Garden Fence – for everything in your garden

We’ve been working our way through the story of Abraham for some time now – stories about Abraham & Sarah, Abraham & his family, Abraham & his descendents, Abraham and the promises God made to him – Abraham the ‘father of faith’.

We started the story when this aging Bedouin figure had the word of God come to him and, at the age of 72, climbed up onto his camel and headed out into the unknown.

If you have a very good memory, you may remember that Abraham rode from his homeland in Ur up to Haran in the North, then down into Canaan in the South West – to a land that was one day to be named after his grandson, ‘Israel’. And Abraham pitched his tent in that land and he claimed that land by faith, as the rightful homeland of his descendants, even though he was 75 years old and had no descendents.

If you know the story, you will remember that a strange event then took place. Three mysterious men came to visit Abraham and Sarah and shared a prophecy – that these two would have a child of their own within a year.

Abraham at this stage was 99 years old, we are told, and Sarah was well past ‘the way of women’. So she laughed when she heard the prophecy – a laugh of cynical disbelief. But her cynical laugh became a laugh of surprised joy when the baby was born as predicted, and so she called him ‘Isaac’ – meaning ‘she laughed’ (though God knows how she could have been laughing after giving birth in her old age).

It was a great miracle nonetheless. It would be a great miracle if it happened today. Today we have girls as young as 12 in Sydney getting pregnant and giving birth, but not women as old as 70 or 80. That sort of thing only happens in church!

But just when you thought that the story of Abraham was looking like a religious version of The Waltons, we find that things start to turn nasty. Sarah decides to do away with Abraham’s other son Ishmael, along with Ishmael’s mother, Hagar, and Abraham goes along with the plan and more or less condemns the two to death.

It is a grizzly scene. Sarah tells Abraham to get rid of them because she does not want this son of a slave woman to be his heir. Abraham is upset with Sarah because she’s talking about his son. He doesn’t appear to be too worried about Ishmael’s mother, Hagar, who had been his lover. At any rate, he complies and sends them both away.

And you’d think that he’d give them a camel and enough money and supplies to set themselves up somewhere else. He could have done that.

Abraham was a wealthy man. He could have given them enough food and provisions to last them for the rest of their lives. He doesn’t do that. Instead he gives them a loaf of bread and a bottle of water – one bottle of water between the two of them – and sends them off into the desert.

Hagar and Ishmael are not given enough to survive. They are given enough to get far enough away from the camp so that Abraham won’t have to see or hear them die. Well, that’s how it must have been perceived by Hagar and Ishmael at any rate. From the perspective of the author of the book of Genesis it’s not quite that simple.

You see Hagar and Ishmael aren’t simply innocent victims of Sarah’s irrational rage. Hagar used to work for Sarah before she became the mother of Abraham’s heir. This meant that if Abraham died, that Ishmael would be in charge of everything, which would mean that Sarah, if she survived Abraham, would find herself subject to Ishmael and to Hagar. And it’s clear from the story that Hagar has already worked this out, and has started acting a bit too big for her boots.

And Ishmael is not just a happy smiling toddler at this stage. He’s a stroppy young teenager, about 14 years old. And the story suggests that he’s already starting to throw his weight around with young Isaac, as teenagers are apt to do. Isaac gets his revenge of course, more so than he probably expected (or even desired).

And Abraham carries out the grizzly task under protest. He prays about it and gets assurance from God that God will take care of Ishmael (if not Hagar).

Even so, Abraham appears to be almost too faithful in the way in which he leaves it all to God – making no realistic earthly provision for his son or his son’s mother whatsoever. Certainly Ishmael would remember the day when his dad kissed him on the head and said ‘best of luck’, and sent him off into the desert with his bottle of water and with no other means of survival.

Sarah of course comes across as about as endearing as the wicked queen in Snow White when she orders the expulsion of the child, even if her own place of authority in the family was at being placed at risk.

I suppose Isaac had reason to be pleased, though I suspect that he mourned the loss of his brother. I’m sure Abraham shed some tears. Perhaps Sarah laughed again as she saw her enemies leave camp. Perhaps she felt pangs of guilt. We don’t know.

It all has the makings of a good soap opera – one man, two women, multiple children, jealousy, greed and murder. If only we had got the whole crew on Jerry Springer before it reached its tragic climax, with Hagar leaving Ishmael to die under a tree.

Ishmael should have been a strapping young lad by that stage of course, full of energy and young muscularity, and yet he apparently faded even faster than did his mother. Perhaps the emotional shock of it all was more than he could take. At any rate, we’re told that she couldn’t stand to watch him die, so she goes off a distance to die alone. But God ‘hears the cry’ of the boy and He comes to save both mother and son from death.

This is the surely most beautiful verse in the story:

“God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is”. (Genesis 21:17)

It reminds me very much of another word from God that appears a little further down the track of the Biblical narrative, where the descendents of Isaac ‘cried out to God because of their slavery’ in Egypt. And we’re told,

“God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” (Exodus 2:24)

God, it seems, tends to have his ears open to the cries of the vulnerable. As it happened in Exodus, so it happens here! God hears the cry of the boy and He remembers His promise, not to Israel this time, but to Ishmael!

