breakthru magazine issue 1

BREAKTHRU

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IDEASInteresting ReadingRecipesJokes

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CITY•LIFE•HUMOUR•FOOD•PEOPLE•

Altogether DifferentCOMPLIMENTARY

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

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Altogether Different

From the Publishers ofthe Largest MagazineEast of Calgary...

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LIf you think for even a second you have tasted the best steak in Calgary, you have not; unless you have been to LeVilla Steakhouse. They serve a very rare cut of beef called “Bone In Tenderloin”. It is so beautiful you will not want to cut into it; yet once you do, you will not be able to stop eating it until every morsel has disappeared from your plate. I dare you to find a steak in Calgary with more flavour, texture, and tenderness, that has been cooked to such perfection. I can truthfully say it is the best thing I have ever eaten. No other words need to be said as I cannot find more words to express to you how incredibly delicious this cut of beef is – you must experi-ence this attained fulfillment for yourself. - Editor, Breakthru Magazine

From the moment you arrive at LeVilla Steakhouse you will understand why everyone in Calgary is making this restaurant their 1st choice in fine dining. "Perfection" is the word that comes to mind when I think about my incredible dining experience at LeVilla. Owner and chef extraordinaire, Rick Chuk, will never leave you disappointed with his exceptional and diverse dishes. Avenue Maga-zine awarded LeVilla Steakhouse Best Steak in Calgary in 2009, and you will understand why after your first visit to this rustic, comfortable and romantic place of true dining bliss. The menu focuses on North American cuisine, but with Rick’s creativity, you will sense the French and Asian influences. AAA Alberta Angus beef, aged for at least 28 days, is what you will taste with your first bite, and with your mouth watering, you cut into the tender, well-seasoned beef. LeVilla also serves seafood, pasta, chicken, pork and lamb. The creative salads and appetizers will leave you wishing for a return visit – for more. If you have ever wished for a truly fullfilling and pleasurable dining experience, LeVilla is the place for you. "Nirvana" is what Breakthru magazine is calling this incredible restau-rant. In case you didn’t know – nirvana means PERFECT. Go taste for yourself.- Editor, Breakthru Magazine

Reservations: (403) 217-9699#404, 1851 Sirocco Drive S.W.

At 17th Ave. S.W.(just west of Sarcee Trail)

eVilla teakhouseS Le Villa opened its doors in November of 2005 at its present location at West Market Square where Chuk found the perfect location for his restaurant. And it just hap-pened to have convenient parking all around it. “I was looking for a restaurant and I didn’t have a particular location.” Says Chuk. “My friend told me this place was for sale and when I walked in I felt the warmth right away and thought, that’s it; I want to buy it!” The restaurant is unique in that it o�ers both an intimate indoor seating area and a more open seating area in its inviting sunroom. Both feature large stone �replaces that make Le Villa a very romantic place to dine.Chuck, who has 31 years in the restaurant industry, knows what it takes to make his restaurant successful. Since its opening, Le Villa has nearly doubled its business every year with almost 90 per cent of his customers being regulars and keeps winning awards for its excellent menu. The restaurant’s lunch and dinner menus o�er a variety of mouth-watering dishes including panko-crusted pork chops and coquille St. Jacques with the house specialty being steaks, something they do very well, says Chuk, inviting anyone to come taste for themselves. Probably the most unique item at Le Villa is its outstanding bottled water menu, ranging from San Pellegrino mineral water to a bottle of Limited Edition Bling H2O water sporting a cork and studded with Swarovski crystals. This is one bottle you’ll want to reuse, laughs Chuk.

