tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70813568881912992232024-03-05T10:44:52.111+01:00Karen KarnBLOGKaren Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-87613108073656999722021-10-10T19:21:00.006+02:002021-10-10T19:54:22.562+02:00Best Spelt Bread Recipe<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6Z_Da64kRNAePURFvjsW4fQ--GCvS4Q7FY00DqGhQHRrzOdZ1XeE_KbgVPM53IRwsiIQk4IBVwLCrkx2WJoPmlktuAyuOa1_UU0MohmpLAdY1_72RpnyoO6AAGTrWgY3jbx_pR_h8V0AwiOr4ASgoupM9e8UHWzNxls5tT3byR94giwR1btNjQhmWHw=s4608" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6Z_Da64kRNAePURFvjsW4fQ--GCvS4Q7FY00DqGhQHRrzOdZ1XeE_KbgVPM53IRwsiIQk4IBVwLCrkx2WJoPmlktuAyuOa1_UU0MohmpLAdY1_72RpnyoO6AAGTrWgY3jbx_pR_h8V0AwiOr4ASgoupM9e8UHWzNxls5tT3byR94giwR1btNjQhmWHw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Ingredients</p><p>500 g spelt flour, whole or white</p><p>350 g lukewarm water</p><p>1-2 Tbsp sugar</p><p>2 Tbsp olive oil + more for greasing</p><p>2 tsp dried yeast</p><p>2 tsp salt</p><p>A few rolled oats for decoration (optional)</p><p><br /></p><p>Method</p><p>Combine sugar, yeast and water and leave in a warm place for 10 minutes (or until it blooms)</p><p>Combine flour and salt</p><p>Make a well in the flour and add yeast sugar water and olive oil</p><p>Combine well until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl</p><p>Knead in the bowl with a spatula (or hands) for a few minutes (3 - 5 minutes)</p><p>Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours</p><p>Grease a loaf tin</p><p>Knead again for a minute and shape to fit the loaf tin</p><p>Put the dough into the tin and spead out to fit the shape of the tin (sprinkle with optional oats now)</p><p>Leave to rise for about 1 hour</p><p>Heat the oven to 220° (190° fan assisted)</p><p>Bake on a lower rack for 25-35 minutes until the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it</p><p>Lay a clean tea towel on a cooling rack</p><p>Turn the loaf out of the tin onto the tea towel, wrap it in the towel and leave it to cool</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj643IbsnCD3WRGcrEpkzqTHU1_Ssd9m0LXnMVX4ybYREYEzjJf8umi8xLUIbCX2dZtVRnZ7PGX9dfQTT2m861aJyuwpMeAJ1qUAdh_pNNA1EG_t1HHCiSpgg5c5R6i9sLmAZw8l_nV2w3efYAhAlUaryQcHG0SXDL-39Rh-n135VfHyhzi87aMBdf5gw=s4608" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj643IbsnCD3WRGcrEpkzqTHU1_Ssd9m0LXnMVX4ybYREYEzjJf8umi8xLUIbCX2dZtVRnZ7PGX9dfQTT2m861aJyuwpMeAJ1qUAdh_pNNA1EG_t1HHCiSpgg5c5R6i9sLmAZw8l_nV2w3efYAhAlUaryQcHG0SXDL-39Rh-n135VfHyhzi87aMBdf5gw=w243-h324" width="243" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10695209489123269920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-91693187954526792742020-05-16T13:27:00.003+02:002020-05-20T13:57:41.828+02:00One Sock - Writing as Therapy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: clear;"><span style="color: clear;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Below is a journal entry, from </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Wednesday 13th May. </span> The intent was to write about the sinking feeling I was experiencing, mentioned at the beginning, but by the end of writing this, I just felt fine. A stream of consciousness, cataloguing the main events of the previous 48 hours, or so, it illustrates to me the benefits of journal writing. It ends quite abruptly, because it had served its purpose.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nuuna Voyager notebook with worn, holographic edge. The pen is from BilTema.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">"Two calendar months in lockdown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">I feel like I'm sinking. For some time today, I had one sock on,
remedied only by Vincent pointing it out to me, then realising that I was aware
and didn't give a shit, he took off the one sock, so I was sockless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">The socks in question were my black, wool socks that I wear to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hellandcnc/?tn-str=k*F">work</a>,
inside my warm, waterproof walking shoes. I haven't been to work today, so why
was I wearing them/it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">Well, I went to work yesterday, with full moustache and no bra, wearing
waterproof trousers (it was snowing, but that's really beside the point - I
would have worn them whatever the weather) under which I had on the clothes I'd
slept in - note the absence of the word pyjamas. No, clothes - vest, t-shirt
and legging. No bra. I'd thrown on my trusty waterproof trousers, a hoody and
my jacket to fulfil an order.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">The order was delivered by Helge in the form of a small piece of paper,
8cm x 4cm. On one side was written Næringspris 2019 Fitjar Kommune, on the
other side Kulturpris 2019 Fitjar Kommune. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">Leif had ordered some of these before,
this time last year, no doubt. Same again, please. I thought there'd be a file
and that I could ask Stian to do the job. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I couldn't find the file (in the cloud) so I made a new one and told
</span><a href="https://nb-no.facebook.com/hellandcnc/videos/182780006322855/" style="font-size: 12pt;">Stian </a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">where to find it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">The order was placed on 6th. I remember, because he said it needed to be
done by 15<sup>th</sup> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">femtende</i> in
Norwegain), I thought he said 5<sup>th</sup> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">femte</i>), which confused me, because that was the day before. I knew
it was the day before, because I had been convinced all that day that it was
5th and the only reason I was in any way aware of the date was because Cal's
birthday is 5th May. So, on 6th May, I was fully aware, by the time I spoke to
Helge, that I'd missed my friend's birthday, because I was a day out of sync.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">So, from 6th-15th is more than enough time to do a job that takes, at
most, one hour. And besides, I already had the file, I thought, so it wouldn't
take any time at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">I had thought about going into the office and doing the job myself, but
I didn't want to mix with the men, who have been working the entire time and
not really bothered about the whole thing. So when I got a text from Leif the
day before yesterday (11<sup>th</sup>), I decided to get the job done the next
day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">I told him they'll be ready tomorrow
and he said good because the prizes needed to be delivered today after tomorrow
(13<sup>th</sup>!).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">That's when I decided in earnest to
prepare the file and let <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk40525861">Stain </a>do the job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">It wasn't until after preparing the file
and a few messages to Stain I realised he might not complete the job on time. So
at around 2 in the afternoon yesterday, I left the flat and headed to the
office. I got the job done. There was neither the old file, which I thought
might have been on the old PC, nor the new file which obviously wasn't syncing
with the cloud.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">Long story slightly less long, I
called Leif and told him the order was ready. He said he’d ask Helge to pick it
up from my place so I went home, took off my gloves and bandana and trousers
and jacket and then I'm not sure what I did for the rest of the evening, but I
obviously went to bed in the same clothes and socks that I'd had on all day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">This this morning I woke up feeling shit,
nothing new. I made coffee, and I'm not sure if I brushed my teeth, and started
work on the sock pattern I've been working on for a few days. Challenging! The
model I'm knitting is just for the photos and it's taking me days to knit it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">I finished it today and washed it and
tried to take some nice pictures of it by arranging it on a white fleece
blanket with the blinds open for nice light, but it just didn't look any good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-size: 12pt;">So, I took off one sock and put the
wet model sock on my foot. This was very unpleasant. I took a few pictures
before ripping off the sock and going for a bit of a lie down. Sometime later
Vincent, removed my other sock and here we are."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-44923221077170913832020-01-07T09:53:00.006+01:002023-03-17T13:30:07.546+01:00Learning French vs. Learning German (on Duolingo) A Visual Aid<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'd heard many times that German is hard, because of the grammar. </div>
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I like grammar, I thought to myself. </div>
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No.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(apologies for the poor image quality)</div>
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Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-32643189284024685432018-02-06T12:41:00.001+01:002023-03-17T13:47:35.766+01:00Altered States<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-GB">Being ill is like being in water. </span>A shower, a bathtub, a swimming pool or the ocean, it’s a state of being which gets in the
way of anything else you might want to do, Whatever
ambitions, needs or desires you have are in a state of suspension, because
whatever is going to happen next, you first need to get out of the water.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCimJc0VgAnUvMk7tLvFZ9xr9Gvj7jj7gFhhCS_LNzsMZZaVH_JRTuA_VqIljl3ABDwuYr_39b6UbXJeIG0AwI8GCwAsRAglOrjH3DkNcqI4Ud7nG-A9Lsv1xJDq95gKAN23Qk9BiFq83/s1600/water-horizon-long.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="1600" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCimJc0VgAnUvMk7tLvFZ9xr9Gvj7jj7gFhhCS_LNzsMZZaVH_JRTuA_VqIljl3ABDwuYr_39b6UbXJeIG0AwI8GCwAsRAglOrjH3DkNcqI4Ud7nG-A9Lsv1xJDq95gKAN23Qk9BiFq83/s640/water-horizon-long.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB">I got ill at the end of 2007. I was
diagnosed with ME (<a href="http://www.meassociation.org.uk/about/what-is-mecfs/" target="_blank">Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Encephalopathy</a>) in the summer of 2009. Having ME is like being in the ocean. Every movement or action is weighed down by the pressure of being submerged in water. You move around, go through your day, submerged in water, but eventually you have to stop, to rest, because just walking across the room is a feat. </span>Sometimes, you think you can see the promise of normalcy, land on the horizon, so you rally what strength you have and start swimming. But the land is actually far away, and before you make any significant progress, you break under the weight of the water. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB">The analogy of treading water is often used to describe depression or the psychological stress of living a life where you're not able to find stable ground, struggling to keep your head above water so you don't drown. In contrast, ME is a physical rather than a mental illness. The symptoms are physical exhaustion and pain, often intense pain. Your whole body is in pain. There's a deep, heavy ache in your limbs and joints and you can’t even think about anything except getting through the day, waiting to feel better, waiting for a good day.* </span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB">My personal marker was lifting my arms. If I could lift up my arms, raise them up to or past a ninety degree angle - enough to take off my pyjamas - I was having a good day.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A1AV_3V9iBFRuzxeVntrBYNWUgOPLoZx0s7taD1aevkN4ZxrfCSWb7c4KDdh8H1Ea4DMpLQZLvtZeDTahVeveK2ZVrdForjyFKv1IcDjdU3uW6oSZ4rYuzKq_xGX8eEl7kZApdlDBVBA/s1600/ecobio6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1600" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A1AV_3V9iBFRuzxeVntrBYNWUgOPLoZx0s7taD1aevkN4ZxrfCSWb7c4KDdh8H1Ea4DMpLQZLvtZeDTahVeveK2ZVrdForjyFKv1IcDjdU3uW6oSZ4rYuzKq_xGX8eEl7kZApdlDBVBA/s640/ecobio6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">From this <a href="https://www.care2.com/greenliving/why-a-walk-in-the-woods-is-vital-for-your-health-the-science-behind-forest-bathing.html" target="_blank">Care2 article on the healthy beneifts of walking in the forest</a>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In 2014, I was forced by NAV (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration who support the sick and unemployed) to go on a course to assess my limitations. I told the woman at the assessment centre that I was too ill to attend. She said I needed to attend, otherwise I risked losing my right to benefit. I told her I couldn't even get dressed. She told me I should just come in my pyjamas**, as though not being able to get dressed was the only issue I had, as though I could sing and dance and walk the thirty minute walk to the bus stop and sit in a class room all day as long as I was allowed to so in my pyjamas. I was dumbfounded. I didn't know how to explain it. I can't <i>even </i>get dressed. I can't EVEN get dressed. How I else can I say it? I can't do the very first thing required to have a normal day. I tried to explain that not being able to get dressed was an indication of my limitations, but that didn't count she said. I had to turn up to qualify for assessment.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx83d-UqvJuKA98NgZCVtsXwknbThGWzMrHKjGvkhaeN3jXVLX9KbM7uPo1JPhgA03_4mMyLN7q_mahaIybqkhdiDEdHHZ5Knxs9Br4PTD3Ve7A8pXETEX5nKBorjlfOt7_4xsNDR8_uDr/s1600/health-fitness-2015-12-woman-watching-tv-in-pajamas-main.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx83d-UqvJuKA98NgZCVtsXwknbThGWzMrHKjGvkhaeN3jXVLX9KbM7uPo1JPhgA03_4mMyLN7q_mahaIybqkhdiDEdHHZ5Knxs9Br4PTD3Ve7A8pXETEX5nKBorjlfOt7_4xsNDR8_uDr/s640/health-fitness-2015-12-woman-watching-tv-in-pajamas-main.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I spent most of my days watching television (and knitting when I could)<br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fortunately, I haven't had those kind of symptoms for a while. I'm still easily exhausted, I need to rest often, but I like to think that one day I'll be 100% symptoms free. For the past week though, I've had a bad cold. Compared to the treading water in the ocean of ME, having a cold is like sitting
on the sofa with your feet in a bowl of warm soapy water. It's not life changing, but while your feet are wet, there's nothing you can do but wait, which is frustrating. At some point the
water starts to chill and all you have to do is take a towel and dry your feet.
