CasaSugar

AROMAS FROM HEAVEN

Monique Marie — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:30:41 -0800

Want to buy some candles that actually smell up a room and tired of paying over $20 for just one candle? Even though these candles are a little more than I would pay for on a daily basis, I really LOVE these candles. They are all home made and they really smell up a room and last forever. Plus, I guess I am a little bias because the candles that I bought were from an elderly gentleman trying to make some money. He was at the only booth out of the whole entire fair that did not have a fan or an awning and it was at least 80 degrees out. I could tell that he used most of his money to buy himself a spot. This company not only produces high quality, good smelling candles, but they are one of the nicest companies I have dealt with. So, if you are looking for some candles as presents or just would like to buy some candles, check this site out.

www.aromasfromheaven.org

16 oz candle is $14.00 Below are the scents they come in.

Almond / Amaretto / Amber Romance / Ambrosia / Angel Whisper's / Angel Wing's / Apple / Apple Blossom / Apple Cinnamon / Apple Fritter / Apple Pie / Apples & Berries / Apples & Clove / Apples & Oak / Apricot / Apricot Freesia / Aroma Therapy / Autumn Afternoon / Autumn Leaves / Baby Magic / Baby Powder / Banana / Banana Nut Bread / Bayberry / Bedazzled / Bergamont / Berries Jubilee / Berry Cobbler / Beulah Land / Birthday Cake / Blackberry / Blackberry Cheesecake / Blackberry Tea / Black Cherry / Black Raspberry Vanilla / Blue Lagoon / Blueberry / Blueberry Cheesecake / Blueberry Cream / Blueberry Muffin / Bounce / Brown Sugar / Brown Sugar & Fig / Brown Sugar & Spice / Bubble Gum / Buttercream Frosting / Butterfly Kisses / Buttermilk Pancakes / Butternut Cookies / Butterscotch / Butterscotch Candy / Buttery Toffee / Buttery Vanilla / Calm / Candy Cane / Candy Corn / Cantaloupe / Cappuccino / Caribbean Cool / Carmel Apple / Carmel Toffee / Carnation / Carrot Cake / Cedar / Chamomile / Chamomile & Lavender / Chanel #5 / Cherry / Cherry Almond / Cherry Blossom / Cherry Cheesecake / Cherry Cream / Cherry Jubilee / Cherry Vanilla / China Rain / Chocolate / Chocolate Cake / Chocolate Chip Cookie / Chocolate Covered Cherry / Chocolate Mint / Chocolate Mint Cookie / Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup / Christmas Clove / Christmas Cookie / Christmas Essence / Christmas Eve / Christmas Spice / Christmas Splendor / Christmas Tree / Christmas Wreath / Cinnamon / Cinnamon Bun / Cinnamon Candy / Cinnamon & Cedar / Cinnamon & Clove / Cinnamon Crunch / Cinnamon Pear / Cinnamon Rose / Cinnamon Spice / Cinnamon Styx / Citrus Blast / Clean Cotton / Clove / Coconut / Coconut Cream / Coconut Lime / Coconut Lime Verbina / Coffee / Coffee Cake / Concord Grape / Cookie Jar / Cool Water / Cotton Blossom / Cotton Candy Red / Cotton Candy Blue / Cotton Cany Vanilla / Country Berry Hot Cakes / Country Clothesline / Country Fresh / Country Spice / Cranberry / Cranberry Ice / Cranberry Orange / Cranberry Plum Cranberry Spice / Creme Brulee / Cucumber & Cantaloupe / Cucumber Melon / Daddodil / Diane's Garden / Dogwood / Downy / Dragon's Blood (Flower) / Drakkar / Dream Angel / Deaamsickle / Dutch Apple Crunch / Egg Nog / Egyptian Musk / Elf Toots / Emerald Pear / English Lavender / Eucalyptus / Eucalyptus Leaf / Euphoria / Exotica / FaBreeze / Fall Fruit / Fantasy Fruit / Field of Dreams / Fireside / Fireside Apple Pie / Fireside Embers / Fireside Pumpkin / First Snow / Frankincense / Frankincense & Myrhh / Freesia / French Toast / French Vanilla / French Vanilla Coffee / Fresh & Clean / Fresh Baked Bread / Fresh Clover / Fresh