A Rose By Any Other Name...

                   Shell Pink Rose, my favorite color                                       

Roses
Roses are the traditional gift given on Valentines Day, but they're certain to be well-received any time of year. But before you buy roses, know what message you're sending.


The color of a rose can have a very different meaning from what you intend. To ensure that your love understands what the roses you bestow mean, check this guide to rose colors and their meanings:


Here is something you may not know: Color Talks! Although it is commonly accepted that all roses convey warmth and affection, the person receiving them may know and understand the meaning of roses colors and the symbolic message conveyed. It would be nice to insure that you are communicating the right message to that special person. 

 Red 

No color can say “I love you” better than this Valentine Favorite. It not only speaks of passion, but also stands for noble values such as respect and courage. They are the ultimate symbol of romantic love and enduring passion. Florists can't keep up with Valentines Day demand for red roses, which makes them especially expensive in February.

  Pink
In general, symbolizes grace and gentility, The pink carries that message of happiness. Light pink conveys admiration and sympathy. The rose of sweet thoughts.

 Dark Pink

Dark pink roses are symbolic of thankfulness and friendship.

 White:

Pure white roses symbolize truth and innocence. They also send other messages: "I miss you" and "You're heavenly."

  Coral 
Coral roses express one thing with their passionate color of desire.


 Peach
Conveys sociability and friendship, modesty, appreciation, admiration and sympathy.


 Orange
Denotes enthusiasm and desire. Perfect for letting people know that you want to get to know them better.

  Yellow 
Yellow roses indicate friendship and freedom -- so don't send them if your intentions are romantic and long-lasting. Yellow roses are also appropriate for sending congratulations to newlyweds, graduates, Texans, and new mothers. Expresses joy and gladness – the best gift for new mothers, newlyweds or graduates.

 Blue
Fantasy and impossibility. Hoping for a miracle and new possibilities. These roses are attained by placing a blue die into the bark of the roots.


 Black 
The color of the crone, the wise lady of death. The promise that soon you will know something you did not know before. Some see it as a bad omen. Death of fixed thoughts or ideas. Signifies a rejuvenation on the horizon. May not be understood as a gift. Sometimes a beautiful deep red rose will bloom from a blackened bud.


 Dead Roses
Regardless of the original color, dead roses say "It's over" loud and clear.

The Rose Color Wheel

This model explains a broad range of behaviors in rose coloration with some very simple models.


Take the case of the red rose. A notorious problem of red roses is that they change color when exposed to the sun, they 'blue.' This doesn't mean that they literally turn blue - they actually turn a bit purple - but their appearance looks more blue because a pigment containing yellow has bleached out of the petals making them look blue.


This model is most useful in helping us understand why colors like orange, gold, coral, copper, salmon, apricot, and shell pink (my favorite color rose) are relatively rare in roses compared to colors like yellow, crimson, rose, pink and white. The former colors are more complex. They result from mixtures of two or more pigments. This explains further why the roses with the most complex colorations tend to be most variable. Tiny changes in the amount of one pigment can shift the perceived color quite a bit. If the scarlet pigment in a salmon rose starts to fade, the rose moves quickly toward buff and primrose in coloration. If the yellow fades from a coral or copper-colored rose before the red does, it will change quickly toward pink.

Numbers of Roses
1 rose	Love at first sight
2 roses	Mutual Feelings
3 roses	I love you!
7 roses	I'm infatuated with You!
9 roses	Together as long as we live!
10 roses	You're Perfect!
11 roses	You're my treasured one!
12 roses	Be my Steady!
13 roses	Forever Friends!
15 roses	I'm really sorry!
20 roses	I'm sincere towards You!
21 roses	I'm committed to You!
36 roses	I'll remember our romantic moments
40 roses	My love is genuine!
99 roses	I'll love You till the day I die...
100 roses	I'm totally devoted to You
101 roses	You're my one and only
108 roses	Will you marry me?
999 roses	My love will last till the end of time...

Social Networking Addiction

Social Networking Addiction

                                                                                 

I became aware of the amount of time I spent on facebook well over a year ago. I was working from my home, from a computer and the convenience of facebook gave me an escape from my job editing. Somehow, I managed to do both, but it slowed me down considerably. I know I could have done a better job seeing the results I wanted, had I spent less time worrying about how many people requested me or I accepted on facebook. The numbers are deceiving - even in the realm of a social network, the quality of people are far more better than the quantity of people. I went from 5,000 "friends" to the current 976 - still more than I want. I have been blessed in meeting some really nice people online, while some only appeared nice while online, and even in a medium like facebook, there are those who will take advantage. There will be those who have ulterior motives - I want or need something from you to make my life better. These are the 'it's all about me' sector, that rely on others to get them to where they want to be. Notice, I said 'want to be?' I will spend time, when I find the time, to bring my friends list down to 500. Still a high number in my opinion.