Alberta is synonymous with good beef, so there was no shortage of contenders in this category. However, in the end, LeVilla came out on top. Located in West Market Square this �ne-dining restaurant serves up AAA Alberta beef in a variety of cuts including tenderloin, strip loin and rib-eye. You can also try out specialty creations like the 10-oz New York strip loin steak Neptune, or the pan-seared aged Stilton steak made with a 6-oz tenderloin �let.

www. levilla.ca | 403-217-9699

Winner of Best SteakAvenue Magazine

“With LeVilla, I appreciate the opportunity to have a �ne dining experi-ence in my own neighbourhood. They do a great steak. It’s the chance to experience a community restaurant with a great atomsphere and food. Beautiful wine list and �replace.”

-Where Magazine “Best Suburban Dining”

Calgary’s ChefsBusiness Magazine

“A glass ceiling and glassed-in patio, riverstone �replace, comfy chairs,good wine list and good food should have Le Villa bursting at the seams.”

-Avenue Magazine, “Best Kept Secret in the 5th Annual Food Awards”

“Steak as it should be from Rick Chuk. This Signal Hill restaurant is a neighbourhood favourite that has people driving in from across the city.”

-Avenue Magazine “Best of the ‘Burbs”

“Le Villa’s chef-owner Rick Chuk crusts pork chops with panko and servesthem in a Madeira-double-smoked-bacon-chipotle sauce. He also loadsup his Stilton salad with walnuts and more of that smoky bacon.”

-Calgary Herald “Put pork on your fork” by John Gilchrist

Award Winning“Steak as it should be from Rick Chuk. This Signal Hillrestaurant is a neighbourhood favourite that has people-driving in from across the city.”-Avenue Magazine “Best of the ‘Burbs”

“Le Villa’s chef-owner Rick Chuk crusts pork chops with panko and serves them in a Madeira-double-smoked-bacon-chipotle sauce. He also loads up his Stilton salad with walnuts and more of that smoky bacon.”-Calgary Herald “Put pork on your fork” by John Gilchrist

“A glass ceiling and glassed-in patio, riverstone �replace, comfy chairs, good wine list and good food should have Le Villa bursting at the seams.”-Avenue Magazine, “Best Kept Secret in the 5thAnnual Food Awards”

Alberta is synonymous with good beef, so there was no shortage of contenders in this category. However, in the end, LeVilla came out on top. Located in West Market Square this fine-dining restaurant serves up AAA Alberta beef in a variety of cuts including tenderloin, strip loin and rib-eye. You can also try out specialty creations like the 10-oz New York strip loin steak Neptune, or the pan-seared aged Stilton steak made with a 6-oz tenderloin filet.~Winner of Best Steak. Avenue Magazine

“With LeVilla, I appreciate the opportunity to have a fine dining experience in my own neighbourhood. They do a great steak. It’s the chance to experience a community restau-rant with a great atomsphere and food. Beautiful wine list and fireplace.”-Where Magazine “Best Suburban Dining”

Le Villa opened its doors in November of 2005 at its present location at West Market Square where Chuk found the perfect location for his restaurant. And it just hap-pened to have convenient parking all around it. “I was looking for a restaurant and I didn’t have a particular location.” Says Chuk. “My friend told me this place was for sale and when I walked in I felt the warmth right away and thought, that’s it; I want to buy it!” The restaurant is unique in that it o�ers both an intimate indoor seating area and a more open seating area in its inviting sunroom. Both feature large stone �replaces that make Le Villa a very romantic place to dine.Chuck, who has 31 years in the restaurant industry, knows what it takes to make his restaurant successful. Since its opening, Le Villa has nearly doubled its business every year with almost 90 per cent of his customers being regulars and keeps winning awards for its excellent menu. The restaurant’s lunch and dinner menus o�er a variety of mouth-watering dishes including panko-crusted pork chops and coquille St. Jacques with the house specialty being steaks, something they do very well, says Chuk, inviting anyone to come taste for themselves. Probably the most unique item at Le Villa is its outstanding bottled water menu, ranging from San Pellegrino mineral water to a bottle of Limited Edition Bling H2O water sporting a cork and studded with Swarovski crystals. This is one bottle you’ll want to reuse, laughs Chuk.

