When Dave told me that Ellie wants a pair of eskuche 33i headphones, I thought it would be easy to find reviews on them (I don’t want to buy anything that has bad reviews) so I went to YouTube (which is a place I tend to trust for reviews) and was disappointed (and frustrated) that I could not find any reviews on that particular set. On top of that, they don’t seem to be “in stock” at my favorite music supply website! So I guess I’m going to suggest to Dave that he ask Ellie if she has another choice that she would be happy with!
Mother’s Day
Well Mother’s Day is this weekend and I am getting a surprise ready for my mom and my boyfriends mom. I have invited them out to breakfast on Friday and we are going to meet here at my house. After breakfast I am taking them to a day spa for a full day of “the works”. My father and my boyfriend have helped pay for it. I am paying for my mom, my hunny is paying for his mom and my dad is paying for me. That helped a lot for sure. We all get to have a relaxing day and enjoy ourselves. I am so looking forward to this.
Environmental Law and Planning
As we have become more aware of the impact of human behaviour on the environment, certain regulations have been put in place to limit harmful behaviours. One example is within planning and construction.
Planning
Planning refers to the way that we use our land, and how we control in which areas we can build and develop. It affects each of us to a greater or lesser extent. It might be that your local council intends to allow a new housing or business development in your area, or it may be that you wish to extend your house and require planning permission.
Planning permission
You do not actually need a solicitor in order to apply for planning permission. You can do it yourself, or you may find that your builder or architect will include the application in their services. If you have any concerns with regards to your planning application, or you wish to ensure that you are fully aware of any policy issues which may affect you, it would be wise to seek legal advice; you may find the assistance that you are looking for via the Free Legal Advice Centre.
If you are unsure how to go about applying for planning permission, or if you even need it, you can contact your local planning authority. A planning officer will normally be willing to arrange to discuss your development plans with you. They can, for example, let you know whether your development counts as a permitted development – in which case you will not require planning permission – or whether you should apply for outline planning permission or full planning permission.
Planning appeals
It may be the case that you are on the other side of the fence, so to speak. Whether it is a large development that is planned by the local council, or a construction company, or a relatively small change to your neighbour’s property, you have the right to object to a planning application.
In the case of a large development there are some key steps to follow to ensure that you write a clear and precise objection letter:
· Thoroughly research the planning application
· Be clear about your reasons for objecting –
o Protected trees
o Privacy/overlooking
o Ground stability/drainage
o Non-compliance with other council planning policies
· Research previous decisions, e.g. typical reasons your council cites for refusing proposals.
This is not an exhaustive guide, by any means, but there are some great resources out there if you feel that any large development may contravene environmental regulations in some way.
If it is your neighbour’s planning application to which you wish to object, there are a few things worth bearing in mind:
· Any potentially adverse effect on the value of your property is irrelevant
· Being overlooked, overshadowed, or losing your privacy are grounds for complaint
· Your objection will be more effective if you are not alone in officially lodging your opposition
· Petitions, however, are irrelevant.
Anyone thinking of applying for planning permission should be prepared to consider the impact that their development may have on the local environment.
Saving money
It’s no secret that I like to save money. I will comparison shop, and clip coupons, and look for discount codes until the cows come home! I’ve already started to do some comparison shopping on a Jem7v for Chuck’s birthday, and I have to say that I’m disappointed that the guitar is so expensive. I know it is a high-end guitar, and you get what you pay for, but even with a sale price that knocks about 25% off the price, the guitar is more expensive than I expected it to be! I’m going to have to have a chat with Chuck and see if he is willing to chip in some money towards it himself.
Sounds like my kind of doctor
A friend of mine sent me this and I don’t know just how true it is or if this doctor even exists but he sure sounds like my kind of doctor!!
His practice has no room for new patients! Now, he’s a medical wizard! I love this Doctor
Q: Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Heart only good for so many beats, and that it… Don’t waste on exercise. Everything wear out eventually. Speed up heart not make live longer; that like say you can extend life of car by driving faster. Want live longer? Take nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does cow eat? Hay and corn. What are these? Vegetables. So, steak nothing more than efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef also good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And pork chop can give 100% recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine. That means they take water out of fruity bit; get even more of goodness that way. Beer also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: If you have body and you have fat, ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Cannot think of single one, sorry. My philosophy: No Pain…Good!
Q: Aren’t fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU NOT LISTENING!!! …. Foods fried in vegetable oil. How getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise muscle, it get bigger. You should only do sit-ups if want bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: You crazy? HELLO …. Cocoa beans! Vegetable!!! Cocoa beans best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming good for figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! ‘Round’ is shape!
Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
AND…..For those of you who watch what you eat, here’s the final word on nutrition and health. It’s a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies:
1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION…..Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
Electric Blankets Are Great Inventions
I don’t know about you, but I have electric blankets on all of the beds at my house. I love my electric blanket – I use it a lot! Even with wool socks and sock liners on my feet, my feet are cold all of the time, and having an electric blanket on at night helps warm my feet so that I can sleep better. My bed is king sized, and the electric blanket I have now has two controls – one for each side. I like that a lot better than the first electric blanket I had with only one control! My husband was always too warm, and I was always too cold! The biggest complaint that I have about electric blankets is that I’m always afraid of washing them, and afraid of the wires shorting out and catching the blanket on fire! But I’ve had one for decades, and that has never happened, so I guess the engineers knew what they were doing when they designed them!
Recently I started to think about getting an electric blanket for my car (since I don’t have heated seats,) and found the perfect one that I want to get at the http://cozywinters.com/electric-blanket/ website. I’m sharing the YouTube video of it here on this post. I like how it can be folded up and turned into a neck or lumbar pillow when not in use for warming you up!
Happy Valentines Day
Well I have learned something else. I have to do this for ME and not for my children. My children will benefit from it as much if not more than I will. Today is Valentines Day. The day you show your loved ones that you love them. Well of course I got my children valentines cards and candy but I also bought myself some flowers to she myself that I am loved too.
You know what? It actually felt good to buy myself something like flowers. I look at them and picture myself as one of the buds on them. A bud is nothing but a green object and you have no idea of the beauty that will come from within. Right now I’m a bud. Once I work a little more, I’ll begin to open up and start showing the beautiful flower within. I don’t know if I’m a dandelion or a rose yet but in time, I will. Even a weed can produce a beautiful flower and right now, I feel more like a weed than a rose bush but even something as beautiful as a rose has thorns.
What a week
We buried Papa Charlie on the 7th. I had no idea that he was a Korean war veteran but he was. They draped a flag over his coffin and did the 21 gun salute to him too. The children are heart broken. It’s the first time they have really had to deal with death now that they are old enough to really understand. The first time was when the baby I had that died 4 years ago and that was a tough one too.
On the 8th I got a phone call from Papa Charlies lawyer. He asked me to come in for the reading of the will. I was totally confused because why would I have to be there? I had only known the man for a couple months. When I got there, I was the only one there other than the lawyer. I didn’t know that Papa Charlie didn’t have any other family at all. We were all he had.
Then the lawyer read the will. I almost went into shock. I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Papa Charlie was sort of a wealthy man and left everything to my children and me. He had college funds set up for each of my children. He gave us his house and set up enough money in a trust fund to pay the taxes, homeowners insurance and anything that needed fixing for the rest of my life. Then the house goes to the kids and would be sold and divided between all of them.
He also set up a college fund for me so I could quit work and go to college and be able to take care of myself and the children. I was to get a monthly ‘allowence’ also to cover food, utilities and anything else that we needed. I’m still trying to let all of this soak in. All of this from a gentle, kind man that we only knew for a few months. I feel so honored. God Bless you Charlie Benson!!!!
New Years not starting off good at all
I just got a phone call from the hospital. It seems that Papa Charlie is in the hospital. I didn’t know he was sick at all. He never let on that there was anything wrong with him at all. He was always so happy. He has cancer. He’s dying and we never knew.
The children are all so upset because they know that without Papa Charlie, this Christmas wouldn’t have been nearly as good and I don’t mean just the presents. Papa Charlie brought joy to Christmas with him. He brought life to Christmas and the whole time, he was losing his own. Life just isn’t fair sometimes.
I hope and pray that he will get better and come home again. I hope and pray that if he doesn’t, at least maybe we gave him what he gave us for Christmas and that was family and joy. Prayer helps and I will be on my knees praying for Papa Charlie with my children beside me.
Christmas Eve at last
The children and I always go to my mothers on Christmas eve for dinner and to open presents there. It’s the day my children have looked forward to since Thanksgiving. Santa comes tonight and they are all excited to see what is in their presents and what Santa has brought.
This year, Charlie, their adopted grandpa will join us at my mothers. He has been a blessing to us. He tells me that we have been more of a blessing to him than he could ever be to us because through us, we have given him Christmas back. That’s a wonderful thing for him to say. He is spoiling the kids something awful but that’s part of what Christmas is for, spoiling the children.
It’s also a day to reflect on what the season is really for. We always have a birthday cake for Christmas day so we can celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. I want them to always know that Christmas is not just about toys and stuff. It’s about salvation. Salvation of our soul and salvation of our lives that we live today. Does that make any sense to you? I hope so. Because that’s my Christmas wish for each of you that has visited my blog, the joy and wonder of the birth of Jesus Christ and a joy filled Christmas.
