The Silver Bot

We have to go now, we can’t wait any longer. It’s around 11:00 pm on April 1st. The pain must be excruciating, and is never-ending, now. My poor wife cant even walk anymore, just collapses in pain during every contraction. It took us about 10 minutes just to get to the car, because every few steps we needed to stop so I could help her through the intense pain. On her hands and knees is the only position that she can take. I try to get her into the car but she won’t get in the seat. She wants to ride in the back of the SUV (where the dog rides). Whatever it takes right? I load her in on her hands and knees, shut the door, and were off.

About 15 minutes later I fly into the emergency driveway’s valet area. The attendant, who didn’t notice my wife in the back, started speaking and I paid him no attention as I ran to the back of the car. The door swung up, “dios mio” yelled the valet. Seeing my wife on her hands and knees in middle of a painful contraction must have caught him off guard. I ran into the hospital and grabbed the closest wheel chair that I could find, put Ashley in and rushed straight past the registration area and right to the birth center. As soon as we got in, the doctor said, back again and checked her cervix to see how much she was dilated. 10 cm. The doc said the baby coming out now. What!!! Just a few hours ago they sent us home, telling us the baby’s not coming any time soon. Frantically I tried to call our parents, to let them know its time, but we got no service in the hospital. Then I tried the phones in the room, but they didn’t call long distance. I guess its just going to be the two of us, soon, three.

There are many people who have a very traditional idea about Christmas, however few of these really realize that most of the Christmas traditions that we have come not from Bethlehem, but from Northern Europe. Everything from the snow in the manger scene to the Christmas tree actually starts in European countries, and not in the holy land. With this in mind, why should we not change Christmas when it suits us to fit our cultures and our individual styles.

This is why I have begun to collect African American Christmas Decorations. There is definitely a unique African American style which has penetrated the American mainstream as much as any other style that there is, and it seems like a shame not to celebrate it. African American Christmas Decoration not only celebrates authentic African traditions, but also the styles and contributions of generations of African Americans. Getting or making your own African American Christmas Decoration is the best way to celebrate your own heritage if you are an African American, or to celebrate tolerance and cultural diversity in America if you are not. I am not saying that you should go all out and discard all of those blown glass Christmas ornaments that you have stocked up to put all over your tree. But what I am saying is that that same tree will look all that much better with African American Christmas Decoration strung up alongside the more traditional Christmas decor.

Of course, what exactly constitutes African American decorations really varies depending who you are asking about it. Some people take African American Christmas Decoration to mean African Christmas decoration, and like to adorn their trees with charms shaped like giraffes, gazelle, and stylized masks. I do think that this has a place in African American Christmas Decoration, but I do not think that it is enough by itself. In reality, African American Christmas Decoration has so much more to offer. When I think of African American Christmas Decoration, I think of Christmas ornaments that celebrate and remember African American history. That means celebrating literature, music, education, farming, and all of the other areas in which African Americans have made a contribution to our culture, and doing it with a distinctly African American style. Of course, that is just me. The beauty about African American Christmas Decoration is that you can do it in whatever way is the most meaningful to you.

presented by David the Dogman

As an ardent reader of the Collins Dog Photoguide I came across this article, which I feel, might be of interest to readers.

Traffic Accidents

A traffic accident is probably the most common cause of serious injury to a cat or dog. Always approach the animal with caution, it may react aggressively because of the pain.

Move the dog as little as possible, but if you must move it, it is probably best to use a blanket, sliding it underneath the dog. Seek the assistance of another person and lift the dog gently to safety. Check for heartbeat and any haemorrhaging. Attempt to stem excessive bleeding by holding a clean pad or clean handkerchief over the wound, binding it tightly with a makeshift bandage. Call the nearest vet’s surgery to warn of your arrival.

Burns

The only recommended first aid is to clean off the offending substance and immerse the body part under cold running water for as long as possible. Seek professional advice immediately.

Heat Stroke

This occurs most commonly when a dog has been left alone on a hot day without ventilation. If your dog has not already collapsed it may be panting, vomiting or frothing at the mouth.

Remove froth and lower the dog’s temperature as soon as possible by placing or dousing the animal in cold water. Take the dog to the vet immediately where it will be treated with drugs and more cold water.

Poisoning

Signs of poisoning may include collapse, muscular twitching, vomiting, bleeding or convulsion. Do not hesitate to contact the vet. Take some of the noxious substance to the vet with you if you know what it is. If the dog has recently swallowed the poison, try to make it vomit. Salt and mustard in water will usually work quickly, or a small piece of washing soda (sodium carbonate0 pushed down the throat.