Cut Grass / Fresh Cut Roses / Fresh Linen / Fresh Rain / Fresh Squeezed Orange / Fried Ice Cream / Fruit Slices / Fuzzy Navel / Gardenia / Georgia Peach / Gingerbread / Gingerbread Spice / God's Love / Golden Delicious Apple / Grandma's Kitchen / Grapefruit / Green Apple / Green Clover & Aloe / Green Tea / Green Tea & Ginger / Green Tea & Cucumber / Harvest / Harvest Berries / Harvest Spice / Hawaiian Delight / Hawaiian Ginger / Hawaiian Paradiese / Hawthorne / Hawthorne & Dogwood / Hazelnut / Hazelnut Coffee / Heart's Song / Heather / Heaven / Heavenly Angel / Holly Berry / Home For The Holidays / Home Sweet Home / Honeydew Melon / Honeysuckle / Hot Apple Cider / Hot Baked Apple Pie / Hot Buttered Rum / Hot Cider & Cinnamon / Hot Cinnamon Apples / Hot Cocoa / Hot Fudge Brownies / Hot Maple Toddy / Hyacinth / Hydrangia / Irish Cream / Island Paradise / Issey Miyake / Jade / Jasmine / Jelly Bean / Juniper Breeze / Kahlua & Cream / Kitchen Spices / Kiss Me All Over / Kiwi / Lady Bug / Lavender / Lavender & Violet / Leather Black / Leather Brown / Lemon / Lemon Cake / Lemon Lime / Lemon Lime Verbina / Lemongrass / Lilac / Lilly of The Valley / Lime / Love / Love Spell vs type / Macintosh Apple / Magnolia / Mango / Mango & Mandarin / Mango & Papaya / Maple Brown Sugar / Maple Pecan / Maraschino Cherry / Meditation / Mid Night Musk / Mid Summer Night / Mint Chocolate / Mintolyptus / Mistletoe / Mixes Berries / Mocha Cream / Mountain Berries / Mount Laurel / Mountain Lodge / Mountain Mist / Mulberry / Mulberry Spice / Mulled Cider / Mulled Wine / Muscadine / Musk / Myrhh / Natures Embrace / Nilla Scotchy / Noble Fir / Nutmeg / Oatmeal Raisin Cookie / Obsession / Obession & Patchouli / Ocean Breeze / Odor Eliminator / Old Fashion Christmas / Orange / Orange Blossom / Orange Clove / Orange Dreamsickle / Orange Sherbert / Passion Fruit / Patchouli / Peach / Peaches & Cream / Peanut Butter Cookie / Peanut Butter CUp / Pear / Pears & Berries / Pecan Pie / Peony / Peony & Tulip / Peppermint / Pina Colada / Pine Forest / Pine Mountain / Pine Needles / Pineapple / Pineapple Upside Down Cake / Pineapple Paradise / Pineapple Verbina / Pink Grapefruit / Pink Grapefruit & Jasmine / Pink Lemonade / Pleasures / Plum Pudding / Plumeria / Pomegranite / Potpouri / Primrose / Pumpkin Harvest / Pumpkin Pie / Pumpkin Pie Spice / Pumpkin Spice / Rain Tree / Red Currant / Red Hots Candy / Relaxations / Roodbeer / Rose / Rose & Sweet Pea / Rudolph's Kisses / Sage / Sage & Citrus / Sandalwood / Sassafrass / Sea Breeze / Serintiy / Sleighbells / Smoke Eliminator / Snickerdoodle / Spearmint / Spice / Spice Cake / Spiced Apples / Spiced Cider / Spiced Mulberry / Spiced Orange / Spiced Patchouli / Spiced Pear / Spiced Raspberry / Spicy Apple Pie / Storm Watch / Spring Flowers / Spring Rain / Spring Showeres / Strawberry / Strawberry Champagne / Strawberry Kiwi / Strawberry Margarita / Strawberry Patchouli / Strawberry Shortcake / Sugar Bear / Sugar Cookie / Summer Rain / Sun Ripened Raspberry / Sunflower / Sweet Almond / Sweet Cinnamon / Sweet Cream / Sweet Dreams / Sweet Pea / Sweet Pea & Lilly / Sweet Pea & Patchouli / Tangerine Dreams / Tea Rose / Toasted Marshmellow / Tootsie Roll / Tropical Fruit / Tulips / Vanilla / Vanilla Bean / Vanilla Cinnamon / Vanilla Clove / Vanilla Cookie / Vanilla Jasmine / Vanilla Hazelnut / Vanilla Heather / Vanilla Ice / Vanilla Lace / Vanilla Lavender / Vanilla Patchouli / Vanilla Pumpkin / Vanilla Sandalwood / Vanilla Spice / Verbina / Very Sexy / Violets / Warm Summer Day / Warm Vanilla Sugar / Watermelon / Wedding Cake / White Eucalyptus / White Diamonds / White Linen / White Tea / White Tea & Ginger / Wild Berries / Winter Pear / Wisteria