Alberta is synonymous with good beef, so there was no shortage of contenders in this category. However, in the end, LeVilla came out on top. Located in West Market Square this �ne-dining restaurant serves up AAA Alberta beef in a variety of cuts including tenderloin, strip loin and rib-eye. You can also try out specialty creations like the 10-oz New York strip loin steak Neptune, or the pan-seared aged Stilton steak made with a 6-oz tenderloin �let.

www. levilla.ca | 403-217-9699

Winner of Best SteakAvenue Magazine

“With LeVilla, I appreciate the opportunity to have a �ne dining experi-ence in my own neighbourhood. They do a great steak. It’s the chance to experience a community restaurant with a great atomsphere and food. Beautiful wine list and �replace.”

-Where Magazine “Best Suburban Dining”

Calgary’s ChefsBusiness Magazine

“A glass ceiling and glassed-in patio, riverstone �replace, comfy chairs,good wine list and good food should have Le Villa bursting at the seams.”

-Avenue Magazine, “Best Kept Secret in the 5th Annual Food Awards”

“Steak as it should be from Rick Chuk. This Signal Hill restaurant is a neighbourhood favourite that has people driving in from across the city.”

-Avenue Magazine “Best of the ‘Burbs”

“Le Villa’s chef-owner Rick Chuk crusts pork chops with panko and servesthem in a Madeira-double-smoked-bacon-chipotle sauce. He also loadsup his Stilton salad with walnuts and more of that smoky bacon.”

-Calgary Herald “Put pork on your fork” by John Gilchrist

BREAKTHRU Magazine www.breakthrumagazine.com

If you ever listen to my radio show on AM770 CHQR, you certainly know my position on Calgary Flames general manger Darryl Sutter. How or why he still has the top hockey job in this organization is a mystery. Flames president Ken King would like us all to believe that “the Darryl” has an open-end-ed contract with no fixed term. Personally, I don’t believe it as it just wouldn’t make good business sense under the Alberta labour laws and I have been told by an NHL source that the league would likely not allow such a contact for a person in this position.

Regardless of the term left on Sutter’s contract, I think it’s very safe to speculate that Darryl is walking a very thin line. A series of questionable trades, bad contracts with no movement clauses and a poor draft record has left the organization in a fragile state. It’s no wonder Jay Feaster was brought in this summer as Darryl’s assistant and the new GM in waiting

Here’s the dilemma. Is Jay Feaster really that much of an upgrade or would this just be a lateral move by the Flames organization? On the surface, Feast-er and Sutter are the complete opposites. The one thing I will never do is question the passion or the drive Sutter has for the game. As a player, a coach or a manager, Sutter is a man who lived and breathed the game, walking or sleeping. Feaster, on the other hand, is a lawyer. After earning a de-gree in political science at Susquehanna University and his law degree from Georgetown, Feaster got his start in the hockey business working for Hersey Entertainment and Resorts Co. HERCO happened to own the Hersey Bears and although he never played the game, Feaster was a long time hockey fan and he was hooked.

Despite the different roads, these two individuals took to the National Hockey League, their track re-cords as managers are eerily similar.

About Jock Wilson:Jock has been involved in the Calgary sport media scene for close to 30 years. He hosts the Calgary Stampeder football broadcasts on QR77 and is the co-host of Sportstalk with Mark Stephen from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

Darryl Sutter gets and takes way too much cred-it for the Flames 2004 run to the Stanley Cup fi-nal. Granted, he did a nice job as the coach and hit a home run with a goalie, but this was a team constructed by former GM’s Craig Button and Al Coates. Jay Feaster was the GM of the Stanley Cup winners in 2004 however the core of that team was constructed by former GM Rick Dudley.

