tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78912590690803763162024-03-13T01:26:24.462-07:00Musings of Mom2FourA Family Oriented Site With A Blend Of Many Flavoursaynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-14543630346223529812013-12-23T13:14:00.001-08:002013-12-23T13:14:40.947-08:00Quotable Quotes<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="bqQuoteLink" style="line-height: 26px;">We keep moving forward,opening new doors and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="bqQuoteLink" style="line-height: 26px;">Walt Disney</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="bqQuoteLink" style="line-height: 26px;"> </span></span>aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-27036913664408303372013-09-15T21:55:00.001-07:002013-09-15T22:39:30.504-07:00Sri Lankan Elephants<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5sqcnaRr6IE" width="480"></iframe><br />
Browsing the internet ,I chanced upon this interesting video - a documentary courtesy of BBC wildlife series.The blog below is an article that I penned in a <a href="http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2009/08/09/mag11.asp">magazine</a>-<a href="http://aynzan.blogspot.com/2009/08/tale-of-ellie-pooh.html">sunday observer</a> a few years ago. <br />
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“Mom - You can’t be serious!” Cried out my daughters, when I recounted an incredible news scoop that I had gathered from the Internet. Although this was breaking news to me, I believe the story had been in focus for a while. Actually it all began, when I was browsing the internet looking for a picture of an Elephant for my eight year old son’s class assignment, when this bizarre caption caught my eye. It was beyond belief! <a href="http://aynzan.blogspot.com/2009/08/tale-of-ellie-pooh.html">Read More</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Elephants At The Pnnawela Orphanage</span></td></tr>
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<br />aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-18272069727281415562013-05-12T23:28:00.000-07:002013-05-12T23:28:32.561-07:00A Toast To Summer<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Despite the hot and humid weather,we all seem to get highly
exhilarated in the company of summer.The season brings with it the holiday
spirit,goodwill and cheer.Although summer is noted for it's harshness,it has
always been gracious to let me enjoy a two week vacation,every year,in my home
country.As summer approaches,my family and I get very excited as we are homeward
bound.It is during summer that we get the opportunity to meet the rest of our
families back home.Interestingly, the whole ambiance allows me to wholeheartedly embrace the warmth
that sweeps across the bright summer day.It has always been a delight to give ears to the sweet chirpings
of the birds in the morning,telling me that it's time to wake up.What is summer
without the fun and the frolic! The
sense of happiness it gives me walking
along the sandy beaches amid the lush greenery and the blue sky. Summer time is leisure time for my whole family .While the kids and my
husband love to take dips in the pool in the hot afternoon,I seize the opportunity to
demonstrate my gastronomic know-how to
my young audience-my daughters.I am inclined to try out various new recipes and pamper their taste buds. Summer is my most treasured
season.It acts as a stress reliever. It
regenerates my energy and makes me
get-up-and-go.Simultaneously, with the hustle and the bustle, it teaches me
to approach things in a positive manner.I wholly extend my gratitude to this phenomenal
season for showering me with an abundance of blessings by bringing sunshine to
my days and making my vacations so memorable.Oh Summer! What would I do
without you?</span></div>
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aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-23939058972915623912013-04-09T23:22:00.000-07:002013-04-09T23:22:00.684-07:00Food For Thought<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, or worn. It is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace & gratitude.” - Denis Waitley-</span>aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-10530842625255026032013-03-23T22:44:00.000-07:002013-03-23T22:44:44.890-07:00Thought For The Day<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and that in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">-Martin Luther King Jr-</span></div>
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aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-36472564052898271262013-02-19T01:11:00.000-08:002013-02-19T01:15:31.163-08:00The Ring Tone<br />
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Although owning a cell phone is considered a boon these day,
the ringing tone of a cell phone can sometimes be annoying.With many,particularly the young,choosing weird and strange sounds for their hand sets.The trend among young teens these days is that
they download from websites some catchy tones which repeatedly blast through their mobile phones and as a result bring discord within the elders in the family.In this era of
technology,as strange as it may sound,
there are still a lot of people
who are attention seekers and get pleasure from it.Hence the ring tones play a major part in
supporting their inclination.How so ever these creepy,bizarre or catchy tones
indeed attract people whether they like
it or not.Most often it induces laughter and other times some criticism.There is nothing more infuriating
than mobile phones when they go off when
you least anticipate.People are so obsessed with it that they carry it wherever they go.They should
have at least the courtesy of switching
it off or putting it on silent mode when they attend private ceremonies or when
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I think it’s a good move made by flight authorities to make that crucial announcement before takeoff,the switching off of handsets.The other
day while waiting for my appointment
with the doctor, in the hospital waiting area,I heard earsplitting giggles,with similar loud cackles among a
group of young teens who probably had tolled along with their parents to the hospital.A few others,who were quietly reading, got really intrigued by this unpleasantness
but didn’t have the guts to confront the
girls.I clearly saw what the commotion was all about but did nothing to butt
in. The actual fact was one girl in that
group was carrying a hand set that had a ‘giggling’ ring tone which had straight away stirred up laughter among the rest.Just imagine how corresponding it would have been: the deafening sound of the mobile and the screeching of a bunch of unruly teens. <br />
I do not want to sound so nerve racking so let me loosen up a bit and share with you a humorous twist to the ring
tone,a true incident which happened recently back in my native country.Get ready to switch off your mobile phone and laugh
your wits out.</div>
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<i>‘A Sri Lankan prisoner
who tried to hide his mobile phone during a search of his cell was caught out
when guards heard ring tones from his rear-end, a hospital official said on
Friday.<br />
The 58-year-old convict had to be admitted to the national hospital in Colombo
where doctors later retrieved the handset from his rectum.<br />
"The man had concealed the phone inside his person," the official
said, asking not to be named.<br />
"Unfortunately for him, the phone rang at the wrong time and guards knew
he had a phone at the wrong end."<br />
He said the man was in hospital for two days but was discharged and sent back
to prison Friday after the mobile phone was taken out.<br />
The prisoner is serving a 10-year term for theft at the high security jail in the capital. ( source AFP)</i></div>
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<br />aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-22718198340618955982013-02-11T20:45:00.000-08:002013-02-11T20:46:06.618-08:00A Thought For The Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better- Albert Einstein</span></span></td></tr>
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<br />aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-44527563104700176142013-01-01T01:47:00.000-08:002013-01-01T01:47:49.565-08:00A Toast For The New Year<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The first light of January has dawned. Let us usher in <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the new year<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love,Hope and Peace.Happy New Year folks!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><br />