Drowning

It is a popular misconception that all dogs can swim, but this is not always the case. You must attempt to empty the dog’s lungs of water as soon as possible. You must attempt to empty the dog’s lungs of water as soon as possible. Place the dog’s head lower than its body, open its mouth and begin to pump the chest by pressing down on the ribs and releasing the pressure immediately. Repeat at five-second intervals.

Choking

Sometimes a piece of stick, bone or small rubber ball may get stuck in a dog’s throat. Your dog may be unable to breath as a result and swift action is necessary.

Open the dog’s mouth carefully and see if you can see the object. Pumping the chest, as in the case of drowning (see above) may dislodge the foreign body, get your dog to the vet as soon as possible where the object can be removed under anaesthetic.

Commitment, Firmness, but kindness.

Brought to you by: World Wide Information Outlet - http://certificate.net/wwio/, your source of FREEWare Content online.

Do you have any problems with your pet? Then why not send your problem to DAVID THE DOGMAN.

David is a Canine Behaviourist who works and lives in Marbella, Spain. Tel/Fax (00345) 2883388.
His web site is located at: http://www.thedogman.net.

David has his own radio and TV shows, and writes for many newspapers and magazines. David has been working with dogs for many years and started his career in Israel, working on the Border Police. He has been involved in all forms of training, including air sea rescue, air scent work, and has trained dogs for finding drugs. David has devoted the past 10 years to studying behaviour and the very passive approach. He does not use choke chains, check chains, or any form of aggression.

David The Dogman is available for private consultations in your home, for further details telephone; Tel; (95) 2883388

I had never sewed anything in my life but buttons on a shirt. That was even an experience that I did not relish. Doing research on my family tree I became aware of the fact that my great grand parents were listed on the American Indian rolls. The rolls were instituted during the infamous time of the trail of tears. I had always felt that I had indian lineage because my mother looked the part. All of her brothers and sisters had Indian features. The Indian aspect of our heritage was rarely discussed by family members. My mother never discussed her heritage even though she was dark skinned with black hair and high cheek bones. My sister looked Indian. I was dark complected. My dad was Irish. He was fair skinned with light hair. I have always felt a kinship to the Indian race.

I became very interested in anything Indian. I went to Indian art shows and inspected indian ware on e-bay. I had purchased a head dress which ended up being too small for my head. I read books and articles on Indian history. I purchased many articles which somehow seemed to quench my thirst for a feeling for the past. I am a large man with a large torso and feet. I had been buying my clothes from a big mans store for years. I had ogled the war and buckskin shirts on e-bay and other sites for months. I had trouble finding indian war shirts in my size. When I came close to finding the right shirt the price tag was out of my price range.

The next step? With my poor sewing knowledge I decided to try to make a war shirt by myself. I bought the buckskin and then a sewing machine from Wal- Mart. The sewing machine was not big enough and did not have the power to sew through leather.. I went to e-bay and purchased a sewing machine which was advertised to sew leather. In fact this new sewing machine was cheaper than the used machines that I had been outbid on by more aggressive bidders. I purchased a war shirt pattern from a company that I buy Indian articles from. The pattern was not in my size. I could not find any patterns in my size. I took one of my shirts and traced around it, adding a few inches extra for the hem. I had bought a thread that was too large for the machine and continually experienced bobbin problems. The thread was even too large to go through the needle of the machine easily. I went down to a smaller thread and began to make progress. Buckskin is not an easy material to work with. It is very pliable and has almost a spongy texture to it. Use heavy needles that are meant for sewing leather to do the hand work. Some type of lubricant is needed on the needles to make them go through the leather easier. I used a heavy piece of leather to protect my hands while hand stitching. I also used a pair of pliers to push and pull the needle through the leather. To my amazement I got all of the parts to match. I had even got huge compliments for my sewing ability. It looked as good as any thing that I could have purchased. I next looked at ways to decorate my shirt besides the usual fringe. I decided on horsehair, beadwork and medallions. I now had an expensive war shirt at a price that I could afford and in a size that would fit me.

I needed pants to go with the shirt. I sent off and ordered a pattern for leggings and a breechclout. The pattern worked. The leggings and breechclout were relatively easy to put together. I now have buckskins that will compare to almost any other. I saved money. I learned a new skill and got a feel for what it must have been like for the indians of old to produce their clothing. I am still searching for ways of recreating the Indian of the past. Yesterday I walked in the living room with a full drape red fox hat on my head. My wife does understand.

The very good old Chinese tale has a strong connotation; the slogan illustrated the fact that each & every person trusts an occasion drastically more when it is watched. By the way of video production or videography it’s achievable to record a string of occasions.

