and Thursdays. Continue to the Jumeirah Public Beach, pass by the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and stop at the Burj Al Arab - the most luxurious and tallest hotel in the world. The hotel soars to a height of 321 meters dominating the Dubai coastline. Pass along the magnificent Sheikh Mohammed's palace and then take a short break by the creek to get a glimpse of the towering skyscrapers in Deira. Later in the day Get ready to enter the record books and experience a journey through Dubai's exotic Arabian heritage, the extraordinary story behind Burj Khalifa as the new icon for the Middle East, and view the spectacular panorama from the observatory At the Top, Burj Khalifa. Explore the unique, interactive Burj Khalifa multimedia exhibits. Be thrilled by a high speed journey in one of the world's fastest elevators. Take a closer look at the world below through avant-garde, high powered, telescopes. Step out onto the world's highest public outdoor observation terrace overlooking the ever growing skyline of Sheikh Zayed Road and surrounding panorama. Integrate reality and special effects with At the Top Green Screen Photography. Browse exclusive Souvenirs from the At the Top Retail Boutique. Return to hotel for a comfortable overnight stay.
Post breakfast at the hotel, today head out to Desert Safari. On this tour experience the thrill of a roller coaster ride on the sand dunes. We stop on the highest sand dune to view the beautiful sunset, a great chance to take amazing photographs - so don't forget your camera! We then continue our journey to the Bedouin Campsite located in the heart of the Desert, where soft drinks, water, tea or coffee are available for you to choose from. Once arrived there are many activities to choose from: enjoy a camel ride among the dunes, have a go at smoking a Shisha or Hubbly Bubbly (also known as narghile or water pipe), or try your hand at henna painting. While you relax in the comfortable pillow strewn tents, a delicious barbecue will be prepared for you, under the starlit sky. To make the evening a truly memorable event, a belly dancer will dance to the rhythm of Arabic music. Return to hotel for a comfortable overnight stay.
Post breakfast at the hotel; day is at leisure. You are recommended to choose optional tours.
Services of an English speaking local travel guide during excursions.


[CIUM-14]C. Ciumas, Schaefers, G., Bouvard, S., Tailhades, E., Perrin, E., Comte, J. - C., Canet-Soulas, E., Bonnet, C., Ibarrola, D., Polo, G., Moya, J., Beuf, O., et Ryvlin, P., « A phantom and animal study of temperature changes during fMRI with intracerebral depth electrodes », Epilepsy Res, vol. 108, p. 9, 2014.
[[CIES-07f]K. Cieslar, Alsaid, H., Stupar, V., Gaillard, S., Canet-Soulas, E., Fissoune, R., et Crémillieux, Y., « Measurement of nonlinear pO2 decay in mouse lungs using 3He-MRI, NMR in Biomedicine », NMR Biomed., 2007.
[CIES-07c]K. Cieslar, Stupar, V., Canet-Soulas, E., Gaillard, S., et Crémillieux, Y., « Alveolar oxygen partial pressure and O2 depletion rate mapping in rats using 3He ventilation imaging », Magn Reson Med, vol. 57, p. 423-430, 2007.
[CIES-07e]K. Cieslar, Alsaid, H., Stupar, V., Gaillard, S., Canet-Soulas, E., Fissoune, R., et Crémillieux, Y., « Nonlinear pO(2) decay in mouse lungs using He-3-MRI », Measurement of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Biomedicine, vol. 57, p. 383-391, 2007.
[SABB-07]M. Sabbah, Alsaid, H., Fakri-Bouchet, L., Briguet, A., Canet-Soulas, E., et Fokapu, O., « A Real Time Gating System for Mouse Cardiovascular MR Imaging », Magn Reson Med, vol. 57, p. 29-39, 2007.
[CANE-07]E. Canet-Soulas et Letourneur, D., « Biomarkers of atherosclerosis and the potential of MRI for the diagnosis of vulnerable plaque », Magn Reson Mater Phy Biol Med, vol. 20, p. 129–142, 2007.
[STUP-07a]V. Stupar, Canet-Soulas, E., Gaillard, S., Alsaid, H., Beckmann, N., et Crémillieux, Y., « Retrospective Cine 3He ventilation imaging under spontaneous breathing conditions: a non-invasive protocol for small animal lung function imaging », Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Biomedicine, vol. 20, p. 104-112, 2007.
[ALSA-07]H. Alsaid, Sabbah, M., Bendahmane, Z., Fokapu, O., Mansard, C., Briguet, A., Crémillieux, Y., et Canet-Soulas, E., « High-resolution contrast-enhancement MRI of atherosclerosis with digital cardiac and respiratory gating in mice », Magn Reson Med, vol. 58, p. (1157–1163), 2007.
