Makes me wish I was still teaching Science.
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Pictures: New Amphibians Without Arms or Legs Discovered
They aren't worms or even snakes. They're burrowing, limbless amphibians, and they're completely new to science, a new study suggests.
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Read MoreWhen I entered the local grocery store yesterday these droopy, sad eyes greeted me at the door and all I could think of was how "unloved' they must feel. It was a great image to snap a shot of thanks to the colors as well. I am really enjoying The Gift of An Ordinary Day group in Pinterest and Flickr.
http://pinterest.com/zina/the-gift-of-an-ordinary-day-group-project/
#project366
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Read MoreAs an artist, I go through aprons rather quickly. There are a few that I will ask to be buried with I am sure, but working with acrylics and glue can wear an apron out so I had to figure out a way to find the type of apron I loved, without breaking the bank. Denim is my favorite material to wear in an apron, as long as it is soft. It holds up well to glue, paint, inks, and just about anything I can wipe on it and it washes up nicely. Back in the day, the denim “moo moo” dress or jumper was quite the trend, but not so much. That makes for great pickings at the local thrift store. The denim dress you see her is a Levi’s Jumper that I scored for three bucks!
There are pretty aprons, which I make as gifts, then there are working aprons that I make for myself. This is a working apron, requires no sewing, and I am not particular about seams etc.
Step One: Make a straight cut up the back of the dress/jumper. Depending on which type you get, you might want to leave a few inches to the left and right in case you wish to sew or fuse a seam. For this one, I noticed there was a thicker ‘band’ across the back, so I decided to cut up to it and use it as part of my tie back.
Step Two: Cut Around the Waist Band. I liked the sturdiness of this waist band so I cut around it.
Step Three: Cut the back panel out, but leave the neckline to go around your head. This part will need about of ‘trying’ out so that you get a pretty good fit around the neck. Great thing about jumpers/overalls is that the brackets give you the option to shorten or lengthen the apron as you need.
Step Four: Cut Tie Holes. I cut a small slit in each waist band for my tie strips. I use an old pair of pajamas that are soft. I don’t worry about whether or not the cut is straight, I simply cut a length of about two feet for each strip and tie them through the slit and knot them. Because they are not sewn in, I can change them as I need to.
Step Five: Try On and Adjust. Pretty much, the apron is ready to wear and use, but this stage is where I ‘tweak’ it. If it is too long, I can mark it and trim it. If there are a few pieces I need to cut back, I can do that now. The beauty of this working apron is that I am not worried about straight lines, setting stitches, or looking pretty. I spent $3.00, now have a sturdy denim apron, and am good to go until I wear it out.
If I chose to I could sew and hem this, sew some straps on, add ruffles etc, but the beauty of this apron is that it’s cheap, sturdy, requires no sewing, and serves its function well. In my busy life, those qualities are all I need in a working apron. These make great ‘class’ aprons as well if you teach art students and need aprons that are a bit more durable than the traditional canvas ones.
Read MoreAfter the crazy suspension and reinstatement of +pio dal cin today the topic of backing up our data on Google+ became an important part of the discussion. +Jack C Crawford shared the Google link and reminded us that we can back up our data here, including pics, streams, and circles using the link here. For me, having so much data heavily connected through my network here, backing up my data will be a weekly MUST for me. Thought you all might want to know about it too, just in case.
https://www.google.com/settings/exportdata
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Read MorePio Dal Cin is a dear friend her on Google+ and has had is account suspended….again….without notice. As soon as I heard it occurred to me that I don't know how I would contact many of you I hold dear if for some reason you abruptly were removed from Google+. This makes me think I need a plan of action in my address book so that I could at least know how to track you lovely peeps down. I wish I had that info for Pio…..sigh. If you have email for him will you let me know? Help us get Pio back online folks!
Reshared post from +M Monica
Google Plus Suspended The Account of Pio Dal CinPio Dal Cin has had his account suspended today with no reason given. This is the second time severe errors have happened to Pio's account- he was unable to post for two weeks previously due to a bug. It was fixed, but now suddenly his account is suspended, with no reason given, and he is unable to communicate on this network.
I know Pio very well and have been in many chats with him: he is a kind, caring individual, with a professional background and kind manner. I have never seen him once say an unkind thing to anyone in hangout. Many of you who hang out with him I am sure will also stand up and vouch for his character.
He has helped me create +General Support – Friends That Listen along with +Robert Redl.
I hope it was a bug that disabled his account this time, and I hope Google makes it a priority to fix it, as Pio is not only kind, caring, but is also a creator of valuable content on Google Plus. We were planning to have a hangout for +General Support – Friends That Listen today, but unfortunately this is cancelled until Pio's account is re-enabled. I encourage those of you who are concerned about the way an account can be suspended with no justification, no reason given, to send feedback (button in bottom left corner) to express your feelings. If you know Pio personally from hangout, please reshare this post.