God had plans for Ishmael! God had made promises to Ishmael. God was going to build out of Ishmael a mighty nation! The interesting thing of course is that this man and these promises and this mighty nation do NOT form any central part of the ongoing Biblical narrative as we have it. This all becomes a part of another story. Dare we say it – it becomes part of the story of Islam!

I think this is why I have never seen a stained-glass window depicting the life of Ishmael.

In our Bibles, the story of Ishmael more or less finishes here. In the Koran though we read of Ishmael going on to Mecca and building a Mosque there. He becomes the physical father of the Arab peoples, and spiritual father to the Islamic community!

Now it’s not my job to tell you whether the account you read of in the Koran is true or false. And it’s certainly not my job to tell you whether you should like or admire Ishmael. What I must tell you though, from Genesis chapter 21, is that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, – the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – is clearly also the God of Ishmael!

What do we do with that?

Isn’t the Bible the story of God’s salvation of the world through His chosen people, the descendents of Abraham, the Jews, and through that special descendent of Abraham, Jesus? Yes, it is, surely, and through Jesus, we ourselves trace a spiritual link directly back to Abraham.

St Paul would say that Abraham is the father of all of us who have faith. He is the founding father of the people of God, as we count ourselves to be a part of the people of God. Abraham’s people were God’s ‘chosen people’. And now we have been called to be part of that ‘chosen people’ who live by the grace of God in the cross of Christ.

We share a spiritual identity with Abraham and his descendants. Abraham is the father of faith. His story is our story. His people are our people. His God is our God. And yet in Genesis 21, it appears that our God is also Ishmael’s God!

Hagar and Ishmael are persons with whom we do NOT naturally share any spiritual identity. Hagar and Ishmael are NOT the mother and father of faith. Hagar and Ishmael are NOT chosen by God in the same way that Isaac and Jacob are. Surely these people are NOT our people, their story is NOT our story, and yet … OUR God turns out to be THEIR God too!

I don’t know if you feel uncomfortable at the thought of your spiritual connection to Ishmael. If it doesn’t irk you particularly, try to see it from the perspective of the ancient Jews, who were the first intended recipients of this Biblical story. Think about it from the perspective of a modern Jew! For it is the Palestinian people who are the modern descendents of Ishmael.

Most Jews do not feel a great sense of natural kinship with their Palestinian brethren: “Your history is NOT my history. Your people are NOT my people. This land is NOT your land.” And yet … here in Genesis 21 we are straightforwardly reminded that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is their God too!

I don’t know if you’ve met many Ishmaels. I’ve met a few. You don’t meet many here in church on a Sunday morning. They’re not generally at church, any more than they’re at the synagogue. You’ll find Ishmael and his buddies down at the mosque. They are a different people, different history, different religion. And yet … they are children of the same God!

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that all religions are the same (that’s what you say when you don’t take anybody else’s religion seriously). And I’m not saying that it doesn’t’t make any difference how you think of God or how you speak of God or how you respond to God. Of course it does. What I am saying is just what Genesis says: that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants is also the God of Hagar and Ishmael and their descendents.

God loved Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and He loved Ishmael and his children too. God had a special plan for the life of Abraham and his descendents, and that He had a special plan for the life of Ishmael and His descendents as well.

“Hear O Israel” Moses would later say “Hear O Israel that the Lord thy God, the Lord is one.” There is only one God. He is the God of both brothers – Isaac and Ishmael. He is the Lord of both nations – both Jews and Palestinians. Ultimately He is the Lord and heavenly father of us all!

God ‘heard the cry’ of young Ishmael as he lay dying under the tree, just as God later ‘heard the cry’ of the Israelites under bondage in Egypt, just as God hears our cries and our prayers, as He hears the cries and the prayers of those who have nothing to do with us – those who are not part of our church, and not part of our religion.

We may well understand more of God than many of our neighbours. It may well be true that many here have a deeper experience of the presence of God than would most of our neighbours. It is almost certainly true that most of us here are serving God more deliberately and faithfully than are many persons in our community. And yet, in the final analysis, our God is their God. Their God is my God. The God who loves me and bleeds for me is the same God who loves and bleeds for them. Because the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the God of Ishmael too!

David B Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/the-god-of-ishmael-a-sermon-on-genesis-21-139107.html

There are many things that one should know about landscaping design overall, especially if you are planning on taking on a landscaping design project of your own. So many times I find landscapers struggle to find their design idea. However, once they establish a framework of necessary design elements, it usually goes pretty smooth from there. By taking the time to think of various basic questions, you’ll realize that your landscape design plan will be more efficiently carried out with regard to effort, time, and cost.

