91Apprenticeship Alum
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Climate Book Review: Finding the Mother Tree - Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard
A spellbinding four-in-one helix of stories surrounding the lifelong passion of research scientist Suzanne Simard awaits you in her book Finding the Mother Tree- Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest. She describes her real searches and struggles with the same excitement as an Agatha Christie novel.
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Aunt Margie's WWII Altoona Vegetable Soup Recipe
Cooking genealogy is fondly remembering family members and events as you prepare "their" foods. This is my Aunt Margie's beef vegetable soup. In the 20th century, common sense and frugality ruled housewives responsible for feeding a family.
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What Is Your Impact on the Earth's Climate: 2 Online Quizzes Can Tell You How You're Doing
A review of two online quizzes which calculate a person's "carbon footprint." Two short quizzes give a quick objective measurement of your lifestyle to tell you if you're a friend or a foe of climate, weather patterns and the temperature on planet Earth.
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Gramma Morgan's Famous Fried Squirrel: 2 Re-Created Recipes
Maren Morgan combines genealogy with "cooking archaeology." She shares her recipe attempts and family lore about what a beloved aunt told her was the best breakfast on earth in the 1920s in central PA. Due to the lack of written records, intuitive trial and error played a large part in her quest.
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Grow Food Indoors: Four Interesting Requirements for Indoor Vegetables You May Not Know
Have vegetables all winter by following these steps for success with growing greens inside. There are surprising needs that you can meet by either replicating Mother Nature or by adjusting for the necessary absence of some features of the natural world.
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Biden Supporter on November 2, 2020 Somewhere in Pennsylvania
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4 Things You Must Do to Get Your Pennsylvania Vote-By-Mail Counted: Two Envelopes and Sign-the-Back - PA Ballot
Don’t let your Pennsylvania Election Board throw your vote in the trash. To have your mail in vote count, you MUST do these 4 things.
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Get Out the Vote Moments
Fun and heart-touching moments during my morning volunteering to help more people vote in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
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Mail-In Voting in Pennsylvania in 2020 - How To Apply to Do It
Step by step instructions with screen shots on the easy process to get a mail-in ballot in PA for Fall 2020.
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How to Get Instant Privacy from Neighbors with a Living Fence
Establish your boundaries. Get some privacy. Fresh air, exercise, and your own oasis can be yours by planting bushes and flowers to make a fence.
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How to Decide Whether to Send Your Kid to Physical School During A Pandemic
A teacher advises: Ask your school these questions. Schools are accountable and should have plans for all of the possibilities during a pandemic.
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Americans Shamefully Endanger Each Other During COVID-19 Pandemic
Coronavirus has been here for over a year. It is harmful. Our licensed medical workers know how to make life livable during this serious health emergency. Too many Americans deliberately choose to ignore health guidelines. Here is why.
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How Boomers Can Watch “Hamilton” Broadway Show Movie
It is easy and inexpensive to view award-winning "Hamilton," the show about Alexander Hamilton told in 21st century language. Baby boomers and AARP eligible seniors can find out how in this article.
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A Fictional Tale of Home Haircutting During Coronavirus
A story told to me by a friend of a friend of a friend. "Vacuum my face."
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Corona Veggie Mania
Discovering that I am a food addict during quarantine.
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Sewing PPE Face Masks: 5 Things They Forget to Say
Improve on the PPE face mask video methods by following these tips. They make sewing the masks faster and easier. Thanks for stepping up to help during this crisis.
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5 Great Rallying Songs for Sunrise Movement Climate Strikes
Today's climate crisis is frightening. These five songs will hearten the clear-sighted young people who educate legislators around the world.
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Going Solar, My Story
A real life account of how I got solar panels for my Pennsylvania semi-detached house. True story from the trenches.
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Good for the Earth: Flowering Bee Lawns
Everyone with land CAN help world food production. Abandon that boring mono-green grass. Allow nature to add violets, white clover, dandelions for the pollinators - bees, butterflies, moths, and the rest of the Creator's humble, tiny workers. Bee Lawns are trending. Plain grass is SO last century.
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How Easy No-Till Home Climate Gardening Really Is
The "no-till" gardening method is a practice of green, eco-conscious home gardeners and commercial growers. Methods for new and existing garden plots are explained, as well as the scientific reasoning that led to them, and the benefits for soil fertility and health. "No-till" combats climate crisis.
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Good for the Earth: How to Make a Rain Garden
Simple how-to make a rain garden for homeowners. No power tools or plumbing alterations are needed to make an eco-friendly plant-filled depression in your property for rainwater to temporarily accumulate before being absorbed into the ground, allowing soil's natural filtration to work.
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Rain Gardens Complement Climate Victory Gardens
Both rain gardens and climate victory gardens reduce air and water pollution and contribute to the conservation of water in the soil.
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Climate Disruption: Net Zero Emissions Is Attainable
A way for the United States to get green quickly and have a good economy. It is not simple. It requires radical change. However, it is entirely realistic.
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Good for the Earth: How to Make a Climate Victory Garden
A Climate Victory Garden helps the soil, water quality, and the atmosphere. These 10 recommended practices will help your garden flourish. Keeping one (indoors or outdoors) is a practical way for anyone can contribute to reversing accumulated changes in the climate.