Soon you’ve forgotten what it was like to be anchored to the sofa by the bowl
of water. You don’t give it any more thought.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0VwZfZItGXGn27wWNjFhzzg6FsDHggUZBJByOfvZJnNLnl5UXc2hHO1GJPo5j5OhiVbBI5TpJzQlmB_pPctcKRlZ5ok-HcWDS1mzEjU6cN5Mja-C9MH4w-9H2iLCmZTq0-m1c6ws0KlC/s1600/foot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0VwZfZItGXGn27wWNjFhzzg6FsDHggUZBJByOfvZJnNLnl5UXc2hHO1GJPo5j5OhiVbBI5TpJzQlmB_pPctcKRlZ5ok-HcWDS1mzEjU6cN5Mja-C9MH4w-9H2iLCmZTq0-m1c6ws0KlC/s640/foot.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB">I often think about all the years of my
life that have been ‘wasted’. I think about what I could have done in that time.
I could have studied to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer or architect. I could
have trained as a carpenter, a hairdresser AND a nail technician. I could have written
a novel, travelled the world, set up a business AND learned to drive.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXJ0egT7y23ni6jreocoCdnmsmy2bctPek3oKycJ5OqkoxpPF5NEjfRP9i7Pu70dToiv-D0hJgR04GjyEdQ4N7Bnsc7yemeKx59_P79pyDLGNyCOZQdB0aO_JK8pgI2yaMvFiRs-jv8I7/s1600/12-ways-to-get-paid-to-travel-the-world.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="887" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXJ0egT7y23ni6jreocoCdnmsmy2bctPek3oKycJ5OqkoxpPF5NEjfRP9i7Pu70dToiv-D0hJgR04GjyEdQ4N7Bnsc7yemeKx59_P79pyDLGNyCOZQdB0aO_JK8pgI2yaMvFiRs-jv8I7/s640/12-ways-to-get-paid-to-travel-the-world.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> From Business Insider's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/12-ways-to-get-paid-to-travel-the-world-2015-12?r=US&IR=T&IR=T" target="_blank">12 Ways to Get Paid to Travel the World</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB">It’s easy to look back and chide myself for
not having done any one of those things, but then I remember that I didn’t because I
was in the ocean.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCsBxBWDT9BR6AQmhr7JA5ywZZ2kL-VU4L4N-2WmKYhr_eUMUM3xBp2TMcOWdmLxVWwS8m8iZC7EEBLqIZ4Be3GXtt_LHJJzcRyuE7uj-X2M0IbhEqzdCOi4_A07f0Ot_mqknQ7xORI4d/s1600/Waves-from-Fast-Company.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="939" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCsBxBWDT9BR6AQmhr7JA5ywZZ2kL-VU4L4N-2WmKYhr_eUMUM3xBp2TMcOWdmLxVWwS8m8iZC7EEBLqIZ4Be3GXtt_LHJJzcRyuE7uj-X2M0IbhEqzdCOi4_A07f0Ot_mqknQ7xORI4d/s640/Waves-from-Fast-Company.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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*<span style="font-size: x-small;">If you've ever had a bad dose of the flu, where you feel like you were hit by a truck and you can't get out of bed, it's like that. </span><br />
<div>
**<span style="font-size: x-small;">I could list here all the times people have said something that I was too astonished to respond to, such as "I wouldn't mind spending a year in pyjamas!" or "You just need to go for a walk and get some fresh air!"... but I won't.</span></div>
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Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-30276841551863251042018-01-28T13:11:00.003+01:002023-03-17T14:04:44.597+01:00My Music Muddle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span face=", "segoe ui" , "segoe wp" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif , serif , "emojifont"" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 14.6667px;">So, I had one of those massive, 4th gen. iPods. It was top of the range at the time, I'd bought it when I was working and it served me exceptionally well for years. I spared no expense on the dock - a beautiful Bose dock with a remote control. I'd download all the music I wanted and I had playlists and everything was hunky dory.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk82Pl7byC5MWbmYJ2bZAhAtk39XonFJazIX6099CrhdRrW7dEiwo1b9ES1kYr4Il9kwkTnALr34-q9bSH9ebgNmHNxU1pEviwG6SgWU2qWKwqhH5DbkH55zoseH_p4Rge_SQ2_Rk4Qom/s1600/sounddock-white-ipod.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="600" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk82Pl7byC5MWbmYJ2bZAhAtk39XonFJazIX6099CrhdRrW7dEiwo1b9ES1kYr4Il9kwkTnALr34-q9bSH9ebgNmHNxU1pEviwG6SgWU2qWKwqhH5DbkH55zoseH_p4Rge_SQ2_Rk4Qom/s640/sounddock-white-ipod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4th Gen iPod with Bose SoundDock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=", "segoe ui" , "segoe wp" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif , serif , "emojifont"" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 14.6667px;">Then my iPod died. I needed to replace it, but was now unemployed and couldn't justify spending so much money on something non-essential - I have my phone, right? And that plays music, so why buy a dedicated music player? That was my thinking.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif, serif, EmojiFont; font-size: 14.6667px;" />
<span face=", "segoe ui" , "segoe wp" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif , serif , "emojifont"" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 14.6667px;">So I tried that. Problem #1 is that the phone's not compatible with the iPod dock. We have a sound system, which Noah keeps adjusting the bass on (because it's his sound system!) So every time I go to use it I have to adjust the bass and the thing is behind the sofa. I also need to scrabble around looking for the cable, because it's never in the same plane twice. Then I need to find somewhere to set down the phone, where the cable reaches and where I can access it easily. All this is a massive deterrent, when all you want to do is get on with what you're doing, when your time is so precious and you have a thousand and one things to do. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2m4LjlS-jSpMXMBrqJDoRhYGrjVI_F5bxR5IjLdGlEpO0yrB-2FiAzjic8ihSBTFEGInUuKxvJmmv-k4N6gDZaOH0Onv4REZ5xKhc8nfEpxmZb10WRtCigfC_QdTJSn2BtdW_ri3yUQ0J/s1600/bose.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2m4LjlS-jSpMXMBrqJDoRhYGrjVI_F5bxR5IjLdGlEpO0yrB-2FiAzjic8ihSBTFEGInUuKxvJmmv-k4N6gDZaOH0Onv4REZ5xKhc8nfEpxmZb10WRtCigfC_QdTJSn2BtdW_ri3yUQ0J/s640/bose.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bose Companion 5 Multimedia Speaker System</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<span face=", "segoe ui" , "segoe wp" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif , serif , "emojifont"" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 14.6667px;">But the main issue with using the phone as a music player is that I don't really use a PC, so everything online I do on my phone, so using it for ambient or background music just doesn't work when I have to use it for everything else, in particular taking calls. Also, if the phone rings or I get an email notification in the middle of one of my favourite songs, it's like biting into a piece of grit in a sandwich.</span><br />
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif, serif, EmojiFont; font-size: 14.6667px;" /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2NZe7YGZFpvpNyvI-o5-QUbU-4zt7jYw8Zubn1-FWC-FXc-bML-_G5hHm43T8JinN0brgtv01UcEgpkC728gnBvwEkaq1qxiD2lshsTJ1ebg20TKY86wTaRjqR7eV8skj5g27MX2Ofjl/s1600/ipod.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="572" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2NZe7YGZFpvpNyvI-o5-QUbU-4zt7jYw8Zubn1-FWC-FXc-bML-_G5hHm43T8JinN0brgtv01UcEgpkC728gnBvwEkaq1qxiD2lshsTJ1ebg20TKY86wTaRjqR7eV8skj5g27MX2Ofjl/s640/ipod.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">iPod Touch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=", "segoe ui" , "segoe wp" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif , serif , "emojifont"" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 14.6667px;">So, I splashed out on an iPod Touch last year! After probably two years of consideration and resistance, one day I just went online and spent top fucking dollar for the fucking thing, and it is so annoying. It's only 16GB for a start, and it's got apps and shit on it that take up half of that space - every time it updates itself, it needs more space. And it's not compatible with my dock. I bought a Music Angel, which is OK for the bathroom or watching films in my room, but not serious music playing. So I'm stuck with this useless and expensive piece of shit which means now I really can't justify spending more money on another music player.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Music Angel Best Friendz</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 14.6667px;">The other thing is that I've been studying and working for the past couple of years. I rarely get the place to myself, and Noah has his own particular taste in music (hip hop, trap, edm...) The flat is so tiny, we either have to agree on what to listen to, or go around with cans on. And I don't like wearing cans with glasses because it's uncomfortable and the sound quality and cable of earbuds make them useless.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif, serif, EmojiFont; font-size: 14.6667px;" />
<span face=", "segoe ui" , "segoe wp" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif , serif , "emojifont"" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 14.6667px;">So, yeah. I'm looking forward to getting this issue sorted out. Writing all this out has really helped me address it - it is an issue that needs to be resolved! I'm not working or studying at the moment, so I can spend some time on it. Plus, I'll have days when I have the place to myself so I can really get lost in some good music. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #212121;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px;">X</span></span></div>
Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-7546951305163666052017-01-02T17:37:00.006+01:002017-01-02T17:51:32.159+01:00What Men Need to Know About Women by Caitlin Moran<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><u>Published in The Times, September 26th 2015</u></span></div>
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It is the eternal cry of men: “I don’t understand women!” Women are mysterious to men: they do not understand why we take so long to dress; the number of shoes we need; the way we can suddenly lose all confidence. Our excitement about tiny things – tiny cups and saucers, tiny monkeys, tiny ribbons. A tiny ring.</div>
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But those really are the tiny things that you don’t understand. It doesn’t matter if you never understand those things at all.</div>
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Here are the two big things that men truly don’t understand about women. The two things that, if you knew them – if you truly understood – would change the way you act, and raise your sons to act, overnight.</div>
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The first is: we’re scared of you.</div>
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Not all of you. Probably not most of you. We feel safe with our fathers – unless we have been unlucky; and our husbands – unless we have been unlucky; and our friends and brothers – unless, again, we have been unlucky.</div>
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But we are scared. Of what you can do.</div>
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Try to imagine, for a moment, what it’s like to live on a planet where half the people on it are just … bigger than you. We are smaller, and softer, and we cannot run as fast as men. We know you can grab us, and we would struggle to get away. We know if you hit us, we’ll go down. We know if you decide to kill us, there’s not much we can do.</div>
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Every time the murder of a woman is reported on the news, we hear the detail – “Traces of skin were found under her fingernails, denoting a struggle” – and we know … that’s all we can do. Scratch. We think about that more than we would ever admit to you. We don’t want to sound insecure, or morbid, around you. We just walk down any dark street with our keys between our fingers, going, “Please, not tonight. Let me get to my door tonight.”</div>
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Here’s comedian Louis CK’s routine on women and men: “Globally and historically, men are the number one cause of injury and mayhem to women. By comparison, do you know what men’s number one threat is? Heart disease. Guys, if you want to know how brave a woman is every time she says yes to going on a date, try to imagine that you could only date a half-bear, half-lion. ‘Oh – I hope this one’s nice!’ That’s being a woman.”</div>
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Sometimes, when you think about the stats on sexual assault – 90 per cent of women know their attackers; 1 in 5 women are attacked – it feels like a fact too awful to be acknowledged. One in five, man. If those were your odds on the lottery, you’d already have pre-emptively bought the car. One in five means you often look round a room of your girlfriends and think, “Which one of us will it be?”<br />