[FISS-06b]R. Fissoune, Grenier, D., Canet-Soulas, E., et Briguet, A., « Mesure sélective des temps de relaxation T2 des lipides intra et extramyocytaires chez le rat Zucker à 7 teslas », C R Chimie, vol. 9, p. 530-533, 2006.
[STUP-06a]V. Stupar, Canet-Soulas, E., Gaillard, S., Alsaid, H., Beckmann, N., et Crémilleux, Y., « Noninvasive hyperpolarized helium-3 imaging studies in rats under spontaneous breathing conditions using a retrospective radial cine imaging technique », Contrast Media & Molecular Imaging , 2006.
[CIES-06b]K. Cieslar, Alsaid, H., Stupar, V., Gaillard, S., Canet-Soulas, E., Fissoune, R., et Crémillieux, Y., « Alveolar pO2 and oxygen uptake imaging in mice using 3He-MRI », Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Biomedicine, p. (in-press), 2006.
[BEND-03a]K. Bendjelid, Canet-Soulas, E., Gasche, Y., André-Fouet, X., Revel, D., et Janier, M., « Slaughterhouse blood as a perfusate for studying myocardial function under ischemic conditions », Braz J Med Biol Res, vol. 36, p. 39-44, 2003.
[BEND-03b]K. Bendjelid, Canet-Soulas, E., Rayan, E., Casali, C., Revel, D., et Janier, M., « Role of glycolysis in the energy production for the non-mechanical myocardial work in isolated pig hearts », Curr Med Res Opin, vol. 19, p. 1-8, 2003.
[CALL-02]V. Callot, Canet-Soulas, E., Brochot, J., Humblot, H., Briguet, A., et Tournier, H., « Hyperpolarized helium3 encapsulated in microbubbles : a new class of blood pool MRI contrast agent », Acad Radiol, vol. 9, p. 501–503, 2002.
[AN-02]M. Y. An, Canet-Soulas, E., Jang, I. H., Revel, D., Fossum, T. W., et Chung, N. S., « Development and evaluation of a new apparatus for continuous perfusion of isolated perfused pig heart », J Vet Sci, vol. 3, p. 219–232, 2002.
[CALL-01a]V. Callot, Canet-Soulas, E., Brochet, B., Humblot, H., Briguet, A., Tournier, H., et Crémillieux, Y., « MR perfusion imaging using encapsulated Laser-polarized (3)He », Magn Reson Med, vol. 46, p. 535-540, 2001.
[BOUD-01]A. Boudraa, Behloul, F., Janier, M., Canet-Soulas, E., Champier, J., Roux, J. P., et Revel, D., « Temporal covariance analysis of first-pass contrast-enhanced myocardial magnetic resonance images », Comput Biol Med, vol. 31, p. 133–142, 2001.
[ZHAO-00]S. Zhao, Revel, D., Canet-Soulas, E., Shaozhong, L., Hadour, G., Forrat, R., et Oksendal, A., « Magnetic suceptibility of Dy-DTPA-BMA to reperfused myocardial infarction in an excised doc heart model : evidence of viable myocardium », Chin Med Sci J, vol. 113, p. 260–264, 2000.
[CANE-00b]E. Canet-Soulas, Casali, C., Desenfant, A., Mi-Young, A., Corot, C., Obadia, F. J., Revel, D., et Janier, M., « Kinetic characterisation of CMD-A2-Gd-DOTA as an intravascular contrast agent for myocardial perfusion measurement with MRI », Magn Reson Med, vol. 43, p. 403-409, 2000.
[ARTE-99a]C. Arteaga, Revel, D., Zhao, S., Hadour, G., Forrat, R., Oksendal, A., et Canet-Soulas, E., « Myocardial low reflow assessed by Dy-DTPA-BMA-enhanced first-pass MR imaging in a dog model », J Magn Reson Imaging, vol. 9, p. 679–684, 1999.
[VERN-99]H. Vernhet, Revel, D., Arteaga, C., Clarysse, P., Sottilini, F., Roux, J. P., et Canet-Soulas, E., « Predictive value of regional left ventricular circumferential shortening in jeopardized myocardium : a 2D SPAMM Cine-MR imaging study in a canine model (in process citation) », Invest Radiol, vol. 34, p. 621–628, 1999.