Before you start your landscaping work, make a plan. Having a plan for your landscape lets you take advantage of common sense and economy when doing your landscaping. Without a plan, you may buy things you don’t really need, and waste a lot of time and money, only to realize that you are getting no where. Begin by completing a rough sketch of your landscape design. Find out precisely what you require to make it possible. If you need suggestion, there are numerous websites where you can get lots of ideas of what you need to complete the task. Specialty stores and home improvement warehouses are places where you can get free advice from other experts on hand who can give you good pointers.

While planning your landscape design, remember to check on building codes and make sure that your plan is according to those complicated property lines. Check with your utility companies where the underground power, telephone, and cable wires are run. You do not want to hit one of these important things while digging around in your yard and building your landscape. Figure out all of this before you finalize your landscape plans. This can help you a lot of unnecessary trouble in the future.

If you are intending to add plants, think about what kinds of plants grow well in your area. You need to know what plants are local to your region so that your success rate of growing these plans is higher and your cost of maintenance is lower. You might really enjoy succulents, for instance, but if you live in a very wet area they might drown in all the extra water. Please be warn that maintenance cost for landscaping features such as water features and plant may cost you a bomb. For example, if the soil is not suitable for the plant you’ve grown, you may have to spend a fortune to fertilizer that plot of land, just to make sure that the plant is growing healthily.

If you’re making your purchases at a big store, be sure to carefully inspect plants for diseases and insect problems. These stores are not always motivated to offer their plants the kind of care that a nursery would. If the plant you purchase is diseased, you’ll have to get it all over again when it dies, and this means cash down the drain. Besides that, the disease or pest can spread to your other plants.

A useful tool in planning your landscape is Landscape Design Software. This software can be used to figure out which plants may look good in your backyard, and which plants would go with your house. Some software even let you to scan in an image of your own house to get a better idea of the possibilities. It can also be used to find out which plants are best suited to live in your climate.

If you have to purchase any landscaping equipment, do your purchasing in stages. Your plan should include a timetable for when you will install each portion of your landscape. If you’re like most people, you probably can’t afford to make all the changes you want at once. Planning out your landscape project in stages allow you to buy what you need as you go, and when money is available. This helps you avoid the interest and fees associated with home improvement loans or putting your purchases on credit cards.

You should keep in mind that cheaper is not always better. If there is very minute distinction in quality, then buying the cheaper item is of course the best choice. However, if you compromise the quality for price, you may end up having many future problems. Fortunately, local stores often have seasoned experts who can share their wisdom for free if you ask questions while making a purchase. Specialty stores can also provide you with correct information on landscaping. If you are not experienced, you can save money in the long run by spending a little more for better service.

Cindy Heller
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/things-you-should-look-out-for-before-doing-your-landscaping-108749.html

I had spent a wonderfully rejuvenating night wrapped up in the soft high-thread-count sheets and comforters of my temporary home at the MacKinnon-Cann Inn in Yarmouth. After an exciting drive down the Evangeline Trail yesterday that included a very informative tour of the Bear River First Nation Heritage and Cultural Centre, followed up by an early-evening walking tour to admire Yarmouth’s Victorian heritage areas, I had definitely needed a good rest. But a new day had broken and I was ready for more adventures.

First on the plan was of course breakfast, so I got myself ready and walked downstairs into the tastefully decorated dining area of the MacKinnon-Cann Inn. Neil Hisgen, one of the co-owners, was working in the kitchen to prepare breakfast and occasionally dropped by to see how the guests were doing. I caught him for about ten minutes to find out more about this property and his own personal background.

Neil is originally from Racine, Wisconsin, and hails from a family with six children. He spent six years in the navy following which he briefly returned home, only to move to Fort Lauderdale in Florida where he started his hospitality career. He started working at the front desk at the Marriott Hotel and for the next 18 years worked in various hotels and restaurants, gaining experience at the front desk and in the kitchen. He capped his employed career after 15 years with a general manager’s position of a major hotel.

Neil met his business and life partner Michael Tavares at the end of 1997. Neil had made a good return on the sale of his first house and decided to invest it in a bed and breakfast. At the time Michael owned a 200-acre property on a peninsula near Yarmouth which they used as a vacation home. Michael had invited him to spend about a month at his farm near Yarmouth and Neil loved it. Being from the mid-west, he had always enjoyed the change of the seasons.

Neil and Michael were thinking about what they wanted to do and decided they were ready for a change, so they went ahead and opened a bed and breakfast in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia where there was a beautiful Victorian residential district waiting for them with many restoration opportunities. At this point Neil unfortunately had to go back in the kitchen to continue working, but Michael, his co-owner, joined me at my table to give me a more in-depth overview of their projects and his own life story.

Michael is originally from Boston and grew up in the southern part of the city. During college he majored in education, but after school he went into real estate and started his own brokerage firm. He was always fascinated by old buildings and illustrates this with a story from his childhood: at 12 or 13 years of age there was an old farm house nearby, and Michael always wondered who had owned it and lived there. So he talked to his mother about it and she took him to the land registry office to do a title search, obtaining a record of all previous owners of the property.