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What Are Climate Victory Gardens
A Climate Victory Garden is a food garden grown for a family’s own consumption. Grow what you can. Grow what you like and will eat. They’ve dubbed it the Climate Victory Garden because if enough people plant them, we may be able to mitigate bad changes to climate and weather.
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Blizzard Prep For Boomers
Forget the bread and milk. Here's what people age 50 and older need to stock for a stuck-inside Winter Storm weekend.
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Climate Disruption Talk January 2019
136 degrees Fahrenheit/ 57 degrees Celsius. Bad stuff for children and other living things.
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Natural Foods That Boost Brain Power
Research from the year 2010 and later indicates these foods nurture our brains.
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Yoga Sun Salutation Combined With Gratitude Prayers
Yoga sun salutation exercise combined with prayers of thankfulness. A non-denominational prayer is given for each asana in the sequence.
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Simon Andrews, Composer, and This Worldes Joie
English-born choral and orchestral composer, Simon W. Andrews, shares insights about his Christmas cantata, This Worldes Joie.
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2 Wonderful Baseball Storybooks For Elementary Age Children
Two extraordinary baseball stories at simple, readable level.
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How to Bring More Birds to Your Garden By Attracting Their Food Sources
Choosing the right trees, bushes, and flowers to put into your yard can attract birds. Plants that feed their favorite bugs leads to simple "circle of life" gardening. This bug friendly plan brings birds to your yard easily!
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How to Change a Car Windshield Wiper J-Hook Type
Simple instructions for changing a windshield wiper blade with pictures.
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Telephone Customer Service Reps
If you hold yourself out as being able to speak English or Spanish or whatever language you choose - please be fluent and clear, without accents from your mother tongue or your region.
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High-Energy Stray Rescue Kitten
True story of a talented stray kitten who charmed a neighborhood on his way to becoming a fantastic helper at Hopewell Furnace Historic Iron Plantation.
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Why I Relish Christmas
An inspiring description of many ways Christmas can be importantly fun.
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Lancaster Barnstormers Baseball in Central Pennsylvania
This minor league ball team entertains fans without excessive advertising, overly long games, or ticket prices requiring a bank loan. The Lancaster Barnstormers baseball team is an American treasure.
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Carbon Footprinter
A short story of green-ness in the face of global warming.
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How to Put Blown-In Insulation Under a Flat Roof: DIYer Tips and Tricks
How to DIY blown-in insulation under a very low roof. Real advice from the experiences of a non-contractor homeowner.
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Gluten Free Side Dish Recipes Using Cheese
Three super-quick two-ingredient dishes that provide calcium and no gluten! All are single-serving recipes which you can enlarge, if needed.
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Car Maintenance For Non-Car People: 4 Easy Things You Can Do Yourself
Knowing a little about your car is a needed life skill, similar to basic computer ability. Here are the basics to watch so you can either fix simple situations or know to take your car for help.
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Microbrewery With Pub in Lebanon, Pa: Snitz Creek Brewery
Review of GREAT microbrewery with pub in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. It uses clever fly fishing theme for decor and menu. Local food specialties are used in bar food.
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Get Rid of Ants Without Hurting Your Pet Cats
Recipe and technic for ridding your house of ants without endangering your pet cats.
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Will Rogers: The Top Movie Star in America During the 1920s and 1930s
Will Rogers excelled in almost every entertainment media of his day. This included starring in silent and sound films and being the top-paid movie actor of the 1930's.
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Will Rogers: America's Court Jester for the 1920's and '30's
Will Rogers was a beloved political wit who delivered his message in an unassuming "aw, shucks" manner. Learn about his success in a time of rapid change for the U.S.A.
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Old-Time Christian Hymns For Senior Adults
Retirement communities, senior groups, rehabilitation facilities, activity directors: Feel free to use this list of better-known Protestant hymns for programs for American senior citizens.
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Roberto Clemente, a Hero On and Off the Baseball Field
Roberto Clemente was one of a kind. He contributed to MLB’s successful integration of Latinx players and constantly performed charitable deeds, often without fanfare or publicity. He is a hero.
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The Top 10 Family Baseball Movies
Descriptions of plot, ratings, awards, and more for 10 great baseball movies good for children and their families. Many promote faith in God or doing "the right thing."
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Create Space in a Small House: Make Nooks and Shelves Inside the Walls
How to create pockets of space for books, knick-knacks, and other small items inside your walls.
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How to Make a Small Garden Flag
Detailed instructions and pattern to make a small decorative garden flag.
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IronPigs Minor League Baseball near Allentown, PA
A description and review of the experience of attending a home game of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. 23 photos.
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Historic Iron Furnaces Near Reading, PA: Hopewell and Cornwall
Two iron furnace historic sites capture different eras of iron smelting in early American industrial growth. Photos, maps, and more. Easy visit from Hershey, Lancaster, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.
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Garden Centers and Nurseries for Lebanon, PA: Independent Family-Owned Businesses
Review of indie family-owned and operated nurseries close to or in the city of Lebanon (Lebanon County) in central Pennsylvania. Websites, phone numbers, maps, and 33 photos included.