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If your teenage daughters are in the room – with their big, smiling faces and their awkward, beautiful, perfect trust in the world – you feel so panicked, you go into the kitchen and hold on to the sink.<br />
There you are. Scared again. But you don’t go on about it to the men you know – because that would be morbid. So men don’t know how scared we are. That’s the first big thing you don’t know about us. How scared we are.<br />
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The second big thing you don’t know about us is, we’re exhausted. So, so exhausted. We have less money than you – the pay gap, illegal since 1970 yet still, astonishingly, here, means we effectively work for free for 57 days of the year. That’s exhausting. We must have babies, quickly, before our eggs die, but while we also work – that’s exhausting.</div>
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And since we were teenage girls – since the moment we went, mortified, to buy that first bra, and left the safe, unisex world of childhood to become “a woman” – we’ve been judged and commented on. Catcalls in the streets; relatives saying we’re too fat or too thin. Comments in year books or on Facebook; hairdressers saying, “You have a mannish jaw.” “Uncles” at weddings, and bosses at parties, and friends of friends, rating you to your face – saying if they “would” or “wouldn’t”, scoring you out of ten, as if you’re a gadget for sale on Amazon, or livestock at a fayre.</div>
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People touching you, evaluating and owning you – until you find yourself saying, almost as a recurring mantra, in your head, “F*** off! Stop talking about me! F*** off, and stop being the voice in my head!<br />
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Stop telling me you have decided my worth.”</div>
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And, so, yes. Yes, I do understand why human rights lawyer Charlotte Proudman “perv-shamed” an older, senior lawyer – Alexander Carter-Silk – when he contacted her on LinkedIn and told her her picture was “stunning”.</div>
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In the furore that followed, he – and a million other commentators afterwards – seemed confused by Proudman’s reaction. It was just flirtation! It was just an appreciative comment! This is what men and women do!</div>
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But men do it without knowing we’re scared and we’re tired. So very, very tired.<br />
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Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-79040929389323433372016-05-07T16:03:00.001+02:002016-05-07T16:03:54.064+02:00Abandonded Greenhouses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmE4WEyIJawJalJW98pNIuoyq5Gxf6fL7tYLjP2fd1pcNahFFK9e-zqXiezruhJdGZZc9Ab8u69rB2kUVuCsLkxZaxufMUUrb9-cqf2XmRsgjFoF25Gh2yOst7rfUkngXX4w_7Vf1gFxT/s1600/IMG_20160507_153652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmE4WEyIJawJalJW98pNIuoyq5Gxf6fL7tYLjP2fd1pcNahFFK9e-zqXiezruhJdGZZc9Ab8u69rB2kUVuCsLkxZaxufMUUrb9-cqf2XmRsgjFoF25Gh2yOst7rfUkngXX4w_7Vf1gFxT/s640/IMG_20160507_153652.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNe_-ztVoOzT3UwDvoFI-hsKxJ8V9MeNH6lW6aBT9M3m2kytXnnS6X-iUf7XVH1Lo71i07QeoobiYjNaZWhryihRNbjVBekDAfDmmLbLz9dbvrPhqBcXQcjtHOl5x03mIiIwDeLz0-TcSM/s1600/IMG_20160507_153807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaTXVc3hVslra4UBCZefnDXG2zO0mnmYGmpOEUoOKPWbI0uTIYJ6e59pik4MBR3iVbkEzso01WOyhaLRCqeiIqTEPDPyDIgQEoqVIbfuzPxoszVT9VgTlQkVJzVYcO5WLUEiNjheXeWg5/s640/IMG_20160507_153638.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCNL5J7DiZ1NR0c1ft0Z5HXRD3LHcze_GdYxIxBrLBouRrKgSvCp5I9EnEV-GJ8LSgeTGojVfduL07FY8Aemes8A0o2I14I6GQSJ9_rb422L2v51jbGICHC-PB8U4ztuEQjIsT30t4Jdr/s1600/IMG_20160507_153717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCNL5J7DiZ1NR0c1ft0Z5HXRD3LHcze_GdYxIxBrLBouRrKgSvCp5I9EnEV-GJ8LSgeTGojVfduL07FY8Aemes8A0o2I14I6GQSJ9_rb422L2v51jbGICHC-PB8U4ztuEQjIsT30t4Jdr/s640/IMG_20160507_153717.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_gczj-k0ciSDfux8ysY5u7YHaXAaX0GJw8fsU1i0A5EJJP0cw-34GIH31bBwTOOz1lMVtTTlzIfSqoCYLExFqEi70xPCLiX2F9qyw7mNeEf88biVe_ZaMF5I4ciTJVQ4HqCksqC3tPKP/s1600/IMG_20160507_153755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_gczj-k0ciSDfux8ysY5u7YHaXAaX0GJw8fsU1i0A5EJJP0cw-34GIH31bBwTOOz1lMVtTTlzIfSqoCYLExFqEi70xPCLiX2F9qyw7mNeEf88biVe_ZaMF5I4ciTJVQ4HqCksqC3tPKP/s640/IMG_20160507_153755.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-btJbGGawCJlRVD-pNmXAFWfeFRe2Y62Th-p_suIxFDoTDIbo8zo_3m4RmEcbQkQx-6Cfq5maVJcGc6l8fP2mKgCraFmpkBehgN8mHAQpQ8wd95Eq7z5qi7Tjpuz6ChYbYgTieZSpwan/s1600/IMG_20160507_153441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-btJbGGawCJlRVD-pNmXAFWfeFRe2Y62Th-p_suIxFDoTDIbo8zo_3m4RmEcbQkQx-6Cfq5maVJcGc6l8fP2mKgCraFmpkBehgN8mHAQpQ8wd95Eq7z5qi7Tjpuz6ChYbYgTieZSpwan/s640/IMG_20160507_153441.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84Hs6TFoA5R_Si_82FJbjcYJhg0iT7miux2dhFKW-pNwZUqw5fMqZoxoY4N-DYU9E8vwo-fAEll7S7PVNhND0ABU_Sx61BHU3NmdT6OyTD5l4Wr0iBJUU7w0v2DtmfioSzrc0Oo-SRC9x/s1600/IMG_20160507_153504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84Hs6TFoA5R_Si_82FJbjcYJhg0iT7miux2dhFKW-pNwZUqw5fMqZoxoY4N-DYU9E8vwo-fAEll7S7PVNhND0ABU_Sx61BHU3NmdT6OyTD5l4Wr0iBJUU7w0v2DtmfioSzrc0Oo-SRC9x/s640/IMG_20160507_153504.jpg"> </a> </div>Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-36222343890920254582016-05-01T12:22:00.001+02:002016-05-01T12:31:21.196+02:0030 Day Minimialism Game - Day 01<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've gathered together a few items to purge, but I realised, as soon as I started thinking about what to get rid of, this <a href="http://www.theminimalists.com/game/">game</a> is going to be a huge challenge.<br />
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Not only will finding [30(30+1)/2] items be difficult, but also deciding how to get rid of them.<br />
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Today's item is a bag of used, plastic carrier bags.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMgU1fXPuwt95ZbjQ3cRFhauE1DOVXyHkdqgRgJDj9ZuVi2SGYeUm0eSvJO2yQPraO_pfwOcq5nr16mWPMeeEjlOIR5aH5GhcRXGkBVqxz2_EU4fyEplPzSlQ6u0gi6fDAczUZVR0tdWH/s1600/IMG_20160501_112621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMgU1fXPuwt95ZbjQ3cRFhauE1DOVXyHkdqgRgJDj9ZuVi2SGYeUm0eSvJO2yQPraO_pfwOcq5nr16mWPMeeEjlOIR5aH5GhcRXGkBVqxz2_EU4fyEplPzSlQ6u0gi6fDAczUZVR0tdWH/s640/IMG_20160501_112621.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
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I try, as much as possible to use reusable bags when I go shopping, but there are days when the groceries just don't all fit into the bags I have with me and I need to buy a plastic one. These accumulate in the cupboard under the sink. So now, I have this big bag of plastic carriers. What do I do with them? I can't, in good conscience, just throw them away, knowing that they'll go in some landfill and never biodegrade or go to the incinerator and add further to the toxic fumes. Is that really what I have to do? Apparently, yes. If I'm going to play this game properly, it seems I need to suspend my environmentalist conscience for 30 days.<br />
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There's also this hat, which I knitted for myself, but is too big.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5rtKJf-prgocjPhBXFadZK4aDOWIQTVVyM9XxWWy7mtFTIAsFLaDAVECMzZPc9rLaM4hTXkqCZlZqtZxOwPhcu4w88C13_GkdsyZcjfsCDtkXdCnlGGbPEvI2uFtffMyoCpZ2FPO8D0o/s1600/%2527%2527%2527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5rtKJf-prgocjPhBXFadZK4aDOWIQTVVyM9XxWWy7mtFTIAsFLaDAVECMzZPc9rLaM4hTXkqCZlZqtZxOwPhcu4w88C13_GkdsyZcjfsCDtkXdCnlGGbPEvI2uFtffMyoCpZ2FPO8D0o/s640/%2527%2527%2527.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
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Do I just throw that away? Do I just put it in the bin? I've decided that I'll make an oasis, in my bedroom. It's a large black bin liner, and it already has 34 items in it. I did count them, This will go to the local charity shop.<br />
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The next great challenge is that I'm already a minimalist. I purge regularly, which is why there's a bin liner of 34 things, already waiting to go to the charity shop. So my partner, Sigrid, will most definitely win, but, I have to say, I'm really looking forward to this challenge. I want to see just how minimalist I can be.</div>
Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-10555600398291450482016-03-24T11:17:00.000+01:002016-04-08T05:46:40.274+02:00Accumulate to Speculate<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I saw this in my Instagram feed this morning.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1834922372"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN08qW3LlyFnCPtGIBzQ3wZVfoitN_ZlMHol-vCoHXU1wNwo_yT9kDK-_lgZhFYRDXUJ-FMeuU3R3cfULH5ihN7a-IeV9n-_BnZezKiHV4fvTghMEgq_BAXtjQw6huItnJl3j39Sz7vOl8/s320/1609996_10155206895862925_4564532065016603066_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://minimalismfilm.com/">minimalismfilm.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I don't know, either.<br />
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I read somewhere that it's perfectly natural to want. As a species we are evolving, and part of evolution is to strive to achieve something more than that which lies within our immediate grasp. From the beaks of finches to fiscal ambitions, it's all about becoming better, adapting to achieve success.<br />
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I understand that Joshua Becker and Ryan Nicodemus and the new minimalists are talking about mindless consumerism, the incessant desire to fill the God-shaped hole with something that bears no resemblance to God, material goods such as the latest iPhone, a new dining set or this season's handbag/haircut/shoes. I understand that <i><a href="http://www.theminimalists.com/">The Minimalists</a></i>, who I admire greatly, have been at the top of the corporate ladder, surrounded by all their material possessions and found the hole even more gaping.<br />
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Aside from manic over consumerism, to want isn't always a mindless exercise. There is something to be said for functionality and aesthetics. Having lived in shambolic homes, which I now know robbed me, daily, of a sense of peace and tranquility, I am all for improving one's immediate surroundings with whatever material aquisition is required to achieve a sense of equanimity.<br />
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Case in point being this, my beloved Gaggia Classic espresso machine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIRLAnwMcGpCCoItQ_-3Q_CMe5e3-LqM8vtcsgTXNQIcfIE7CQr-sYGqDQ0ap_VN-hDaikoC2Vxfj9GBilhsRTCS58rsl-voU2t1Z9bno1lsj56Cqz_If1rcsydFaV2Dhq2qCD4qYFlKO/s1600/gaggia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIRLAnwMcGpCCoItQ_-3Q_CMe5e3-LqM8vtcsgTXNQIcfIE7CQr-sYGqDQ0ap_VN-hDaikoC2Vxfj9GBilhsRTCS58rsl-voU2t1Z9bno1lsj56Cqz_If1rcsydFaV2Dhq2qCD4qYFlKO/s640/gaggia.jpg" width="352" /></a></div>
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It was a gift from my sister and her husband. I love this machine, because it produces a balanced, nicely rounded cup of coffee with this rich and delighful crema.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVq9AGbx6VJPZkMiJLxMRqpXECj61VnRuBukTQhKdnBbo8yEhV2_Rz5nOBIVRXE2pBCQe7DEi8A1ikoENdDJWIvvMrD7Xxstvs9bJy93mKkM_G9nvpqpL40t5TDd3RvNHInmLo2f_x2xs/s1600/6tag_221015-093653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVq9AGbx6VJPZkMiJLxMRqpXECj61VnRuBukTQhKdnBbo8yEhV2_Rz5nOBIVRXE2pBCQe7DEi8A1ikoENdDJWIvvMrD7Xxstvs9bJy93mKkM_G9nvpqpL40t5TDd3RvNHInmLo2f_x2xs/s640/6tag_221015-093653.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It also produces, as you can see in both of the above images, a light sprinkling of coffee grinds on the work surface, on the bottom of cups and around the sink and the bin.<br />
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This was never a real issue in my previous residence, but here, with the high gloss counter top, it is an issue. I would wipe it up daily, spend an inordinate amout of time wiping, and wiping and wiping some more, the tiny sand like coffee grinds clinging to the microfibres as I rinsed the cloth under running water, as though they had finally found their one, true love, only to abandon the relationship as soon as the cloth touched the shiny, white surface. So, I would need to wipe it up again, fail to rinse it off again, and so on, and so forth.<br />
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Time is precious. Cleanliness is important. These two truths are irrefutable,<br />