There are other sizes and soy candles available, plus oil for oil burners. Check the site out, they have some awesome stuff.

Proposed 9/11 Memorial In Kent Causing Stir

Roarman — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:45:25 -0800

It is a bright, Indian summer afternoon in the Litchfield Hills, and the downtown streets of this tourist mecca look invitingly peaceful.

But the communication lines connecting First Selectwoman Ruth Epstein to the outside world have been anything but peaceful for two weeks as the passions aroused by the 9/11 tragedy have turned Kent into a national lightning rod over terrorism, Islam and the role towns should play in memorializing the dead.

Epstein, a former journalist who is stepping down after two terms as first selectwoman, was approached more than a year ago by Peter Gadiel, the father of James Gadiel, a young Kent native who worked as a trader in the World Trade Center and perished in the 2001 terrorist attacks. Gadiel suggested that the town consider erecting a plaque at town hall in memory of his lost son.

"I told Gadiel that I thought that was a fine idea because Jamie Gadiel was a lovely young man who had grown up in town and we all knew from the schools," Epstein said. "All we needed to decide was where the memorial should go and what would be the wording on the plaque."

But negotiations broke down this summer after Gadiel contacted Epstein with this proposed wording: "James Gadiel, lifelong resident of Kent, murdered in the World Trade Center by Muslim terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001."

Epstein said that she felt torn between the legitimate request of a family for a memorial, and what she felt certain would be objections by residents to the "inflammatory tone" of the proposed plaque. She turned for help to Selectman Bruce Adams, a popular retired history teacher who had taught James Gadiel at the Kent public schools and will succeed Epstein as first selectman this month.

Together, Epstein and Adams researched the wording on other 9/11 memorials. They could find no reference to "Muslim terrorists" or similar language, but they continued talking with Gadiel to reach an agreement. But when those talks broke down, the board of selectmen voted in September against using Gadiel's wording on a plaque that would be displayed on town property.

"Language is extremely important, and words can either heal or hurt people," Epstein said. "And we just didn't feel that this proposed wording reflected the diverse, welcoming town that Kent has come to be."

Epstein said she was particularly concerned because Kent has three private schools with many foreign students and a lively community of artists and writers. She was concerned that the proposed wording might offend Muslims who work in or visit Kent.

Gadiel, the volunteer director for a 9/11 victims' group, 9/11 Families for a Secure America Foundation, protested the selectmen's decision in an October op-ed piece in the Litchfield County Times, and the controversy soon went viral on conservative websites and Fox News.

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly devoted a segment of his show on Sept. 29 to the Gadiel plaque and has vowed that he'll charter a bus and "march into Kent" if the town doesn't agree to Gadiel's proposed wording.

Gadiel said he believes there has been a deliberate movement across the country to "deny" that Arab terrorists attacked the World Trade Center, a suppression of the truth that Gadiel said has deeply offended those who lost family members in the 2001 attacks. Memorials for 9/11 victims from New York to California, Gadiel said, have consistently failed to identify the terrorists who caused the tragedy.

"This is political correctness in the extreme because they make it sound like these buildings just collapsed," he said.

"If you look at Holocaust memorials around the world, they do mention the German perpetrators. The Pearl Harbor memorial does not mention the Japanese, but the museum all around the memorial is all about the rise of Japanese militarism in the 1940s. So, there's been no attempt to whitewash history elsewhere, but with 9/11 there is this pattern of denying the perpetrators."

Over the past two weeks, after attacks on Epstein and Kent on conservative blogs, and then the O'Reilly show, Epstein has been flooded with e-mails and phone messages from across the country, most of them critical of the town's position.

"I hope you and your family are murdered by terrorists," one e-mail to Epstein read. Another said: "Hope your town is the first to fall in a nuclear holocaust."

John Milnes Baker, a Kent architect, is one of the few residents of Kent who has surfaced to agree with Gadiel. In an e-mail to Epstein Monday, Baker wrote: "To sanitize this memorial in the name of politically correct 'sensitivity' to the imagined feelings of purported 'Muslim families who live and work in Kent or who might visit the community' is absurd."

But, during a walking tour of downtown Kent on Monday, few people agreed with this position.

Jerry White is a veteran of the Korean conflict and a former Army reservist who served on the committee that just spent two years raising funds for a new war memorial on Maple Avenue in Kent. He was given Kent's Veteran of the Year award this year, and seems to confirm Epstein's conclusion that most residents support the selectmen's position.

"I spent a year fighting in Korea, but that doesn't make me hate the Chinese," White said. "Using wording like 'murdered by terrorists' isn't appropriate for a memorial. Language like that will just inflame Muslims, and Lord knows we've already got too many problems in the world to invite trouble like that."

Source: http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-kent-memorial-1110.artnov10,0...

Hellos !

RainieeSoh — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:14:06 -0700

Hellos readers ! Hmmm , first time doing this leyys . Just trying out niahh . Hmmm , today school ahhs . Morning waited for liwen , in the end she never come school -.- Dhen heng i never late leyys . Hahas , hmmm . Dhen ain dear dear message me say he got come school . He talking to marc . Dhen i chua tio ahh ! Dhen reach school see him emo siahh . Sadd , tell him dunt emo liao still emo . Arghhh ! I hurt him too much liaos . Haish , after that have morning assembly in classroom . After morning assembly is chinese period . Have listening comprehension exams . Arghh , me and jesslyn dunt understand a single word larhs . In the end , tikam larhs ! Hahas , hmmm . After chinese period is history period . Fall asleep while messaging ain and liwen . Hahas , cause too bored liaos After history , went for recess . Go down buy bread dhen eat at classroom with baby and accompanied by ain (: After eating bell ring , have maths period ! My favourite liaos ! After maths , science . Sleeping all the way . Last 15 minutes woke up and write down some notes if not mr terence scold me ahhs . Hahas , after school baby went my house . Went lot one eat first dhen went home . Hahas ! Ate fishball noodle with baby ! After that went home . Played maple and audition a while with baby . Talk talk dhen around 6pm he go home D: Hmmm , tomorrow sunday and monday no school . Super boring siahh ! Alamarkk ! Hmmm , ain ! Wish you happy hari raya worhs ! Hope i can go your house leyys ! Remember prepare green packet for me horhs ! Hehehehehe xD The end of the post , wahh ! So long siahh ! Bhyees people !