Now in loads of business presentations, video is usually implemented. By implementing video production services it’s possible to give the required info to quite a lot of different likely customers to help tempt them. Online Video production nowadays is utilised for several different purposes; however, quite a few short format online videos and awareness associated presentations are usually created in order to achieve desired business targets. Click here to find out about Vidify’s video production and marketing services.

Audio video productions are at present in fashion and as a result are used in more or less any kind of industry activity. Creative companies at the outset initially interact with a particular client or a corporation that looks to create an online promotional video a presentation or a series of video clips. The whole occupation of video production is regularly carried out by freelancers; however there are several good creative agencies around at the moment.

Involvement of music composers, cameraman & script writers are also common when creating audio video presentations. Furthermore, marketing agencies and public relations companies have lately become involved with online video production and publishing.

Just because I was graduated from a major university does not make me an expert on everything. My girlfriend had asked for a particular designer purse for her birthday. As I started to shop for them I found that they could be purchased for fourteen hundred dollars at one site or twenty eight dollars at another. I thought I was world’s best shopper to get the purse at such a discount. Luckily I checked with my mom before I wrapped it and gave it to her. Mom explained that what I had bought was know as purse knockoffs. Unless that was what she had asked for she would probably be very disappointed.

And everywhere I look today I see articles of clothing and other consumer products with the dkny logo. I gave up trying to pronounce dkny months ago but am still fascinated with the number of products that they have available. Take for instance the dkny purse. Now that in itself does not seem like such a big deal but when you open the purse of a well-equipped dkny-ite. After getting permission from my girlfriend I opened her purse and found a collection of dkny items. There was a collection of sprays and lotions like I had never seen before and even a pair of dkny sneakers.

It’s hard to believe that my daughter has just graduated from
high school. She has some great memories of this event for us to
preserve in a graduation scrapbook.

We decided to purchase a ready-made scrapbook instead of
assembling one. At a local bookstore we found a large spiral
bound scrapbook/journal on clearance for $2.99!

My daughter was not able to get her senior yearbook before
graduation, so she had her friends write notes to her in her
scrapbook. She took the book with her to her senior class party,
then we set the book out at her family graduation party for
friends and family to sign.

We had many photo taking opportunities over the weekend. We have
pictures from the graduation ceremony, from her senior class
party, and from her family party to put in her scrapbook. I will
mat one of her senior portraits on the front of the scrapbook.

There are other mementos you can preserve in a graduation
scrapbook. Here are some ideas to get you started:

- Cards from family and friends

- Program from graduation ceremony

- Newspaper clippings

- Report cards

- Achievement and/or award certificates

- Senior party mementos

I will finish off the scrapbook with graduation stickers from a
local craft store.

A graduation scrapbook doesn’t have to be a work of art. The
important thing is to preserve the memories of your graduate’s
big day.

This would be a great project to do with your teen. If they
would like to tackle the project themselves, give them all the
supplies and let them unleash their creativity. My daughter
loves the finished project, but is not much interested in
scrapbooking, so she is more than happy to let me do it for her.

When you have spent hours working on knitting a sweater, you want to make sure it looks as good after a dozen washes as it did the day you knitted it because after all that work you intend to own your knitting for a long time.
Here’s how you care for the things you have been knitting. Always use luke warm water. Laundry detergent is not recommended by many knitting experts. Use your shampoo. Many knitters believe that if it’s mild enough but effective enough for their hair it must be good enough for their knitting. Add about a teaspoon to the water and wiggle the sweater around in the soapy water for a while then let it soak for at least fifteen minutes.

Drain the water, squashing the sweater into the bowl to get rid of the water. Rinse with luke-warm water as many times as it takes until the water is clear. Press the knitting against the sides of the bowl. Don’t wring it tight as you don’t want to lose the shape. Then lay the knitting on a flat clean towel. Roll the towel up with the knitting inside and press a little. You will find this gets rid of a lot of the water. If you have a mesh sweater dryer then lay it out carefully shaping the sweater to its original proportions. If you don’t have one the you can just place the knitting on a fresh towel. This takes longer to dry and most people suggest changing to a dry towel and flipping the sweater over so it dries quicker.

I hope you could follow my guide to caring for your knitted items which I always consider to be part of the knitting essentials. I have a lot more information about knitting on my Knitting Essentials blog so please join me there to learn more.

Louise Nova loves knitting and teaching people how to knit. You can find more information on her blog at Knitting Essentials

Oil finishes are among the easiest to apply. Most of them are simply a wipe-on, wipe-off process, being sure to remove all of the excess. Here is a step-by-step process you can use with any oil finish on the market today.