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Gluten-Free Quinoa and Yogurt Breakfast Recipes
With cooked-ahead quinoa, you can assemble a healthy gluten-free breakfast parfait in minutes. Add a fruit yogurt and nuts. Sixteen photos included.
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Power Veggie One Pot Recipe for One Serving
Cancer fighting antioxidant tomatoes and dark green leafy spinach join 2 more ingredients for a super-healthy, fast, easy meal for one person.
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Cat Spa Bath: How 2 People Can Do It
How to bathe parts of your cat and possibly having it relax and enjoy it. The helper assists with several steps, including drying.
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Training a Kitten to be a Lap Cat
Got a kitten? Here is how to teach it to love sleeping in your lap for all time!
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Is the Reading Fightin Phillies Minor League Baseball Team leaving Reading, PA?
The Reading Phillies (now the Fightin' Phillies) have always been affiliated with the major league Philadelphia Phillies. Does the team’s new name & other changes signal imminent relocation?
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5 Reasons to Clean Your Place Before You Go on Vacation
Both reasonable and humorous reasons for cleaning your place before going on vacation.
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Reel Mower Works Fabulously For Small Lawns
A small plot of grass does not require a monster-sized lawn mower. Learn about an eco-green, easy to use, inexpensive mower that will do the job!
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The Top 6 Summer Vacation Romance Movies
Short descriptions of 6 fun films which probably rate no more than one hankie, if that, for summer romantic fun.
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Music and The High Note Café, South Philly
At the corner of 13th and Tasker Streets is FrancoLuigi’s Pizzeria, a take-out pizza and sandwich joint. The other half is the spectacular, elegant High Note Café featuring live jazz, opera. and more.
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Shark Bite Would Have Been Easier to Handle: Because I Can
On a cross-country family vacation trip, a mother of three is critically injured in a highway accident. The long road of her miraculous hold on life and the rescue of her left leg from amputation..
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How a Singer can break into Performing at Jazz Jams
Four tips for how to sing at a jazz jam session.
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LaRose Jazz Club – Rob Henderson's Sunday Jam Sessions
For five years, every Sunday night at 5531 Germantown Avenue, Phila, a vigorous synthesis of jazz arranging, improvising & playing was the order of the evening at the LaRose Club Jam in Germantown.
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Costs of a Bathroom Remodel
Lists of supplies with costs and 16 photos of a bathroom fix-up project done partially by the homeowner and partially by paid help.
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The History of Manischewitz Passover Matzos
Every spring we see the rectangular matzo boxes at the grocer's for Pesach. There is a whole story behind why and what they are. It starts in Cincinnati, OHIO...
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Old-Fashioned, Independent Candy Stores in Lebanon County, PA
Candy shops near Lebanon are reviewed. Wertz Candies combines charm, tradition, and homemade treats; the Van Winkles make opera fudge in their home; Smith's Candies makes nothing but sells everything.
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Raffle Basket and Gift Ideas For Cat Lovers
Ideas on what gifts to give cat lovers and to include in a raffle baskets which will appeal to cat owners.
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Beer Distributors in Lebanon, PA
A survey of five beer distributors in or pretty danged close to the city of Lebanon, PA. Hours, addresses, pix, and more.
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Lebanon, PA Habitat for Humanity Re-Build-It Store: a Partnership which Works
In Lebanon County, PA, the Habitat for Humanity store partners with a Christian mission - a collaboration which works very well. The RE-BUILD-IT STORE has used building supplies plus used housewares.
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How To Make Kitten Luminary on Cans DIY
Step-by-step how to for kids and everyone. Includes 9 pictures and real-life experience comments.
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How to Insulate a Bathtub (With Photos)
Fix the cold tub problem! Directions and step-by-step photo guide for klutzy homeowners on how to put insulation around an existing cold bathtub.
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How to Fix a Basement Leak: DIY Basement Wall Crack Repair (Novice Friendly!)
Do you have water in the basement due to cracks and small holes in the foundation or walls? Try this DIY repair by a non-construction worker homeowner gal.
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Jazz Jam at Annville’s Allen Theatre and MJ’s Coffee House
Information on a jazz jam session held semi-regularly in Annville, Pennsylvania (Lebanon County.)
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Wonderful New Kitten Brother for Skeeter Cat
How to successfully introduce a new kitten to the established family cat.
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8 Thrift Stores in Lebanon County, PA
This article explores great thrift stores along Route 422 in Lebanon, PA. Addresses, phone, hours, maps, and more info given.
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Valentine's Day Recipes - Salads With Red Ingredients
Three easy recipes with only 3 ingredients for Valentine's Day salads: Green and Red Potato salad, Strawberry-Green salad, and Extra Cherries Fruit salad. 20 photos.
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Snack-Food Treat in Lebanon, Pennsylvania: Shuey's Pretzels
This is a description of a visit to an old-fashioned small Pennsylvania pretzel bakery and shop tucked into a residential neighborhood in a small town. It does not advertise, but the locals flock there. This article includes 14 photos.
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10 Best Puppy Bowl YouTube Videos
The Puppy Bowl is an annual television event with extremely cute puppies romping on a puppy-sized football field. Coincidentally, it airs on the same day as football's Super Bowl. If you have never seen even a part of the Puppy Bowl on the Animal Planet cable television network, here are some short...