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aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-50642869177962867742012-12-16T23:24:00.000-08:002012-12-17T12:56:10.710-08:00Weather Plays Havoc With Diet<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Whenever there is a change in the weather there is a change in my children’s immunity system too.Whilst the adults try hard to put up a brave show and adapt to the weather changes,even supposing they sometimes may experience unpleasantness on the way,it is the children who really endure a lot, trying very hard to overcome the alteration of nature.As a matter of fact,due to extreme weather conditions,especially the switch over, from summer to winter,children become easy prey and end up with flu, a nasty cold or a strep throat.When this happens at home,I make every effort to take care of my children and get them back to good health sooner.I tend to ease their discomfort with simple and safe home remedies such as steam inhalation,soups with extra ginger and other warm beverages.All the same, at some point,I begin to fret,when they spurn food.Although I prepare everything from scratch and make the healthiest food so that they can regain the lost nutrients and fluids,they show little interest in the food.Thus causing me further worry.It really disturbs me when they refuse to eat at all.Most children at this stage, when they do not have proper meals for a number of days, will show signs of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.According to studies, even with most children consuming healthy diets,they will be deficient at least in one nutrient.It is during the flu season most children become picky eaters,so it is advisable to take the initiative to complete the children's dietary intake with supplements.All the same it's best to go for a kind they will truly enjoy and make it habitual.I have heard from other moms,that <a href="http://smartypantsvitamins.com/smartypants-gummy-vitamins-for-kids/">multi vitamin for kids</a>, the gummy variety with an assortment of flavors, has become a favourite among adults and children.Each time after a visit to the doctor, my husband and I come home with an abundance of information.The doctor keeps stressing that it is vital not only for children but for adults as well, to take multi vitamins supplement if they don't get enough foods in their diet that are fortified with vitamins.I am glad we took his advice and have now introduced this at home.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">complete the children's dietary intake with supplements as well</span></td></tr>
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aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-15291704418509500552012-12-03T13:41:00.000-08:002013-09-20T05:29:20.707-07:00December Is Here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span arial="" en-gb="" font-family:="" lang="EN-GB" ms="" mso-ansi-language:="" mso-bidi-font-family:="" quot="" rebuchet="" sans-serif="">December
is upon us<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am astounded <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at how the previous eleven months had flown by
so quickly. I for once feel wonderful as I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have accomplished a few resolutions that I had
imposed on myself the previous year and quite euphoric that this year I
had the opportunity to fulfill<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a particular vision, a desire
to lose a few pounds off my body. Oh! Yeah! </span><span arial="" en-gb="" font-family:="" lang="EN-GB" ms="" mso-ansi-language:="" mso-bidi-font-family:="" quot="" rebuchet="" sans-serif=""><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span arial="" en-gb="" font-family:="" lang="EN-GB" ms="" mso-ansi-language:="" mso-bidi-font-family:="" quot="" rebuchet="" sans-serif="">The
weather is cool and the children love the whole ambience that this month
brings.As far as I can remember we are used to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>correlate <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>December with cold weather and snow but
for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>most,December is a month of
celebrating.Christmas,Santa <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and
presents are<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>primary reflections of a
child.It’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> v</span>ery distinctive with the
children <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>getting all agog with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>excitement as they wait for the year to end
and usher in the new year.Children await December as it is a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>month full of activities, surprises and fun
,even the adults wait with anticipation.With the cool climate setting in, my
children’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>school has planned<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a lot of sports activities and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>field trips<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>for different classes<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>during this
month.</span></div>
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<span arial="" en-gb="" font-family:="" lang="EN-GB" ms="" mso-ansi-language:="" mso-bidi-font-family:="" quot="" rebuchet="" sans-serif="">Since
the year is winding down ,we also should take time off our busy schedules <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to remind ourselves how <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>blessed and fortunate <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we are,having quality time with <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the family,by sharing family responsibilities<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>caring for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our loved ones and being
united in times of dark days <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> thus </span> strengthening
family ties.</span></div>
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<span arial="" en-gb="" font-family:="" lang="EN-GB" ms="" mso-ansi-language:="" mso-bidi-font-family:="" quot="" rebuchet="" sans-serif=""></span><span arial="" en-gb="" font-family:="" lang="EN-GB" ms="" mso-ansi-language:="" mso-bidi-font-family:="" quot="" rebuchet="" sans-serif="">On the
other hand,now that it is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>December,it <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a
tedious<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>month for spouses who are
working in the Financial hub, as they<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>are very busy ,working non-stop to compare and provide<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>detailed statements of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>their company’s performances. It is also the
best times to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>review your taxes and
insurances.Like wise <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>if you are a tax
payer,in the US you would be paying attention to '<a href="http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/all-articles-and-videos/IRS-Tax-Forms">irs forms</a>'</span><span arial="" en-gb="" font-family:="" lang="EN-GB" ms="" mso-ansi-language:="" mso-bidi-font-family:="" quot="" rebuchet="" sans-serif="">.</span></div>
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<span arial="" en-gb="" font-family:="" lang="EN-GB" ms="" mso-ansi-language:="" mso-bidi-font-family:="" quot="" rebuchet="" sans-serif="">December
always takes <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>me back to childhood.Back
then we were not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>endowed with technology
to exchange with one another ecards,emails and digital photos of loved ones
during times of celebration. Those days it was a common <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>scene on the streets and pavements to see
people <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>jostling<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in the last hour, to buy greeting
cards,fancy items and seasonal decorations from the street hawkers,who<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sold at a cheaper price than what was being
sold in department stores. Life<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is easy
nowadays with the advent of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>technology as
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>everything is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>done at the push of a button. At the same
time, the conventional way of sending<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or
receiving <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>greetings and wishes<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have become a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rare occurrence .It brings nostalgic
memories of the days gone by. Although it was time consuming we <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>always made it a point <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to make cards and create <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>decorative <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>letters <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>during the festive season .It was with <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a
great sense of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>importance that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>used
to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>buy cards from the store <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or scribble my wishes on a hand-made card and send them
via snail mail <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>across to family and friends.Gone are the
days....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-60947436149416646762012-11-18T22:57:00.000-08:002013-09-20T05:32:45.094-07:00Expressing With Emoticons<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Surprisingly I happen to love Facebook and my electronic mail boxes these days.Why
this sudden interest you may ask me. It is not because of the buildup of strangers
in my friend list who for reasons unknown would like to be my friend,or for the
