Hobbies Hot Trends

Rock and mineral collecting is a fascinating hobby which can be shared by the entire family. Before you get started with your new hobby it is important to understand something about minerals.

Rocks are made up of one mineral, or a mixture of minerals. Minerals are made up of elements, which are simple substances which cannot be broken down into any other substance. Sometimes minerals are made of only one element, but most minerals are made up of two or more elements. Many minerals are made up of a large number of elements.

What is genealogy and a family tree?

Genealogy is a hobby where you collect information about your ancestors, that is, everyone in your family that has lived before you. You collect vital statistics, such as when and where they were born, lived and passed away. From these clues you become a master detective and learn all about their lives. Each family member is like a piece in a puzzle. As you collect and record family stories, pictures and documents, a fascinating tale of your history reveals itself. Building a family tree can be a life-long hobby for you. Maybe, one day, you'll have a granddaughter or grandson to pass this family treasure on to. Just like your ancestors, the generations which follow you can read about, and enjoy your very interesting history!

For more than 77 years Madame Alexander dolls have found their way into the hearts of girls (young and old) and collector's around the world. Always elegant, charming and lovable, "Madame Alexander" remains to be a favorite classic toy and collectible each holiday season.

As Madame Alexander entered the Toy Industry's Hall of Fame in 2000, the story of Madame Alexander is also the story of the evolution of the dolls through the past century.

Do You Hate It or Love It?

If you can complete the Rubik's cube then you love it, but if you can't then you hate that piece of plastic with 26 parts and one frame.

For 18 years I fiddled and got frustrated by the cube. When you are young there is lots of time to spend on this sort of thing.

At the age of 21 someone showed me the moves required to solve the cube. I was very pleased but also highly annoyed that it took 18 years for me to find the solution.

When you think of herbs, you probably think of seasonings. These precious
little gems can add taste to any dish, add to its enticing aroma, and even
change an entire recipe.
Herbs offer much more than this. They can be used as decorative plants
in your garden. They make great room decorations, scented sachets, wonderful
as dyes, and create exceptional home-brewed teas.
Herbs are versatile in many ways. You can plant the tiny seeds in containers
and place them on your windowsill or deck. They make very creative borders
for your flower or vegetable gardens, and they even fill in as ground covers.
Even when they are dried, you can make wreaths that will give a delightful
aroma to anyone who comes to your door!
Many people strongly believe in their medicinal qualities such as herbal teas
for many ailments, hot wraps, and digestion enhancers.
If you grow herbs indoors, it may surprise you that they never get very large.
While dinner is being prepared, a snip here and a snip there will add that very
special flavor to your meal. It will also keep the plant small but always producing
their flavor for you to enjoy. They definitely add zest to any culinary endeavor
as well as fill your home with the aromatic treat of appetizing smells.
Herbs grown outside also offer a lot of advantages to the gardener. They mingle
with your other plants adding to the fragrance in the air. Some herbs grow in the
shade, such as mint and chervil, while others enjoy full sunshine. Herbs make
great garden success stories. They need very little tending, except for weeding.
Your usual gardening practices of watering, cultivating, and fertilizing suits
them just fine. They are even cold-hardy, such as rosemary and thyme, that can
withstand very low temperatures.
Whatever spices you have been buying to add to your favorite dishes, try growing
them yourself. You will always have a fresh supply, they can be dried which gives
them even more potency, and they add eye appeal to your decor, not to mention
the room freshening scents they offer for free.
When you are making your gardening plans this year, try herbs. You won't be
sorry and you will find yourself discovering new places to tuck in a plant or two around
your garden. There is one caution: They do become habit forming because they are
such garden success stories. So, the solution - share with family and friends.
©Arleen M. Kaptur 2002
Article Responder:
rusticliving@sendfree.com

Safety -

Key points to remember:
- Safety in dancing
- Efficiency in foot placement
- Mastering your floor space

Good dancers have a sense of awareness about themselves in relation to others on the dance floor. In developing this awareness apply the following whether you are in a dance lesson, practicing by yourself and especially at a dance club.

In Salsa any step back should be a small one, period. This applies to the man as well as the woman. If your step back is large you will run into problems such as:

Faux and Decorative Painting
Sponge painting

Sponge painting is great because it is easy, fast, requires little paint and materials, and did I mention it was easy? It can be used on walls, furniture, and accessories, and can give instant facelift to dull objects.

Don't let anyone convince you that you have to go buy an expensive sea sponge to do this. I've used plastic grocery bags, cloth diapers, even old clothing…(Ok, now it's called ragging, same technique, more subtle look.) But you can use a plain old kitchen sponge, and here's the secret….tear away all the hard edges of the sponge, even tear chunks from the center to give it an irregular appearance.

Recycling your kitchen wastes using a home worm bin is an easy, ecologically sound way to dispose of kitchen wastes. Just think about how much water is used every day when you wash garbage down the garbage disposal in your sink!

Besides saving water, a worm bin produces an organic compost that can be used instead of chemical fertilizers in your garden and on your house plants. This is a fun and educational activity for youngsters. They will learn something about the biology of worms and also the importance of reusing and recycling to preserve resources.

Faced with my own furniture dilemma recently, I thought what a great opportunity for me to share ideas with you on how to turn around that tired piece of furniture, without having to spend big bucks! So here it is, secrets from The Budget Decorator on transforming your furniture from trash to TFTE! (Treat For The Eyes!)

Lately, people have been asking me the same question over and over, "Should I buy a digital camera?" And for everyone that asks, I have the perfect answer. Maybe.

There are many factors that go into the decision about going digital, not the least being whether you are a professional or amateur photographer. You need to ask yourself how you will use your photographs. Will they be for your website, magazine articles, stock agencies, advertising or something else? You then have to do some research and see what each of these markets asks for. Stock agencies love digital, as do many ad agencies, but most magazines want slides.

1. Are there any size or weight restrictions on dogs within
your condominium or community? Many won't allow dogs over 30-pounds.

2. Do you keep your home very warm? Some dogs are bothered by warm room temperatures. A Chihuahua would be a better choice than Shih Tzu in that case.

3. How much dog can you lift? A Pug is a happy-go-lucky companion but may weigh 18-pounds while a Yorkshire Terrier usually doesn't exceed 7-pounds.

4. How much grooming can you do? If arthritis is a problem, avoid longhaired breeds such as Pekingese or Maltese and look at short, smooth-haired dogs such as Toy Manchester
Terrier. Beautiful coats are beautiful because they're groomed daily.

1. "No-Kill" Shelters Aren't Totally

In the website words of one of the first
no-kill shelters, The San Francisco
SPCA:

"(We)guarantee to find a home for all
San Francisco's adoptable cats and dogs
- animals that are healthy and free of
serious behavior problems. Animals are euthanatized
only if they are too sick to be rehabilitated, or
too aggressive to be safely placed in a home."

2. Tax Supported Shelters Can't
Turn Down Anyone

No-kill shelters have been criticized for skimming the cream of abandoned pets and letting public, tax-supported shelters deal with all the sick,
aggressive and elderly animals.

Turquoise, derived from the French word for Turkish has been adored since before 4000 BC. A lot of the early European turquoise came from the Middle East in what today is known as the country of Turkey. That is where the stone's name hails from. It is said to have healing properties, therefore beneficial to human wellness by keeping the blood pure and blood pressure low.

Painters have graced the world's cathedrals and great historic buildings with their talent with paints and brushes.

Musicians bring their melodious notes to thrill our sense of hearing and stir us emotionally. Art in whatever form you find interesting is meant to bring new vision, broaden our horizons, and let beauty into our lives. So, too, with any type of needlework or craft projects.