1. Prepare the wood. Remove any machine marks and sand new wood smooth to 180 to 220 grit. Oil finishes are thinner than their counterparts, so a finer grit is necessary. If you are finishing a tabletop it’s a good idea to “sponge” the wood so water spills that work their way through the finish once the table is in use don’t raise the grain of the wood. Humidity can also cause grain raising over a period of years and sponging will help reduce this also. Raised grain will cause an initially smooth surface to feel rough to the touch.

2. Clean the wood. Remove as much sanding dust as possible with a brush vacuum, compressed air, or tack cloth. For compressed air users, be sure you have an in-line filter/dryer in your system or you may end up spraying a fine mist of water onto your project. Also, I prefer a cloth dampened with mineral spirits to a retail tack cloth. These cloths contain wax which can lodge in the wood grain and cause problems with the finish. Mineral spirits will not cause this and also will not raise the grain of the wood.

3. Choose the finish. What kind of oil do you want? There are many different varieties of finishes marketed under the “oil” label. Straight oil, polymerized oil, wiping varnish, or oil/varnish blend. (A related article on different types of oil finishes is in the works.) If you’ve never used one of these before I suggest you begin with a wiping varnish (for a glossy appearance) or an oil/varnish blend (for a satin look).

4. Apply the first coat. Flood the wood with the finish. Wood will only hold a certain amount of oil at one time, so if you use enough to leave standing pools on the surface, that’s all right. We’ll be wiping off the excess in a little while. Application can be by cloth, brush, or spray gun, or you can dip the wood into the finish. Leave it to dry for about five minutes. The temptation to move faster will be there. Resist it. If any dry spots appear, apply more finish. Before it becomes tacky, wipe off all the excess finish. Polymerized oil and wiping varnish will become tacky faster than straight oil or oil/varnish blends, especially in high temperatures. These products may require excess removal before five minutes have passed.

5. Remove “bleeding” before it cures. Many oils can bleed back out of the pores in the wood. Small puddles may form after you remove the excess oil. Wipe these dry and keep wiping them dry until they stop forming.

6. Apply additional coats. Let the first coat dry overnight. Smooth any remaining roughness with 400-grit sandpaper. Clean the wood as in step 2 again and apply the next coat. You can even combine these two steps by sanding the wood with wet/dry sandpaper while the wood is wet with the second coat of finish. Wipe the wood dry as before. You can then add as many coats as you like, allowing a full day drying time between coats. However, unless you are using a wiping varnish or polymerized oil there is no reason to apply more than four coats, as these finishes do not build like more solid finish.

Follow these steps and you will end up with a warm, soft glow to your project that will last for many years to come.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Hobbies

A candle, consisting of an internal wick and a column of solid fuel, illuminates the surrounding area. Due to the invention of modern equipments used for illuminating the surrounding, candle is not an essential product for this purpose. But the demand for candles has gone up as a work of art. Different varieties of candles have flooded the market. The candles are of different colors, aroma, and shapes.

The making of a candle involves various equipments. Paraffin wax, melting system, candy thermometer, and scales to measure the amount of water and wax are required. Ladle and spoons are used for stirring and pouring wax. Chemically treated wick that burns for a longer period of time are used. Since wax is soft, stearic acid is used to make it solid. Color dyes are used to make the appearance brighter.

It involves a very simple process to make the candle. Suspend a wick in the center of a mold. Dissolve stearic acid and color dye in a container and heat the wax to 190 degrees. Combine the stearic mixture with paraffin and stir it continuously to blend it. Pour the mixture in a mold, allow time for it to cool and then remove it from the mold.

Acquiring a gel candle has now become a fashion. You can prepare it easily at home. All you need to get are a container, gels, pans, wicks and the basic necessary items. While selecting containers, it is best to use a heat resistant glass. Gel wax, paraffin, candle scent, dye, wick, wick clip, and wick base are the other requirements. Different colors can be mixed together to form a new color according to your taste. The oil based liquids; pellets and wax solids are the sources of scent. The scent has to be added before pouring the candle to avoid evaporation.

Items like buttons, marbles, toys and jewels can be added in the candle. Avoid inflammatory items. Candles are used for various reasons. They are used in almost all the religions. The candles represent the light of God in Christianity. Candles are lit at the start and end of the weekly Sabbath celebration. For Kwanzaa and for other reasons of humanism, candles are lit. Thus, the candle not only serves illuminating and decoration purposes, but also serves religious causes.

Sharon Albright is the owner of Candle Making Site. Read more articles on candle making and visit her recommended resources.