influx of nonsensical forwards that keep accumulating in my junk mail boxes but mainly <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for the reason<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>get a chance to be <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> c</span>reative and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>expressive. Internet <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>users are
being <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>enticed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to the maximum with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>various kinds of emoticons to enhance
their<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>communication with different applications such as funny symbols and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cool animated pictures<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to express<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>feelings and thoughts across to friends and family.<span black="" color:="">Emoticons<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>become a popular internet mode<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of expressing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>thoughts and feelings to the one we
communicate with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on social media. In
the beginning keyboards symbols were used to express different moods,
depicting<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>more of a shorthand method of
expression. Now you can generate a variety of easy to use <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>new emoticons on Facebook, Gmail and other
social media,by simply copying<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the code
to chat or inbox messages and mails which accordingly<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>transform into <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> a</span>ppropriate icons.It was quite by chance that
I </span><span style="color: black;">stumbled upon a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fascinating website that offers<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>dozens of symbols and chat emoticons for
free<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which can be used on many social
networking sites.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">You can download a whole lot of animated pictures and symbols from
this site ,which of course <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is for free.This website offers you a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>free download of their application called ‘My
Emoticons’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that enables you<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to affix an assortment<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of <a href="http://www.myemoticons.com/gmail-emoticons.html">Gmail emoticons</a>,winks and smileys <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on your <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>face book page, gmail and on hotmail..</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">An <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">emoticon</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is a representation of facial
expressions by means of punctuation marks, alphabets and numbers that is
generally employed to express someone's feelings or mood when communicating
via<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>electronic mails and messages. It is
a fast growing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>communication fad<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in Cyber-land.Emoticons at present are<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>most popular among facebook, gmail and mobile
phone users. On the other hand, it was frustrating , when I didn’t know how to interpret emoticons and had
no idea what these signs were trying to tell me in messages that were sent <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to me by friends. I was clueless about the
whole thing. All I was able to do was scratch my head wondering what the heck
the signs indicated.To me, at the beginning, they were meaningless, unnecessary
and a waste of time. I assumed it as some sort of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>decoration
simply to impress the reader. Nonetheless with time ,I learnt to appreciate
these tiny<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>symbols that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>speak volume, as they<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>loud<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>and clearly express to the other person, on the other side of the line,
our moods, thoughts and feelings thus making it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>possible<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for the reader to
exactly understand<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what we are trying to
convey. How cool is that!. </span></span></span></div>
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aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-21069434548520846192012-11-07T09:50:00.000-08:002012-11-07T10:05:06.340-08:00The Little Guy Who Stole Our Hearts<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The past<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>two weeks
went off so quickly.The children were at home as schools were<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>closed for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hajj.Hajj is an obligatory ritual performed by Muslims throughout the
world. Muslims from all over the globe come to the Kingdom, Saudi Arabia<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to perform this rite. During this
period,offices,schools and other establishments remain closed. I had many things<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>planned for the break,but only a few
materialized How so ever,they were all worth while.Since the boys were going to
be at home I had already organized <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>some
activities to keep them occupied.We got them some crafts and puzzles and kept
them busy throughout.It was a relief<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>as I didn’t have to give ears to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>squabbles and complains , as they were pretty much occupied with
activities. While the children were engaged in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>various indoor games ,I found ample time for myself too.And <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it was during this time that a program that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>my husband and I watch eagerly on television, came to its closing stages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
past<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>few<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>months,a popular reality show telecasted <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in
an Indian <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>television channel,Vijay TV,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kept my husband and I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>spellbound. It wasn’t a family serial or a
game show that usually kept most housewives entertained but a talent <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>competition. This was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>aimed for aspiring <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>juniors with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>a good voice.One particular youngster <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mesmerized us right from the beginning and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a great <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sense of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>euphoria
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>settled<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>in when he was awarded the title
after beating four other contestants in the Grande Finale.I was as surprised
as my children when we realized,hubby dear,who otherwise was not a
television enthusiast,was thoroughly enjoying this <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>program , all because of this 10 -year-old who
sang with such dedication and passion.Three cheers to Aajeedh!!! Hip hip
hurrah!!</span></div>
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aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-46985060216052960212012-10-15T22:07:00.000-07:002012-10-16T02:48:53.017-07:00Digital Scrapping And Bits & Pieces<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Why do some websites simply disappear within a short phase
after surfacing on the internet.I was spellbound by the uniqueness of one particular
site as it kindled in me my passion for scrapbooking but then left me in the
lurch due to its abrupt departure.However,such sites boost up your hidden
talents and motivate your creativity as they treat you lavishly with lovely
tools <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they feature on their sites. Along
with that, they endlessly pester us to become a member of their site.Apparently in the initial stages everything is provided for free.We often fall
into the trap.Suddenly we feel secured on these sites.They become part of our
lives. Once we are hooked to the site we wouldn’t even imagine interacting with
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>any other sites because we tend to become
virtually attached to a certain website and depend on it for everything.When
we have reached that point, we are lured again with their sweet talking to