Jay Feaster’s true legacy in Tampa Bay is Steven Stamkos. He transformed a Stanley Cup champion into the worst team in the league. Sure the Light-ening made the playoffs from 2003 to 2007 during Feaster’s reign, but in his attempt to keep the team competitive he traded assets for immediate help. With a lack of assets, a poor draft record, question-able trades (see Brad Richards) and unmanageable contracts, the Lightening quickly went from a con-tender to a pretender! Does that remind you of any other organization?

After dealing with Darryl Sutter for the past 7 years, Jay Feaster really is a breath of fresh air! He’s personable, he’s friendly, he’s intelligent and he doesn’t scowl. As an assistant general manag-er, I would say he’s perfect. He just wouldn’t be my choice to replace Darryl Sutter.

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He’ll Think He ScoredPut the puck between the pipes with these cufflinks, $95,available in the logo of most NHL teams. For the impartial spectator, the pairs featuring a sterling silver hockey player, $195, and goalie mask, $89.50, are sophisticated winks to the good ol’ hockey game. Available exclusively at, Thomas Jeffery Men’s Wear.

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reat ideas come to me when I least expect it. Normally when I’m just dozing off to sleep and I think “That is a good idea – I’II remember that in the morning” – but you don’t remember and you don’t even re-member you had the great idea. So now I get up no matter what time it is and write it down, as long as I can remember where I wrote it! This arti-cle idea was one of those great ideas. We all have Favorite, Fabulous and Fantastic things we love and want to share with other people. An idea, poem, story, joke, experience, craft or anything else you can think of – use your imagination. Our magazine is about reader participation, we al-ways love to hear from you, and after all without all our loyal readers this magazine would not be possible.

As this is our Christmas Issue, I thought I would include some Christmas quotes. Christmas seems to be a time of reflection for people; a time family and friends. Some of these quotes may bring into prospective what is really important in our lives.

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. ~Larry Wilde

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.” ~Harlan Miller

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” ~Burton Hillis

“Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” ~ Charles Schulz

Have the best Christmas Season ever!And, because it is Christmas here are two great ideas for your Christmas Cocktail Party!

How To Make Cucumber Shot Glasses ~ Cucumber shot glasses can be used for gazpacho servings, or mini-Bloody Marys. The coolness of the cucumber makes it idea for clear alcohols, like vodka or gin based drinks.1. Take a long, English cucumber and rinse it. You can peel it, if you prefer a paler look. 2. Slice three-inch “logs” width-wise along the cucumber. 3. Use a small melon-baller, and remove the soft, seedy core – remember to leave at least a half-inch of cucumber at the base so that alcohol does not seep through the bottom.

Sweet Liqueur Shot Glasses ~ For the guest who enjoys a shot of Bailey’s, Drambuie or any liqueur that is cream-based or just sweet, try making a shot glass out of something you may already own: flat-bottomed ice cream cones. To ensure that the cones will not become soggy when alcohol is poured, hardened melted chocolate provides a protective layer that also flavours the liqueur.

Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.” ~ Oren Arnold

A Christmas candle is a lovely thing; It makes no noise at all, But softly gives itself away; While quite unselfish, it grows small.” ~ Eva K. Logue

“As we struggle with shopping lists and invita-tions, compounded by December’s bad weath-er, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggra-vation, and people to whom we are worth the same.” ~ Donald E. Westlake

My Favourite – Fabulous – Fantastic and

Fun Stuff

G

From the PublishersWELCOME CALGARY,Welcome new readers and future friends to our 1st “Breakthru” magazine. We are the publishers of the larg-est magazine east of Calgary “The Newsy Neighbour”. For quite some time now we have been debating the idea of starting a new publication for Calgary. The decision to move forward has taken us down new paths of trepida-tion and moments of shear fear, but with the incredible support of people we have met along the way in this new adventure, we are now proud to publish this magazine for you. Our thanks goes out to all the advertisers who support and believe in our goal to offer an altogether different magazine for the whole family. Without them, this would not be possible. Our vision is to offer an at-tractive, unique and interesting magazine with a creative style. Our team is small – but very hard working and we are all very dedicated to providing you with a magazine that will leave you with a feeling of satisfaction and fulfill-ment. Wow, who would have thought a magazine would be possible of such a thing! “Breakthru” is a bi-monthly magazine and I hope you have found us in one of our handpicked locations throughout the city. We are very reader- friendly and always open to new ideas and reader participation. We try hard to find something for everyone in your family. We look forward to a very long and won-derful relationship with all of our new readers in Calgary. Have the most fun, happy and healthy Christmas Season!Kathryn Hartwell, Aleesha Gosling and Denise Geremia