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Great Song Selections for Community Concert Bands
Marches, movie medleys, and other audience pleasing tunes for a level 3 concert band are described.
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The Puppy Bowl on Super Bowl Sunday by Animal Planet
The “Puppy Bowl” is an annual television program aired on the afternoon of American professional football’s SuperBowl game. Puppies romp on a small field as comedian commentators and referees pretend their frolicking movements are football maneuvers. It is a brilliant comic farce of professional...
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How to Trim Your Cat’s Claws – Easy Method
Indoor cat owner's tried and true method for DIY claw trimming is explained with diagrams.
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How to Get a Bike to a Girl "At Risk" and Why It Matters
A charity that givs transportation to children in third world areas and encourages all sorts of self-directed development for them.
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Prayers for Healing When Children Are Killed
For families in Newtown, Connecticut; Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania; Norway, the Middle East, Vietnam, everywhere… Blessed are You, O LORD, our God, who brings forth goodness on the earth. Hear me and hold me, O...
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How to Treat a Mold Infestation on Wood With Borax 20 Mule Team Powder
A homeowner's guide to using Borax on moldy wooden-house structural parts (to kill mold roots). Photos included.
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Christmas Activities to Establish as Traditions for Families, Especially those with Young Children
Ideas and descriptions of fun multi-age activities to honor Christmas and bond with the family from December 1st through January 6th.
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180 Great, Original Cat and Kitten Names
Names are suggested in categories such as Food, Mythology, Place Names, Movie Characters, and more.
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Mold Control for Water-Damaged Houses: Mistakes I Made That You Can Avoid
Flooded houses breed mold and fungus requiring unusual ways, not your usual cleaning, to eliminate. I've been there: living in a water-damaged house and tackling it DIY with little money. Here's what I learned the hard way and now recommend for severe mold problems in a home. Learn from my mistakes!
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How to Decorate Safely for Christmas with Cats in House
Cats know when interesting, fun, new things enter their environment - such as Christmas holiday decorations. This article provides godd, tongue-in-cheek ideas for safe decorating when one owns cats.
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Diseases Humans can Catch from Cats
Explanation of cat-to-human diseases.
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Easy Chocolate Walnut Fudge Recipe
This easy, quick fudge takes less than 15 minutes to make and uses only one burner on the stove. It's delicious, too!
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How To Bathe A Cat In Dawn Blue Detergent For Flea Treatment
How bathing a cat works, using the vet recommended Blue Dawn dish washing liquid.
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How to Write a Good, Short Family Christmas Newsletter
Christmas newsletters meet needs - we want to know how distant friends are doing. This is a How-to of writing a short, good letter and how to express band news and good news. Slightly humorous.
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Easy Quick Ways to Get Cash for Christmas
This year, avoid the debt cycle as you purchase gifts for loved ones. Instead, earn more cash. Five tips on how to quickly do this before Christmas or Hanukkah.
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Kitchen Utensils Every Cook Should Have or Request as a Gift
These basic eight kitchen items will get any cooking job done.
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Multi-Religion Families-How to Make it Work
An author speaks from experience on how to have children understand their multi-religious family.
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How to Make Cleaning a Bedroom an Easy and Fun Chore
Here is a method of bedroom cleaning guaranteed to accomplish the job and to be rather painless. Steps are given in order for quick, efficient cleaning.
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Information on Neutering Cats
Cat neutering is a surgical procedure. It is the removal of a cat’s reproductive organs— called spaying for females, and called castration for males. Here arre details on the procedure, reasons for it, and costs.
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Easy Cilantro Onion Egg Recipe (Frittata) with Photos
Easy recipe for eggs scrambled with upscale additions and appetizing presentation. Takes only 12 minutes to make - start to finish.
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Terezin Concentration Camp: Underground Art Survives at Beit
During WWII, the Nazis created a “sham” concentration camp, Terezin, to deceive the rest of the world into believing that the Reich concentration camps were tolerable refuges for displaced Jews. Three levels of reality existed: daily work and malnutrition, the showcased happy children and workers...
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How To Make A Halloween Ladybug Costume For A Kitten
Detailed instructions and pattern for ladybug costume for a kitten or teacup puppy. 16 photos and additional instructions for adjusting the size if your pet has a growth spurt before the holiday.
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Seasonal Affective Disorder: Start Treating in EARLY Autumn
If you have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), be pro-active. Don't wait until there are only 8 hours of daylight to begin helping yourself. The challenge to prevent or reduce the depression you get from lack of full-spectrum daylight exists the moment the Summer Solstice ends.
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Expert Insider Tips on Home Hair Coloring With Photos
No-holds barred description of how to color your hair at home with hints from the author based on experience.
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Kittens Teething and Biting
Kittens have teething & chewing needs similar to puppies. Tips are given on what to expect, how to help, & how to train your kitten so she does NOT learn bad habits, such as routinely biting humans.
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Customer Service at Retail Stores - 4 Ways to Give Great Service
Tips and guidelines for sales people on the selling floor of retail businesses.
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Purses and Handbags: Features and Options
Tips for making a good decision the next time you buy a purse.