With these documents in hand he approached the current owners and gave them the historic ownership records of the property. They absolutely loved it, and from that point forward Michael was hooked on the mystique of historic properties. In his words, he loves to “peel back the layers of time” and started to buy and restore his own historic buildings. Over several years he completed eight restoration projects in the south end of Boston.

After Boston he moved to Key West and became a tropical landscape architect. He spent five or six years living and working in Key West, completing many garden design projects for the local gay community. In the 1980s he finally bought a 200 acre farm as a vacation property in Nova Scotia together with several friends. This was when his love affair with Yarmouth began. Michael moved his permanent residence from Key West to Fort Lauderdale where he met Neil in 1997 at a fundraising event. They lived together for a year and Neil helped Michael in his landscaping business. In the summer of 1998 Michael invited Neil to his property in Nova Scotia because he wanted Neil to share this part of his life. So for the last eight years Neil and Michael have been residing in Nova Scotia. Their first Yarmouth property was a run-down Victorian brick mansion which they lovingly restored in 1999 and turned into the present Charles C. Richards House, a historic bed and breakfast with three guest bedrooms decorated in the 1930’s Art Deco Period. Each room at the Charles C. Richards House features a private bath, cable TV with DVD players and period furnishings.

The MacKinnon-Cann Inn where I was staying was built in 1887 and is an example of the Italianate Victorian style. The house was built as a duplex for two female cousins, and to this day the inn features two staircases side by side. Michael and Neil rescued the property in 2000 and took it from a condemned state to the stunning mansion that it is today. All seven guest rooms are uniquely decorated in a style reflecting a different 20th century decade, from the 1900s to the 1960s. The main floor features five lavish parlours and Michael pointed out the beautiful patterned wood floor that was installed at great expense throughout the dining area. Neil is a talented glass artist, and many stained glass windows throughout the MacKinnon-Cann Inn and the Charles C. Richards House feature Neil’s artwork.

Michael explained that he is very active in Nova Scotia’s heritage community and mentioned that he is a member of two historic organizations: he serves on the Board of Directors of the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia whose mission it is to preserve and protect the heritage properties in the province. Both the MacKinnon-Cann Inn and the Charles C. Richards House are provincially registered heritage properties. Michael is also a member of the Provincial Heritage Owners Association of Nova Scotia which encompasses 265 provincial heritage properties. Both inns have won several awards, including the 2005 Restoration Award from the Yarmouth County Historical Society and the L.B. Jenson Award as a contribution to the development and economic health of the Yarmouth Heritage Community.

In addition to the two inns, Michael is also currently renovating the property right next door to the MacKinnon-Cann Inn, another Victorian heritage property which he is thinking of turning into a restaurant that will serve the tourists and local community of Yarmouth. The fourth recently renovated property owned by Michael and Neil is a blue-coloured Victorian heritage property located right between the MacKinnon-Cann Inn and the Charles C. Richards House. In essence, Michael and Neil have single-handedly transformed an entire street block, rescued four historic properties and turned them into stunning examples of architectural revival.

As an astute tourism marketer, Michael Tavares is also the President of the Nova Scotia Association of Unique Country Inns, a collective marketing and branding group that promotes upscale heritage tourism in unique historic properties. Michael is generally responsible for the inn’s marketing while Neil’s responsibilities focus more on hospitality and innkeeping.

Michael’s restoration mindset is based on a commitment to the preservation of buildings and a respect for the historical integrity of the property. He approaches his projects with a certain humility which he says many renovators today are missing since they are only looking for the highest return on investment. He is a strong believer that the cultural renaissance and economic revival of a town begins with heritage restoration and then trickles down to Main Street.

At the same time he also recognizes the need for protecting his investments, and as a member of the local Yarmouth Town Planning Council he has a chance to participate in shaping the future of this town. Michael and Neil have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless thousands of hours in their heritage properties and business ventures. Their efforts make a significant contribution to the economic well-being of the town.

The beginning was not easy since Michael was an outsider with new ideas in a town with long-standing traditions and established power structures. He was the new kid on the block. In addition, it took some time to gain acceptance, particularly as a gay couple in a rather conservative community. Conflict arose originally since Michael was also very outspoken and questioned the old ways of doing things.

However, his commitment to the community became evident in his renovation projects. Michael would call together all the contractors for each project, such as electricians, plumbers, carpet layers, etc. and told them that he would deal exclusively with them as local merchants instead of choosing a big box home renovation store as his main supplier. This commitment to local merchants has earned him a lot of respect and goodwill in the surrounding community, and today many people call him for his opinion before a debate of important issues that will affect the town.

After I completed my delicious fruit salad and omelet breakfast, Michael took me on a tour of all four properties. We started off with the smaller Victorian house currently under renovation where the entire first floor has currently been stripped down to the bare walls. As with his other projects, Michael is going to do the vast majority of the project himself and will call in specialized contractors only where needed. He is one of those people who have that special gift of spotting a diamond in the rough and taking it from a derelict hovel in danger of collapsing to a stunningly updated and stylish historic jewel with all modern conveniences.