6 Jock Talk - with Jock Wilson

8 My Favourite, Fabulous...

16-17 Family Pages - CHRISTMAS

20 Brilliant Green Solutions - with Barry Erskine

22-23 Lucious Joys

24-25 Travel Pages

26-27 Our Pet Pages - For all the pet lovers

28 Book Reviews - by Derek Donais

30-31 I Am A.. This month: Cranberry

34 Life Lines - with Jody Brown

36-38 Health & Beauty Section

40 Learn a new Language - Spanish

42-45 Real Estate - Looking for a home or a realtor?

46 Laugh for your Health

Contents


An elderly couple had been experiencing declining memories, so they decided to take a power memory class where one is taught to remember things by association.A few days after the class, the old man was outside talking with his neighbour about how much the class helped him.“What was the name of the Instructor?” asked the neighbour.“Oh, ummmm, let’s see,” the old man pondered. “You know that flower, you know, the one that smells really nice but has those prickly thorns, what’s that flower’s name?”“A rose?” asked the neighbour.“Yes, that’s it,” replied the old man. He then turned toward his house and shouted, “Hey, Rose, what’s the name of the instructor we took the memory class from?”

Power Memory ClassA school teacher started his first job at a primary school and was ea-ger to make a good impression on the kids. So, when he noticed a boy standing all by himself during recess, while the other kids were playing a game of soccer, he walked up to him and asked “Are you alright?” The boy assured him everything was fine and the teacher left it at that. A few minutes later, however, he noticed that the boy was still standing alone and had not joined the other boys. Deciding to find out what was wrong this time, the teacher approached him again and said, “ Hi, are you sure you’re not feeling left out? Would you like me to be your friend?” The boy obviously felt a little embarrassed, but after a little hesitation said, “Maybe”. Encouraged by his progress, the teacher asked, “Tell me, why are you standing here alone?” “Because”, the boy said with clear exasperation in his voice. “I am the goalie”

Standing all alone

BREAKTHRUA division of The Newsy Neighbour Inc.214 Strathmore Lakes Bend, Strathmore AB T1P1Y9Phone: 403-519-4559 or 403-561-0888Fax: 403-983-9689Email: [email protected]: www.breakthrumagazine.com

BREAKTHRU is about connecting with people.CREDIBLE • Breakthru is the publishers second magazine. The first magazine has been in publication since May 2008. The Newsy Neigh-bour is the largest and most successful magazine East of Calgary.CREATIVE • We are a plethora of interesting articles, including recipes from our readers, Health and Beauty, Pet, Real Estate and Restaurant sections, as well as light-hearted humour and entertaining stories. Our team is our readers. We are not another mainstream publication. We are something altogether different. ENTERTAINING • Columns by local celebrities include Jock Wilson (co-host of Calgarys number one rated sports show, Sportstalk) and Barry Erskine (the lively co-host of Lets Talk Gardening, Sunday mornings on QR77). Derek Donais contributes his book reviews and has just pub-lished his first book presently rated #53 on Amazon.com. SUPPORTIVE • Our goal is to connect readers and advertisers by dis-tributing the magazine throughout Calgary, and to bring quadrants together to promote support for businesses throughout the city.