This is me on my facebook account over a year ago - June 2010

  

I have had my Google+ account for two weeks - July 2011, and have nearly reached 500 connection in "my circles" - which is my limit there. On Twitter I am over 2000 - in truth that is way out of hand. All this information coming to you so quickly, it is like hit and miss. I occasionally will read something I feel is of importance and share with facebook, LinkedIn, my Blog and a few other sites, that all run off my Twitter feed. The thing I like most about Twitter is one must be creative when posting a status, for it only allows 140 characters, and this includes 'space' and punctuation'. There are never any long ramblings - I leave that for my Blog. I usually Tweet in the mornings before work or when I am in the office, to post events, a news story, something amusing, the weather forecast in my area - anything that interest me.

Selfishly, my accounts are now more about me, what is going on in my world, and I my random thoughts. If anyone takes an interest, I am happy. I wish happiness for everyone. But I know life did not begin on facebook, it will not end on facebook. The family and friends you know in 'real time' are the ones you need to spend time with the most. These people are the ones I have lunch with, dinner with, play golf with, go for a swim with, work with, attend social events with, have conversations with, plan road trips with, go shopping with, celebrate life's events with; the weddings, the baby showers, the graduations, the holidays, a funeral...etc. 

It is easy to spot those trapped is the realm of facebook or another network, they post statuses from morning till to night and comment on other's post in great lengths. I see some who post back to back, and back round again. Checking your page through the day is fine, but limit that, too. If you need to respond or comment, do, but do not use that as an excuse to spend your entire day on any network. It makes me wonder if facebook and the like are all you have going for you. It makes me wonder if you are truly happy with where your life has taken you. When one limits their communication via text, it concerns me. Chances are some of the people you chat with daily are misrepresenting themselves to you. Some are not even the people they have in the photographs they use. For these they will never meet you face-to-face; they cannot. Forget about Skype or any cam-to-cam, they cannot show their face, because it is not the one they have as their profile photo. You may luck out with a phone call, but who wants that? Who are you actually speaking to? Of course, I am speaking of those who live, eat and breathe social networking.

                             

Just Say NO - NOw and Then

                                                                                   

Assess your addiction. Socializing online can be addicting - but if you are doing it to the exclusion of face-to-face time in your important relationships, it could be a problem. If you answer yes to any of these questions, you may need a social network intervention:

Do you lose time at work due to social networking abuse?
Does your spouse or significant other complain about the amount of time you spend on these sites?
Do you use social networking because you feel shy with people?
Do you feel out of control of your time when using these sites?
Does using these services decrease your overall ambition?
Do you have to check your facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, G+ or other sites a certain number of times daily?

Pick Your Poison 

                                                                                 

                               

Change your networking routines. If updating your status is the first thing you do in the morning, leading to all-day social networking binges, substitute another activity. Grab a frappe or latte at a nearby coffee shop, hit the gym in the morning, or do some volunteer work. Go for a walk, a run, do gardening, tend to your spouse, child(ren), pets, home or work. Instead of settling in with some wine to contribute to your friend's Lil Green Patch, pick up a movie to watch instead.

Spend less time alone. The idea behind social media is to feed our desire for being social - so don't subvert that need by only interacting via the computer. Log off, call some friends, and set up an adult play date that involves face-to-face interaction.

Change your home page and remove all social network sites from your bookmarks. If you're addicted to them, chances are these social media sites pops up the minute you open your browser. How could you not take a peek to see if your high school boyfriend accepted your friend request? Give yourself a break; change your home page.

Write a book, start a blog, or pen a song. Part of the appeal of social media is its ability to allow us instant personal expression. Instead of spending hours on a 25 Things survey, find another way to express yourself. Taking a writing class, signing up for guitar lessons, or perfecting your comedy routine will get your creative juices flowing - and give you an offline audience and real social interaction.

