WhiteMagicWoman

Mine Falls Park, Nashua, NH

Mine Falls Park in Nashua, NH is one of the best kept secrets of the city. It’s a 325-acre park that is great for walking, biking, boating, fishing, and cross-country skiing.

The trails are VERY well taken care of. They are neat, clean, and set up in very interesting ways. There’s always something new to look at, whether it’s the bog, bridges over the water, or tunnels under the streets. Some trails are short, others long, and each has its own special features and characteristics. You can spend an hour or a day depending on what you want to do.

I biked on the bog trail and enjoyed every minute of it. It was a nice ride in the woods to start, and then it opened up into the conservation sanctuary bog with tons of wildlife — birds, ducks, fish, frogs, waterlilies, and much more. There’s a platform observation area that faces out into the main bog, and there are bridges over various points in the waterways that you can cross and stop on for more views up and down the waterways.

There is also a trail that has the boat landing and a waterfall, but I didn’t get a chance to do that trail yet. When I do, I will update this article.

For now, here is a slideshow of some pictures I took on this ride: Mine Falls Park, Aug. 14th.

Click for the official Mine Falls Park page on the Nashua Web site. This site contains maps of the trails and more information about the park amenities.

This is now one of my new favorite places to bike and just generally hang out. There’s so much to do and see — You can just really get lost in the day!

Tags: biking, Mine Falls Park, parks
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Bags and piles and boxes, oh my!

At some point in everyone’s project list, there comes a time when the fabric stash has taken over the closet.  This recently happened to me, and before I knew it, I bought doubles of fabric that I already had because I just wasn’t organized.  That bugged me to no end…

So, what to do?  How do you organize all of that stuff in the bags and boxes and scrap piles that you’ve been collecting for years?  Especially when we quilters KNOW that we overbuy when we’re starting a project so we can have leftovers for other scrappy projects…

I looked into using bins, shelves, buckets, and other systems, but they still seemed messy, and it was hard to see in a few glances what you have.  It still required some digging.

Online, I found a resource that sells fabric organizers.  GREAT idea!  Put them on plastic cards that mimic the bolts in the store!  http://www.thefabricorganizer.com/

The only problem is that they cost megabucks $$$, and for the sizes of the fabrics they show, they’re all around the same yardage to make the pictures look nice and neat.  That 1/2 yard is NOT going to be the same bulk as the 4 yards I just bought.  From what I can tell, you aren’t even going to be able to GET 4 yards onto those cards.  What to do?  What to do?

Make your own!  Instead of paying about $2 per card for store-bought ones, I decided to cut my own from an inexpensive piece of foam board.  The foam board is sturdy and holds a lot of fabric.  At just $2.99 per board, I get 8 pieces to wrap my fabric around.  Bargain prices and sturdier to boot…  I like that!

I cut them to be 15″ x 5″, but the beauty of making your own is that you can cut the foam board to be any size you want!  So, for fat quarters, pick a size that works for you.  For lots of yardage, cut a bigger board.  I even put more than one fabric onto a board.

These can be totally cut to fit any shelves you already have, so no need to go buy something special. 

Nice and neat!  It works!

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Banker.a and/or Nuqel.E is a digital infection that shows up in bogus security alerts that are issued by the AV Security Suite fake anti-spyware utility.

This trojan is described as an Internet virus that is capable of recording your keystrokes and thus stealing your private data like passwords, bank account info, and so forth.  It also renders any .exe or Internet applications totally useless.  Nothing else will run or launch.

No matter how persistently you may click the “No” option on the Antivirus software alert, it will still pop up over and over again.  Clicking on “Yes” takes you to a GUI for installing AV Security Suite, which asks for payment to register the full version.

In this context, it’s essential to realize that Banker.a/Nuqel.E can be hardly regarded as a standalone trojan infection – it’s rather a cyber-scarecrow trying to brainwash people into protecting themselves by installing the pushed badware, namely, AV Security Suite.

Instead of deciding which option to choose from the AV Security Suite bogus infiltration alert,  you need to remove the root of all these misleading events, which means you should remove AV Security Suite hidden trialware and the trojans triggering those counterfeit pop-up notifications.

I highly recommend Malwarebytes to remove this infection.  The free version worked just fine, and my lapper was infected pretty badly — to the point that the only thing I could do was to boot it up in safe mode, restore to a previously known good configuration, then install Malwarebytes and remove the Banker.a virus.

There is a paid version if you want continous protection, like Norton, but the manual scan and removal is a great tool all by itself.

You can download the free version here:  http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Tags: banker.a virus, malwarebytes, Product Reviews, virus removal
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Magnificent Mussels

Mussels are a great appetizer for two or a real nice meal for one.  These mussels are cooked in a very simple, very fresh way.  Light and tasty, these are perfect with an ice-cold beer…

1 bag of mussels (usually a pound or more)
1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
thyme

Soak the mussels in a pan of water for about 15 minutes and swish around to loosen any remaining dirt.  If there are any fuzzy “beards” on them, remove them.  They are usually pretty clean if you get them from the grocery stores, but there may be one or two with some of the beard still on.