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So, I did want. I wanted a solution to this problem. I wanted something else, something better. And so I bought one of these Senseo coffee machines.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54T515H0UQxchijt-NBRmX0um8mxA_-LKQdkXN7l-xEdDWziCCD9KWkXFCrCuzWGmezlsoeRR3M8h84ZVx6YJXFgXOrzvAM9_p5kx4AB1oS_G14ANVSlopCuG9KQ-qzXFUnvZxqm-ca2l/s1600/IMG_20160324_085025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54T515H0UQxchijt-NBRmX0um8mxA_-LKQdkXN7l-xEdDWziCCD9KWkXFCrCuzWGmezlsoeRR3M8h84ZVx6YJXFgXOrzvAM9_p5kx4AB1oS_G14ANVSlopCuG9KQ-qzXFUnvZxqm-ca2l/s640/IMG_20160324_085025.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It takes little pouches, like teabags. No mess. The surface is no longer littered with coffee grinds with questionable loyalty.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLpqrrwqkCEW7HvAqt-rQxHCMwYhcPYsIHw1isqECZCTPcvrwskaYr7idqJcLNU3vIKVIww58lXnulOQij6alJY8BAz6eRFrU0Q9mhRwxnG3aEqR8zc331wnWAhrhem1hwTzXXOs-V2FM/s1600/IMG_20160324_084909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLpqrrwqkCEW7HvAqt-rQxHCMwYhcPYsIHw1isqECZCTPcvrwskaYr7idqJcLNU3vIKVIww58lXnulOQij6alJY8BAz6eRFrU0Q9mhRwxnG3aEqR8zc331wnWAhrhem1hwTzXXOs-V2FM/s640/IMG_20160324_084909.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
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It's just an inexpensive coffee machine, which produces an inferior cup of coffee compared to the Gaggia, but this particular purchase is contributing to my sense of happiness and wellbeing. I love a clean and tidy space. As with most of us, mess causes me stress. Unlike most of us, perhaps, I like cleaning, but the work needs to be rewarded with results. So, to say that this little purchase has changed my life, isn't an exaggeration. I know it's not exactly God-shaped. I'm not saying that enlightenment will be achieved throught the aquisition of the right appliances, but wanting to improve our immediate surroundings, isn't anything to be dismissed as a purely materialiastic pursuit.<br />
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There is a reason we want that dining set, or that handbag or the latest piece of technology. We hope it will simplify our lives. We hope it will free us of something mundane, something which drains us of the most sacred of all possessions, our energy. To honour and respect energy is so sacred that religions and practises, such as Hinduism, yoga and Feng Shui, are devoted, almost entirely to it. Energy is life itself. It is God-shaped.<br />
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To want isn't always a bad thing.<br />
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Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-24951870750947487982015-08-23T16:17:00.005+02:002023-03-17T13:54:38.062+01:00What if it had been you?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I, like the person who posted this, saw this pop up in my news feed and felt the need to share it here.<br />
Translated from the <a href="http://pappahjerte.blogg.no/1440183625_tenk_om_det_hadde_vrt.html">original Norwegian post</a>.<br />
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<b><u>What if it had been you?</u></b><br />
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08/21/2015 - 9:34 p.m.<br />
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<i>It's not often I call friends to ask if I can publish their Facebook
status as a blog post, but when I saw this pop up in my newsfeed today, I
realised immediately that this had to be shared with a wider audience.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>It is my good friend Oliver who has written this great text,
which is simply a beautiful symphony of emotions and gratitude, compassion and
love, sadness and contemplation. Political or not - this is fantastically
written.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
"Look at this picture. The one just below the advertisement for cheap industrial meat
and fish.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Translation: <i>Police use tear gas on refugees.</i> <br />Via vg.no. <a href="https://www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/i/GkGg4/her-bruker-makedonsk-politi-taaregass-mot-flyktninger" target="_blank">Original article (in Norwegain)</a></td></tr>
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<o:p> </o:p> </div>
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<br /><br />
It looks like a dad holding a son. Such a dad who could just
as easily have been me, if I had not won first prize in the lottery of life and
ended up here in safe, marvellous Norway. A dad who is desperate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With his child in his arms, held back by a powerful person.
Excluded by other powerful people - those with batons and shields and carbon
kneepads and teargas. Just in case a desperate dad would try to squeeze past.
Or bite, or scratch or hit or kick or whatever the fuck – just to get his kid to
safety. One who could have been any one of us. Could have been me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This picture has affected on my Friday night. Soon, I'll get my boys from kindergarten and after-school-club. Then
we’ll eat tacos with Mimmi and Bess. Read a little more of the adventure story
at bedtime, a hug and a scruffing up of the hair, like we do - and I have a
really good, cold beer in the fridge to enjoy when the rest of the house is
asleep, safe in their bed, while dad watches over the house.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While another dad, just a few hours flight away, literally
fights for his life. With his child in his arms. Tonight and tomorrow, and
every day - until he breaks or succeeds. Just as I would have done.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If we can not, one of the world's safest, richest and most plentiful
countries, offer help - then we are so rotten to the core and damned that I am
ashamed to be Norwegian.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Look at that picture. And imagine if it had been you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s election time soon, by the way. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZOBKFihBM3KVECltU3ob284Le3NreTwF7ffe32UIO6FO0j_V-G4PKDEA2gE6Zd8hUN6Tg8T2aKgfk-DMN9L8EiE5jp1BvW7CUIJZOblnLqwK_qf3l9S02I1ndyETYrg4RDn8ZYgNtB63J7RN50pccwts5KGQuZac4mkukpdJ-PcUs7H1KJKS6KnxsQ/s649/1795738-12-1440183990298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="649" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZOBKFihBM3KVECltU3ob284Le3NreTwF7ffe32UIO6FO0j_V-G4PKDEA2gE6Zd8hUN6Tg8T2aKgfk-DMN9L8EiE5jp1BvW7CUIJZOblnLqwK_qf3l9S02I1ndyETYrg4RDn8ZYgNtB63J7RN50pccwts5KGQuZac4mkukpdJ-PcUs7H1KJKS6KnxsQ/w400-h265/1795738-12-1440183990298.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div>
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P.S. I think this is an incredibly nice text for reflection,
on the way into yet another weekend here in one of the richest and best countries
to live in, but I do not want to turn it into a political debate. Just think
about it. What if it had been you?"<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Follow <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pappahjerte">Pappahjerte on Facebook</a>.</o:p></div>
</div>
Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-33138074935519485872015-05-17T18:10:00.001+02:002020-05-16T12:15:15.000+02:00You Have No Idea What Hell Is<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I read this <a href="http://agnesmatre.com/2015/05/14/du-aner-ikke-hva-helvete-er/">this blog post</a>, I was compelled to translate it into English.<br />
(Originally posted in Norwegian in May 2015 around the time of Norway's biggest national celebration <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Constitution_Day">Constitution Day</a>.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://agnesmatre.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/a-palestinian-girl-cries-012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">A <span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; text-align: left;">Palestinian </span>child. Photo: The Guardian</span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“How are you?” An ordinary question, a phrase, something to say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“I’m fine, thanks”, we most often reply.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Today, I got an eye-opener.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">What does it mean to be fine? According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs">Maslow</a>, we humans must have certain needs met before we can develop. One doesn’t need to be a
psychologist to understand the basic needs of food, water and sleep for survival.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6q-A-2ZnYDs39KLqhF0L8_fxjmyuEMca2VIOMwwxIuBrHq_iE9DBmKDxUX19_0cR967M-MAXBBspw8e024f065dE3xchAmO9UYQ0moeAyf5Zf0fUbyuA5UOMQjA7BNZWR-LgGrRYh5eM/s1600/maslow.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6q-A-2ZnYDs39KLqhF0L8_fxjmyuEMca2VIOMwwxIuBrHq_iE9DBmKDxUX19_0cR967M-MAXBBspw8e024f065dE3xchAmO9UYQ0moeAyf5Zf0fUbyuA5UOMQjA7BNZWR-LgGrRYh5eM/s640/maslow.gif" width="630" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maslow's <span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">hierarchy </span></span>of needs pyramid</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">When these needs are met, we seek <i>security</i> and <i>protection</i>. Then comes a sense of belonging and love, and only then can one begin to think of status, self-esteem and finally personal and spiritual self-actualisation. It strikes me that I have every need in Maslow's pyramid covered, and most likely, you do too. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I can therefore answer honestly, "Yes, I'm doing fine, thanks!"</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Yet, I complain. Yet, you complain. Yet, we complain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Today, my students were informed of an impending maths
exam. Tears welled in the eyes of many. I understand them well. As a philologist,
maths exams were always a nightmare for me. We often use that word, <i>nightmare,</i> about everyday problems, large and small, things we struggle with when we no longer have several steps further up the pyramid to ascend. We are on top of it. The job is done. So, what now? Why this eternal yearning in the gut? Is it because we are afraid of
falling down again? Or is it because we humans are able to look beyond
ourselves and show empathy for those who are further down the pyramid?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Everything is relative.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Relative poverty? Relative success? We measure ourselves
against others in similar situations. It's much easier than measuring oneself
against those who don't have anything at all. How can I justify buying a
house in Spain if I measure my needs against those who, at this very moment, swim
alongside those who drown in the Mediterranean? Just the thought of these people,
who are well below the first step of the needs pyramid, cause me to abandon my plans.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">At this time of celebration, here in Norway, this poem comes to mind:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i><b>Do Not Sleep</b><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>You believe it cannot be true,<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>So evil humans cannot be.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>Do not sit safely in your home<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>and say: It is sad, poor them!<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>You must not tolerate so well<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>the injustice which does not affect you yourself!<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>I cry with the last breath of my voice:<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>You are not allowed to go there and forget!</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Arnulf Overland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">-1937 (excerpt)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">After my students learned of the maths exam, they
received another piece of news.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">One of our students, a refugee who had been with us for many years, has been absent since August 2014. This month, he fled
across the Mediterranean. Maybe it happened at the very same moment I was teaching a class about people drowning after paying a fortune to human traffickers, not to “actualise" themselves, but to struggle up onto the lowest step in the
human needs pyramid - food, water, security and protection. </span><br />
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<img src="https://agnesmatre.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/flyktninger_683952a.jpg" /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Our student lived in Kabul, a city foreign to him, where he constantly feared for his life. </span>As I told the students about the thousands of
women and children who drowned, and about [our prime minister] sending a boat in
August, their classmate was heading over the same Mediterranean Sea, but not in ‘our’
boat. He didn’t have time to wait for that. He had to take his chances.