become a paid member so that we may enjoy a lot more cooler stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">For almost three years, I had been avidly active on this
scrapbooking site which had also become my favourite surfing spot on the
internet. This website made life a little more easier and a whole lot more
enjoyable.I spent my pastime creating many picture blogs and cards using
whimsical embellishments,stickers and background themes offered by them.This
web site gave me enough opportunities to design and put together old
photographs and make online digital scrap books and cards.How convenient it
was when the children needed help with their school projects and assignments.Glad I was able to help them using the countless tools that was made available in
this website.On every occasion,whether it was a birthday,anniversary or a
festival,I never missed the opportunity to make beautiful cards for friends
and family.I also made a lot of memorable digital scraps and cards under
different topics and was very contented with my achievement.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But alas! I was thoroughly disappointed when the site
closed down their network unexpectedly.I lost most of my creations which I had
saved on my ‘personal page’ on their site.Although at that time they alerted us
about the closure and reminded us to download our creations as backups, I managed to save only a few due to time limit.On the other hand the few
I had saved got deleted owing to a virus that invaded our computer sometime
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A number of times I have surfed the
internet looking for comparable sites to fill the void. Regrettably,I have nt
still <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>found one to stir up my creativity.In the meantime. I have found another technique to create cards for family and
friends.Old photographs and random pictures from my desktop come to my rescue
in this instance. All I do now is refill my printer with </span><a href="http://www.247inktoner.com/canon-pixma-mp560-ink-cartridges"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Canon MP560 ink</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
cartridges and upload pictures from my desktop and get them printed. Other
times I scan my children’s drawings and send them as greeting cards to family. I
am simply amazed at the outcome. They are as good as cards from the store.</span></span><span style="mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">However,
refilling with </span><a href="http://www.247inktoner.com/canon-pixma-mp560-ink-cartridges"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Canon MP560 ink</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> a few times will often cost more but since the finish
product is exceptional, I would n’t think twice about replenishing my printer
with </span><a href="http://www.247inktoner.com/canon-pixma-mp560-ink-cartridges"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">ink cartridges</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> whenever the need arises.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZ-7xVidzuPlRA5WtREUjKhpXp13x_HmvnhYlF2r7MMd7wiDkeG7tHf02Q1YEOxcmoQ_WTynrCclU8N2cuESvWu-9d4dI7MOzsY7pS8UI0xosOgYYm_skTCTu3u-q-6JFnpTfe_0XUqUk/s1600/Life+in+Arabia_Page_21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZ-7xVidzuPlRA5WtREUjKhpXp13x_HmvnhYlF2r7MMd7wiDkeG7tHf02Q1YEOxcmoQ_WTynrCclU8N2cuESvWu-9d4dI7MOzsY7pS8UI0xosOgYYm_skTCTu3u-q-6JFnpTfe_0XUqUk/s400/Life+in+Arabia_Page_21.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-63136379137083122772012-10-06T00:50:00.000-07:002012-10-09T07:28:55.990-07:00Dealing With Diabetes<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Even though I was feeling a bit keyed up,I was raring to get to the hospital quickly to collect my HBA1c glucose result.The week before, I was advised by my doctor to check my blood sugar readings for the previous three months.Uncertain what the outcome would be,I waited for my turn to be called in.I didn’t know why I was getting edgy since I very well know that I have totally changed my dietary habits and have been following a rigid exercise plan.Overall, my diet consists of healthy portions of protein and limited amount of carbohydrates and besides,I have stopped eating sweets altogether.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Last February,when I was first diagnosed with diabetes,my HB A1c reading was 7.8,since then I have come a long way.Just before I went on vacation I was asked again to do the A1c test and I was as surprised as the doctor,when the reading showed up as 5.5. This unanticipated evaluation kept me in high spirits throughout the summer holidays.Then came the month of fasting where I couldn’t resist the savouries that I prepared for my family to feast at the time of breaking the fast.Though I ate in moderation,there were a few times that I gave in to my cravings.When a craving set in for a particular food from the’ untouchable list’- the foods that I have been advised to clear steer of,I would uncontrollably ( not all the time) nibble bits and pieces of it. Walking down the hospital corridor to see the doctor,sent my heart racing.My mind was clogged with a lot of questions.Though I brushed them aside as unnecessary,I feared for the worst. ‘Will I have a higher reading this time’? ‘Will the doctor increase the medicine dose?or will I be introduced to insulin’.I knew I was,pointlessly tensed as ever.How so ever,after a couple of minutes,I got the most astounding news.I was so taken aback when the doctor, who with a broad smile on her face, congratulated me and said that my A1c was 4.9.( which is considered as normal range) Wow! Didn’t that bring a broad smile on me too!</span></div>
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She has even reduced the medicine to one dose a day.And she also mentioned if I continue with my present dietary and exercise plan, by next month, she would take me off medicines.I am,as a result,relieved that the strategy to keep the diabetes under control is working for me.More than anything I am gratified that I was actually paying heed to the doctor.Regrettably, many usually don’t, when it comes to reducing sugar and starches.Most often its easy to pinpoint other things that lead to diabetes.We are so much to be blamed .We lead a stressful lifestyle and play an inactive role daily. We tend to eat at different times and shove into our mouths unhealthy food everytime our tummy rumbles.We treat our bodies like a thrash can, dumping all the superfluous and rotten stuff.Diabetes makes you lethargic,exhausted and inactive if you let it.I didn’t want that happening to me.So instead of being disturbed over this health issue I took charge and rejuvenated. Together with my go-getters: diet and exercise ,I was able to bring my sugar level to normal range.I also owe a big ‘thank you’ to Doctor Mark Hyman, for making available ‘The blood sugar solution',which has provided readers with wonderful guidelines and an abundant of information.To me it was like a God send.I was so ignorant and uninformed about so many things related to diabetes and reading this book helped broaden my awareness about diabetes,diabesity and the consequences of the disease. I also learnt that reducing weight and sustaining healthy weight can help perk up insulin sensitivity and glycemic control.Incorporating life style changes is an excellent approach for diabetes control and management and also to improve ones state of health, both physically and mentally.</span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">I snack on fruits not sweets</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">I eat plenty of leafy greens</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">My Inspiration</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.21stcenturyhousewife.com/index/Blog/Blog.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Hearth & Soul Hop" src="http://premeditatedleftovers.com/hearthnsoul150.jpg" /></a>aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-25780724683748631932012-09-23T22:42:00.000-07:002012-09-26T14:10:49.387-07:00How To Detoxify Our Home <br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We all love a clean house. A clean
house is free from odour and germs. And so <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for the sake of keeping <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our home immaculate we go to great extent in buying
chemically made products which instantly remove dirt and stubborn stains from
our favourite furniture, carpet or any other household articles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using these kind of products may leave our
home spick and span but at what cost? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ignorantly
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or fully aware of the fact that detergents and
all purpose cleaning products pose a huge threat to our health, we <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>continue to depend on these ‘cleaning agents’ to
help us maintain a spotless home.These products contain toxic ingredients or have
irritants that can cause <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>severe damage to
our body. Inhaling too much of air freshener, carpet cleaners and laundry
detergents is the starting point to respiratory problems.Why should we
jeopardize our health using toxic chemicals for cleaning when <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we can find <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>non toxic substitutes that are extremely safe ,
right <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in our kitchen cabinets.