Drain and set to the side for later.

Chop the garlic.

In a large skillet or pan that you have a cover for, heat some olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

Add the garlic and sautee for a minute or so to cook out the rawness.  Add the can of petite diced tomatoes.  Bring it up to a simmer and let it cook the tomatoes down a little, about 3-4 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste.  Add the thyme.  Cook 1 more minute.

Add the mussels.  Stir to coat them.  Put the lid on and let them get happy in the sauce.

When the mussels all open, they are done – Usually just a couple of minutes – Definitely less than 5.  You do not want to overcook them.  Overdone mussels are like rubber bands – tough and chewy.

Turn off the heat.  Stir again to coat everything nicely in the sauce.

Pour into a large bowl and serve.

You can add fresh chopped parsley for garnish if you want, but they don’t really need them.

Yum!

Tags: Appetizers, mussels
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Web Site Recommendation:  Science Daily

 * Croc, Hippo: Brain Food for Human Ancestor?

 * How to Survive Freezing ‘To Death’

 * World’s Oldest Leather Shoe Found

 * New Species of Dinosaur Unearthed

 * Yangtze River’s Ancient Origins Revealed

 * Earth and Moon Formed Later Than Previously Thought, New Research Suggests

If these titles intrigue you, then you will enjoy visiting Science Daily.  They have tons of articles covering all types of science categories:  Fossils & Ruins, Health & Medicine, Earth & Climate, Space & Time, Plants & Animals, and more.

I visit at least once a week and take a peek to see what’s new.  I’m never disappointed.  There’s always something interesting there every time I visit.

There are more article there than you can count.   Delve deep into some of the topics and you’ll be amazed at how much information is there.

Enjoy!

Tags: Web site recommendation
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Zebra Finches!

Yes, I finally did it.  I finally have pets again.

I always had dogs growing up, and then an occasional gerbil and guinea pig.   Later on, always dogs, and once I even had sea horses.  Yes, sea horses… 

But now, living in an apartment, we aren’t allowed to have dogs.  I’m not a cat person, and I don’t want fish.  Bunnies, guinea pigs, and other rodent type things, I’m just not interested in anymore.

When I get a house again, I WILL have a dog.  However, it’s been a very long time, and the companionship of pets has been calling… and calling…

It took a while, but I made the right decision.  I feed the finches and hummingbirds outside, and I enjoy it so much watching them.  I love my outside birds so much, that I decided to match them with some inside ones.  Inside finches are the perfect solution, and these two are awesome!

Unlike larger birds who are people-social, finches are bird-social — meaning that they prefer the company of other birds rather than humans.  You can tame them somewhat and hand feed them and let them land on your finger, but they aren’t going to go squawking up a storm and get all pissy because you don’t have time to take them out of the cage for an hour or so every day to play with them and pamper them like the larger birds.

They are happy and content to play with themselves and with others.  They are more like fish as pets, in that you provide them with a comforting and pleasing home and then enjoy the entertainment in watching all of their antics.

These two already get very excited when I come home and will sing up a storm.  They respond to my voice and “human chirps.” 

Watching them in the birdie bath is hysterically funny, and they are just such a joy to watch with all of their hopping, fluttering, chattering, singing, and other fun acrobatics that they do.

And no, I still haven’t named them yet…   Depending on what they’re doing at different times, the names could be all over the place.  They are very multidimentional.

And so much FUN!

Tags: birds, finches, pets, Zebra Finches
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Serpentine gets its name from the word ‘serpent’ because it resembles the skin of a snake.  It is sometimes called New Jade, and it occurs in a variety of colors.  Serpentine is most commonly green, although sometimes you will find brown, black, red, or white mixed in depending on the region and various other minerals with which it is found.

History and Uses

Considered an important gemstone to the Assyrians, as early as 4000 B.C. it was used in seals, cylinders, carvings, and as amulets.  Serpentine was carried in ancient Assyria to request the gods and goddesses to provide double blessings.

The 30th Chapter of the Egyptian Book of the Dead is said to be carved from a tablet of serpentine. 

The Aztecs prized all green stones and serpentine was known to be valued in their time. 

Rasputin was said to favor serpentine and requested an entire dinner set be created for him by the Czar and Czarina as a favor for saving the life of their son.

Italian peasants believed that carrying serpentine pebbles protected them from the venom of poisonous creatures. These pebbles must be in their natural state and untouched by iron, or they would lose their protective nature.

Healing Properties

Serpentine makes an exceptional meditation stone. It helps you to find inner peace. It is said to help you to feel more in control of your life and to help balance mood swings.

It is said to protect against poisonous creatures such as snakes, insects, and so forth.

Serpentine can be placed directly on the skin. It is an aid to kidney and stomach complaints, relaxes cramps and menstrual pain, and helps to release the tension.

In healing Serpentine is believed to aid the detoxification of the internal organs and the blood.
Serpentine is found in New Zealand, India, Italy, Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, South Africa, Russia, Zimbabwe, Britain, Norway, England, and the United States.