Google's policy of disabling without reason is unjust. I have seen several users who are friends of mine and who join Hangout regularly run into this sort of error without much response. I am posting this publicly because Google needs to make this a priority.
Stop suspending accounts without reason and when it happens, respond ASAP. Those of us who use your service and have promoted it for free do not deserve to be treated like this; for some of us, Hangouts are our best support system. We have evolved a caring, supportive community here, and taking an account away without reason is like solitary confinement. Many of us spend hours creating content for Google Plus; we make connections that are important to us. When you suddenly suspend an account, you are not just doing something technical. You are isolating an individual.
If a technical error happens, you need to fix it. It should not take several weeks. No account should be suspended without justification and a clear explanation of why the account was disabled; and with silence as the result when the user tries to figure out what went wrong.
If you would like an example video of the way Pio uses hangouts, please watch this video- it's an interview between me and him.
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Read More#project366 For the longest time I have toyed with the knowledge that I talk myself out of so much growth and progress. The little voice in my head tells me it’s too hard, it’s too painful, I’m too tired, I’m too old and on and on. It’s that self talk that I am ready to do battle with. Because I know this like I am breathing, if I don’t change that, I won’t make much change toward progress at all. I will ram a sock down that voices throat if it kills me…..because I choose to suck the marrow out of life….no matter the disability.
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Read MoreJanet Moreno makes some of the most gorgeous Oreo Cookies I have seen. Just had to share these and her Pinterest Boards in case you need an “artsy” oreo fix anytime soon, 
http://pinterest.com/janetcristina/chocolate-covered-oreos/
www.SweetTemptations.me
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Read MoreAre you a Pinterest fan and want to share straight to from G+ to Pinterest without having to use the pin it button? This extension lets you choose which networks you wish to share to and Pinterest has just been added!
Reshared post from +Mohamed Mansour
Extended Share for Google+ Updated with Pinterest Support! v2.1.0I ♥ Pinterest, I really do! I love it so much, that I wanted to pin the beautiful photography I see in Google+ to my pinterest pinboard. This update will add a new Pinterest share and fixes some layout problems many of you have been seeing!
Download it from the gallery: http://goo.gl/EvXzJ
Already have it? Force the update: http://goo.gl/K7ESj
Source code on GitHub: http://goo.gl/yM4t2I use it almost daily, because I like discovering images from other peoples perspective and share the images from my perspective! Google+ has amazing photographers, and this update will allow you to quickly share with a click of a button to Pinterest!
I hope you all enjoy this as much as I am
This open source extension almost has 80K active users, hurray! Thanks to +Matt Senter for assisting with the CSS3 Selectors! Whoever wants an invite to Pinterest, feel free to +Mention me in a private post with your email and I will invite you to the great service!
The beautiful image below shot by +Thomas Hawk
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Read MoreAs much as I love sites like Pinterest, Tumblr, and other social networks they frustrate the stew out of me when I want to credit the artist or photographer. So many images come flowing in my stream and even with the use of TinEye or Google Image Search I still can't locate who the original artist is and I am forced to share it or not. I so wish the tech powers that be could come up with a way to link an image to its original post. Guess I will be waiting for pigs to fly.
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Read MoreWeek 5 , Mindful Eating, knocked me for a loop for many reasons. Because I wanted to spend more time with it, I decided to give myself room to breathe on that topic as it triggered issues that I needed way more than 5 days to walk through, and will come back to it when I know it is right.
This week, Offering Honest Compliments, was one that I really enjoyed. Many moons ago I struggled with this topic a great deal. Being offered a compliment wasn’t something I was comfortable with and I quickly deflected it back to the giver. Looking back on it now, it is crystal clear that my behavior was a reflection of my own feeling of insignificance, which I still struggle with. The big difference now though, is that I have taught myself to accept graciously compliments that are given and give compliments without the fear of them being rejected or deflected.
Compassion plays a role here I believe. When I found myself offering authentic compliments to certain people, especially when it came to helping them identify their own unique gifts, it was obvious when a person was tied to that insignificance. My heart went out to them because I have been there. I think, especially in relation to my own faith, that God has given me the insight to identify this and help others see that their insignificance is unwarranted. Sometimes I believe we are meant to be stewards in this regard. When others doubt themselves, we are meant to stand in the gap for them and help them change their lenses.
This week wasn’t without it’s challenges though. I often find myself dwelling on the “Must Get Dones” in regard to my son, rather than focusing on the beauty and progress that he is making in his daily life. I feel great guilt over this and it will be one of the “Stay Mindful Tasks” that I will continue to work on. I have even written a reminder in a place that I can’t forget or ignore, right on my hand, so that when I reach out physically, I know to reach out spiritually as well.
I wonder if you are comfortable with compliments or not. How do you feel about them?
This coming week our topic is “Mindful Posture” and it will be one I tie into last weeks of “Mindful Eating.” Looking forward to the challenge of touching some inner tough spots for sure.
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