These<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>household components <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which are accessible and affordable, help detoxify
and clean our home. They work as effective as the chemicals but without any
exposure to danger. Baking soda and vinegar are basic household products that we
use for cooking on a daily basis. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate and has a
number of useful constituents. Besides helping in diminishing the effect of
acidity, it also acts as a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>deodorizer to freshen homes and douse grease
fires in the kitchen. It can also be used in the refrigerator and pantry
cupboards to reduce the effect of odour. It soaks up unpleasant smell from
carpets and upholstery and help in disinfecting the drains and sinks. In
addition, it can also bring sparkle to old jewellery, porcelain, and stainless steel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I do a lot of baking and there is always
a tendency for spills. I avoid using harsh oven cleaning powder or detergents as
the smell of the chemical triggers a nagging cough. To clean the oven <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wet the interior of the oven<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>surface and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sprinkle a fistful of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>baking soda on the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sodden portion <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and scrub with steel wool,which I can assure is
strong enough to clear up<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>any stubborn food deposits .The steel wool<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>also comes in handy whenever we need <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to scour<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>greasy pots and pans. Tiles and floors could be cleaned by using
bicarbonate soda with wet sponge and rinsing afterwards.</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Soured apple juice <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is used, to prepare vinegar.Vinegar can get
rid of greasy mold and can be used as a polish to clean floors. It can also
revive your coffee pot, the tea pot and your cookware. Vinegar can be used in a
solution with water or straight without diluting.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the whole, without any doubt, it is
extremely safe to use household substitutes like vinegar and bicarbonate soda
to clean almost everything and anything in our home. In point of fact,these household
products were utilized even during the time of our great –grand parents and they
had been maintaining cordial relations with their immune systems for a long time
unlike the present generation.Thus to be free from health hazards we need <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to steer clear of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>harsh chemicals <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and consequently <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>switch
over to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>inexpensive substitutes from our
‘kitchen cabinet‘ to maintain an exclusively <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hazardous free and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hygienic home . </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCL146MZ9aAfP-ghPqZeMZ7UK19M0UP0LNpq3SbsaQO-TwODlr9QNFfU9tiTrK-XBAS4fKIbfYMK_bTT10ieU_nnPBBwzSB61VLJpgy8p9O8H0Lthyphenhyphen5sefZDFBSDmVSQ8SwtSb4TzKGy6_/s1600/SA700156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCL146MZ9aAfP-ghPqZeMZ7UK19M0UP0LNpq3SbsaQO-TwODlr9QNFfU9tiTrK-XBAS4fKIbfYMK_bTT10ieU_nnPBBwzSB61VLJpgy8p9O8H0Lthyphenhyphen5sefZDFBSDmVSQ8SwtSb4TzKGy6_/s400/SA700156.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<a href="http://www.thethriftyhome.com"><img border="0" alt="
http://www.thethriftyhome.com" src="http://www.thethriftyhome.com/images/pennypinchparty.gif"/></a>aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-69718040569146620952012-09-15T01:12:00.006-07:002012-10-23T07:49:06.304-07:00Dealing With Computer Bugs And Viruses<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Even though we knew something was wrong with our computer,it was <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>only after for a while <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>realized<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we needed to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>get our computer<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>upgraded. It had been giving us a lot of problem lately. Subsequently we<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>decided to send it to an experienced person,who detected the issue and rectified. It was discovered<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that too many viruses<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>had<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>invaded the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>computer and nastily crashed the whole system. This left me<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> w</span>ondering<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who could have possibly<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pushed or encouraged these virtual microbes<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>into<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our computer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">After a lot of evasive answers my sons <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>eventually spilled the beans.The youngsters admitted they had<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>downloaded some video games from some unreliable sites. I don’t know how this <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>could have gone passed the ‘security mama’s' eyes. I have always advised them to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>stick to their regular game sites<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and have cautioned them to keep off sites that was not recommended. But somehow they had been lured in. Due to this unfortunate incident,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lost a large amount of my<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>folders <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>stored under my ‘documents’, as most of the data<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>had <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> b</span>eing swallowed by the bugs. Apart from that, some<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>important pictures which I had saved on the computer disappeared after we had the computer upgraded. Fortunately I had backup pictures saved on<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>my Picasa<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>account. Wasn't that some relief!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Many new innovations have surfaced in technology. Though I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>am not tech savvy,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>keen to learn<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>new things about computers<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and everything<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>about them. Thanks to the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> various</span> articles and information I get via the internet. Just the other day a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>friend asked me If I had installed the <a href="http://www.meritline.com/blu-ray-dvd-drive---c-7768.aspx">blu ray burner</a> on my computer.I was clueless.Later <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I gathered what it was all about.<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Blu ray disc is a video <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>compressed technology <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>very much comparable to a DVD.However,t</span></span>he quality of <a href="http://www.meritline.com/blu-ray-dvd-drive---c-7768.aspx">blu ray</a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> much </span>supreme<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with superior picture <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>quality.More over,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> t</span>hey have <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a good amount of storage than their counterpart DVD, allowing your storage <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to grow higher.And for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>someone who has just lost all the archives,it wouldn’t hurt too much if I consider installing a <a href="http://www.meritline.com/blu-ray-dvd-drive---c-7768.aspx">blu ray burner<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </a>on my computer.</span></span></div>