Rant I Can Get Behind

stephley — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:58:56 -0800

Published on Thursday, January 1, 2009 by CommonDreams.org
Go Upright And Vital And Speak The Rude Truth In All Ways
by Christopher Cooper

"Somebody got murdered on New Year's Eve; Somebody said dignity was the first to leave." They tell you in writing classes, I think, that it's poor policy to open an essay with a quotation. It makes your writing look weak. Your readers assume you couldn't find much within yourself so you had to go borrow something fine and shiny from a better writer. Maybe so, and maybe no shame in knowing when to ask for help.

But maybe, too, you might consider, if the author excavated down into his own sad soul here as the murky night of the dying year congeals into the hard and bitter beginning of this desperate and dangerous dawn, he'd drag out some hurts and fears so bloody and black that none of us would want to watch them writhe or hear their screams.

So how was it for you? 2008. Did you lose your job? Your health insurance (with its high deductible, offensive co-pay, various restrictions and exclusions, and extensive paperwork and frustrating telephone contacts with incompetent and uncaring company employees)? Or did your retirement fund evaporate or just reduce by half or so? Still think you can make a profit selling your house (or perhaps even sell it at all)? Do you think 2009 will be better?

It was a good year, '08, if you have a sense of humor. And if you don't, I guess I'm not talking to you, because the excessively sober and somber don't stop here at my little corner of the journalism carnival often, and when they do they stay only long enough to be offended so they can write to my editor and demand I be removed for the crime of negativity.

But no, really, how could you beat it? Millions died, many horribly. Millions more suffered, middle-class white Americans moaning about their pain, with the poor beat-down b*$tards of the Third World just taking it as they were starved, raped, shot, tortured (some of them by us or at our behest), infected, bombed (we got our share of those, too), butchered (and some probably eaten by crazy old Bob Mugabe), used, blamed, buried (or not), forgotten and ignored. Too bad Lenny Bruce isn't still alive to build a new routine from all this misery. Did you appreciate my opening line? The same author said this about Lenny: "...he sure was funny, and he sure told the truth, and he knew what he was talkin' about."

Well, I never had the money to invest in some shaky Wall Street instrument designed to keep me in my luxurious lifestyle through my golden years, so I didn't lose a nickel in the great stock market unraveling. So I could laugh all the way to the bank, so to speak, as the rest of you were redeposited in reality by your bursting bubble. They're coming fast aren't they-the bubbles? Dot-coms, housing, investment. And then to cap the quarter, some sleazoid running an outfit called Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (that would be Mr. Bernie Madoff his own self) indeed made off (I don't make this up, people!) with fifty billion dollars or so of money he'd sucked up in a giant, yet simple, classic Ponzi scheme, while Federal regulators were busy not regulating.

They had, in fact, spent the last three or four presidential terms deregulating because, haven't we been told since Ronald Reagan ran the show, "The Market knows best." Probably so. Bill Clinton assured us "The era of big government is over." The business of government is not to help the hurting and helpless, after all. Unless the sick and injured are giant corporations. Or investment banks. Or insurance companies.

But you were there. You saw the deals go down. You gasped in disbelief as professorial, careful Ben Bernanke and goofy, loose-canon Henry Paulson teamed up to deliver a few trillion dollars of money you and I haven't even earned yet to the crybaby capitalists who sat sadly before them and said it just wasn't fair that they should have to live or die according to market forces, however appropriate that might be for those of us picking hemlock boards off the green chain in the mud at N.C. Hunt's sawmill or sweeping the aisles and stocking canned goods at the Hannaford grocery conglomerate at three a.m.

At least we aren't fretting about the cost of our wars any more. And what a relief. Some hundreds of billions to prop up incompetent, crooked regimes, blow up wedding parties, and give the neighbors something to fight against. At least we don't have to kill those miserable creatures in Gaza ourselves, this Christmas. Israel is gunning down those it hadn't already starved. The score after some weeks of Hamas rocket fire and two days of Israeli bombing: about 270 to one. So much for eye-and-tooth proportionalism. Ah, but it's the Middle East! What can you do about that mess, after all? Just keep funding it, I guess.

And who cares about any of those old problems we briefly discussed back in the Sixties? Population growth, resource depletion, chemical pollution. No, it's gotta be death and destruction or profit and loss to get our attention now. "Do I understand your question, man, is it hopeless and forlorn?" Probably.