Tags: Gemstones, Semi-precious Gemstones, serpentine
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Feldspar refers to a group of igneous minerals, all of which are softer than quartz, having the chemical composition of aluminum silicates, containing sodium, potassium, iron, calcium, or barium or combinations of these elements.  Feldspar is found in association with all rock types, including granite, gneiss, basalt, and other crystalline rocks, and makes up about 60% of the Earth’s crust.

Pure feldspar is colorless and transparent but the mineral is commonly opaque and found in a variety of colors.  Each variety of felspar has its own properties.

The feldspar family includes Amazonite, Labradorite, Moonstone, and Sunstone.  Moonstone is a milky, bluish variety of orthoclase used as a gem, and a green variety of microcline known as amazonite, or Amazon stone, is used for jewelry and other ornamental purposes.

Uses

In addition to gemstones, feldspar has many uses.  Feldspar is used to make glass artware, dinnerware, fiberglass, and ceramic glazes and fillers.  In ceramics and glass production, feldspar is used as a flux (a material that lowers the melting temperature of another material).  Feldspar is a major component in porcelain, where it provides the high glaze and smooth-impervious surface that distinguishes it from china and makes it valuable in a range of uses, from bathroom vanities, tiles, and building tiles, to ornaments and dolls.

Healing Properties

Feldspar helps us to find unconventional and exciting ways to reach our goals.  It is a stone of creativity and creative thinking.

It assists in locating that which has been misplaced, and also in discovering and understanding previously unidentified messages from both within and outward of the self.  It is a stone helpful with self-awareness.

It can be used in the treatment of disorders associated with the skin and muscular structure.
Feldspar is found in abundance mostly in Argentina, Brazil, India, Canada, and the United States.

Tags: feldspar, Gemstones, Semi-precious Gemstones
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I remember that movie as being one of the scariest at that time when we were young.  Those distinctive, tell-tale windows made every other house with them seem so forboding.  Unfortunately, those windows didn’t make it through the updated renovation.  A time has ended…

‘Amityville Horror’ child says house is beautiful

Thursday May 27, 2010 4:19 PM By Valerie Kellogg
 

He is known today as Christopher Quaratino, but in the 1970s he was Chris Lutz, a member of the family that moved into the so-called “Amityville Horror” house after Ronald DeFeo Jr. had murdered his parents and sibilings.

Although the family lived there only 28 days, his late mother and stepfather’s tale of supernatural terror became the basis of the bestselling Jay Anson book “The Amityville Horror: A True Story,” which was turned into the blockbuster 1979 hit movie. Quaratino, now 42 and living in Arizona, changed his name from Lutz in the 1980s while serving in the U.S. Army. The Gulf War veteran says he wanted “to escape public scrutiny” and not “be a part of the freak show.”

Now Quaratino says he wants to set the record straight about what really happened while living as a child at the 1927 Dutch Colonial on the canal. (It has since been renovated, is now on the market for $1.15 million and is on its third owner since the Lutz family lived there.) Quaratino, who rehabs foreclosures, is writing his own book about what happened in the house.

Quaratino, who has not been to the neighborhood since 2005, says that while living at the house he saw a shadowy figure come to him and that his bedroom window opened and shut repeatedly one night. “There were things that took place, not as described in the book,” he says, adding that George Lutz was into the occult and that this “brought up spirits.”

“That stuff [spirits] followed us for years,” he adds. “It’s not because of the house.”

His estranged brother, Daniel, is making a documentary about his experience titled “My Amityville Horror.”

After the property came on the market this week, Quaratino saw the photos online. “The house looks beautiful,” he says. The owner, he adds, “did a fantastic job on the remodel. It looks a hell of a lot better than when I lived there. He did an excellent job.”

http://www.newsday.com/classifieds/real-estate/real-li-1.812034/amityville-horror-child-says-house-is-beautiful-1.1955297

Tags: Amityville Horror, Freaky Friday, haunted house
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Kale with Cannellini Beans

1 bunch firm, fresh Kale
1 large Vidallia Onion
1 cup chopped Baby Carrots
2 cloves Garlic
1 large can of Chicken Stock
2 small cans or 1 large can of Cannellini Beans, drained slightly
Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp. Thyme
Slice the Vidallia Onions thinly.  Cook in pot with vegetable oil until golden yellow and cooked through, but not carmelized.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the carrots and cook for another minute or two.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.  Add the Thyme.

Add the chicken stock.  Cover and bring up to a light simmer.

While that’s coming up to temperature, wash the Kale, remove the stems, and then chop into bite-size pieces.

Add to the pot.  After coming up to temperature, simmer for 10-15 minutes until the Kale is tender.

Add the Cannellini Beans.  Continue to simmer until they are warmed through.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve this in the broth as a soup with a nice piece of garlic bread.   You can also use a slotted spoon and just take out the goodies and use them as a vegetable side dish without the broth.

Either way, it’s delicious!

Additions

Get creative and consider adding different vegetables to bulk it up.  Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Summer Squash would all work well.

Tags: cannellini beans, kale, side dish, soup, stew, vegetables
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