Last time he had travelled was by plane, in the opposite direction, at the Norwegian
government's expense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Today, the fear of a mathematics exam was put into
perspective. We learned that our friend and classmate had undergone a far
greater ordeal than any tenth grader should have to endure. Against all
odds, he had managed to get across the sea with his mother and his brother. Now, he is in Norway. He is safe. He has food, water, security and
protection. We know that he is safe, but does he? Does he have any reason to
believe that he will stay this time? What about his father, left behind in Kabul, who
could not face the journey? Will he just die? ... Have you lost a mother, a father, or two or three siblings? Have you been taken at night and sent to Kabul
without anywhere to stay on your arrival?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It's hard for youngsters to get a reality check such
as our pupils have today. They can't sleep. They cannot tolerate this injustice that doesn't affect them themselves. They want to help, but they
feel powerless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We in the class put it all into perspective: </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Let’s say
that people had to flee from England, across the Atlantic towards a safer life,
pursued by brainwashed terrorists. Terrorism knows no borders. What would our
government do? How many ships would be sent out of Norwegian ports to pick up
Englishmen in dire need? One boat in August?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I have, as a writer, decided to comment on things we don’t like to talk about. The unpleasant aspects of life.
Last time it was bulimia. God, who wants to talk about how many times a day one
pukes and what that’s really like? How many cases of bulimia are there in
Burundi?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><img src="https://agnesmatre.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/203000.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">My next novel is about rape in social relationships - being
raped by a relative or an acquaintance, by someone you trust. Many don't dare to
report such an abuse. Those who do are often not believed. There are borderline
cases and there are false accusations. Some ought not to be judged, while others,
who ought to be judged, never will be.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Actually, maybe I should instead write a book about what protection women, children, boys and men have against rape carried out by
criminal gangs who call themselves disciples. The prophet they claim to follow
could have been one of those who had fled across the Mediterranean if he had
lived today. Maybe he would have fled along side Jesus?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Where there is poverty, there is crime, hatred and
violence. It’s that simple.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘People who lack food are like animals’, sings Sigvart
Dagsland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Assault, rape, murder, ethnic cleansing and
dismemberment - something happens to us humans when stress becomes too great. The
same thing happened during World War II, when many here in Norway were stabbed
in the back by their own. We fled to Sweden. No standing at the border and being
stopped. The Swedes opened their homes and helped people on the run from
oppression - authors who spoke out, teachers
who refused to teach Nazi ideology, Jews, gays, gypsies, the dark-skinned ...<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">No, absolutely no one thinks it strange that our
grandparents and great-grandparents went across the border to Sweden or to England. They were being persecuted! The shock would be if they had not been
taken in. Here at home in Haugesund, the local, right leaning (political party) <i>Fremskrittspartiet</i> expressed exactly
that, that they would not take in 35 new refugees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">How far are you willing to crawl down the pyramid
before you expect any help? Can we bear to imagine the situation the people of Syria
are experiencing, or in any other similarly torn country? I have a good imagination,
authors often do, but dear God, to see it before you – it's your fifteen year old, your mother, your
girlfriend, or your brother who sits huddled with 600 hungry, wet, frightened
and desperate people in an unsafe raft on the open sea. You can't do it,
and perhaps it's just as well. For if we had been able to, the tears
would never stop flowing. The horror
would chop our legs away from under us, and we'd see ourselves as we really are,
people who have no room at the inn for anyone but ourselves. Because if we
take on anything over our immediate responsibility, then maybe the foundations of that top floor of
Maslow's pyramid will begin to shake. Must there then be limits to what we
have to endure?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-74234657942357618322015-01-25T18:06:00.003+01:002018-02-06T19:42:41.880+01:00My Fiscal Logic<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I bid on this gold shopping bag on eBay. 100% leather, beautiful, fun.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyQEjfgnVvPVFXl8TzeyyL1htSi-4GFkT1N40ivbLhhpV1PrIAqEgAUd5WyCDokFTMgJllDoM5ZqXUGXW5IRwsKw_6T4l4fp32dK-NbmHyLa0DzA-hiH3vpoeTzCKjv75T4U73ES4g-Zj/s1600/gold+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="570" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyQEjfgnVvPVFXl8TzeyyL1htSi-4GFkT1N40ivbLhhpV1PrIAqEgAUd5WyCDokFTMgJllDoM5ZqXUGXW5IRwsKw_6T4l4fp32dK-NbmHyLa0DzA-hiH3vpoeTzCKjv75T4U73ES4g-Zj/s640/gold+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This isn't the actual bag. The image was removed by someone... this bag is <a href="https://www.etsy.com/no-en/shop/KaroEvaMaria?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank">available on Etsy, here</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But, it was £30 + £13 postage, and I don't need. I already have a gold shopping bag, 100% leather, beautiful. So i was relieved when, at the last minute, literally, I was outbid. That's £43 saved!<br />
<br />
Then, on the run up to Christmas, in the fog of online spending, I clicked on a 'Free UK Delivery' option on Amazon. Earlier this week, I noticed that £79 had been deducted from my bank account. I had, unwittingly, subscribed to a year of Amazon Prime. I contacted Amazon and, because I hadn't used any of the privileges, I got a full refund. That's £79 saved!<br />
<br />
£43 + £79 = £122 not spent! £122 saved and can therefore... spend! </div>
Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-76843795300259001662015-01-25T13:20:00.000+01:002015-01-25T13:20:31.191+01:00Eating Mindfully<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I haven't read this book, I haven't even read what it's about, but the title, I love.<br />
<br />
We were raised with no culture of food, no routine of eating at all, much less a meal served at a table. One of my healthy eating strategies is to eat seated. It's as simple as that. If ever I notice that I'm standing and eating, I know there's something wrong. I'm not being mindful, I'm not even being conscious.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Virtues-Table-How-Eat-Think/dp/1847087159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1422184925&sr=1-1&keywords=baggini+virtues" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41EU9iKw0zL.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 38.9999389648438px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Julian Baggini is a journalist and philosopher who studies the complexities of personal identity. <br />He is the editor-in-chief of the Philosophers' Magazine.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
See also: <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/sandra_aamodt_why_dieting_doesn_t_usually_work">Why dieting doesn't usually work by Sandra Aamodt</a></div>
</div>
Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-29890716026234995772015-01-23T10:17:00.001+01:002015-01-23T10:26:52.821+01:00Tomato Bread<p dir="ltr">Last year, Kenneth, Noah and I went to Lagunen (a large shopping cebtre on the mainland),<br>
At some point, I got really hangry and we stopped, at the first cafe we saw, to eat.<br>
At this cafe, there was a table, near the counter, heavily laden with loaves of fresh bread - a bit like a good breakfast in a nice hotel.<br>
The best bread there, by far was an orange loaf. Tomato bread.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Noah talks about this bread, as though it were a fantasy. We talk about going back, just so we can have more of it (and another Club Sandwich with the mysterious brown sauce!) <br>
Skip to the chase, I decided to try and make my own tomato bread. Here's the recipe.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ingredients<br>
5 cups of flour - you may need more.<br>
2 tsp salt<br>
12g dry yeast or 50g fresh yeast<br>
Pepper to taset<br>
Herbs to taste - I didn't use any in mine, but I would have love to add a couple of fresh sage leaves, or a pinch of rosemary.</p>
<p dir="ltr">2 tbsp honey or malt extract<br>
2tsps sugar <br>
100g tomato paste<br>
Four pieces of sundried tomato, chopped (optional)<br>
2Tbsp olive oil<br>
<200mls hot water<br>
Cold water</p>
<p dir="ltr">Method<br>
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt, and pepper and herbs if using.<br>
Put the honey/malt extract, sugar, tomato paste and sundried tomaotoes in a measuring jug and add hot water up to the 200mls mark. <br>
Stir to combine thoroughly.<br>
Add the olive oil and cold water up to the 400mls mark.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and bring it all together. If the dough is too sticky, add flour, one tablespoon at a time. If it's too firm/dry, add a little more water. Knead for 5 - 10 minutes. The dough should be elastic and the bowl should be completely clean.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Leaving the dough in the mixing bowl, or in a bowl with high sides, cover the bowl with a cloth and leave the dough to rise until it has doubled in size. <br>
How long this takes depends on the temperature of the space. I heat my oven to 30 degrees and turn it off, then set the dough in there to rise. It takes about 40 minutes. A cooler location will require up to 2 hours.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Divide the dough into two and form into loaf shapes. Cover with a cloth and set to rise for 30 minutes.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Bake at 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes.<br><br><br></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zNy-FHrJFLac60AjXAOzKR66Te7L0zlaoPn3cmWdBI8moEXWNWUhLMg-iiNG_qKTZ7LbFYXtKiJX4EK_73Q5VnbSb33QDqYzh2Wgfx3h5NkaiWWN_KVt9iQmQWkh5mb5Z1FKpyq6970J/s1600/FB_20150123_10_22_25_Saved_Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zNy-FHrJFLac60AjXAOzKR66Te7L0zlaoPn3cmWdBI8moEXWNWUhLMg-iiNG_qKTZ7LbFYXtKiJX4EK_73Q5VnbSb33QDqYzh2Wgfx3h5NkaiWWN_KVt9iQmQWkh5mb5Z1FKpyq6970J/s640/FB_20150123_10_22_25_Saved_Picture.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTE0jvyi10QEsrLGO1k3uODOxnbvspwv1HHDrqCytxlm2uyC3QI15iIyMJBrGj944d6NdKq67CMJRPGiLiimMyyQUD0ZiOkSKaHL7XXmZohxP_lL2-ILUv4oRmEYuDH3XKpVEYU0heMRa/s1600/FB_20150123_10_22_15_Saved_Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTE0jvyi10QEsrLGO1k3uODOxnbvspwv1HHDrqCytxlm2uyC3QI15iIyMJBrGj944d6NdKq67CMJRPGiLiimMyyQUD0ZiOkSKaHL7XXmZohxP_lL2-ILUv4oRmEYuDH3XKpVEYU0heMRa/s640/FB_20150123_10_22_15_Saved_Picture.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5L-hxJbxADA2zqhBIQ0m5eTL-HwlfTMvLF3JfFtnH6JWDyJE4Dm8-VmTBz0WshuSITfuYN1oWfkIi7ZXZE-d3H21xkl00quSEtT2DKVwo18V0bB4ol3aH99hJoSyMFtmj8TMlE5m5PSm/s1600/FB_20150123_10_22_41_Saved_Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5L-hxJbxADA2zqhBIQ0m5eTL-HwlfTMvLF3JfFtnH6JWDyJE4Dm8-VmTBz0WshuSITfuYN1oWfkIi7ZXZE-d3H21xkl00quSEtT2DKVwo18V0bB4ol3aH99hJoSyMFtmj8TMlE5m5PSm/s640/FB_20150123_10_22_41_Saved_Picture.jpg"> </a> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-75564312067654530792015-01-16T13:51:00.002+01:002015-01-16T13:51:11.727+01:00100 Mandalas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWwIsICAvSQvTOTKU4jJdbiCr10G-NY0rCKOUnFxLQyifK4dDbSEpkltuU6qjZF-jbm6Q3itet97qgPxyqwOfcqIu6K7U3E5jPGSk5xY88E5EGI9PnyVj2DlCcwdCSXQiPVGJk27LQ4U_/s1600/hh.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWwIsICAvSQvTOTKU4jJdbiCr10G-NY0rCKOUnFxLQyifK4dDbSEpkltuU6qjZF-jbm6Q3itet97qgPxyqwOfcqIu6K7U3E5jPGSk5xY88E5EGI9PnyVj2DlCcwdCSXQiPVGJk27LQ4U_/s1600/hh.png" /></a></div>
<br />
My friend posted a link to a this image via 100Mandala.org's facebook page.<br />
<br />
<img height="640" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10915170_1595365984018391_7476288370064094961_n.jpg?oh=b96f3dd9f0e4edaf33dc26a34405dbd1&oe=553333CA&__gda__=1429612192_7785f33e942b6c8510140db874c227a9" width="640" /><br />
<br />
<br />
I like those 30 day challenges and I love mandalas, so I signed up for the newsletter and started doodling.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
That was just a few days ago, but I'm already realising that I'd like to know more about mandalas.<br />
<br />