Breakthru Magazine is published 6 times a year by The Newsy Neighbour Inc. Printed by Central Web and distributed by Trader Publications, Gallant Dis-tribution, Media Classified Corporation and The Newsy Neighbour Inc. The opinions expressed in the advertisements of this publication are those of the advertisers and not of The Newsy Neighbor Inc directly. The information in this paper is believed to be accurate but not warranted to be so. Images are supplied by readers, advertisers, istock photo, and The Newsy Neighbour Inc.Photographer. No part of this publication may be reproduced without writ-ten consent of The Newsy Neighbour Inc. Copyright (2010-2011).

KATHRYN HARTWELLPublisher, Editor, Editorial, Subscriptions & SubmissionsPhone: 403-561-0888Email: [email protected] GOSLINGPublisher, Art Director, Production, Design, Accounting, WebsitePhone:403-519-4559Email: [email protected] GEREMIASales Manager, Advertising ConsultantPhone: 403-608-0686Email: [email protected]

CONTRIBUTERS:Taste of Asia, Jock Wilson, Derek Donais, Jody Brown, Kristine Jones, Mat-thew Buxton, Spiritual Directions, K9 Training and Supplies, Sangsters Health,

Denise is on Maternity Leave.

Please contact Aleesha or Kathryn.

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Speargrass, RR5, RR6, RR7,

& Gleichen.

The Newsy Neighbour takes seriously the responsibility of helping towns

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Try growing your business with us.We are all about YOU!!

Our goal is to connect the towns and people by mailing our magazine free of charge to every home and business monthly. We offer a publication to which our readers look forward to receiving and our advertisers reap the benefits of the readers support.

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The Largest Publication,East of Calgary

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ver the years, I have heard the terms El Nino and La Nina and never really knew what they meant. I knew they were weather condi-tions that affect the whole world, but never really knew how or why. We enjoy the warm days and complain about the bad, but do these El Nino and La Nina forecast the warm summers or the cold winters?El Nino (also known as ENSO, Spanish for “the boy”) is a quasiperiodic climate pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean on aver-age of every five years and can last nine months to two years. It is characterized by variations in the warming temperature of the surface of the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean and high air surface pressure in the tropical western Pacific. The first signs of an El Nino are: 1) Rise in surface pressure over the Indian Ocean, Indonesia and Australia. 2) - Fall in air pressure over Tahiti and the rest of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. 3) Trade winds in the south Pacific weaken or head east. 4) - Warm air rising near Peru causing rain in the northern Peruvian deserts and warm water spreads from the west Pacific and the Indian Ocean to the east Pacific. It takes the rain with it, causing extensive drought in the western Pacific and rainfall in the normally dry eastern Pacific. During the winter of an El Nino event, the air temperature tends to be warm over most of Canada, with the greatest warming centered around Manitoba to western Ontario, where a temperature anomaly of up to 3+ degrees Celsius can be found. Southern Canada also tends to be drier during El Nino winter. Southern British Columbia tends to receive less snow. The effects of El Nino in 2009 were seen in the fall as the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida strengthened into a powerful coastal storm.

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There are all sorts of events that trigger the El Nino, from trade winds of the Walker circulation, Kelvin waves, global wind patterns, the Madden-Julian Oscillation, low pressures and high pressures – very complicated, but the results are always the same, we are always in a El Nino or a La Nina weather pattern.La Nina (Spanish meaning “the girl”) is a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon that is the counter-part of El Nino. The opposite effect of El Nino - during a period of La Nina, the sea surface temperature across the equatorial Eastern Pacific will be lower than normal by 3 – 5 degrees Celsius.In the case of the cold La Nina event – the opposite of the warm El Nino event occurs, the coastal waters off British Columbia tend to be cool – Canadian air temperature tends to be below normal, while the precipitation in southern Canada tends to be above normal. Southern British Columbia tends to receive more snow. Today, it appears a La Nina is developing in the central Pacific Basin and may last through early 2011.It appears that this winter will be effected by La Nina which could means we will have a lot of snow. So, buy your snow tires and a ski-doo – it could be a really fun winter!

www.breakthrumagazine.com BREAKTHRU Magazine

O

By: Kathryn HartwellEL NINO AND LA NINAHow do these two weather patterns

affect us – on a personal level?