So it's a new year. Arbitrary, to be sure, but a turning, nonetheless. And this will be, a few optimists still tell me, a new start, a turning from the old, sick, tired ways to a new way of doing business, a better operating system, a leadership infused with hope and dedicated to change. Millions of us, after eight years of letting Dick Cheney ruin pretty much everything he touched (and Congress still unwilling to execute, impeach, or even investigate him), voted for change. Change. "Change We Can Believe In", initially, although by election day the signs has sagged into the less assertive, "Change We Need."

And then, in the weeks after the election, their votes and their volunteer hours and their dollars no longer in demand, a great many hard-working, well-intentioned, decent, honest, desperate believers and voters gagged and recoiled as their new president stocked his cabinet and agencies with warmongers, friends of Wall Street, allies of big business and the insurance industry, and supporters and creators of the status quo. The crowds will be thick in the streets on inauguration day as Rick Warren prays to his God for great things to be delivered to America (except, perhaps, for its sinful, abomination-in-the-eyes-of-God homosexuals). We do still love a celebration. But the oil of doubt now clouds the once pure contents of our bucket of hope and change.

I've thought about everything we've experienced during this crazy year and for these terrible two terms, and really, I'd say ever since good old goofy Jimmy Carter wobbled out of the White House and picked up his Habitat hammer, making room for the Twenty Mule Team actor and his flaky wife and his crooked henchmen to crank up the engine that Bill Clinton gunned down the track and George Bush throttled off the rails. The doctrine of American Exceptionalism has brought us to this ruin. "We're Number One." We've got the dead and the debt to prove it.

And it's throw thirteen billion (for now) to the Motor City managers and throw twice the current number of our young men and women into Afghanistan, says the new Big Fool. Had enough from the Voice Of A Generation? Don't want a nice line from "Masters Of War?" OK. Here's how Afghanistan looked to a songwriter at the fading of a different empire: When "the women come out to cut up what remains, just roll to your rifle and blow out your brains, and go to your God like a soldier." Unless, perhaps, you're a queer soldier, in which case ask the President-elect's new preacher friend what might become of your immortal soul after Secretary Gates has yer filthy hide shipped home.

Here's where I think we stand on 1/1/09. And I think, despite everything I've just said and a great deal more I haven't, that it's a better vantage point and a more promising threshold than we crossed a year ago or in many years. We may finally have lost our faith. Faith in our innate and provable superiority. Faith in whatever simulacra of whole and good human beings fill the seats in Congress. Faith in the great Capitalist System. Faith in money. Faith in guns and rockets and force and power. Faith, even, for some, in God or some other god or gods or great spirits. "You can waste your summer praying in vain for a savior to rise from these streets."

Not all of us, to be sure. And not in everyone to such a degree as in some. But surely even the average voter, a typical citizen, an office worker, a union man, a shopper, a school board or budget committee member does not now see his or her country or the world in the same way as it appeared even six months ago. We can see that the old ways have not served us. We may hope to find the wit and the will to immediately reject any who will propose to give us more of what has dragged us down.

The ice storm last week and the high winds a few days later tore thousands of pounds of pine limbs and dead oak branches from my woods. It is true that in falling they smashed some rhododendrons and reconfigured a couple Japanese maples in the understory. But a lot of crap has been cleared. More light will fall on the forest floor come spring. My pines will begin making clear wood over their wounds. I cannot live illusioned that my property is static or flawless. Change must come to these woods whether I choose to prune and pick up and prepare for the next storm or not. Change will come without a bumper sticker or a billboard or an invocation or an address because change is the way of the world. We can only hope to ride it in a decent and dignified direction.

The generals and giants of industry and their placeholders and action figures in Congress and the White House will tell you they're making the world a better, safer place for you. If 2009 is not the year when we require performance rather than promise, that year will come soon. It must, or we, as societies before us have gone, will go.

Letters appear from time to time arguing that I have nothing good to say. Well, you know, Hank Williams died on New Year's Day in 1953. And Hank had a hard life and he made it harder on himself. And he did tell us we'd never get out of this world alive. But he also wrote "I Saw The Light." You probably think, and he and his publishers intended that you think so, that the light was God. But it wasn't. It was an airport searchlight that Hank, drunk in the backseat again, saw as the car neared home. We've been through some dark nights. We've had terrible things done to us and we've been complicit in the whole sordid business far too long.

Let that light be, this new year, that of the returning sun. Of our return to reality. To our senses. Blind faith has robbed us and left us as children. Let Bruce sing us out: "Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and brokenhearted."

They say it's poor form to end with a quotation, too.
-------------

Bonsai Baby Steps - Your First Tree

Schaianne — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 22:39:57 -0700

Bonsai Baby Steps - Your First Tree
By Erik A. Olsen

Bonsai originated in China although it became popular when Buddhist monks took the art form to Japan where it became excessively popular. In Japanese, the name Bonsai translates to “tray gardening”, which is the growing and training of trees to create them in miniature form. While the process is beautiful and detailed, it takes years to develop a single tree.

If you were interested in trying your hand at bonsai, the first thing you need to do is get your hands on some excellent resources pertaining to soil, fertilizer, water, pots, and so on. In addition, you want to set yourself up for success from the beginning by choosing the right type of tree. To help get you started, we have provided information on some great considerations for your first bonsai tree.