We then went over to the recently restored blue Victorian mansion that was renovated by the previous owners according to Michael’s recommendations since Michael and Neil were going to purchase the property. We capped the visit off with the Charles C. Richards House, a stunning Victorian brick mansion with gorgeous architectural details, built for a wealthy local businessman. It was started in 1893 and took two years to finish and was the first brick house of this class to be built in Yarmouth. Most of the special building materials, i.e. the brownstone, granite and brick, were imported from the United States and make this house unique. Michael told me that it took him a whole season to strip the many layers of paint on the ornately carved porch and 32 weeks to repaint it, using eleven different colours.

I admired the wonderful details and stylish décor of the various rooms, including the flower-filled conservatory. Michael and Neil posed for me in front of the intricately carved wooden staircase that leads to the upstairs bedroom and this was the fitting ending for my introduction to architectural preservation and heritage tourism in Yarmouth. I thanked them both for their welcoming hospitality and got ready for my next item on the itinerary: an exploration of Yarmouth history at the Yarmouth County Historical Museum, located right across the street from the Charles C. Richards House.

For the entire article including photos please visit
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/mackinnon_cann_inn.htm

Susanne Pacher
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/hello-from-nova-scotia-part-11-the-mackinnoncann-inn-where-home-and-garden-television-meets-the-travel-channel-96824.html

The planning stage of creating a landscape requires you to carefully think about what you would like to do, figuring out the budget for your landscaping. If you do not carefully plan your landscape, the process can become very costly and you might end up with something you do not want. When you think carefully about what you are doing and create a plan, you’re much more likely to experience a successful landscape design for your home.

The first thing you should know is your landscape budget. Do you have enough money to execute your entire design straight away? You need to decide how much money you have on hand for each stage of your design, and what you’ll do if you cross the line under finances. The main thing is you need to set a target amount for your landscape project and then stay within the budget.

As a rule of thumb, the cost of landscaping is roughly about 5-10 percent of the value of your home. This cost estimation includes decks, patios, irrigation, fencing, ponds, and other elements you want to incorporate into your backyard. It is not necessary to finish everything at the same time. It’s much more practical to progressively make improvements over the years with ready money than getting yourself into heavy debt because of landscaping.

Before when you do your budgeting for your landscaping project. There are many hidden costs in nearly any landscaping project. It is imperative to be alert to some of the costs that you might not usually think of before you begin a project. Or else, you will find that the projects true cost is much more than what you have budgeted for. Worse still, you may realize that you are unable to afford the monthly expenses that is needed to sustain the operation of your landscaping design.

To give you some quick guide, here are some areas where you can possibly under estimate the costs:

The first hidden cost is having landscaping features that require lighting. Most people only consider the cost of buying those landscaping features without considering the cost of operation. You can minimize your electrical bill by buying energy saving lighting. Another way to reduce your electrical cost is to reserve the use of your outdoor lighting for times when you are entertaining people outdoor, or when you are sitting in your yard at night.

Another hidden cost is the cost of water consumption. Water consumption for some landscaping feature can cost a bomb to your monthly electrical bill. Some examples of landscaping design that need substantial water consumption include the water sprinkler system for your lawn, a small pond and your water fountain. It is a good idea to bear in mind the amount of additional water you will be using to. This can add up to be quite a bit of extra water, and if you city charges more money once your usage reaches a certain point, it can be even more costly. Some people spend a fortune making expensive water features, only to realize that they are unable to afford the daily operation. What a waste.

Last but not least is the cost of soil improvement. If you have landscaping materials such as a plant or a lawn, you will have to add fertilizer to your soil regularly in order to maintain the healthy grown of your plant. The costs of adding fertilizer to your yard can easily add up. This problem can be minimized by choosing plants that grow well in the soil you have, or in near conditions, so that you can save a great deal on soil amendment. Most local master gardeners will give you guidance on native plants for free, or for a very small fee.

There are ways to save your landscaping cost. One way is to approach your neighbors about sharing costs. If you gather your resources, you can get some good bargain on items bought in bulk, and everyone benefits. At the same time, you can split the rental fees for machinery such as tillers, chippers, and aerators. If everyone chips in a few dollars, you can work out a calendar that lets each neighbor use the equipment before it is due back. This is how you can lessen the costs of your landscaping.

Once you’ve done your homework, and know exactly how much you can afford to spend every month, you can make your purchases without buying excess materials that waste your money. By heeding a few of these money-saving tips, you can hold down your costs and create a beautiful landscape that you can afford to maintain.

Cindy Heller
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/how-to-save-money-on-your-landscaping-project-105745.html

Once you’ve made the decision and found the inner strength and motivation to shed a few pounds, it’s time to find a diet plan to follow. You know that the internet is filled with tons of free information, so maybe you decide to go and find a diet plan there. While this can be a good option, there are some things you need to beware of. Let’s explore some of the potential dangers of free online diet plans.