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aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-86530505683646266602012-09-07T22:34:00.003-07:002012-09-07T22:55:21.822-07:00Back To School<div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">School <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>has<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>re-opened <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>after the summer <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>break.And to be honest it didn’t start<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>off well.We all ran out of patience <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on the first day itself <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>since the usual van which takes the children to school didn’t turn up as the driver is still on <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>vacation.As a result,within a short period of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>time,we took into service <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>an alternative school transportation <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to shuttle the children back <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and forth to school.It wasn’t an easy task.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Though the long<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>break from school has <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>revitalized the kids,they<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>still not ready to go into studying mode right away.I guess it will take<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a few more days<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to get adjusted<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to the swing of things <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and get back to the customary <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>routine.Moreover,it’s just a matter of days before their summative exams start and I have no idea how to get them back on track from their present<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>frame of mind. Being away on vacation and from the hustle and the bustle of the morning mad rush,had a great impact on me as well.I had <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>totally elapsed the usual school rules and regulations.It had completely slipped off my mind that my youngest had to be attired in Scout uniform every Tuesday.Though he reminded me just before the school van arrived, there wasn’t enough time to run upstairs and change his uniform,so I had to do a bit of sweet-talk to cheer him up before <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sending <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>him off to school.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>must admit that I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>will<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>definitely miss<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the daytime noise and the clamor,the fun and the frolic <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and anecdotes of my children<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that re-energized<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>me during<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lazy summer<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mornings.Hence,halfhearted and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>reluctantly,I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>unwind<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bid<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>goodbye<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>holiday vibes.</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLN1YDWsu3ioxGDRgsKsy3hhkXqAob-BfLfmcCqLRoZdqWAbjRur3Q_k5XuIRE1vGDBLr0fHmJRlj5W7W9jnTdi8PVmYONb0LMfMAFytVYsNyvjmwYIaGbmFffORZWNM-gvFTUK2gnmAuT/s1600/camera+pic+085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLN1YDWsu3ioxGDRgsKsy3hhkXqAob-BfLfmcCqLRoZdqWAbjRur3Q_k5XuIRE1vGDBLr0fHmJRlj5W7W9jnTdi8PVmYONb0LMfMAFytVYsNyvjmwYIaGbmFffORZWNM-gvFTUK2gnmAuT/s400/camera+pic+085.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-54858534752109576672012-08-14T15:21:00.002-07:002012-08-15T01:12:16.374-07:00A Toast To Summer!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpWvusDEWVQGEs1yKtqGamCWbLtlw2_RSDIjVXVkds8_oWRmA_2XcOAmZfbL4e64W_cNQ_w46Uj3ezbD6IwxM34lbkQv38cSldCRrthGeTykwmpZOV4QGZOfTZMa_IzSfPBi_1uUR4anQ/s1600/IMG_1314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpWvusDEWVQGEs1yKtqGamCWbLtlw2_RSDIjVXVkds8_oWRmA_2XcOAmZfbL4e64W_cNQ_w46Uj3ezbD6IwxM34lbkQv38cSldCRrthGeTykwmpZOV4QGZOfTZMa_IzSfPBi_1uUR4anQ/s400/IMG_1314.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The family vacation maybe<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>over but the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>holidays for the children is still on, as schools reopen only in September.Despite the fact that we all seem to be thoroughly exhausted in the company of summer,we are <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in some way coping <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the hot and humid weather.With the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>prevailing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>weather condition in this part of the world,there is n’t much outdoor<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>activities<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>get occupied<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>except take part in religious activities like<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>reading the holy book and offering <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>extra prayers<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as this is the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>holy month of Ramadan,which<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by the way,will come to an end in the next few days.And soon, we can expect some fair weather.It is always the case during the latter part of summer time,when the holiday spirits begin to wear off and all that extra time that you hold so precious,seem to drift<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>so soon.And almost immediately <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you start to brood over the lost time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Summer makes me wonder,ponder and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>beyond.At the onset,as<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>much as the season brings with it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>holiday spirit,goodwill and cheer, it also ignites a lot<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of physical strain on us during the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>closing stage.By the way <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not being unreasonable,I still<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hope to enjoy the rest of the holidays in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>optimism.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Looking on the bright side,it’s apparent that Summer has not <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>been very harsh on me.In addition to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the exhilaration<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our three week vacation to the pearl of the Indian ocean( Sri Lanka),I am also ecstatic at some of the other <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>things that summer has freshened me up with.It has<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>enabled<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>me to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mentally remove a few<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>redundant anarchism and enjoy the rest of the season with a clear mind set.My sugar level<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>well under control and the daily exercising has<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>brought in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>some good results.I have lost a few more pounds and have gained high <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>energy levels.So you can just <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>imagine <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>alongside the hustle and the bustle of summer,how contentedly I am marching around the house with equally energetic children.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This Summer I also tried my hands at new recipes catering to the family’s tastes buds.Some recipes came out quite well while a few didn’t turn out as expected.That didn’t give me a reason to sign.I gave the dishes<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a new name and felt happy about my achievement.On the whole,Summer has taught me to approach things<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in a positive manner and I am grateful for that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><em>Please feel free to take a peek at <a href="http://aynzan.blogspot.com/p/summer-skies.html">Summer Skies</a>- pictures taken during the vacation</em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-82916616035464468782012-07-01T22:18:00.000-07:002012-07-01T22:18:00.056-07:00Celebrating Summer<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/AVvXsEiTAkzmp6Ro37vqm9dnjsGM7mDUgB155ryelR0CtBUPXz9c2UfQtovi06BsiVetjCIDLk-WeCZouIPl-lWiiYLvIopAXIHey3RsZ6ViJfHnvV0PHNfR285Q9fSavLg63DisQImDqyoDdSGa/s1600/SA700368kkkk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAkzmp6Ro37vqm9dnjsGM7mDUgB155ryelR0CtBUPXz9c2UfQtovi06BsiVetjCIDLk-WeCZouIPl-lWiiYLvIopAXIHey3RsZ6ViJfHnvV0PHNfR285Q9fSavLg63DisQImDqyoDdSGa/s400/SA700368kkkk.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Happy holidays-Have A great Summer!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6">the grass</span> on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.<br />
