Paper Cut Outs

When I was a little nina I remember abosolutely loving to make snowflakes from cut paper.  We also had these streamers that the teachers would let us hang from the ceiling as decorations, all made from paper cut outs.  Like lace, the intricate details are just mesmerizing!  Found some fabulous examples below as well as good ol' Lisa Hannigan's paper cut out video.  Last night we had a small gathering along with our Welsh Brother and Sister (See pic @ floursandfleurs.wordpress.com) Making playdough designs along with some of our young sisters and talking about art projects reminded me of these.



Classical Music Electrified



Chilled & Artistic

I've always loved this song, ever since I first heard it on a mix that a friend gave me. There's a fabulous little coffee shop called the Beat down by Youngstown State University and a Barista there always played amazing chillout out type Coffehouse beats.  This Eastern European student's artistic video is strange but amazing at the same time.  Enjoy!

"Here Cluck Cluck"

Check out Mum's site http://www.floursandfleurs.wordpress.com/ with the latest news on our feathered friends.  That is unless you're a chicken ;) Below is an article I came across that I thought you may enjoy... What a laugh. So if we aren't able to get chickens this is a nice alternative...without the eggs.

Pet Parrot Finds Way Home After Living With Chickens for Months

by Jennipher Walters (Subscribe to Jennipher Walters's posts)

Feb 23rd 2011 @ 5:00PM Filed Under: Birds, Pets News

File photo. Credit: Dan Kitwood, Getty Images

Here at Paw Nation we're always amazed at stories in which a missing pet is found weeks or months later, but usually these incredible stories are about a found dog or cat -- not a more exotic pet, like, say, a parrot. But that's what happened in Liverpool, England, when Jack, an Amazon parrot, flew away from his home and ended up spending the freezing winter in a chicken coop.

The Herald Sun reports that Jack went missing in late November when his owner, Jerry Williams, forgot the parrot was on his shoulder and Jack flew out an open door. Williams and his wife, Irene, told the Herald Sun that they frantically searched for Jack, distributing hundreds of missing parrot posters and even contacting several radio stations, vets and local newspapers for help finding their 12-year-old feathered friend. After a particularly bitter winter in England, the couple was convinced that Jack was gone for good.

That was until they got a call from the Chester Zoo in England, which is 15 miles away from the Williams' home. Zookeeper Andy Woolham called with the good news that he found Jack -- clucking like a chicken in one of the zoo's poultry sheds.

"During his time on the loose he must have taken shelter and obtained food in poultry sheds. Parrots mimic the sounds they hear," Woolham told the Herald Sun. "I could tell he was ravenously hungry, so I enticed him down with a grape. No parrot can resist a black grape."

"I thought I'd never see him again," Jerry Williams told the Herald Sun. "I've had him for almost 10 years, so I was devastated when he vanished. It's just wonderful to have him back."

La Vie En Rose

In El Paso there is a certain Joie De Vivre even amongst the ninos.  Most here look at life through rose colored glasses.  And this song I've heard quite often on the radio but have never seen the video  till recently.  It holds the exact feeling one gets just observing the city on a daily basis. Mischevious little ninos, music, and of course dancing.  Enjoy!



Feel Good Tunes



Sittin' on Pins n Needles

What a week this has been.  Poor Stefano came down with a nasty bug.  We've all been sick off and on but his just kept holding on.  Stubborn lil germ!  So after investigating the costs of the local clinics he decided to be a brave boy and head into the wild wild west in search of a good ol' fashioned shot.  Here in El Paso it is still possible to get antibiotics from Juarez (not as easy as it used to be now that it has turned into such a sad situation).  So an amazing loving family from the Spanish congregation offered to get the medicine for us.  Then the sister supplied her fabulous shot-giving skills.  Stef's bum has had quite a week of pricks and today after her instruction of course, he dared to brave a shot given by moi.  What a brave boy!  She is an excellent teacher though as he said felt just fine.  :)  Whewwww.

Anxiously awaiting our dear friends from Wales arrival.  They are coming this next weekend and we can't wait to share with them our new "home".  We look forward to them meeting all of our precious brothers and sisters here and ask that if any of you have some good ideas of special places to take them that we may not have thought of please share!

The build is coming along nicely.  One weekend and bam all the walls are up and the roof has begun.  It was put on hold a bit due to the Windy season beginning. But it is amazing to see how quickly everything goes with Jehovah's holy spirit.