How Safe Is The Diet Plan?

For those who decide to uncover the perfect weightloss program on the internet, they are often immediately overwhelmed by the amount of free information available. Add to that all the testimonials and before and after shots of successful dieters, and the temptation to begin following one of these plans can be very strong. Remember though, the internet is an anonymous place and anybody can post anything – true or not – online. Photos can be doctored and testimonials can be made up.

Because of this, it is highly recommended that you double check with your physician before you start with any diet plan you find online. Losing weight, if done incorrectly can have many side affects that can negatively impact the health of your body. Don’t jump into this lightly and double check with a health professional before you start.

How Effective Will The Plan Be?

Even for those programs whose results and testimonials can be verified, there are a few points to keep in mind. First off, the people that appear in the before and after shots and their testimonials never represent the majority of people who follow the diet. The people who have incredible results with diet programs are the exception, not the rule. You should not expect the same results for yourself.

It is important for you to decide what your personal diet expectations are ahead of time. Write them down. Do not let your expectations be guided by the results you see in the ads. Set reasonable weightloss goals and give yourself plenty of time to reach them. Setting your expectations too high will only bring you back to square one.

Is This Diet Truly Free?

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch” can frequently apply to free online diet plans too. Sometimes, the free program you signed up for will turn out to be a lead generating device for unscrupulous diet and nutrition companies. After signing up, you may well receive some free information. Soon after though, you might start to bet bombarded with hard-sell follow-ups in the form of mail, emails or phone-calls.

In these follow-ups, the salespeople will try to back-end you with additional supplements, training videos and other products at a premium price. These are often highly trained individuals who will try to take advantage of your desire to lose weight to talk you into the sale. If you are not prepared to deal with these high-pressure tactics, make sure and read the fine print to ensure the diet program is truly free.

So before you flip on the computer and begin searching for a free diet program online, consider the above points first. That way, you’ll be able to make a much more informed, safe and healthy decision as you pursue your diet and weightloss goals.

James Allen
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/free-online-diet-plans-what-to-look-for-92805.html

I was recently asked for career advice by an unemployed design engineer. It actually caught me off guard because I always thought of engineers as among the most employable people out there. They usually are degreed individuals with great problem solving skills. I know engineers can major in different disciplines and often get specific degrees in chemical, electrical, mechanical and also many other areas. Most that I have met seem to have the two traits I believe are desirable in any employee: organizational skills and problem solving abilities.

Here is where it gets a little tricky though. My client had 8 years using one particular simulation software. It was one of two or three most often used in his industry, so when he interviewed with a company using a different software application, he needed to sell himself as able to quickly become proficient in that program. Not an impossible task, but he was competing against others who could claim to “hit the ground running”. My first reaction was why not learn all the top software? As he pointed out, because it can take hundreds and sometimes thousands of hours of training and actually using a powerful software to become proficient at it.

This issue prompted me to start thinking about the best way for people to prepare themselves for employment in an area where they might be using software to perform a large part of their job. would it be best to try and learn the basics of two or three of the most widely used programs, or better to become as proficient as possible in one? First, let’s take a quick look at some of the larger employment sectors and see if we can’t list a few of the competing software companies in each sector.

Engineering/Design. One type of program used is CAD, an acronym for computer aided design. Three of the larger ones in use are Catia, SolidWorks, and Unigraphics. Business/Enterprise. These are softwares used to run large companies or enterprises or even just certain aspects of enterprise. SAP, and Oracle are good examples. Accounting/Small business. Peachtree and Quickbooks come to mind.

I am going to go out on a limb here. Based on experience in recruiting and SAP training, I believe it is best to become an expert in one software program or even in one specialized area of a software. The old adage of “jack of all trades and master of none” is unlikely to land you a prime position in a competitive employment landscape. Your expertise in a given area may even carry over into associated areas in the eyes of a company.

Of course their are dozens of employment areas and dozens times dozens of softwares to go with them. I’ll assume that you already have an idea of what type of work you want to be doing. Let’s just say you are working in or looking for a job in small business accounting or bookkeeping. Do you intend to stay in your current geographic area? If the answer is yes, then do your research and try to find out what program is used most in your area. Learn that program if you want to increase your chances of finding a job. If you are looking to relocate, then your research should focus on discovering the most widely used in the whole nation or area where you hope to relocate to. You can also use other criteria when making a decision on what software program. Does one pay more than the other? Has one been around longer and is the company that makes it secure?
Is it only used by one mega company and no others?

For my engineering friend my advise to him was to take more training in the program he had used for so long. His value was in knowing that software and additional training only strengthened his value.

Bryan Glasson
http://www.articlesbase.com/career-management-articles/choose-a-career-by-software-specialty-745954.html

A rock garden is a beautiful, restful place, and requires no maintenance – no water or mowing or feeding. Some gardens are meant to be spiritual, others are spiritual only in their beauty.