- John Lubbock-</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span>aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-22390499536653977572012-06-14T21:59:00.001-07:002012-06-18T11:16:03.150-07:00Obesity In Children<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Reading the book the </span><a href="http://www.bloodsugarsolution.com/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">‘Blood Sugar Solution’</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> not only endowed <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>me with helpful information about diabetes,but <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>also opened my eyes to another serious disease that is progressing fast <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>all over the world. I was brought to my attention<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obesity <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is one of the underlying cause for diabetes and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> also for </span>various other<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>diseases that could<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>assault our body and bring significant harm to our system.What is even more alarming is that childhood obesity <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is drastically on the rise especially among school children. Evidently it has become a cause of concern. A fad for junk food<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fast food is increasingly<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>growing amongst children which <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sooner or later will <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bring<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>catastrophic results when <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the diseases related to it sets in.Junk food may <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tantalize our taste buds <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but does more damage to our digestive systems.The extra fats <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in them <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not only make us gain weight but are <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>notable to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>damage the liver and heart.Adults should start promoting and creating awareness about eating healthy food so as to encourage school children develop healthy eating habits.Children should be encouraged to eat more of cereals,green and leafy vegetables,fruits,milk,eggs and curds and yoghurt<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as a part of their daily diet.Green salads have a lot of fibrous <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>elements<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that will do good for our health.As parents, we must work effortlessly to set <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>boundaries for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>eating foods like <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hot dogs,pizzas,burgers,sweets and candies,as they <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are the culprits that cause obesity.Furthermore,it is n’t too <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>late to turn around <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>eating habits.To prevent further destruction from this epidemic called 'obesity' ,the foremost thing we got to work on our part is to convince children to indulge<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in eating home cooked meals as foods cooked at home<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>packed with nutritious values and not as much of calories and fat.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Green Salads have fibrous compounds and are good for the digestive system</span></td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-37466194941744237902012-05-29T03:37:00.001-07:002012-05-29T05:45:37.163-07:00The Blood Sugar Solution<div class="MsoNormal" style= background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 13.5pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style= line-height: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';">For the last couple of months I have been deeply engrossed in ‘ Doctor Mark Hyman’s ‘<a href="http://drhyman.com/blog/category/articles/">Ultra Wellness blog</a>’ and have gathered so much of information about ‘Diabesity’-a merge between diabetes and obesity. I also enjoyed reading all the rants and the reviews about his latest book.However,since recently,I have not been able to do so habitually due to a defect in the computer.I guess our computer system cannot handle more than one program in one go.The computer keeps crashing and I can no longer have several internet applications running at a time.However I am not tech savvy to identify the hitch.So until this issue is rectified,I have to patiently bear with the slow loading and the sudden crashes which to some extent is disrupting my social networking.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style= line-height: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';">On the other hand, to my surprise, a couple of days ago,my dear hubby had checked in at the bookstore in the vicinity and got me the hard cover. Now I am all set to read….<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style= line-height: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 13.5pt;">And so, without further ado,let me break away</span><b style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 13.5pt;"> </b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; line-height: 13.5pt;"> from the frustrations generated by this faulty tech system and the mayhem caused by an equally faltered immune system and discover some techniques to get things back to normal</span><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"> with the guidance of the ‘Blood Sugar Solution’ . </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style= font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://goo.gl/photos/zk7VhXJviF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Fpg-_Q1IYHU/T8SUrEs_xSI/AAAAAAAAAwE/yVilsQyKROQ/s400/IMG_0615.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-36030782602014882822012-05-09T15:32:00.001-07:002012-05-09T16:04:55.141-07:00Blogging, A Leisure Pursuit<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Although p</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">eople blog for varied reasons they have one thing in common: an interest to convey freely their thoughts and opinions.Blogging is a tool for online networking.You can share your accomplishments,disappointments, rejoice your achievements and get feedback from your online friends.Being aware of the fact that there's a group of readers who show a genuine interest in the posts you publish and leave you with compliments and best wishes,amplifly your gratification further.However if criticism is in the offing, learn to take that in your stride as well.Productive criticism from readers should be encouraged so as to further improvise blog contents.A blog is typically updated on a daily basis.It is up to the blogger what he/she wishes to write and it is the blogger’s choice again if he/she wanted their online diary publicly shared over the internet.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Blogging was first started in 1997, by an American named John Barger.And since then millions have followed suit.My journey into blogosphere started a little more than three years ago. My blog is my online memoir.Although I am not up to date,I love browsing through web contents shared by various bloggers from all over the globe.It allows me to learn a diversity of topics and subjects from people with different backgrounds and cultures even though poles apart. Little by little with the upsurge of readers from across the world, a unique kind of friendship develops,even if it is only by way of commenting on each others blog posts. Reading interesting posts written by other bloggers and reacting favourable on their blogs, indoctrinates mutual understanding and trust between the bloggers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Blogging is my leisure pursuit.I write what I am most passionate about: My home and everything around it, the funny anecdotes of my children,their activities and my gastronomic know hows.I have benefited a lot by blogging. Not only I have gained new friends but also the opportunity to exchange ideas,opinions and recipes. Blogging keeps my mind focused and helps my writing skills from wilting.</span><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-34512113569619707222012-04-22T12:21:00.008-07:002012-04-24T11:39:32.619-07:00A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed<div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It’s back to school for the children after a short break.To go through the entire morning without them is mind-numbing.The hushed atmosphere is felt more than ever as they continuously kept me engaged during the morning hours chattering nineteen to the dozen. And as a matter of fact, given that I am immune to this kind of noisy environment,I find it a bit uncharacteristic to be in the midst of silence.Currently,I am trying every possible means to muddle through the tranquillity. So to chuck away the sense of being bored, I have actively turned to my most dependable companions: Books.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Reading books is a pleasurable experience.They have kept me happy and contended during dark and dull moments.Above and beyond,they cheer me up with their wide range of heartening words.Above all, books are the most sought after ‘acquaintances’</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">to</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">fill in the void and</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">help me break free </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">from monotony.I am persistently drawn toward them. Unquestionably,they straighten out my mood swings.Time after time,books </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">come to my support when I am in </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">need</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">of some driving force to lift my spirits high .</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Books are a source of inspiration.They are filled with an abundance of entertainment, information,and references.As grateful as I am,to modern technology,which sets up a complete library in front of the computer screen with only a push of a button, I still prefer the old fashioned way of enjoying a good read in black and white.There’s nothing to beat my habit of sitting in a cosy corner with a paper back to hold on to and be intensely engrossed in it.