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Maybe we are just eternal romantics. Or, maybe we are, daily, reminded of how fleeting life is and how crucial to life, love is.
Either way, you're getting an over-dose of love this month. You need it. We need it. Name me one person who doesn't. We will return to our full upright positions next month, but until then...love the one you're with.
Enjoy, "This Just In..."
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February 14 - Do The Right Thing
The Triumph of Saint Valentine painted by Valentin Metzinger.
Saint Valentine (Italian: San Valentino, Latin: Valentinus) known as Saint Valentine of Rome was a widely recognized 3rd-century Roman saint, commemorated in Christianity on February 14.
From the high Middle Ages his Saints' Day has been associated with a tradition of courtly love. He is also a patron saint of epilepsy.
Saint Valentine was a clergyman - either a priest or a bishop - in the Roman Empire who ministered to persecuted Christians. He was martyred and buried at a Christian cemetery to the north of Rome, on February 14, which has been observed as the Feast of Saint Valentine since 496 AD. More here:
Oh, and he inspired the giving of chocolates and flowers to loved ones. At least that's why my wife has assured me.
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Quiz #1
Yeah, you know who it is...right? Tell us here and you may win a $25 Amazon gift card.
Last month 114 of you recognized Lee Marvin and Kristen Stewart and Carl C. and Tricia L. were our winners. And Jane H. and
Jay K. realized (along with 74 of you) that those words like - BEGINS - shared one trait - the letters were in alphabetical order!
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Jardin de Luxembourg 1950 by Rene Maltete
Blake and Ryan
Rachel and Ross
Rodin's "The Kiss"
Bogey and Bacall. Naturally.
Roselyn and Jimmy
Bonnie and Clyde
Rose and Jack
Creature from the Black Lagoon and his love, Beverly Adams.
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So the trip to Europe is off. Thanks Covid!
Now's the time to plug into the sun and go...Solar!
And Rich Delorenze is your Daniels connection to the best solar program in Connecticut.
If you qualify - his offer is simple:
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Install a solar system with NO out of pocket cost.
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Guarantee your RATE WILL BE LOWER than your current provider.
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Warrantee, insure, maintain and service your system at NO COST.
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Cap your rate for term of your agreement.
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Reduce your DELIVERY charges.
Rich has a team that has installed more than 1500 systems in CT, RI and MA in the last year. If you are interested in a no-hassle - no-contact review of the benefits of solar give Rich a call.
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A Spy In The House of Love
by Anais Nin
This semi-autobiographical 50's classic, A Spy In The House Of Love, is in part about different affairs New Yorker Sabina has during her marriage.
It's about sexual identity, yes, but it's mostly about when our different needs are in direct conflict with one another.
South of the Border, West of the Sun
Haruki Murakami
Murakami fans will tell you Norwegian Wood is his most bittersweet, nostalgic book - they're wrong. It's this one. Set in Tokyo, 37 year old Hajime, a successful bar owner, husband and father, is reunited with Shimamoto, his childhood friend.
South of the Border is about what happens when a past love (and, let's face it, your past self) threatens your present one. A must-read for anyone who's ever wondered, "what if?"
The Year of Magical Thinking
Joan Didion
This memoir chronicling the year following Didion's husband's death is heartbreaking and powerful - because she is devastated by her loss. In a weird way though, don't we all want a love that will leave us heartbroken when it ends?
Set in a small town in Montana in the early '60s, the story is told from the perspective of a son whose parents' marriage is falling apart under the pressures of Joe's father's pride.
I love this book for its simplicity and the frankness with which it ties duty to love - you can't really have one without the other, can you?
Call Me By Your Name
by Andre Aciman
It hits you right in all those tender parts that haven't healed since your first love. Elio and Oliver spend a single summer together in Italy, when visiting scholar Oliver stays with Elio's family.
Idyllic, sweet and sincere - read to remember how you were before heartbreak made you cynical.
One bonus:
Love Letters
by Peter Washington
Discovered this itty-bitty book in Paris, at the famous Shakespeare and Co. bookshop (see: Before Sunset) There are letters from Mozart, Virginia Wolfe, Franz Kafka - flirting, begging, missing, loving.
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Zen Japanese Rock Garden Toast. Yes, toast.
With most of us staying home right now, we're finding more time on our hands. And one area of the day where that leftover time is being spent is on meals.