[SCHW-99]J. Schwitter, Saeed, M., Wendland, M. F., Sakuma, H., Bremerich, J., Canet-Soulas, E., et Higgins, C. B., « Assessment of myocardial function and perfusion in a canine model of non-occlusive coronary artery stenosis using fast magnetic resonance imaging », J Magn Reson Imaging, vol. 9, p. 101–110, 1999.
[CANE-99]E. Canet-Soulas, Janier, M., et Revel, D., « Magnetic resonance perfusion imaging in ischemic heart disease », J Magn Reson Imaging, vol. 10, p. 423-433, 1999.
[BUNE-09b]A. Bunescu, Garric, J., Vollat, B., Canet-Soulas, E., Graveron-Demilly, D., et Fauvelle, F., « In vivo proton HRMAS NMR metabolic profile of the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna: first results », in ESMRMB 2009, Antalya, Turkey, 2009.
[CIES-06]K. Cieslar, Alsaid, H., Stupar, V., Gaillard, S., Fissoune, R., Canet-Soulas, E., et Crémillieux, Y., « Measurement of nonlinear decay of alveolar partial pressure of oxygen in mice using 3He-MR », in ISMRM, Seattle, USA, 2006.
[SABL-06]R. Sablong, Alsaid, H., Abulrazzaq, S., Canet-Soulas, E., et Saint-Jalmes, H., « Bimodal MRI-optics imaging of the unstable atherosclerotic plate in ApoE-/- mouse », in 1st Singaporean-French Biomedical Imaging Workshop, Biopolis, Singapore, 2006.
[STUP-06b]V. Stupar, Canet-Soulas, E., Alsaid, H., Gaillard, S., Beckmann, N., et Crémillieux, Y., « Retrospective Cine 3He ventilation imaging under spontaneous breathing conditions: a non invasive imaging protocol for small animal lung function imaging », in ISMRM, Seattle, USA, 2006.
[SABB-06a]M. Sabbah, Alsaid, H., Briguet, A., Fokapu, O., et Canet-Soulas, E., « Application of Real Time System on Mouse Cardiovascular MRI », in 2nd IEEE International Conference on Information / Communication Technologies, Damascus, Syria, 2006.
[ALSA-06e]H. Alsaid, Sabbah, M., Bendahmane, Z., Fokapu, O., Robert, P., Corot, C., Briguet, A., et Canet-Soulas, E., « High-Resolution MRI with a new cardiac and respiratory gating system for contrast-enhanced MRI of the carotids in the ApoE-/- mouse », in ISMRM, Seattle, USA, 2006.
[CIES-05a]K. Cieslar, Stupar, V., Canet-Soulas, E., Gaillard, S., et Crémillieux, Y., « Alveolar oxygen partial pressure and O2 depletion rate mapping in rats using 3He ventilation imaging », in European Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology, 23rd Annual Scientific Meeting ESMRMB, Basel, Suisse, 2005, p. (in-press).
[CIES-05b]K. Cieslar, Stupar, V., Canet-Soulas, E., Gaillard, S., et Crémillieux, Y., « Mapping of Alveolar Initial Partial Pressure of Oxygen end Depletion Rate in Rats and Mice », in Winnipeg Workshop, Kralow, Poland, 2005, p. (in-press).
[STUP-05]V. Stupar, Canet-Soulas, E., Gaillard, S., Alsaid, H., Beckmann, N., et Crémillieux, Y., « Retrospective Cine ventilation imaging under spontaneous breathing conditions: a non invasive imaging protocol for rat lung function assessment », in European Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology, 22nd Annual Scientific Meeting ESMRMB, Basel, Suisse, 2005, p. (in-press).
[BURT-04]C. Burtea, Chaabane, L., Laurent, S., Canet-Soulas, E., Vander Elst, L., Briguet, A., et Müller, R. N., « Preclinical evaluation of a new alphavbeta3-targeted nonpeptidic RGD mimetic grafted to USPIO. Preliminary investigations on the molecular imaging of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques », in European Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology, 21st Annual Scientific Meeting ESMRMB, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2004, vol. 373.
[CANE-02]D. Canet, Boubel, J. C., et Canet-Soulas, E., La RMN 2-ième édition : concepts, méthodes et applications. Paris, France: Dunod, Publ., 2002.
[CANE-02a]E. Canet-Soulas, « Micro et macro-circulation en IRM cardio-vasculaire ». Université Claude-Bernard Lyon I, 2002.
Bittoun J. (rap.), Briguet A. (rap.), Corrot C. (rap.), Cozzone P. (rap.), Douek P. (rap.) et Magnin I.E.