I went to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandala">Wikipedia</a> and came across this:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="640" src="http://fractal.fractalenlighten.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/carl-jung-first-mandala.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="588" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">Carl Jung's first mandala.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Already a fan of Jung, I was surprised to find that he was responsible for bringing mandalas to the western world.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="603" src="http://fractal.fractalenlighten.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/carl-jung-mandala.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11px; line-height: 19px;">Carl Jung refers to the mandala as “the psychological expression of the totality of the self.”</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div>
I realise this is going to something splendid. I'm not going to get too involved in the deep spiritual and psychological aspects of drawing the sacred circle. I want to stay free and explore on my own terms. I know that I will explore more deeply later, but I have the whole year to get what I need to out of this project.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For example, today, I just played around with PatternPie.</div>
<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLIayiRtFM76_oDoXIPNiNbsQzALjHPV_2Bu3cDqWA0Gk9vizdkISK7HVNY8zKDhIoUjCR1IneoDM0r1ixTfaY_m_4kGyHmi65NdaInECxc_egioh3cMeXhkUvrA6nh0dfZ8EHzEQHXpA/s1600/ha.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLIayiRtFM76_oDoXIPNiNbsQzALjHPV_2Bu3cDqWA0Gk9vizdkISK7HVNY8zKDhIoUjCR1IneoDM0r1ixTfaY_m_4kGyHmi65NdaInECxc_egioh3cMeXhkUvrA6nh0dfZ8EHzEQHXpA/s1600/ha.png" /></a></div>
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Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-5327600363450887272015-01-10T12:39:00.001+01:002016-01-29T21:17:52.304+01:00The Storm Named Nina<p dir="ltr">Dark thoughts pop into my head all the time. Visions of morbid, violent, gruesome events. Horrific, devastating. All the time.<br>
I used to write. I wrote stories with fictional characters, experiencing fictional atrocities. But that was a bit like being a doctor, who happens upon a severely damaged body, a person. The doctor examines the body, in depth, to find out exactly how horrific the damages are, then she must write a report, in great detail, on the extent of the damages.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Many years ago I decided that I no longer wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to be a florist or a baker. I wanted to start watching romantic comedies and listening to Lifehouse. The morbid thoughts still pop into my head, but they pass just as quickly as they appear. The why and what of them no longer need to be examined. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Today, a storm is raging around us. The time now is 12:34, the storm will peak at 14:00 and last five to six hours. It is already one of the most severe storms I have ever experienced. Kenneth is in the next town. He has to drive 27 kilometres home, at around 14:00 hours. The oil rigs have been evactuated, flights postponed, ships moored securly in the docks. The local council has issued a warning to secure all loose items and be prepared for "extreme weather".</p>
<p dir="ltr">Despite the visions of his car being blown off the road and into a fjord, I know that Kenneth will get home safe and sound. Because, along with the curse of the dark visions, I have inherited a sixth sense, which was passed down to me through my mother side of the family. My aunt has it, too. This gift manifests itself with a feeling. When a dark thought pops into my head, I feel it. I feel it as though it actually happened in that moment. Then it becomes something else entirely. Then I phone my daughter at 6AM and tell her that she has to promise that she will stay indoors all day. Or ask her, for my sake, to not get on the plane.</p><p dir="ltr">So, although the storm is fierce, we will all emerge from it unscathed.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivco2hPc-hLA6E3KttCH9MCteqhc3ReQU04Gr-sKm-hzczAjIVnbgnp0hRhT8DIY22A54neE02X6KLWMQpR-UWBH5aQhyKwHIKywzxCbOloQJ4XyUK4rXtvnx5D4faKdVlBsC3KWO_w2DV/s1600/Dust-storm-Texas-1935.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivco2hPc-hLA6E3KttCH9MCteqhc3ReQU04Gr-sKm-hzczAjIVnbgnp0hRhT8DIY22A54neE02X6KLWMQpR-UWBH5aQhyKwHIKywzxCbOloQJ4XyUK4rXtvnx5D4faKdVlBsC3KWO_w2DV/s640/Dust-storm-Texas-1935.png"> </a> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-50359369116231750012015-01-09T10:20:00.002+01:002015-01-09T10:23:52.713+01:00Cinnamon Roll Bread<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've always like cinnamon, but lately, I've been hooked on it!<br />
<br />
Here's my latest creation - Cinnamon Bread<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioK-b19Gf76kzzcaeJA2fmbRM8o1MbQ8D55H0fs_AC9dSU1Ms-9H6pkRe4EKZLuiJ7u2HNiqZCGAdPuLwQNer4sKkvoLVM7Y6Wo8qjXWkXe3hzC3ALw_VtPnT1CLXEW1Hb7MYdY2Q7u2QY/s1600/WP_20150108_14_26_23_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioK-b19Gf76kzzcaeJA2fmbRM8o1MbQ8D55H0fs_AC9dSU1Ms-9H6pkRe4EKZLuiJ7u2HNiqZCGAdPuLwQNer4sKkvoLVM7Y6Wo8qjXWkXe3hzC3ALw_VtPnT1CLXEW1Hb7MYdY2Q7u2QY/s1600/WP_20150108_14_26_23_Pro.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
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Make the bread.</div>
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This is my basic bread recipe, to which can be added all kind of extar ingredients.</div>
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In this case, we're going to stick to the basic recipe, but note that extra sweetening, spices, or other ingredients can be added at the dry mix stage.</div>
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note: 1 metric cup is 250mls. Also, this bread recipe is for standard bread. </div>
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If you want the bread sweeter add an extra 1/4 cup of sweetening agent, such as honey, syrup or sugar. </div>
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DRY: </div>
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<i>In a large mixing bowl add</i></div>
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1.5 cups all purpose, plain flour</div>
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1.5 cups rolled/porridge oats</div>
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3 cups whole spelt flour <i>(course ground and finely ground, 50/50, if applicable)</i></div>
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1 packet/12g dried yeast or 50g fresh yeast</div>
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<i>You can add </i></div>
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1-2 cups of dried fruit or chopped nuts here.</div>
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<i>You can also any spices you might want to use - </i></div>
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to taste, cinnamon, cardemom, anis, ginger, etc. </div>
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Combine well</div>
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WET:</div>
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In a measuring jug add </div>
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50g melted butter butter</div>
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1 Tbsp malt extract</div>
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1/4 cup sugar</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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<i>You can also add a </i></div>
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2 tablespoons of milk or fruit juice.</div>
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Add enough warm water to make it up to 450mls</div>
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Combine well so that nothing is stuck to the bottom of the jug.</div>
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Add the wet mix to the dry mix and knead for at least five minutes. The bowl should be 'clean' and the dough reasonably dry.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpIu4IJ8IbXqzOT9ld5NaHSfWR-blW0Uvh97KnAiEvmVM6l1nbi5uOMCwzcTkyvJpWpBrouM4zWmAn2Aj8Vy4_nGwqKEbzhCHcZ18XiCP2s3ptB4qahH5Ta9hye0n7nmUBftOfpuZ_5AV/s1600/WP_20150107_14_54_26_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpIu4IJ8IbXqzOT9ld5NaHSfWR-blW0Uvh97KnAiEvmVM6l1nbi5uOMCwzcTkyvJpWpBrouM4zWmAn2Aj8Vy4_nGwqKEbzhCHcZ18XiCP2s3ptB4qahH5Ta9hye0n7nmUBftOfpuZ_5AV/s1600/WP_20150107_14_54_26_Pro.jpg" height="586" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before first rising. The bowl is clean... I didn't clean it, the dough did.</td></tr>
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Cover with a clean cloth/towel and leave it to rise somewhere warm, until doubled in size. </div>
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<i>Depending on the temperature of the rising place, this can be anything from 30 minutes to two hours.</i></div>
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<i>I actually turn my oven on to 30 degrees for a few minutes, then turn it off. I put the dough in the oven with the door closed. It's like a hot summer's day in there, with no breeze. Perfect.</i></div>
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Meanwhile make your filling - </div>
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Mix together </div>
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100 - 150g of softened butter with as much cinnamon as you'd like. </div>
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<i>Quantities for cinnamon are strictly to personal taste - from </i></div>
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2tsp - 2Tbsp cinnamon</div>
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<i>I used 30g of cinnamon and a pinch of ground anis.</i></div>
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If you want it sweet, mix in </div>
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1/4 - 1 cup soft brown sugar or regular sugar.</div>
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Roll the dough out to a long rectangle.</div>
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Spread with the cinnamon butter.</div>
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Leave one short side of the rectangle clear by about 2cms. This will be to seal the loaf/roll.</div>
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Starting with the opposite short side of the rectangle, start rolling. </div>
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Don't roll too tightly.</div>
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Before sealing the end, moisten the area that was left clear of cinnamon butter with some water or milk.</div>
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I use water in a spray bottle for this task.</div>
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Once the roll is sealed, lay it on a non-stick or lightly greased baking tray, with the sealed edge at the bottom.</div>
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Leave to rise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.</div>
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Bake for 25-30 minutes. It should sound hollow when tapped.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaj6b7oTN2WdGDZXEu-DI4ukhMZjydx_X-SEWb_hYAtHsB0BzI4Aw_Du7HqoiAlZhxRvSgrCJ_jvEhx2yhH_ge1yFYXmmM-ozZdjaCGRNEd0Fwsh3RXMEf_5BHGyFGLmA5FfgNIEz4SpM/s1600/WP_20150108_14_27_04_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaj6b7oTN2WdGDZXEu-DI4ukhMZjydx_X-SEWb_hYAtHsB0BzI4Aw_Du7HqoiAlZhxRvSgrCJ_jvEhx2yhH_ge1yFYXmmM-ozZdjaCGRNEd0Fwsh3RXMEf_5BHGyFGLmA5FfgNIEz4SpM/s1600/WP_20150108_14_27_04_Pro.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fbnnk6Hs1FUNbHOqISktAHwybabzJhyphenhyphenJgk1_EvbE658qscoYKFBfN0YX9sgrgZYNhyXEU5j9BcYeqkRbMl4kYTjYMYjQHtVH44wpAzTM4uml18RttvWRY2blYyE1Zv8BVGO7lX1yz0Nb/s1600/WP_20150108_14_35_15_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fbnnk6Hs1FUNbHOqISktAHwybabzJhyphenhyphenJgk1_EvbE658qscoYKFBfN0YX9sgrgZYNhyXEU5j9BcYeqkRbMl4kYTjYMYjQHtVH44wpAzTM4uml18RttvWRY2blYyE1Zv8BVGO7lX1yz0Nb/s1600/WP_20150108_14_35_15_Pro.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-79272268081290726842015-01-07T23:04:00.003+01:002015-01-07T23:36:56.209+01:00A Mother's Worry <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Nice blog post, translated from Norwegian. <a href="http://christineotterstad.com/2014/01/16/en-mors-bekymring/">Original post</a> written by Christine Otterstad - AKA, Otters<br />
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<img alt="ChristineOtterstad – også kalt Otters" src="http://christineotterstad.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/cropped-dsc14452.jpg" height="448" width="640" /><br />
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<h2 class="post-title" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Rochester, Georgia, Times, cursive; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="sep" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 45px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #494949; font-size: large;">A Mother's Worry</span></span></h2>