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Somewhere, naturally, in Russia.
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Where are we? And what, exactly, are we looking at? Think you know ( I know at least 88 of you will) tell us here and you may win a fantastic, gorgeous, full-equipped $25 Amazon gift card!
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Falling In Love - Made Easy.
In 1997, Berkeley psychology student Arthur Aron and his colleagues refined a list of 36 questions for "creating closeness." "One key pattern associated with the development of a close relationship among peers is sustained, escalating, reciprocal, personal self-disclosure," Aron wrote. "The core of the method we developed was to structure such self-disclosure between strangers."
Each pair of subjects took turns asking each other questions from this list, in order:
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Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?
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Would you like to be famous? In what way?
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Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say?
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What would constitute a "perfect" day for you?
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When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
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If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
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Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?
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Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.
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For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
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If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?
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Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail.
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If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
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If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?
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Is there something that you've dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven't you done it?
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What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
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What do you value most in a friendship?
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What is your most treasured memory?
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What is your most terrible memory?
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If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?
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What does friendship mean to you?
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What roles do love and affection play in your life?
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Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.
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How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people's?
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How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?
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Make three true "we" statements each. For instance, "We are both in this room feeling ... "
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Complete this sentence: "I wish I had someone with whom I could share ... "
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If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.
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Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you've just met.
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Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.
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When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?
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Tell your partner something that you like about them already.
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What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?
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If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven't you told them yet?
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Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?
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Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?
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Share a personal problem and ask your partner's advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.
Most of the pairs of strangers left the session with highly positive feelings for each other: "[Immediately after about 45 min. of interaction, this relationship is rated as closer than the closest relationship in the lives of 30% of similar students" (though, to be sure, "it seems unlikely that the procedure produces loyalty, dependence, commitment, or other relationship aspects that might take longer to develop").
So...try it with your favorite humanoid. See if it brings you true happiness. Or ya know, a chance to hook-up again.
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"Family Gathering", by William Hemmerling.
Southern folk artist William Hemmerling whose artistic creations using simple pieces of discarded wood and metal earned him honors, died in 2009 at his home in Ponchatoula, LA. where his art gallery was located.
In 2005, the Chicago native was selected to create the poster for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. He had also been honored by the New Orleans Museum of Art, and the African American Heritage Museum in Aurora, Ill.
His agent, Carol Siekkinen, said he wandered into her gallery six years ago "saying he was getting ready to retire and he needed money and he thought he could paint." Since then, Hemmerling sold more than 1,000 pieces. His work began selling for $100 to $500 and now prices range from $3,000 to $20,000, she said.
"Collectors from all over the world say they're just touched by his work."Not a week goes by where someone comes into the gallery and is not brought to tears by his work. He was an old Hippie, with the innocence of a child."
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This non-profit organization was set up in the azure waters Cancun, Isla Mujeres, and Punta Nizuc in 2009. The museum fosters diverse marine life and features more than 500 life-size sculptures, most of which are created by the British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. Lots more here: https://musamexico.org
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On 31 December 1899, the passenger steamer SS Warrimoo was quietly knifing its way through the waters of the mid-Pacific on its way from Vancouver to Australia. The navigator had just finished working out a star fix and brought Captain John DS Phillips the result. The Warrimoo's position was LAT 0ยบ 31' N and LONG 179 30' W. "Know what this means?" First Mate Payton broke in, "We're only a few miles from the intersection of the Equator and the International Date Line".
Captain Phillips was prankish enough to take full advantage of the opportunity for achieving the navigational freak of a lifetime. He called his navigators to the bridge to check and double check the ship's position. He changed course slightly so as to bear directly on his mark. Then he adjusted the engine speed.
The calm weather and clear night worked in his favor. At midnight the SS Warrimoo lay on the Equator at exactly the point where it crossed the International Date Line! The consequences of this bizarre position were many:
The bow of the ship was in the So. Hemisphere and in the middle of summer. The stern was in the No. Hemisphere and in the middle of winter. The date in the aft part of the ship was 31 December 1899. In the bow it was 1 January 1900 . This ship was therefore not only in: Two different days Two different months Two different years Two different seasons But also two different decades (but not centuries) - all at the same time! Whoa, no?
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| | Cat Uses Sign Language to Ask for Food |
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Daniels Energy, 8 High Street, Portland CT 06480
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