Hawaiian Lingo

For some Hawaiian Lingo check out my Mum's Groovy Blog

http://www.floursandfleurs.wordpress.com/

Push Play and Scroll Below



Aloha Joe

I've always loved the sounds of the Steel Guitar and the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, especially when paired with the sounds of crashing waves.  We are far from ocean here in El Paso, sometimes if you dig your toes in the abundance of sand and close your eyes the rustling of the palm trees in the background mimics the sounds of waves and for a moment you almost can believe that when you open your eyes again you will have been transported to Ka'anapali beach.

  Back to reality though, even if you are far from water you can still enjoy the sounds of Hawaii by logging into a site that my Mum found ages ago.  Click on the radio link and voila!  Mr. Aloha Joe himself broadcasts daily.  You can even watch him live. 

http://www.alohajoe.com/

Get Your Platforms On!

A little treat for my Mum

(the audio seems a little off w/ the video)



I didn't think it was possible to have anything better than Elton John...but Elton John and Cher!!!! Fabulous!

A little Culture

Ok so we spent the weekend watching a manly American game and manly commercials... time to culture it up a bit.  Warning.  It may be a bit sappy for some but close your eyes and just listen to the music...and of course the voice of the lovely French announcer.  Enjoy!



Cheeseheads and Terrible Towels

Here we are Monday morning consoling poor Tony after his Steelers put up a good fight. 

 And cheering Nathan on for his Cheesehead victory!

  Was great to see a superbowl that was up in the air till the last minute.  Kept you guessing :) 

Most of all though we enjoyed spending time with our brothers and sisters!

Artist Pick of the Week

Some of you may have seen him featured on Yahoo this week but this is an amazing artist/photographer.  His name is Liu Bolin he is Chinese and paints himself, along with the help of others of course, to match the surroundings he is photographing....It is like "Where's Waldo" for grown-ups.  Check it out!  I'll admit the one in front of the bulldozer took me a long time to find.



Interesting News

I always find it amazing to see what new things we discover animals are capable of.  Came across the article below today.  What unbelievable creations Jehovah has made! 

 

From Pat-Downs to Rat-Downs? Scientists Suggest Mice for Airport Security

Feb 3, 2011 – 2:20 PM

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/03/scientists-suggest-using-explosives-sniffing-mice-for-airport-se/

Ben Muessig Contributor

When you go to the airport, do you feel comfortable getting an enhanced pat-down? What about an enhanced rat-down?

Israeli scientists say they have found a way to harness the power of mice to bolster airport security.

Brothers Eran and Alon Lumbroso have constructed an explosive detector that looks like a standard airport metal detector or full-body scanner -- only it's filled with mice, according to New Scientist.

Robert F. Bukaty, AP

You don't want mice in your house -- but in your airport they could be a lifesaver. An Israeli company has created a device that uses trained mice to detect explosive residues.

The mouse trap contains three canisters, each filled with eight specially trained mice capable of picking up faint traces of explosive residues. When passengers tainted with possible explosive chemicals walk through the arch, the mice reportedly flee to a secondary compartment, setting off an alarm.

"It's as if they're smelling a cat and escaping," said Eran, one of the co-founders of BioExplorers -- the company that manufactures the device. "We detect the escape."

In a demo at a Tel Aviv shopping mall last year, the mouse-powered bomb detector accurately identified 22 test subjects carrying fake explosives, according to The Daily Telegraph.

BioExplorers says mice are more effective bomb-sniffers than dogs because they don't require constant human interaction, and they actually have more scent receptor genes than canines.

Privacy advocates might find the device less invasive than full-body scanners, but it isn't without its potential downsides -- someone has to clean the cages.

Fell Asleep in El Paso Woke Up in the Arctic

Although our weather pales in comparison to the amount of weather experienced by all you up North, even South in poor Dallas, we are none-the-less shocked by our recent weather.  Head on over to my Mum's for some lovely pics. www.floursandfleurs.wordpress.com  It's frozen outside and with that comes lack of water and lack of electricity.  (Not sure exactly how that works but apparently that is what happens here in El Paso)  UTEP has shut down as well.  Which means work i cancelled this evening!  I lived in the freezing cold of the North all my life and can say that work was never ever cancelled due to weather.  Then I move here, we get 1 inch and -10 windchill and bam!  Day off!  I LOVE IT!!!!!  In all honesty though no one down here has snow plows, salt, or portable heaters.  So hope you are all staying warm and cozying up with some hot cocoa in front of a fire place.

Cranberries

I've been on a bit of an Irish kick lately.  Think part of it is we've actually had a bit of cloud cover lately.  Mind you El Paso cloud cover consists of 90% Sun and a few cloudy moments throughout the day.  But with the wind starting to pick up again something about it reminds me of the lovely melancholy weather of Ireland.  Enjoy!