Alpine Totara – This conifer is the perfect choice for zone 7. The appearance includes short, dark green needles. You can grow this bonsai in full sun although it also does well in partial shade. For fertilizer, the Alpine Totara needs to be fed before and during the active growing season only to fall. After that point, feeding should occur every two weeks, using water-soluble solutions with trace elements. As far as repotting, this bonsai does best in early spring months for about two to three years, keeping the tree in the same pot. At that time, the plant needs to be removed, along with the root ball. At that point, trim the root ball with sharp scissors, removing about one-half inch from the sides and bottom. Once done, the bonsai would be replanted in a new container with bonsai soil.

Chinese Quince – This deciduous makes a great outdoor bonsai that produces pink flowers with large yellow fruit. The nice aspect of this bonsai is its hardiness and long life. In fact, the tree looks more beautiful with age, actually looking elegant. For this bonsai, you want to grow in full sun to partial shade. However, it is important to keep the tree from direct sun, along with the cold winter months. In addition, the root ball system should never be allowed to dry out. As far as fertilizer, this should be prior to and during the active growing season. The one thing to keep in mind when growing the Chinese Quince is that the root system is highly aggressive, meaning it will require more frequent pruning.

Dwarf Bamboo – The interesting thing about growing this tree for bonsai is that the appearance is very different from what you typically think of associated with this art form. However, the Dwarf Bamboo is very hardy, has beautiful green leaves, and depending on the training, can grow upwards to 18 inches. You will find this tree grows best in bright but indirect light with a little bit of shade. For fertilizer, we highly recommend you use a liquid form in the spring when new growth appears. Once you get ready to repot the Dwarf Bamboo, it can be divided if you like.

Japanese Pagoda – This deciduous tree is a nice choice for people just getting started with bonsai. Since the tree is naturally small, it is relatively easy to work with. One of the most beautiful features of the Japanese Pagoda are the white to blue/violet flowers that bloom during the summer months coupled with the tiny leaves. For best growth, this tree likes full sun and partial shade, as well as fertilizing before and during the growing season, until fall when feeding is reduced. The three things to remember when choosing this tree for bonsai is that the root ball system should never dry completely, the tree does not like hot sun or cold winters, an the root system grows fast so it would need to be pruned more often.

Japanese Snowdrop – This deciduous tree is another that makes a great starter bonsai. The overall appearance of this tree is slender and elegant. The leaves are actually large in comparison to the trunk, often measuring up to three inches in length. The beautiful aspect of this tree is that during the fall, the edges of the leaves will turn a yellow or red, coupled with the growth of white flowers that have a magnificent fragrance. The key to successful growth is to use a water soluble fertilizer, grow in full sun to partial shade, never let the ball root system dry completely out, and prune every other year due to the aggressive root system.

Trident Maple – This deciduous tree is fast growing and while good for a beginner, it is a little more challenging. The leaves consist of three lobes, which are glossy, turning a gorgeous red in the fall. As with other deciduous trees, the Trident Maple should be grown in full sun to partial shade and the root ball system should never be allowed to dry out. As far as fertilizing, the best times are prior to and during the growing season until fall at which time the frequency is reduced. With an aggressively growing root system, this bonsai tree would need to be pruned annually.

Boxwood – In this species of trees, you will find a number of options. For instance, the Kingsville Dwarf is a great choice for people just getting started with growing bonsai. Falling within the evergreen family, this makes an excellent choice for outdoor growing. The Boxwood is a slow-growing broadleaf evergreen that produces small but bright green leaves. The bark on the trunk and branches is a beautiful contrasting white. Because the Boxwood requires little maintenance and is easy to grow, most bonsai experts recommend it without hesitation for those just getting started. Care requires semi-shade, regular watering and a liquid fertilizer with a 10/15/10 balance.

Green Mound Chinese Juniper – This conifer is a great outdoor species considered your “traditional bonsai” choice. The nice aspect of this tree is that it can be trained easily in just about any style you want. Regarding basic care, the Juniper prefers full sun to semi-shade and liquid fertilizer monthly or semi-monthly from spring until fall. With this being a slow growing tree, repotting is only required after three years.

Japanese White Pine – Also in the conifer family, the Japanese White Pine is a unique tree used for bonsai. As a five-needed pine, this tree grows relatively slow and is as broad as it is tall. This particular bonsai tree loves full sun and should be fertilized prior to and during the growing season. When repotting this particular tree, it is highly recommended this be done in the early part of spring but only after the tree has been grown in the original pot for two to three years.

When it comes to growing bonsai, the most important thing is to learn the basic steps of care first. For instance, you will need to learn the specific amount and frequency of watering, fertilizing, and pruning for each individual species since they can and do differ. Bonsai also must be repotted, generally within one to three years. During this time, the trees are maintained in their original container but once repotted they can be transferred to a smaller container.