Commercial VenturesBusiness Sales, Acquisitions & Valuations

Featured Businesses for Sale:• Flooring & Counter Top Business• Catering Company• Consignment Store• Commercial Cleaning Business• Cafe (Located in southeast BC)

Business Opportunities Coming up:• Pizza Take Out Business• Retail Food Business

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usiness Brokers specialize in helping people buy and sell privately owned businesses. Business Brokers are experts in their field and have invaluable knowledge and experience when it comes to buying and selling a business. They will have local market knowledge and can protect you from making cost-ly mistakes. A common misconception is that Buying or Selling a Business is like buying or selling real estate. It is not. These are two very different animals.

How a can Business Broker help someone SELL a business?The decision to sell your business is a huge step. Perhaps it has come about because you are retiring or you simply want a change. Maybe the decision came about due to health reasons. Never the less, in all likelihood, your business is your baby and as a result you are very protective of it.


What is a Business Broker and what can

they do for you?

About the Author: Matthew Buxton’s passion is Business Brokering. He therefore specializes in helping people Buy and Sell businesses, plus offers buyer financing solutions when required. Matthew is a Licensed Commercial Real Estate Agent with Commercial Ventures and is the founder of Alberta Mortgage Solutions Inc. For more information please visit his website at www.businessfinance-canada.com or call 403-374-1604.

Business brokers understand this and recognize that it’s more than just about selling the business. It’s about getting to know you, the seller, so that they can then find you a like minded buyer who can take that business to the next level.Based on initial meetings with a seller, and after reviewing pertinent documentation such as lease and or franchise agreements, the first step to having a successful sale is to correctly “valuate” the business. (An evaluation does not typically have a monetary component whereas a valuation does). A Business Broker is likely the best person to do this. They can then advertise your business for sale, (without disclosing its name or location), handle potential buyer inquiries, handle negotiations, and finally assist in the closing process. The process of selling a business is complex and time consuming, so using a Business Broker will allow you to continue focusing on the operation of the business and in turn maintain the value of that business.

How a can Business Broker help someone looking to BUY a Business?A Business Broker has a thorough understanding of several core areas of business and based on their experience can identify any area of the sale that could be a potential concern to a buyer. For example, do the financial statements look reasonable for this particular type of business? Are there concerns with the lease or franchise agreements? What financing options are available for purchasing that type of business? It is important to recognize that emotions can cloud ones judgement, distort reality or distract an individuals perception of an opportunity . It’s where glowing issues can be missed or assumed to be not of any particular concern. Likely, due to the buyers overwhelming thoughts of money pouring into their bank account, a Business Broker will at least help ground you and offer you a more objective opinion on the situation.

In SummaryThe intent of this article is to paint a clear picture as to how Business Brokers can help both Buyers and Sellers. In future articles I’ll expand on various aspects of the buying or selling process and cover topics that will be valuable to you. I’ll also make specific references to “Red Flag” moments, which are moments in a conversation, or perhaps in a situation, when you should be waving a big red flag in your mind signaling WARNING -something is not right here. An example of this would be when a seller tells you ... “there is no need to see the financial statements, trust me, this business is worth it!” ... obviously a “Red Flag” moment.

B

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he tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Germany in the 16th century and the Christmas tree was a symbol of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden.

Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann (Marburg profes-sor of European ethnology) found a Breman guild chronicle from 1570 which reports how a small tree was decorated with "apples, nuts, dates, pretzels and paper flowers" and erected in the guild-house, for the benefit of the children, who collected the dainties on Christ-mas Day.