When your life is out of order, other things within your life are, too. Chances are, your marriage is on the rocks. If one invested the time into a relationship with their spouse, that they do being online, they would reap the benefits. You most likely have let yourself go. Has your hygiene, dental care, hair, appearance, weight, health, eating habits or self confidence suffered from spending, too, much time online? Social networking has most likely interfered with the sexual relationship between you and your spouse. If you do not work outside the home, your spouse may come home from their job to find you in the same clothes your had on when waking up that morning (if you woke up at all). Your relationships with your children are probably teetering, because I bet when your child(ren) approaches you and you are so into a post, you most likely do not take the time to hear your child or tend to their needs. Some may even tell their child(ren) "Not now! Can't you see I am busy?" If you are honest with yourself, you probably stopped making dinner for your family, and if you do, you most likely eat yours in front of the computer screen. You probably do not check your child's homework or attend their soccer game. These relationships with your loved ones cannot take a backseat to social networking. They must be nurturer and made to feel part of a family unit. Please, do not allow your child(ren) to feel second to a stranger(s) you have only met online? And what about your home - it probably could use an overhaul and cleaning from the neglect some of you have given it. The dusting, dishes, laundry, sweeping, vacuuming, moping, cleaning the bathroom fixtures, the counter tops, stove top and the kitchen sink all take time. They do not get done by themselves. 

The word neglect means:

–verb (used with object)

1.

to pay no attention or too little attention to; disregard orslight: The public neglected his genius for many years.

2.

to be remiss in the care or treatment of: to neglect one's family; to neglect one's appearance.

3.

to omit, through indifference or carelessness: to neglect to reply to an invitation.

–noun

6.

an act or instance of neglecting; disregard; negligence: The neglect of the property was shameful.

7.

the fact or state of being neglected: a beauty marred by neglect.

Take back control of your life. The life your knew prior to social networking. Do not allow those you love to suffer, because of your addiction to social networking. 

ℰℒℬ

2011

Crossing Over

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, 

                    and take up his cross daily, and follow me.        

First and foremost, God's word inspires me.  My tastes have changed through the years. And the seasons of my life have changed. And with the change, so have the sources where I search for inspiration. We all change. All that will change does -  constantly. Yet God's Word will never change and it will always be  there to inspire and convict and transform me.    Yesterday, Today and Forever. My personal Bible - The Word of God                                                                                                                God has used you in my life these past few months. Our paths cross for a reason, it is no coincident. I get e-mails, messages from the social sites I am on, from people who stop by and read my blog. Sometimes, I cannot believe what I have to write about would interest anyone. I set out to write a blog, as if it were a journal, but I rethought that idea, because what happens to me in the present moment is only for me. I am selfish that way. We all need to be selfish from time to time. Besides, it takes me a while to process my thoughts as they are happening. This is why it is easier to write about bygone days.  God uses is in different ways, to teach us lesson we would otherwise fail to learn. I learn about myself everyday. I have those 'Whoa!' moments, a lot. I learnt I am not as forgiving as I once was. But then, maybe I am forgiving, and I have a hard time in the 'forgetting.' I think I use this to help me to remember not to walk down the same path again. Why would I want to? When God has so many beautiful paths to travel.  Thinking on a lot and thankful for the Lord removing the clouds of years of mis-communication in a dear relationship and the breakthrough of the hope of sweet times ahead. Hearing a word from the Lord and new opportunities to serve Him.. So thankful for His mercy that His grace affords me, and His kindness that leads me to repentance so that I can be in sweet fellowship with Him.  I want to hear about the people God is using in your life. Is it your best friend since kindergarten? Is it your pastors wife? Your husband or wife? Your children or grandchild? A new blogger friend? The stranger you met at Wal*Mart? - The big moments and the little moments and everything in-between that God has used to encourage you and teach you and show his love to you. This life is about people. Those we impact and those who have impacted us. ELB 2011