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How to Make Halloween Ghost Decorations for Outdoors
Find some easy step-by-step instructions for kids and learn how to make ghosts to hang outside from trees or the front porch at Halloween. Very few supplies are needed. 14 photos and 2 short videos are included.
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Vegetarian Meals for Rednecks - Sound Nutrition with a Little Humor Added
How to combine veggie proteins in meals to make complete proteins (as in Diet for a Small Planet) using redneck favorites. Loosen up and laugh!
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Causes of a WET Basement
Water or wetness in the basement can have more than one source. 9 possible causes described.
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Small Room Solution: Use Vertical Space (16 Photos)
How to use the gap between your furniture and ceiling to create more space in your apartment or house by building a bookcase "lifter."
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How to Make a Window Cat Shelf: Step by Step Instructions
Make a cat viewing platform at your window several feet above the sill and not light-blocking.
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Kitten First Vaccinations and Veterinarian Visit
First shots that a 6- to 8-week old kitten needs. Also, a description of tests that are advisable if the kitten comes from unknown sources.
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Honey Wine Winery (Meadery)
Explanation of mead, a wine made from fermented honey. It is gaining popularity in Pennsylvania.
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How Cell Phones Hurt Toddlers
Put that mobile phone away! You can't go back and claim those hours when you could have and should have been talking to your child, teaching him names of things, sharing his delight in the world.
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Microbreweries & Brewpubs near Reading, PA
Berks County, PA has a pub or two in a college town to the north - Kutztown.
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Microbreweries & Brewpubs in Lancaster County, PA
Review of Lancaster County, PA microbreweries with pubs including maps, phone numbers, websites.
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Cat Dementia
Veterinarians know that the same mechanisms causing human dementia occur in cats. Symptoms and possible treatments are described.
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Cats Can Have Allergies
Cats can be allergic to substances. Learn more.
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How to Make Christmas Fabric Ornaments
Step-by-step DIY How-to instructions to make a lightly stuffed ornament for the Christmas tree using Christmas colors or themed fabric. Many photos.
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Fleas and Worms in Cats
Diagnoses and prevention tips for feline roundworms, tapeworms. and fleas.
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How Teachers and Homeschoolers Can Use Classic Children's Games for Skill Review
Educational uses and tweaks for Bingo, Concentration, Memory, Scrabble and Hangman - good for homeschoolers and classroom teachers.
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Crafters' Christmas Ornament To Make Cheaply
Easy instructions on how to make a pine cone Christmas ornament. The homemade touch makes it precious and children may want to give it a try. Inexpensive supplies are used.
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Black History Projects and Lessons
Lesson ideas for grades 4 through 12 on American black history. Web sites given.
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Children’s Gift Ideas for Christmas
Anyone who has a hand in raising a child hopes that the precious little one will grow up to be kind, productive, self-sufficient, and lead a life which is meaningful. Of course, we adults guide their development towards this end through many tiny...
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How to Take Care of Aging Parents
Things to check when assessing a parent's ability to live on his or her own.
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Supplies for Craft Making with 12 Photos
Supplies that enable you to make and create all sorts of wonderful crafts.
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The Best Dry Food for Cats
Nutritional and calorie charts for kittens, adults, and senior cats. Also, a blank chart is provided for you to complete to compare foods.
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Chicken Crockpot Recipe
Chicken and 3 more ingredients make a satisfying entree. recipe, photos, instructions.
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Kids’ Salt Dough Recipe for Crafts, Jewelry and Ornaments
Recipe and detailed instructions for making a dough which can be baked and painted or shellacked for permanent jewelry or decorations.
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Sunday School Lesson for Jewish Purim Holy Day
The Bible story of Esther has many positives for children: a female heroine, a wedding, kings and queens, party food, raucous noise, and an ending with the good guys winning. It can be used during any unit on the Bible, the Old Testament, and in Vacation Bible School.
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Eyebrow Make-Up Tips - Easy Cosmetic Lesson
Women’s eyebrow shapes have changed again. If you observed the fashionable female stars on the Red Carpet at the Oscars’ ceremonies, recent advertisements in print magazines, and guests on television talk shows, or the delightful Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge [bride of Prince William] you have...
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National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, PA
In Harrisburg, PA sits the rather new National Civil War Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. Open 7 days a week, it claims to be the only museum with fair and even-handed representation of all sides of the War Between the States.
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The Oscars for CARTOON Nominees
Review of the Oscar nominees and 4 more gems of Animated Shorts. Be prepared for the 2012 Oscar Night.
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Aging Cat Issues
As cats age, one's beliefs about whether or not to take extraordinary measures may be put to the test.
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Cats Love Cuddly Nooks and Tiny Hiding Places
Like all house cats, ours seek out cuddly nooks to protect them, without permitting intrusion. Each cat appears quite content and pleased as he surreptitiously (in his own mind) surveys the world from his Cat Cave. Both commercial climbing trees and creative locations do the job. And, they are...
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The Home Owners' Association from H E _ _
For more than ten years, I lived in a private townhouse community subject to the draconian rules of the builder’s charter and the HOA. This place could have been the inspiration for any sit-com episode about the worst of homeowner association rules. it was the townhouse community from hell.
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Super Bowl Party and Deaf Guests in Denial - Help Me!