It’s time to break out of the everyday landscaping design. What does your lawn consist of? Lots of green grass – that takes a lot of time to mow and a lot of water to look healthy, trees and shrubs. Perhaps some flowerbeds flanking the house itself.

But there’s so much more you can do with your landscaping, if you just decide to do things a bit differently.

In desert locations, of course, like Arizona and Mexico, why bother to try to force grass to grow at all? Why not simply cover your yard with attractive, ornamental rock and stone, with a few shrubs. Or as the joke has it, “I’m retired, I’ve mowed my last lawn!” The reason is simple – you may think water is a renewable resource – but it doesn’t renew as fast as mankind is consuming it. In desert states where water comes from below ground aquifers, the level of this fresh-water source is lowering every year, and rainwater cannot replenish that level fast enough.

Even if you don’t live in a desert climate, there’s no reason why you can’t make a rock garden – either large or small – in part of your yard. Such a garden will cut down on the time needed to mow your lawn, there’ll be no need to spread pesticides around, and it will be a quiet and restful place around which to sit.

Like any other landscaping element, a rock garden does have to be planned carefully. Rock doesn’t absorb water – so any rain run-off will go straight into your lawn and does need to be carefully drained off. Don’t put your rock garden over electrical or phone lines, either.

You may think that a rock garden is equivalent to a Japanese garden, but that isn’t necessarily the case. The Japanese garden combines three elements: stone which represents mountains or islands, water – representing purity, and plants. A Zen garden is what most people think of when they hear the term Japanese garden – a stretch of white sand with black rocks placed strategically about, and one meditates by raking the sand smooth.

There are two ways to install a rock garden…one would be to make the rock look like a natural outcropping of http://bedrock…used to cut off an inconvenient slope. The more usual design is to pile up the stones – both large and small – in harmonious groupings…and if you simply must have greenery, leave small gaps between the rocks into which the plants may be placed.

Surf the web to get ideas for how to design your rock garden, and venture far and wide, into sites from Japan and India as well as the United States. You’ll find beauty everywhere.

Mr.Andrew Caxton
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/a-rock-garden-is-a-unique-landscape-feature-125933.html

There are many things that you can do in order to make your yard look its best. It is imperative that your backyard looks pleasant, because this is a place that can be a safe and beautiful haven for you and your family. A beautiful backyard provides comfort for a family and a magnificent place for rest and relaxation. It can also be a place where you entertain guests and be together as a group.

The backyard can be a place just to recoil from the daily grind to watch the birds float by or it can be a place for a great party. As such, your backyard landscaping is very important because it is something that will let you and your family to take pleasure in these outdoor areas to their fullest. Planning the perfect backyard should take in ideas to make the backyard great for all of these activities.

When it comes to backyard landscaping, there are some tips that are very essential. If you have a large backyard and take pleasure in gardening and landscaping but are overwhelmed by choices, here are some ideas to get you on your way to gardening and landscaping around your home.

When getting started on home landscaping you need to first sit down and draw up a plan. One of the biggest challenges of landscaping is making a one-of-a-kind look for your yard. Landscaping yards might seem like a lot of work, and it might seem like you can’t do it on your own, but in reality, it is just the opposite. Regardless of whether you are a beginner or a professional to the idea of backyard landscaping, or landscaping altogether in fact, there are a few things that are imperative to be familiar with, especially before you begin any type of yard landscaping design yourself, for example.

To begin with it is imperative to keep it simple. By keeping a simple and pleasant looking backyard, you are going to let yourself to feel at ease there. If you are concentrating on keeping your yard simple and quiet and neat, it is going to be much better for you than a yard that is full of landscaping. Try to keep your backyard landscaping to a few colors and one distinctive theme. Just like the interior of your house, it is significant that your Backyard Landscaping fits in and that everything looks connected. To have a successful landscaping, it is very important to keep it simple, especially at the start.

There are certain questions that you can ask yourself to help you with the overall process. These questions include: does your house blend with those nearby? Is it appealing? It is distinctive? Does it blend well on the site or look out of place? Does it require stronger horizontal or vertical lines? These are just some of the many questions that you can ask so as to give yourself a better idea of what type of design you should go with. Before you start, it is also important that your familiarize yourself with topics like: plants and structures, entries, walks, steps, edgings, creating an attractive front, trees, foundation plantings, planters, and front-yard privacy, for instance.

The next thing you have to do is assess or look over your lawn. You need to look at the space with which you have to work, the soil conditions and any special problems that your garden may have. The whole idea of landscaping is to make your home look better from the street. You should consider how you want the final landscape to look. By evaluating your lawn right at the start, you will be able to get a good idea of what you need to begin formulating your landscaping plan and choosing the necessary landscaping features.