The great thing about bonsai is that most species are suitable choices. The shaping and dwarfing of trees is accomplished through special training methods and then maintained through consistent care or pruning and trimming. Typically, aluminum or copper wiring is used to wrap around the trunk and branches, which keeps the tree in the desired shape until it eventually stays there on its own. Please keep in mind that growing bonsai is not like any other type of horticulture. These trees are not your ordinary houseplants but specially trained trees. Therefore, while the results are a magnificent work of art, it takes years to achieve the goal. However, the time and money spent is extremely rewarding.
http://www.bonsaigardener.org/bonsai-baby-steps.html

Pinots are Boring?

jenious — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:51:00 -0800

http://www.chow.com/stories/11408

Down with Boring Pinots
Genetic diversity makes for better wine

By Jordan Mackay

I‘m a sucker for fall foliage, but San Francisco, where I live, doesn’t get much of a show. So, taking Amtrak from Seattle down to Portland the other day, I was transfixed by the swaths of red, gold, yellow, and orange streaking by the window. As we sped down the line, I wondered why the leaves of one maple turn red while the oak right next to it is a lovely bronze. Nature’s love of diversity, I guess. And thank goodness, because if all the trees turned the same color at the same time those hillsides would be rather boring to look at-uniform blocks of nice fall colors, not that gorgeous pastiche.

Modern American vineyards are not like those northwestern forests. They are filled not with millions of trees that are slightly different from one another, but rather millions of plants that are exactly the same. And this sameness is the subject of an intense biodiversity debate. Recently, Allen Meadows, who writes a newsletter called Burghound, published an open letter to American Pinot Noir producers, saying that he thought that, in general, their wines had become boring. Eric Asimov of the New York Times also discussed the topic in a recent column.

As Pinot Noir’s popularity has exploded, California and Oregon vintners have rushed to get it in the ground. They purchase their baby vines from nurseries that offer a small selection of various USDA-approved clones. Some clones are known for early ripening, some for disease resistance, some for their cherry flavors. Then to ensure even ripening and for vineyard efficiency the winemakers plant these thousands of clones in blocks of the same soil, same orientation toward the sun (aspect), etc.

This practice can be contrasted with the way that Burgundian vineyards are typically replanted, which is by taking lots of clippings from an existing, mature vineyard and planting its great diversity of vines in a new place, thus replicating its quirks and variety. In California vineyards, all the identical clones in the same environment ripen at the same time, have the same flavor characteristics, and make a wine that tastes, well, boringly monodimensional. Conversely, in Burgundy, come harvest, some grapes will be more tart, some more ripe, some will be cherry flavored, some raspberry. To the contemporary American vintner all these irregularities are a headache, but to the French, vive la différence.

Some American vintners are starting to get it, and are making some of the loveliest, most complex Pinots in the country. Kevin Harvey of Rhys planted some of his vineyards with “suitcase clones”-varieties of plants of unknown or secret origin that were brought into the country without necessarily going through the USDA testing system. Tony Soter of Soter Vineyards isolated a clone he liked during his time as winemaker at Etude, which has a famous vineyard of heirloom clones that the winery’s collected over the years (and a wine called Heirloom made exclusively from that field). And Scott Wright of Scott Paul Wines has planted his new vineyard with four different clones mixed randomly in the vineyards. “People told me, ‘Hey, you’re not supposed to do it that way,’” Wright explains, “but I said that uniformity is exactly what we didn’t want.”

Pinot Noir is famously unstable genetically, which means that over time vines mutate in the vineyard. It thus creates its own diversity, promising that in time American Pinot vineyards will be as genetically varied as Burgundy’s and will make wines as beautifully complex as a perfect autumn forest. But who wants to wait that long for wine that isn’t boring?

Jordan Mackay is a San Francisco–based wine and spirits specialist whose work has appeared in publications such as Gourmet, the Los Angeles Times, Food & Wine, and Decanter. His Juice column appears every Thursday.

What tree did you fall from?

Shiloh Jolie Pitt — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:05:36 -0700

http://www.wowzone.com/whattree.htm

Find your birthday and its corresponding tree.
Then, see the meaning behind it below. Do you recognize yourself?

Dec 23 to Jan 01~ Apple Tree
Jan 02 to Jan 11~ Fir Tree
Jan 12 to Jan 24~ Elm Tree
Jan 25 to Feb 03~ Cypress Tree
Feb 04 to Feb 08~ Poplar Tree
Feb 09 to Feb 18~ Cedar Tree
Feb 19 to Feb 28~ Pine Tree
Mar 01 to Mar 10~ Weeping Willow Tree
Mar 11 to Mar 20~ Lime Tree
Mar 21~ Oak Tree
Mar 22 to Mar 31~ Hazelnut Tree
Apr 01 to Apr 10~ Rowan Tree
Apr 11 to Apr 20~ Maple Tree
Apr 21 to Apr 30~ Walnut Tree
May 01 to May 14~ Poplar Tree
May 15 to May 24~ Chestnut Tree
May 25 to Jun 03~ Ash Tree
Jun 04 to Jun 13~ Hornbeam Tree
Jun 14 to Jun 23~ Fig Tree
Jun 24~ Birch Tree
Jun 25 to Jul 04~ Apple Tree
Jul 05 to Jul 14~ Fir Tree
Jul 15 to Jul 25~ Elm Tree
Jul 26 to Aug 04~ Cypress Tree
Aug 05 to Aug 13~ Poplar Tree
Aug 14 to Aug 23~ Cedar Tree
Aug 24 to Sep 02~ Pine Tree
Sep 03 to Sep 12~ Weeping Willow Tree
Sep 13 to Sep 22~ Lime Tree
Sep 23~ Olive Tree
Sep 24 to Oct 03~ Hazelnut Tree
Oct 04 to Oct 13~ Rowan Tree
Oct 14 to Oct 23~ Maple Tree
Oct 24 to Nov 11~ Walnut Tree
Nov 12 to Nov 21~ Chestnut Tree
Nov 22 to Dec 01~ Ash Tree
Dec 02 to Dec 11~ Hornbeam Tree
Dec 12 to Dec 21~ Fig Tree
Dec 22~ Beech Tree