The Super Bowl countdown is in its final week. Rachael Ray and every other cooking program have been pushing Super Bowl menus at us for weeks. Wide-screen television and home theater systems are at their best sales. It is all racing to the exciting “Day of Days” for pro football fans: Super Bowl...
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Movie The Artist: Fantastic 1920s Sets, Costumes, and Hairstyles
Due to its garnering of Golden Globe Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Original Score awards, The Artist has returned. Now, you can see it in mainstream movie theaters. As I watched it, I was thrilled at the level of attention to detail in scenery, costumes, and hairstyles to re-create California...
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A 97-year-old : The 2008 economic crisis was not another Great Depression
A 97-year-old friend of mine knows that the economy is rough right now and that able-bodied, willing workers struggle with the lack of jobs and all that goes with that. But, he vehemently declares, “this is not like the GREAT DEPRESSION.” One hears the capital letters in his voice.
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Travel: Shady Maple Farm Market, Lancaster County, PA
The Shady Maple Farm Market of Lancaster County, PA is part of the famous Shady Maple Buffet Restaurant complex. It is a wide-aisled, immaculately clean, reasonably priced supermarket run by a Mennonite family.
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Sammy, Our Peace-Loving Middle Cat
A tribute to our middle cat, Sammy. He is the older "brother" to our rescue cat, Skeeter, who landed in our lives last winter. Sammy is the saint of the feline family and he is very cute.
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January Garden Work
If your land is frozen from the topsoil down about a foot in January, “garden work” may not make sense. However, if you resemble me in my gardening habits, there is always work to be done. Sadly, climate crisis has made my land soft and pliable all year round. It's frightening.
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Mist on Our Mountain: Glimpses of Nature
We live in a suburb close by a city of more than 80,000 people. Fortunately, we have a wee pocket of wilderness which affords us much more natural delight than a neighborhood of deforested Monopoly houses would.
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5 Great Catalogue Companies for Eco-Friendly Gardening
Two certainties in the mail for the beginning of a year are tax forms and gardening catalogues. The five best natural /organic companies are described.
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Black Walnut Cookie Recipe, a Specialty of Gramma Morgan
Easy instructions with 9 photos for how to make Pennsylvania Great Depression era BLACK Walnut Cookies. This is a Morgan family recipe used at Christmas.
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Christmas and All Holidays: Why Gift Choice Doesn’t Matter
When one cares about another person enough to want to give a present, it usually means one wants to make a good gift-to-person match. This is natural. But the actual gift really doesn't matter...
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Turmeric Spice For Senior Citizen Brain Health
Turmeric is suggested as helpful for prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease. This is easy to work into my daily diet in tiny amounts. I figure that tiny beats none. Here is how I do it.
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Quilted Table Runner is Unique Wedding Gift to a Chinese Couple
If you quilt, you can design and make a table runner as a gift making the panels incredibly personal and special for the recipients. Here is the reasoning I used to make a personalized runner.
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Invite Someone to your Temple, Mosque, Church in December
A kind word or compliment may have happily disproportional effects for someone who is down. Even something as minor as buying him/her a cup of coffee when you go for yours can be a ray of sunshine. An invitation to a non-threatening religious service says, "someone wants to spend time with me; I...
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Meatloaf Recipe – For Festivus Holiday or Any Other Time, Variations for All of Us
Meatloaf is the main dish for Seinfeld's December Festivus holiday. For varying dietary needs and preferences, this is a quick and easy way to make 2 different meatloaves with minimal work.
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Furoshiki – Green, Earth Friendly Re-usable Wrapping Cloth
Furoshiki is the Japanese art of wrapping anything in a reusable piece of fabric, often a square, is the trendy way to present gifts. This article includes 3 videos demonstrating how to do it.
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How to Make Mouse Ornaments for Christmas Using Walnut Shells
Mouse ornaments are popular for Christmas trees. Learn how to complete this simple project in just one day (plus another day for drying). This craft is suitable for children of elementary-school age and older with adult supervision.
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Discount Rx – A Tale of Four Pharmacies for Uninsured Americans
What happens to the gap group which has no health insurance but cannot qualify for poverty assistance or for old age assistance? Why is there a huge range in prices of prescription medications made throughout the world but available for purchase by Americans?
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Kids’ How to Make Christmas Ornaments with Clothespins
How a group of adults and kids can make Christmas tree ornaments from wooden clothespins and a few other supplies. Great for family, religious education class, craft group.
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Easy How To Enlarge The Top Platform On Cat Tower
How to put a larger platform top on a cat tower or condo. This Do It Yourself project takes less than a day and is no cost if you have carpet remnants & a good board. Step by step instructions and 17 photos are included.
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Kid-Friendly Family Christmas Advent Ceremony
A reproducible family Protestant Advent ceremony which is short and child-friendly to be used in the home. Adapted for kindergarten through primary grade kids. Provides list of supplies, script, and suggested songs. Family Advent ceremonies are used for the 4 Sundays before December 25th. Held in...
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Goschenhoppen Museum and Festival - Pennsylvania Dutch Folklife near Philadelphia
Goschenhoppen. It’s such a fun and funny-sounding name. Pronounce it: GUSH’n HUP’n. It’s also a region, a German-speaking community, and a group of concerned historians in the five-county greater Philadelphia area. Before first-hand knowledge was extinguished, the Goschenhoppen Historians jumped...