Last but not least, the most important thing of all to keep in mind in regards to yard landscaping is to simply have fun. You do not want to make this process into a chore, and so you should always bear in mind that if it is getting annoying or otherwise intolerable, just give yourself a break and wait until you feel like working on it again. If you can, get your family members to involve because it is also a good time when you can have more interaction with your family members. This is a good bonding activity for many families.

Cindy Heller
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/important-things-to-know-about-yard-landscaping-131201.html

Do I need a two car garage?
A two car garage can be highly beneficial. In these modern times, criminal damage is on the increase so you will want to protect your property as much as possible. By going ahead and getting two car garage plans, you are on your way to securing your belongings.

Your car is probably the single most expensive item you own as well as being one of the most important; however, this is also the most targeted item for theft by criminals. Therefore, you will want to protect your vehicles as much as possible and by getting a two car garage it means that you can safely stow them away so that they cannot be vandalised, broken into or stolen.

Many houses have one garage but own two cars, the problem with this is that you are going half way to protecting yourself but not the whole way. If you have a family the chances are you will have at least two cars and that they will be essential everyday to your life, for example, taking the kids to school, going shopping and going to work.

It is worth getting a two car garage to both put your mind at rest and your families. The garages can also be used to store other equipment; cars are just the most expensive item. You may also have lawn mowers and power tools that cost a lot of money that you want protecting properly rather than in a shed.

Ok I’ve made my mind up – what do I do next?

If you decide that you want to go ahead with building a double garage then your next step is to get two car garage plans. First of all you need to make sure you have the land for it, go outside and have a look at your house, make sure it will fit and that it will look good and only if the answer is yes to both of these questions should you go ahead with it.

You will need to find an architect first to come round to your house and discuss your options. Tell him what you want it to look like i.e. blend in with the rest of the house and what size you want it to be.

He will then go outside and measure up to make sure it is actually feasible to build a two car garage. A blueprint will be drawn up of what is to be built by the architect and then you need to try and find a builder that you trust in order to do it. You can also find numerous online resources that give you garage plans for free.

The construction
The number one rule is to never accept the first offer. Get different builders round to your house, ask each one for a quote and how long it will take them to complete. When you then think you have found the right one go ahead with it and make sure they stick to the schedule. Some people employ a project manager to do this for them but a two car garage isn’t a huge job so you probably don’t need it.

Another option is do it yourself. With, ready to build kits along with its complete installation manual, it is no more a daunting task. However, for certain works like electrical fitting and plumbing you need more skilled labour force.

Thomas Johnsen
http://www.articlesbase.com/remodeling-articles/what-you-didnt-know-about-two-car-garage-plans-699053.html

The festive mood remains well active even when the holidays are over. People visit the stores and shops to make full use of post-holiday discounts. Friends and relatives continue to visit your place till the end of January. It takes some time for the world to get back to the conventional track of life after January 1.

Though the calendar is saying that the holidays are over, the fact is: they are not. First few weekend parties in the New Year are going to be rocking! And you still have enough reasons to decorate your home and garden.

Decorating by Style:

Try something new, unique and different. If you are one of those who love to try their hands with crafting, then go ahead and prepare some holiday crafts yourself. Jingle bell door hanger, gingerbread stable, beaded snowflakes, Christmas tree etc. can be prepared at home.

For New Year home decoration, write the New Year in figure OR New Year’s Resolutions in the crafts and make them suitable for New Year celebration.

Decorate keeping the occasion in mind:

For Christmas parties, merry red with snowy white looks good. On the other hand, the New Year celebration parties demand a more vibrant and dazzling color scheme – velvety blue, maroon with black, or dark green with golden ornamentation can make your New Year celebration more engaging.

Ask your family members if they have anything to say about the colors of the party. Make the entire session more interactive by engaging all family members in the home decorating process.

Make sure the whole interior is made up to the color scheme you have selected for the season. For Christmas party, choose white upholsteries with red borders, red coasters, and white dinner sets with red ornamentation. Similarly, the upholsteries for sofa and chairs should be chosen appropriately.

When it comes to New Year celebration, an appealing and engaging ambience is desired. There should be plentitude of colors and lights all around the corner. This style is applicable for the New Year celebration parties held after January 1 too.

Create an artistic symbol:

To make the entire setting more soothing, select a pattern for this season; there must be abundance of this art all around. For example, draw a bunch of flowers; order bespoke curtains and upholsteries that contain the embroidery you designed.

And the Red Carpet

Your carpet should also fit with the look and feel of the interior. A red carpet is always good for Christmas or New Year party! Make sure the carpet has the right texture for your interior.

The pattern that you selected for the curtains and upholsteries might not be available in the carpet store. In that case, select the same theme for your carpet. For example, if you have chosen floral embroidery for the curtain and sofa upholstery, make sure the carpet has floral texture too.

And you are ready to welcome guests! Play some holiday numbers to create the perfect ambience of celebration. Serve the drinks, snacks and foods that you love most and allow the festive mood to stay within your home for few days more!

Olivia Flores
http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/home-design-ideas-home-decoration-before-and-after-holidays-721800.html