My Collection of Willow Tree

                            Willow Tree

Willow Tree was introduced in January 2000, the first year I took up playing the flute. I was a pretty good flute player, mainly because I enjoyed it. An old family friend, Barry Gray, who at the time was the current owner and operator of Peavey Melody Music, sold me my first flute. He told me to handle it as if it were glass. The music store was opened in 1945, by J.B. 'Mutt' Peavey, father of Peavey Electronic founder and CEO Hartley Peavey. The upstairs of the music store served as Hartley's first home for his company, and where he bulit his first amplifier, when he was a young entrepreneur. See where dreams can take you? For Hartley, it was around the world and back again. It was my dream to play in a symphony, but my dream did not come true, though I did perform two years for Christmas productions and a several times at church. It was during one of these performances I received my first Willow Tree of a young girl playing the flute. My mother was always thoughtful and gave appropriate gifts, so when looking back there would be a story behind the gift. My second was a young girl dressed in blue sitting with her leg drawn to her chest - a dancer. My collection started to grow from that first Willow Tree of a young girl playing the flute. I wanted my collection to represent the life I knew, as a child, a teenager and a young women. My mother and I have always had a close bond, unbreakable, that even in death, we will be connected. I never questioned my mother's love for me. For me, there is no greater love than the love of a mother for her child. My mother has two children, my brother from a previous marriage and myself. I even have three Willow Tree figures that represent the bond between my mother and brother. It is hard to understand how a mother could not love her own children - instead loving herself more. Thankfully, my brother nor I ever had to experience the lack of love from our mother.  The original inspiration for Willow Tree still holds true today: They help us feel close to others, heal wounds, or treasure relationships. These art forms beautifully express love, closeness, healing, courage, hope - all the emotions of a life well lived. The name Willow Tree was chosen to symbolize that which is gestural and beckoning. The figures are columnar in design, like a tree, and often carry natural objects or animals as metaphors for human virtues or qualities - rosemary for remembrance, a bird for healing, flowers for beauty. The sculptures are rendered so as to suggest elegance, simplicity, peace and serenity. Forms reveal their expressions through body gestures only - a tilt of the head, placement of the hands, a turn of the body. Emotions are left to the viewer to discern, which makes them personal and powerful.  Had I not taken up playing the flute, I may have never known the 'sweetness' of the Willow Tree line. I purchased a rosewood shelf to house and display my collection of these figures. They are as beautiful today as the day I received my first one - of a young girl playing the flute. ℰℒℬ - 2011

My Collection of Disney Animation Movies

My Collection of Disney Animation Movies on VHS 

A Classic Disney film has magic. Every single Classic Disney film has elements of magic. And do not deny it. Even the ones we think of as “realistic” reek of the wonderful stuff. Pocahontas’s entire plot hinges on Pocahontas using the spirit of nature to understand a totally foreign language instantly and perfectly (to say nothing of the talking tree and the fortune-telling scene with the tribe’s medicine man). Pocahontas was my favorite of all Disney Princesses, because I related to her in a way I could not a fair, blonde, blue-eyed, Princess. I am Mexican-American, I looked more like a native than a Snow White. My skin was tan, my hair was dark, my eyes were brown, my hair was past my waist - I was, in my mind, Pocahontas. Was Pocahontas really a Disney Princess? Not in the sense the older Disney leading ladies were, but I loved her and what she stood for. And Colors of the Wind I sang every day, some days, all day!                                   My Original Disney's Pocahontas                                                                        You think I'm an ignorant savage And you've been so many places I guess it must be so But still I cannot see If the savage one is me How can there be so much that you don't know? You don't know... You think you own whatever land you land on The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim But I know every rock and tree and creature Has a life, has a spirit, has a name You think the only people who are people Are the people who look and think like you But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger You'll learn things you never knew you never knew Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned? Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind? Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest Come taste the sunsweet berries of the Earth Come roll in all the riches all around you And for once, never wonder what they're worth The rainstorm and the river are my brothers The heron and the otter are my friends And we are all connected to each other In a circle, in a hoop that never ends How high will the sycamore grow? If you cut it down, then you'll never know And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon For whether we are white or copper skinned We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains We need to paint with all the colors of the wind You can own the Earth and still All you'll own is Earth until You can paint with all the colors of the wind My Collection of Disney Animation Movies on VHS  A Classic Disney film has animation. It may or may not be the traditionally 2-D sort, and it may or may not be entirely animated. Mary Poppins and Enchanted, which have both live-action and traditional 2D animation are just as much Disney Classics as Snow White and Princess and the Frog (both hand animated in the old-school manner). Bolt and Meet the Robinson's, which have computer animation, pass the test as well – because why would it be different just because Disney chose a more modern technique that requires just as much work, just of a different sort. However, a Classic Disney film really must have some animation of one type or another, because that is what makes it classically Disney. Any studio can put actors in front of a camera, but Disney is famous for its animation - for daring not to take the easy way out, but rather to make it just exactly how they want it to be. Animation is key to a Disney Classic. A Classic Disney film has heart. Above all, it has heart. It isn't just an hour and a half of pretty pictures and funny voices. It does not stoop to crude humor or throwing in flashy sequences with no purpose. It has a real, genuine feel to it. One that shows the people who made it care about what they were working on. One that teaches you about being yourself, chasing your dreams, and loving others. The heart of a Disney Classic is it's greatest weapon. That is why our parents let us watch them so many times as children, and why we not-so-guiltily return to them year after year.  “It all began with a Mouse” -Walt Disney ℰℒℬ 2011