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Law of Attraction Higher Vibrations: Thanksgiving-Christmas-Winter Holidays Style Gratitude All Year Long
I am cultivating a sense of blessed abundance. My blessings are clear to me. I have grand people in my life who genuinely love me. I love them back, and that is a great blessing – the ability to give love. I trust the Universal Spirit to continue my blessings and abundance as I practice gratitude.
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DOG Massage Therapy! Photos and Video
People understand that a massage delivers physical and psychological benefits. It is entirely logical that other mammals, such as our beloved pet dogs, would reap the same benefits as do humans. Fortunately, animal experts and veterinarians have realized this and developed research-driven canine...
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Angel Encounter: A True Personal Story
I was falling dangerously, but it felt like in slow motion. As I lay crumpled but conscious, I replayed the event over & over in my mind. I was, and am, fully confidence that I had just interacted with my own Guardian Angel. And, that felt grand!
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Kids' Easy How to Make Thanksgiving Pine Cone Turkey Place Cards
Directions with 19 photos. Kids age 3 to 12 can make a pine cone turkey as a place card for the formal Thanksgiving dinner table. Easy and fast - it can be completed in under 30 minutes. Adults will love the results and the children contribute to the event and stay out of the adults' hair. Win-win!
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Support Local Businesses: Thoughtful Gift Ideas which are Cheap and Local
This is my mantra for anyone with challenges in the financial area who contemplates winter gift-giving with bewildered puzzlement: “It’s the love that counts.” If your gift recipients love you, can’t they understand that some years are like this? I am betting that they can. Recommendations for...
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Frugal Living: How to Score a Turkey Meal for American Thanksgiving
Ways to get either a totally free turkey meal, a very low costs one, or ideas (common sense) for keeping costs down for the big Thanksgiving feast.
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2 Movies for People Dreading the Holidays with Dysfunctional Families
f you’ve ever thought, as you attend some mandatory family get-together, “Who are these people? Where did I come from?”, you are not alone: a significant enough portion of the population feels the same way so as to have inspired movies depicting it. Thus, in my desire to offer possible comfort of...
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How to change a photo to make a close-up with Microsoft Windows Photo Gallery
Instructions on using free, often pre-loaded Microsoft Windows Photo Gallery to crop a photo.
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How to Extend Shed Roof Life Easy DIY
Since an outdoor shed costs several hundred dollars to replace, it would be foolhardy to allow it to deteriorate. Life will be better if you can make the shed last as long as possible. Here are 2 ways.
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Joe Paterno Scandal Highlights Pennsylvania’s Pitiful Child Protection
Lots of people at Penn State did the wrong thing. But additional bad guys exist. in 1998, civilian police AND an investigator for the Department of Public Welfare collect damning evidence against Sandusky. Despite this, the County District Attorney decides that there will be no criminal charges...
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Soaring on Emily’s Wings
When I wrote this poem, Emily and all her winged art symbolized, to me, the freedom and energy to embrace one’s potential. I admired the position in life where she stood. Realizing that as long as anyone is drawing breath, she or he can follow a dream, I wrote this poem to honor that leap of...
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3 Classic Thanksgiving Movies for Baby Boomers
Author reviews 3 full-length flicks from the Baby Boomers' younger days whose plots either involve Thanksgiving or occur at Thanksgiving time. Miracle on 34th Street, Holiday Inn, and Alice's Restaurant are recommended for this Thanksgiving.
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Winter Decorations For “More Than Christmas” Holidays
How we can sneak other cultures’ winter holiday symbols into a few pockets of American Middle-Class-Protestant-Mainstream-White-Bread-Land.
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WWII Citizens of Japanese Descent Interred in America: Bronzeville – A Play
The play, Bronzeville, captures the consequences of the WWII displacement and the opportunities and challenges for other second-class Americans during this time of shame in America. At this time, it has been performed only on the West Coast, but we hops it makes its way across the country soon.
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12 Great Gift Ideas for Baby Boomer Women
Gift suggestions for Baby Boomer women for consumable items, so there is neither clutter nor need for more storage space. Her grateful memories will be huge. Additionally, you will be the perceptive, sensitive, insightful family member or friend who truly understands women of the Boomer Belt.
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5 Family-Friendly Halloween Movies for Baby Boomers And Their Grandkids
Five flicks from “baby boomers' era” involving Halloween. They are films from our lifetimes produced for the general public.Today these family-friendly movies all would be rated G. All of them would be fun to share with grandkids. However, children are not necessary to enjoy them one more time.
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Kids’ Spooky Books for Autumn
In cool Halloween and dark fall, here are two books which have enough of the mystery of the autumn combined with a happy ending, that it meets your reading needs for preschoolers and early elementary children.
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3 Super-Easy Non-Sewing Patterns for Cats' Halloween Costumes
Step-by-step guide with 12 photos and diagrams for making costumes for a cat (or small dog.) No sewing is required. Crafters probably have all the materials at hand so no cost is involved. You can adapt these 3 patterns for all sorts of costume ideas by your choice of colors, materials, and bling.