<h2 class="post-title" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Rochester, Georgia, Times, cursive; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="sep" style="border: 0px; color: #777777; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Posted at </span><span style="color: #777777; font-family: 'PT Serif', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">9:04 pm </span><span class="byline" style="border: 0px; color: #777777; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="sep" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="post-author vcard" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="url fn n" href="http://christineotterstad.com/author/christineotterstad/" rel="author" style="border: 0px; color: #9a9657; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Vis alle innlegg av christineotterstad - også kalt Otters">christineotterstad - også kalt Otters</a></span></span><span style="color: #777777; font-family: 'PT Serif', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">, on januar 16, 2014</span></h2>
"I'm sitting in the living room with my 11
year old son. He does his homework and I work a little. Suddenly, he puts down
his pencil and asks what I'm writing about today.<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">"Today, I’m doing a little research for
my book" I reply.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">"I have a tip on what to write
about" he continued. "Something I've been thinking about.”</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I shut the PC, thinking that this could be
interesting.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The boy breathes and takes moment: "I
thought you should write about mums, and all the concerns they have. Like you,
for instance, you worry yourself sick for your kids all the time. For us to
have a good time and stuff... But the problem is that when you worry yourself
SO sick, it becomes sort so serious to not have be happy! It's almost like we HAVE
TO be happy, ALL the time, if not you get INSANELY-worried. No one can be happy,
ALL the time!!! And besides, you say yourself that almost all worries never
amount to anything anyway?” said the boy, looking at me with an uncertain
smile.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">It takes a few seconds before I get my
speech back. I am so incredibly taken by surprise by this 11 year old! A quiet
boy who rarely speaks about feelings and the like, but who, nevertheless, has
seen right through his mother, a mother who lives by getting others to worry
less in everyday life, a mother who is full of concern on behalf of her
children. INSANELY -worried.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">That same evening I did something I've
never done before. I sat down and wrote down all the concerns I had on my
children’s behalf. The list was long. Very long. Having studied the list for a
while, I came to the conclusion that at least 80% of the concerns would never amount
to anything, plus a couple of them were downright crazy.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">As a coach, I go on about the need to get
better at living in the present. But how clever am I really when even I, on my
children's behalf, am constantly worried about what might happen to them? Not
only am I living in the future, I live in a worrisome future!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The boy tried, in his childish way, to tell
the concerned mother say that the goal is not necessarily to be happy all the
time, the goal is to withstand both, the good times and the bad.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I think he's right! I think that many of us
(including yours truly) have been so caught up in the pursuit of happiness,
prosperity, mental strength and not least to have it good, that we forget that
it's okay not to be happy, too.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">We cannot be happy all the time! We need to
take the lows too, not just the highs. And the same goes for our kids, they are
going to know the bad times. Maybe it’s good for them to know that the world
sucks sometimes, without Mum intervening and worrying herself grey and wrinkled.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">It’s not irresponsible to live a worry-free
life, it just means that you don’t concern yourself with future sorrows. For,
as the kid said, No one can be happy, ALL the time! And besides, almost all
worries never amount to anything anyway?”</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Christine - also called Otters"</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="640" src="https://christineotterstad.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/marcus.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="475" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"World's smartest 11 year old (strictly objectively speaking, of course."</td></tr>
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Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-6642968730242516002015-01-06T11:54:00.002+01:002015-01-06T11:54:36.114+01:00Be a Biscuit of Today<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I was very young, my sister had a friend who was a proper hippy. She was married to a Sri Lankan man and had some kids. Her hair was long, unmanaged and slightly transparent. She wore corduroy jeans and cheesecloth tops.<br />
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She was of the tradition of never arriving at someone's house empty handed. One day, she came with a book. the Tassajara Bread Book.<br />
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Since then, the book has been in my possession. Well loved and well utilised.<br />
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Here's a short excerpt from the film How to Cook Your Life, featuring the book's author, Edward Espe Brown.<br />
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<i>"It turns out that we'll pay a lot of money not to cook, not to actually confront a half a potato."</i><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/M48mJIXb4ic?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-84109028342981745092014-12-29T19:55:00.002+01:002014-12-30T09:07:47.815+01:00Cinema Cinnamon Rolls<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span lang="NO-BOK">Recipe, as requested. </span>Allow at least 4 hours for these. Please read through the whole recipe before starting to bake, or making a shopping list.</span></div>
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<span lang="NO-BOK" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Disclaimer: I tend to work intuitively, so I don't know how accurate the measurements are for flour. If you can bake, this recipe will work. If you're a novice, try a site like <a href="http://joyofbaking.com/">Joyofbaking.com</a>. <a href="https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=joy+of+baking+cinnamon+rolls&form=VIRE1&first=1#view=detail&mid=370454FD90032462EE9B370454FD90032462EE9B">Here</a>'s their version of cinnamon rolls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img height="640" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10882132_10153978630442925_5765075943271628500_n.jpg?oh=09707bb3304aa05a8b9062419fb67f7b&oe=553F8BFB&__gda__=1429752557_d952e05f1c38c3f17e6d14a9abfbf22a" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Cooling on the rack, pre-frosting.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Makes: 24<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Time: all day<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For the bread.<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Start with 1.5 cups all purpose flour, you’ll add more later<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1.5 cups wholemeal spelt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1.5 cups rolled/porridge oats<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">450mls water</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I packet / 12g dry yeast</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1/4 cup sugar</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">50g butter melted<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1Tbsp cinnamon</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1Tbsp honey or molasses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For the filling - measurements are to taste<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As much cinnamon as you want - about 5-7 Tbsps<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">About 150-250g butter, soft<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">About 2 - 2 1/2 cups soft brown sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For the frosting, type 1<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Combine the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">100g cream cheese (optional)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">50g soft butter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1 cup icing sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1tsp vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For the frosting, type 2<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Combine the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">100g butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1/2</span> cup icing sugar</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1 tsp cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1 tsp vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Proof the yeast: warm water, dissolve sugar, add yeast, leave to proof (5 minutes or so)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Add all the dry ingredients, butter and yeast water to a large bowl and mix well. It will be wet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Cover and set to rise in a warm place (30-40 degrees C) for 1.5 - 2 hours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Watch a film.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118694/?ref_=nv_sr_1"><img src="http://image.toutlecine.com/photos/i/n/0/in-the-mood-for-love-06-g.jpg" height="454" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>At this point, after rising, the dough can be refrigerated, overnight or up to 3 days.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Knock back: mix in the butter, cinnamon, honey/molasses and enough extra all-purpose flour to make the dough the right texture (dry enough to roll out - this can be anything from 1/2 - 2 cups, depending on the flour and the humidity). If it becomes too dry, add more warm water. Knead as necessary. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Cut in half and roll out to a rectangle less than 1cm thick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Make a paste out of the butter, cinnamon and sugar, quantities to taste. Spread half the paste over the surface of the dough, leave one edge clear by about two cms. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Add dried fruit or chopped nuts at this point, if you want.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Roll up, not too tightly, towards the clear edge - this will be the edge to seal the roll. Wet the clear edge before sealing. Cut off slices, about 1.5 cms thick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Place in a greased and lined baking tray with high sides. Leave 1cm gap around each roll. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Repeat with the other half of the dough (or freeze, or refrigerate, or bake as a loaf...)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Cover the rolls with baking paper, so that each roll is covered (they will burn in the oven if not covered). Cover with a towel and leave to rise for 30 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>At this point, refrigerate overnight, if you want.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Heat the oven to 180C and bake for 25-30 minutes, leaving the baking paper on throughout.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Allow to cool slightly before frosting.</span></div>
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Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-45221488889910046362014-12-04T10:07:00.000+01:002014-12-04T10:21:31.208+01:00Found <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In the pages of one of my notebooks, also bound for the fire, I found a few sketches, some of which I've posted below. And a fairytale! All from July 1998.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Df3NJt4atMEAwjTaaOF4EYZlL5TsazNH2uFkssxO_uxouzpKfVvqJiDjZuhSqMIzf6YZCljZPEhwCjtSvHa1srzNcSwBRFo0vMRPKgH2DKIYlXF4DcnEYYm_jkMtlSbCRIFF5fTvUoDe/s1600/++++++.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Df3NJt4atMEAwjTaaOF4EYZlL5TsazNH2uFkssxO_uxouzpKfVvqJiDjZuhSqMIzf6YZCljZPEhwCjtSvHa1srzNcSwBRFo0vMRPKgH2DKIYlXF4DcnEYYm_jkMtlSbCRIFF5fTvUoDe/s1600/++++++.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0n0PYGn73MxGFpHXYEJbt-XT9MmsZn2IhtBKVyNIgYhU8t_ZTe-D03kGg9L7-iSBv0XVCtptuEy6hH37zei7DRHJpXLEbwJaEluWHrIYYWFdm2bxTQIq-iUGWeL4Myy7QNFqnOxvfX4Dp/s1600/WP_20141204_09_17_57_Pro+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0n0PYGn73MxGFpHXYEJbt-XT9MmsZn2IhtBKVyNIgYhU8t_ZTe-D03kGg9L7-iSBv0XVCtptuEy6hH37zei7DRHJpXLEbwJaEluWHrIYYWFdm2bxTQIq-iUGWeL4Myy7QNFqnOxvfX4Dp/s1600/WP_20141204_09_17_57_Pro+1.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