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Although the perception of reading books,for many,is slowly weaning off, the magnetism still remains in me.Books teach us a variety of subjects.They give solutions to our problems and stimulate us in every aspect. Inevitably they instigate reading skills and give confidence to children and young adults.I am forever in awe of the diverse styles and expressions documented in books by different writers and authors.The other day while looking through a textbook belonging to my daughter,I found something quite notable.It was a well defined piece of writing. Needless to say, I was fascinated by its characterization that I totally forgot time.</span></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dear readers,now allow me pass on to you something inspirational I discovered from that particular book. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">‘Success,real success and happiness come to those who have a bread-making attitude.Those who are willing to knead the dough,wait for hours for it to rise, only to punch it down and knead some more, wait for another couple of hours for it to rise again, then bake it before it is ready to be eaten.Nothing is instantaneous.For every endeavour whether in the area of career academics music, sports,relationships,physical fitness,or even in spirituality-it is a long arduous journey.’</span></span></i></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/AVvXsEh4z1dw1rzZzmopr_nLm1olRs0EHaS4RH6TQqnH3bqhx3JhE6wstDJ_lZlcRF2Az2J7NAvSXRB21EheHlXiq4V4youbVWGnRpgcubPgPDex9ULUUd6ZudQf6MExRUER7T8hJYfle-ORymV_/s1600/SA701348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4z1dw1rzZzmopr_nLm1olRs0EHaS4RH6TQqnH3bqhx3JhE6wstDJ_lZlcRF2Az2J7NAvSXRB21EheHlXiq4V4youbVWGnRpgcubPgPDex9ULUUd6ZudQf6MExRUER7T8hJYfle-ORymV_/s400/SA701348.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Wouldn't it be commendable if we all adapt the 'bread making' attitude</span></td></tr>
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</span></span></div>aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-4567256920043883952012-03-21T08:40:00.002-07:002012-03-21T14:02:28.659-07:00Toward Healthy Living<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">To be healthy,eat healthy.That’s exactly what I am doing since my high sugar diagnosis. My daily consumption of food is a combination of all the nutrients like proteins, fat and carbohydrates in smaller portions.Thanks to my dietician who helped me with a balanced meal plan which I got to follow on a regular basis.Having a tete-a-tete with the dietician and carefully considering the pros and cons of certain foods and the harm some food could cause long term,heightened my aspirations,to make changes in my dietary habits.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have already lost a couple of kilos in the first few weeks of starting my ‘weight loss-sugarless’ journey. As I am advised to keep fit and be on the move for at least half an hour everyday,I have made it mandatory to go on a walking ‘spree’ for about 20-30 minutes a day. Aside avoiding everything which contains sugar, I have also drastically curtailed salt intake so that the organs in the body will not malfunction.I can no more nibble as I desire on nuts and savouries but instead allowed to snack on fruits: though advised to skip mangoes, bananas and avocados, which could spike my sugar levels and who knew my favourites: carrots, potatos and green beans fall in the same category that set off the sugar elevation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Drinking plenty of water,possibly seven to eight glasses per day would help flush all the wastes and toxins off the system and also makes one feel full,thereby curbing the hunger pangs.And with that in mind,without any hesitation,I have now made it a priority to respectedly drink the recommended amount of water each day.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">According to studies,stress is also a major cause for the sugar swings that lead to type 2 diabetes.So</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> a ‘good night’ sleep facilitates a great deal in diminishing all forms of stress related symptoms and dampening mood swings thus enabling one to be in peak conditions.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All in all,I am left with no options but follow this dietary chart and I bet this food diagram will also ward off my cravings for those occasional treats.Although the task of implementing the guidelines is challenging, I have wholeheartedly accepted to significantly make adjustments in my everyday life for I believe this is a good ‘bargain’ toward a hale and hearty living. </span><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRq-1yeGTcXq7Ijxoq0Vx_J5IoA0DzW419KzNuSSDDoAR7SLoWsynQA5BYz0CWJRqi3ZZyHR4-3q4iFijlddUXDAsjGW6veooHO1iz0yCPuDFn_acVQZsM6TqRSdMNUqZPNb0wgR-B8aMw/s1600/SA701119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRq-1yeGTcXq7Ijxoq0Vx_J5IoA0DzW419KzNuSSDDoAR7SLoWsynQA5BYz0CWJRqi3ZZyHR4-3q4iFijlddUXDAsjGW6veooHO1iz0yCPuDFn_acVQZsM6TqRSdMNUqZPNb0wgR-B8aMw/s400/SA701119.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Healthy option- baked vegetables</span></td></tr>
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</span></span></div>aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891259069080376316.post-65069808382320533072012-02-15T00:17:00.005-08:002012-02-15T00:58:50.057-08:00A Healthy Dose Of Laughter<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtmPeBTvuGUjv7ZIKK730UCwUxR_ugNUs063UOj-17Z6x9vU1MDov3azg46JdFzWXnynwjK0-tKQ60DzfnLJt2NxH4a9QW9ZQG40h_GeCVa_yA3LNeSsxuLBWl_SYNfjL-9osXLSbdgy6/s1600/Khobar+Skies+114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtmPeBTvuGUjv7ZIKK730UCwUxR_ugNUs063UOj-17Z6x9vU1MDov3azg46JdFzWXnynwjK0-tKQ60DzfnLJt2NxH4a9QW9ZQG40h_GeCVa_yA3LNeSsxuLBWl_SYNfjL-9osXLSbdgy6/s400/Khobar+Skies+114.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Children make the world go round and thus, undoubtedly, make the adults twirl ,twist and go dizzy as well.More often they spin into their own world full of fantasy and make-believe.However much these children bubbling with mischief and giggles bring pandemonium in the home, they are a blessing to every parent.They sparkle our lives with great joy, happiness and love.All the same they can be unpredictable with their moods,attitudes and opinions altering from time to time.One day they can make our hearts go pit-a-pat and swell with pride and the next day our heads spin like tops.</span></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There are number of adjectives coming into my mind when describing children.The most common that deem fit to portray the brood in my abode would be: mischievous,bouncy,cheerful, carefree ,happy,funny and a lot more .</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Repeatedly I have been amused by their anecdotes which have quite unswervingly acted as stress relievers.With the children away in school every morning ,I am revitalized by these anecdotes.They help lift my spirits higher,calm my nerves and make less burdensome my moods. Here are a few which I have already shared a couple of times with family and friends and also with some of my readers in another blog.These are small blessings that make my day .</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy";">1: A dialogue: with my sons Scene : Home<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">I was helping my seven year old with his class assignment.The lesson was 'What do the following young ones grow into..And thus we continued ..</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"> I posed the questions and as usual he bellowed with the answers..<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><b>Me:</b> ‘An owlet becomes <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><b>He:</b> -an owl!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><b>Me;</b> ‘A cygnet becomes<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><b>He </b>- a swan!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style=font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><b>Me:</b> A kitten becomes <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><b>He:</b> a cat!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><b>Me:</b> A joey becomes<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><b>He:</b> a ....?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Before he could open his mouth to answer this one , My ten-year-old,who was seated on the other end of the room blurted out, 'Joey becomes a Friend' <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style=font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">( He was obviously referring to Joey -the character from the TV sitcom 'Friends)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Seeing my seven –year –old looking very confused by the big brother’s response ,I burst into a loud laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">However regaining my composure after a while ,I quickly said, 'Joey becomes a kangaroo'.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Tut! Tut! Now both my sons eyebrows are raised..<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">What a confusion!!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> <br />
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</o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">2 : </span></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Mistaken identity<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style= font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Ask a ten year old anything but politics.Recently in my son’s class during the General knowledge period, they were questioned on current affairs.They were shown a picture of the recently humiliated Libyan leader and asked to identify.They all seemed to know the answer and very confidently responded in the midst of loud giggles; ‘That's Mr Bean! ‘</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></div>aynzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05236466022503116920noreply@blogger.com3