APPLE TREE (the Love) - of slight build, lots of charm, appeal, and attraction, pleasant aura, flirtatious, adventurous, sensitive, always in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender partner, very generous, scientific talents, lives for today, a carefree philosopher with imagination.

ASH TREE (the Ambition) - uncommonly attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be egotistic, very reliable and trustworthy, faithful and prudent lover, sometimes brains rule over the heart, but takes partnership very seriously.

BEECH TREE (the Creative) - has good taste, concerned about its looks, materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion, keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.)

BIRCH TREE (the inspiration) - vivacious, attractive, elegant, friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.

CEDAR TREE (the Confidence) - of rare beauty, knows how to adapt, likes luxury, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, determined, impatient, likes to impress others, many talents, industrious, healthy optimism, waiting for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

CHESTNUT TREE (the Honesty) - of unusual beauty, does not want to impress, well-developed sense of justice, vivacious, interested, a born diplomat, but irritates easily and sensitive in company, often due to a lack of self confidence, acts sometimes superior, feels not understood loves only once, has difficulties in finding a partner.

CYPRESS TREE (the Faithfulness) - strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give, content, optimistic, craves money and acknowledgment, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered, unruly, pedantic, and careless.

ELM TREE (the Noble-mindedness) - pleasant shape, tasteful clothes, modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.

FIG TREE (the Sensibility) - very strong, a bit self-willed, independent, does not allow contradiction or arguments, loves life, its family, children and animals, a bit of a social butterfly, good sense of humor, likes idleness and laziness, of practical talent and intelligence.

FIR TREE (the Mysterious) - extraordinary taste, dignity, sophisticated, loves anything beautiful, moody, stubborn, tends to egoism but cares for those close to them, rather modest, very ambitious, talented, industrious, uncontented lover, many friends, many foes, very reliable.

HAZELNUT TREE (the Extraordinary) - charming, undemanding, very understanding, knows how to make an impression, active fighter for social cause, popular, moody, and capricious lover, honest, and tolerant partner, precise sense of judgment.

HORNBEAM TREE (the Good Taste) - of cool beauty, cares for its looks and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks for kindness and acknowledgement in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious.

LIME TREE (the Doubt) - accepts what life dishes out in a composed way, hates fighting, stress, and labor, dislikes laziness and idleness, soft and relenting, makes sacrifices for friends, many talents but not tenacious enough to make them blossom, often wailing and complaining, very jealous but loyal.

MAPLE TREE (Independence of Mind) - no ordinary person, full of imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.

OAK TREE (the Brave) - robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the ground, person of action.

OLIVE TREE (the Wisdom) - loves sun, warmth and kind feelings, reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful, calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of jealousy, loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.

PINE TREE (the Particular) - loves agreeable company, very robust, knows how to make life comfortable, very active, natural, good companion, but seldom friendly, falls easily in love but its passion burns out quickly, gives up easily, everything disappointments until it finds its ideal, trustworthy, practical.

POPLAR TREE (the Uncertainty) - looks very decorative, not very self-confident, only courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership seriously.

ROWAN TREE (the Sensitivity) - full of charm, cheerful, gifted without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.

WALNUT TREE (the Passion) - unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromise.

WEEPING WILLOW (the Melancholy) - beautiful but full of melancholy, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful and tasteful, loves to travel, dreamer, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with, demanding, good intuition, suffers in love but finds sometimes an anchoring partner.

A Poppy Idea

Jinx — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 06:01:08 -0700

Remembrance day is November 11th, and to show respect for the veterans, I like to wear a poppy .

They come with straight pins, and I am forever losing them, because they fall out and I don't notice. Either that, or I stab myself, or someone else with it.

Safety pins work, but its hard to make them look nice.

I now use a lapel pin, usually a Canadian flag, of maple leaf. You know the ones you can pick up at dollar stores, or in variety stores next to the check out.

Or, a plain stud earring in an appropriate colour can also work well.

And chances are you have one of those already laying around somewhere.

So get a poppy and wear it proudly, Lest we Forget.