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Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-82264562753706073632014-12-03T13:28:00.003+01:002014-12-04T10:20:38.638+01:00Journal Burning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In the spirit of minimalism and letting go of the past, I decided it was time to burn my journals.<br />
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I decided to destroy them a while ago, and today, due to a lack of fire wood, I decided to have a go. I had a conversation with my daughter a long time ago, instructing her that I didn't want her or anyone else to read my journals (in case something happened to me before I had a chance to destroy them). She said I could have them buried with me. A good idea, I thought, but why hold on to any of it any longer?<br />
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The photographs are a little blurry because of the low light.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7S9vCI3vJ3JyfvARUmC3o5hoRaZimXZny4aMbiKxxC-gQ5iPlfE8UhfuLtAlcPU1vHC_SM3jP8YF2ZMjGvEbn8dZpzjlSzUY7jMfpmlu7bO82ENrZbpfP-Oy5PvRLr0AHEfFbr0ROFlMx/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7S9vCI3vJ3JyfvARUmC3o5hoRaZimXZny4aMbiKxxC-gQ5iPlfE8UhfuLtAlcPU1vHC_SM3jP8YF2ZMjGvEbn8dZpzjlSzUY7jMfpmlu7bO82ENrZbpfP-Oy5PvRLr0AHEfFbr0ROFlMx/s1600/11.jpg" height="462" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2001, the worst year of my life, soon committed to flame.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZg5tFHFNbMknzRP-lQ_9UqayspxwTaSLzsODqLbOlwn1mEsyVM-VV7gVisfUE6EWguFbx64D1vt8BmIGtF_p_r6z0enBkOBiCYTFU_jPuDBoEyE4rnRF3lAAazu1fYDUJyO0-hpWA326o/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZg5tFHFNbMknzRP-lQ_9UqayspxwTaSLzsODqLbOlwn1mEsyVM-VV7gVisfUE6EWguFbx64D1vt8BmIGtF_p_r6z0enBkOBiCYTFU_jPuDBoEyE4rnRF3lAAazu1fYDUJyO0-hpWA326o/s1600/02.jpg" height="458" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After finding some unused notes and a precious photograph of the kids, <br />
I meticulously went through each journal to prevent the destruction of any other hidden treasures.</td></tr>
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I got through all but three journals yesterday. The sheer volume of paper meant that the wood burner just couldn't handle them all at once. Today, the task will be completed.<br />
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Freedom.</div>
Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-51774822888954229832014-11-01T23:01:00.001+01:002014-11-01T23:01:11.977+01:00Gracious Space<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122977" height="749" src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-8.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; line-height: 23.9939994812012px; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I recently came across these images of an apartment in Brazil. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Words can't really express the affinity I feel with the space. I am happier merely for having seen that it exists.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://design-milk.com/real-parque-loft-by-diego-revollo/">Original post</a> by </span><a href="http://design-milk.com/author/caroline/" rel="author" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; line-height: 1em;" title="Posts by Caroline Williamson">Caroline Williamson</a><span style="line-height: 1em;"> for </span><a href="http://design-milk.com/" style="line-height: 1em;">Design Milk</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://design-milk.com/real-parque-loft-by-diego-revollo/diego-revollo-parkloft-1/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black;" target="_self"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo" src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-1.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; width: 640px;" /></span></a><a class="contrast-bar gallery-button" href="http://design-milk.com/real-parque-loft-by-diego-revollo/diego-revollo-parkloft-1/" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s ease-in-out; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: white; display: block; left: 0px; line-height: 25px; padding: 0px 10px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; text-transform: uppercase; transition: background-color 0.2s ease-in-out; width: 320px;" target="_self"><span class="icon ss-icon" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-left-radius: 50%; border-bottom-right-radius: 50%; border-top-left-radius: 50%; border-top-right-radius: 50%; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: block; height: 16px; line-height: 18px; margin-top: -20px; position: absolute; right: 10px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; white-space: nowrap; width: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">FORWARD</span></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Brazilian architect and designer <a href="http://www.diegorevollo.com.br/index.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black;" target="_blank">Diego Revollo</a> recently completed the <a href="http://www.diegorevollo.com.br/realparque.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black;" target="_blank">Real Parque Loft</a> in a residential neighborhood of São Paulo, Brazil. The space was reconfigured from its original, broken up floor plan to an open, loft-like space. They chose a burned cement coating for the floors, walls, and ceilings to give it an overall uniform look, which lends itself to the modern aesthetic the owner was looking for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span id="more-122968" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122971" height="334" src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-2.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">With most of the surfaces being a gray tone, they made sure not to let it be too cold with the finished color. Warm reddish-toned woods and pops of color were brought in to bring a more natural balance to the space.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122972" height="332" src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-3.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The wall shelving unit visually ties into the open shelf by the front door.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122973" height="704" src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-4.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122974" height="320" src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-5.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Love the way the wooden table cuts right through the countertop.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122975" height="329" src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-6.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The tube exhaust vent above the stove works so much better in this small space than a bulky traditional unit would.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122976" height="749" src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-7.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122977" height="749" src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-8.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122978" height="754" src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-9.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This shelf creates an entryway and separates the entrance from the living room, while still remaining open.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122979" height="739" src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-10.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122980" height="334" src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-11.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122981" height="346" src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-12.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I love how the bathtub is open to the bedroom making the space appear larger. Plus, it just looks cool.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122982" height="746" src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-13.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">An Oasis Blue limestone was used throughout the bathroom because the color is similar to the interior surfaces of the loft.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122983" height="741" src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-14.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122984" height="758" src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-15.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122985" height="735" src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-16.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122986" height="757" src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-17.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo in main interior design architecture Category" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122987" height="731" src="http://3.design-milk.com/images/2012/11/Diego-Revollo-ParkLoft-18.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; width: 640px;" title="Real Parque Loft by Diego Revollo Photo" width="500" /></span></div>
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Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-72753590378845398322014-10-27T10:25:00.001+01:002014-10-27T10:26:29.376+01:00First Home Essentials - A Checklist<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My lovely daughter has just moved into her first proper home - her own place, a grown up, unfurnished, one bedroomed flat.<br />
<br />
We've talked about everthing a person needs when moving into their first home - the essential, basic stuff, like a bed and a duvet, scissors and a spoon (at the very least a spoon).<br />
<br />
So I looked to see if there was such a list online. I found some ridiculous ones, like <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/trulia/2014/04/02/the-essential-move-in-must-have-list-for-your-first-place/">this one</a>, which lists for the kitchen measuring cups and spoons, but not a saucepan.<br />
<br />
So, I decided to make one, to print and send.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisN-fLxNUoEGt2c1NfVQpubN1sa7DxSIShjLOSEslfQO2ucESWBKxGptpNg4h0R7kLE_Uil5Rw7ZuIDtZKEY2h7bVVpusbS76D6NMA4xYjBGEFpiG4fY2QyBLPUSX8WCJPFdquDGxaLvpz/s1600/home+essentials.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisN-fLxNUoEGt2c1NfVQpubN1sa7DxSIShjLOSEslfQO2ucESWBKxGptpNg4h0R7kLE_Uil5Rw7ZuIDtZKEY2h7bVVpusbS76D6NMA4xYjBGEFpiG4fY2QyBLPUSX8WCJPFdquDGxaLvpz/s1600/home+essentials.jpg" height="640" width="468" /></a></div>
<br />
The list isn't finished yet, but there will be an empty table on the back for adding items by hand.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7081356888191299223.post-22566331848211388152014-10-27T10:12:00.000+01:002014-10-27T10:12:03.185+01:00A Woman's (Parent's) Work...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This morning, before leaving for school, Noah said, "It's alright for you, you can just stay at home."<br />
<br />
Hm.<br />
<br />
I began to explain what it means to be a parent, that I am actually at work when I'm at home and that I don't get weekends or holidays or Christmas or even evenings. I explained, as many parents before me have explained, that I am at work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99SJrxWjM_ZhSEX2-SZxR-z2fq1dtWBxj1Nl8XjxRQw73eB3xH-m8VNjpz3wss2VzlcLhMzFBux-wR3lT6sJ1Y0ZVc7CQ6DRX0lDcC6MmFVXBMaUh6Sm8k73ChvC7jo2HGr0zN__RYwWZ/s1600/WOMAN'S%2BWORK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99SJrxWjM_ZhSEX2-SZxR-z2fq1dtWBxj1Nl8XjxRQw73eB3xH-m8VNjpz3wss2VzlcLhMzFBux-wR3lT6sJ1Y0ZVc7CQ6DRX0lDcC6MmFVXBMaUh6Sm8k73ChvC7jo2HGr0zN__RYwWZ/s1600/WOMAN'S%2BWORK.jpg" height="640" width="452" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
He just looked at me, eyes wide. I had his attention, so I continued.<br />
<br />
"For example," I said, and I began to list a few of the chores and tasks I have before me this morning,<br />
"... and then when you get home, I need to help you with your homework and start preparing the dinner."<br />
<br />
I asked him then, "Can you remember some of the chores I need to do today?"<br />
He remember the first three.<br />
<br />
"That's why I need to write a list!" I said.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_y2SXTaT5hPjWa6LJDNF-f4PJz7NrxIfCXohOmVehK7IcRpUBJwqd_uCoedKUw2NYn8f5CUfGQJLhqMip2_bxCBWCbhfDDQ3XvkhlyOfxiU8c8eLAnF0E0VjZVpwMyAeMsATc1xm48ryV/s1600/WP_20141027_003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_y2SXTaT5hPjWa6LJDNF-f4PJz7NrxIfCXohOmVehK7IcRpUBJwqd_uCoedKUw2NYn8f5CUfGQJLhqMip2_bxCBWCbhfDDQ3XvkhlyOfxiU8c8eLAnF0E0VjZVpwMyAeMsATc1xm48ryV/s1600/WP_20141027_003.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Incomplete list of the days responsibilities.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I can add, 'write blog post' to this list now, too.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Karen Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043837445074875399noreply@blogger.com0