Be Aware of Pollination and Flower Allergies

Most plant and flower allergies are caused by plants which are pollinated by the wind versus those pollinated by insects. So this is something to consider if you are looking at which plants to grow in your garden. If you plant insect pollinated flowers (entomophilous) you will have less allergy trouble. If you plant wind pollinated flowers (anemophilous) you will probably be itchy, sneezy and all the rest.

There are a lot of different fabrics which can be used to create flowers. Fabric flowers are good for people who can't have real flowers around for some reason, like allergies. I've got allergies and asthma myself. So flowers that don't have pollen at their centres are a good thing.

Not everyone likes or wants real flowers. Whether it's an event (like a wedding) or just flowers for around your home, it's nice having something add a splash of colour. Unlike plastic or silk flowers - a fabric bouquet could be put in the washer on the gentle cycle once in awhile and come out okay. This makes it good for people with allergies who need to keep down the dust bunny population in their home.

Not all fabric flowers will be machine washable. It will depend on how they were made. Chances are anything glued together won't survive a washing machine. But, any fabric flower can be dusted. Or, if you really have to be careful about dust, give them away and make new flowers a few times over the year. Not only will you be making someone else happy, but you will have a new flowers and a great excuse to do more experimenting with colours, shape, styles and fabric for your flowers.

Three Ways to Try Cleaning Fabric Flowers

Try a sink of soapy water (dish soap will do) and swish the flowers in the water. Cool water should be ok for flowers which are glued together rather than sewn flowers. Blot flowers dry.

Try a spray bottle with a mix of white vinegar and water and spritz the flowers to freshen them up. Blot dry with a clean cloth. It may not clean them well, but it will help if they have picked up odours from inside.

Try a dry clean method. Put a little salt or cornmeal in a bag, wrap the bag around the flower and shake it gently for a couple of minutes. The grit of the salt or cornmeal will pick up dirt and dust and remove it. This is one way to clean flowers which can not get wet.

A boyfriend sent me this years ago. I don't know where the original card is any more but I'm so glad I retyped it into my old LiveJournal account. Today I found it there.  If it has a title I don't know it.

Take my hand. Let's travel life together... but let's take time to savor where we go.

We'll measure distance, not in miles but kisses. We'll pack our smiles and leave our cares behind.

Instead of postcards, we'll collect embraces, and I'll memorize your face on moonlit nights...

We'll leave the road for meadows, beaches, cafes, and secret places only we will know.

Life's too short for us to ever finish a journey that explores our heart's desires, so let's go now...

We won't regret one minute of traveling life together hand in hand.

Alarie Tennille

I found this in old stuff I had saved to a CD in 2004. I don't know where it originally came from. It was written for women to seduce their man - that much I did change myself. I get so fed up with the Cosmo Magazine version of how women should catch/ lure their man. Why is it Cosmo never writes about it the other way around? They make it seem women are desperate to get and keep a man, as if we have so little value. It irks me. For this, and other reasons, I haven't bought an issue of Cosmo Magazine since I was 20. I outgrew them.

• Genuine confidence begins with knowing your own body and mind.
• Knowledge is your ultimate love power.
• Develop good communication skills both in and out of the bedroom.
• Listen more than you speak, unless talk is related to both of you. Your conversation should always be positive and sensual.
• Be relaxed and self-assured.
• Know exactly what you're doing and why. Learn your woman's mind, emotions, body, and sex organs.
• Appeal to all her senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound.
• Find the right lighting for the mood you want to set.
• Create a romantic atmosphere. Arrange furniture to suit your sexual expression.
• Make her feel comfortable and relaxed in your environment.
• Welcome her with her favorite beverages, snacks, and music.
• Show enthusiasm when she speaks; have a twinkle in your eye. Flirt.
• Value cleanliness. Both you and your woman should be able to lick, suck, probe, rub, squeeze, massage every square inch of one another without hygienic concerns or inhibitions.
• Go slow with all thoughts and actions. Be gentle and tender. Savor every moment. Tease.
• Kiss your woman as though it were the first time every time.
• Learn the art of massage -- of both body and mind.
• Listen to her body language and sounds. She will tell you all you need to know even if silently.
• Do what pleases you both.
• Explore. Be adventurous. Find the things that really turn her on. If she doesn't like something you're doing, move on. If she does, stay with it.
• Don't be afraid to experiment.
• Relish every part of her body as though it were your "last supper."
• Create your own fantasies and then live them.

The ABCs of Romance: The Duke of Slut, Mary Sue, TSTL, and More!.

Mary Sue/Gary Stu: A critical term reserved for badly-written protagonists who are too perfect—they are simply good at everything, everyone except the Bad Guys loves them, and they have no discernable character flaws. Mary Sues are generally disliked because, since they have no problems of their own, the conflicts they confront tend to be contrived. As well, with no flaws or quirks, many of them are simply not interesting.

Which of these have you done when writing fictional characters? I think I'm holding back on writing longer fiction cause I am horrified that my characters, so carefully developed, will be labeled as any one of these. Mary Sue/ Gary Stu being the one I fear the most!

Still, forewarned is... forewarned. This is a good list. Writers beware!

You never know what you will find when you browse around at the thrift store. Do you remember the Love Is... couple?

This glass had a stem and base. I wondered if it came with flowers originally. It would suit flowers for the bride. I'm only guessing, but it would have been a very nice way to send flowers to the bride-to-be, or to propose with flowers in a glass vase like this.

I remember this Love Is.. couple. At one point I even wrote my own list of Love is... sayings in my diary for them. I ended up with a pretty good list but not all of them were winners. I didn't have the courage to send them in then, I was just a kid, what did I know about love, romance or relationships. Of course now I'd disagree. I think kids can know a lot about love and relationships (not every relationship is about physical love). To me it seems this is one of the things we can see in the Love Is... couple. They have love with affection and real thought for each other's wants and needs.

The Love Is... drawings were created by New Zealand artist, Kim Grove, as a series of love notes in the late 1960's for Roberto Casali. They later married but Roberto became ill with terminal cancer and Kim stopped working on the cartoons in 1975. Roberto died in 1976.

Since 1975 the cartoons have been drawn by Bill Asprey.

The Official website. The site kept by Bill Asprey also has the comic strip.

A collection of Love Is... from a fan.

Another Love Is... collection.