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Halloween Cat Costumes Ideas - Funny Adventures in Cat Adoption, Part 14
Photos for ideas for Cat Halloween Costumes. I had great fun making costumes for 3 cats for a photo shoot at home. The cats; Skeeter, the Goddess, and Sammy, all cooperated - amazing!
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Genealogy Road Trip and Beginners’ Tips
Genealogy research lessons and narrative about finding ancestors’ resting places. Ideas for beginners in finding family forebears.
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Bereavement: Ways to Cope to Get to the New Normal After the Loss
The author combines 2 perspectives on grieving to comfort those adjusting to a major, unhappy change. They are the Kubler-Ross model of five stages of grieving, and the "new normal" philosophy.
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KonMari and Feng Shui For Your Garage and Workbench
Decluttering, cleaning, and organizing are pillars of the KonMari method and Black Hat Feng Shui. In a garage, you will get “two-fer” credit when you start cleaning and grouping your things! Photos of the good and the not so good included.
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The Musical "Rent," the Stage Drama "Our Town," and Life Lessons
Review and comparison of stage offerings RENT and OUR TOWN. These are vehicles to demonstrate the need to savor and cherish each day and the people in them.
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2 Books for Baby Boomers Who Want to Relive Their Childhood and Teen Years
A Baby Boomer highly recommends two biographies as a blast from the past for fellow post-war babies. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid and Dangerously Funny take you back to the 50's and 60's.
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Ecotourism Company in China Creates Friendships
How to experience the real life of Chinese people in Yunnan province with a native multilingual tour guide. The scenery is wild and unspoiled and the Old Town of Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Historic Apple Orchard Near Birdsboro, PA Open to Public
Public apple picking at rock-bottom costs occurs every fall at a National Park Service historic site in the southeastern Pennsylvania. For $1 a pound, visitors may pick heirloom apples the old-fashioned way at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site near Elverson, PA.
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6 Online Used Book Stores and Sellers
A list of 6 online bookstores which include used out-of-print books. Each has its own twist on what it sells and how it operates.
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4 Kids' Books For Peace-Loving (Pacifist) Religions
Pacifist religions. If one is looking for children's books to entertain and concurrently reinforce the belief that killing is a bad activity, I recommend these four.
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Funny Adventures in Cat Adoption, Part 13 - Pink Thread
Stories of blending an abandoned yearling cat, Skeeter, into a staid two-cat family. Skeeter has enough gumption, energy, and personality to make every day a delightful adventure.
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How to Copyright One's Writing in the USA
Description, Q and A, and thoughts on stating one's copyright at the end of a blog or a hub or other original writing.
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Alpha Cat Adapting to Newcomer Cat -Funny Adventures in Cat Adoption, Part Twelve
After taking in an abandoned yearling cat, a couple deals with blending him into the prior cat family of a mother tabby and her placid son. The angry mother cat finally starts to soften up. But hissing has not totally disappeared. Read all the installments of Skeeter's story!
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How the Brain Works When Playing Piano
Explanation of all the things the brain does when reading music to play piano.
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Funny Adventures in Cat Adoption, Part Eleven - The Woodwind Player
What happens when a mischievous cat discovers his human master left her clarinet out and unprotected in the living room overnight.
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National Weather Service – Good Guys in Government
History and mission of the National Weather Service: one of the efficient and useful agencies in the federal government. This agency has saved lives and property since 1870.
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Funny Adventures in Cat Adoption, Part Ten
Owners of 3 cats describe the adorable antics of their newest, a rescue cat named Skeeter. They wonder if he is channeling the spirit of the renowned Labrador Retriever, Marley, of the book "Marley and Me."
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Recipe for Noodles From Scratch From the Great Depression
This simple recipe for egg and white flour noodles made from scratch and air-dried traces back to the Great Depression and the author's Altoona, Pennsylvania, grandmother. Many photos included.
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Bathroom Plumbing Fixtures: How to Keep Them Clean
Graduated list of ways to keep bathroom plumbing fixtures sparklingly clean.
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Robby Felix, NFL Lineman with Stroke at Age 22
Robby Felix is trying to return to pro football after suffering a stroke. Kudos to your determination, but can't you choose a new career lower on the brain-injury probability scale?
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Mistakes to Avoid When Harvesting and Roasting Sunflower Seeds
This is the not-to-do guide for a newbie’s leap into sunflower food production.
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Re-Enactors: Amity Colonial Dancers
A group of living history devotees performs English Country Dances as they would have been enjoyed in Colonial Pennsylvania from 1740 to 1840. They rehearse in Douglassville, PA which is near Philadelphia.
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Funny “Red Green” Style Laptop Computer Cooler using Duct Tape and Coffee Cans
Red Green, Canadian Handyman, is a man who knows the value of duct tape. Such is his genius that there is no equipment problem which he CANNOT fix with duct tape. In his spirit, I lightheartedly offer my Red Green style laptop computer cooler.
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Kyle D. Pagerly 5K Run
Twenty-eight-year-old Deputy Sheriff Kyle Pagerly was fatally shot on June 29, 2011 in the line of duty. People in the county where he lived and worked have been extraordinarily generous in giving to his family. A 5K run is part of this fund-raising support.