Brunswick soldiers, stationed in the Province of Quebec, introduced the Christmas tree to Canada in the winter of 1781. General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel and his wife, the Baroness von Riedesel, held a Christmas Party and delighted their guests with a fir tree decorated with candles and fruit. Who would have thought the Christmas tree tradition in Canada came from the Germans?!

I love Christmas and especially my Christmas tree. It is tradition in our house to set up the tree the first weekend of December. The kids all used to come over and help decorate, but now that they are older with homes of their own, it is now up to my husband and myself to enjoy the evening decorating the tree – it’s just not as fun as it use to be.

Children love Christmas trees... it could be because of the anticipation of all the presents under them Christmas morning. I personally love a Christmas tree because of the warmth and ambience it gives the room. Christmas is a very special time to spend with your children, to put on some Christmas music and make an evening celebration out of putting up your tree. I have included a couple of fun and easy decora-tions the whole family can create together. May you have everlasting memories making great decorations for your own tree. Merry Christmas!

ChristmasFamily Pages

THappy Holidays

to all of our new friends, read-ers and advertisers. Thank you for your support of Breakthru

Magazine. Have the most wonderful New Year!

LAYERED CHRISTMAS TREE

All you need is a bag of Jumbo Craft Sticks, some brown acrylic paint, three different shades of green felt, gold felt, scissors, felt glue and any colored yarn. Paint the craft stick brown and set aside to dry. Cut the green felt into triangles and the gold felt into the star shape. Glue the felt triangles to the stick starting at the bottom and glue the star to the top of the tree. Fold the yard into a loop and glue to the back of the stick and there you have it your first homemade tree decoration. You could add sequins, beads, glitter, sprinkles or anything else you can think of. Use your imagination.

COFFEE FILTER ANGEL

Everyone has coffee filters laying around the house and you can make a pretty little angel for your tree using just a few simple items and your imagination. You need three basket style coffee filters a couple cotton balls some silver or gold ribbon – white or gold chenille stems, scissors and a hot glue gun. Place two cotton balls in the center of the coffee filter and fold the filter around the cotton balls to make the head. Place a second coffee filter onto the open end tucking the filter in a bit into the head area to produce a layered effect for the dress. Take the third filter and fold it in half, then fold the filter up length-wise accordion style. Wrap a white chenille stem around the center, and then fan out the wings. Fold the excess chenille into a loop for your hanger and twist together at the end. Make a halo from the gold chenille and glue it to the back of the angel – positioning it above the head. Glue the wings in place behind the angel, hiding the gold chenille from the halo. It may sound complicated, but once you get started you will see how easily it all comes together. Decorate the angel with glitter, sequins or anything else you can think of. – Use your imagi-nation

The Christmas MazeI think you would need a pretty big room for this Christmas game – but it could be truly interest-ing and comical. Grab your self a few balls of yarn – tie a gift to the end of the yard and hide it – now the fun part – unwind the ball completely, passing it around table legs, under furniture and in and out of objects as you unwind. Tie a pencil to the remaining end of the yarn. Repeat this process for each player. Crisscross the strings and make it as complicated as possible. Sounds like a lot of work to me – but it sure would be fun to watch your guests as they follow the yard to find their gift. This would be really fun at a company party – I can only imagine!

NOW FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE LESS STRENUOUSGive each guest a piece of paper with a Christmas phrase written across the top. Then everyone has ten minutes to list, as many words as they can think of that are associated with Christmas, using only the letters in the Christmas phrase. The person with the longest list wins. You could use phrases such as Christmas tree, Deck the Halls, Frosty the Snowman etc. – use your imagination.

Did you ever think you could make your own Marshmallows – better than the ones in the store – and no chemicals? Here is the recipe and it is really quite simple. Maybe a new Christmas tradition.

MARSHMALLOWS Combine 3 cups white sugar, 1/4-cup corn syrup, 3/4-cup water and 1/4 teaspoon of

salt in a pan and heat until mixture forms a soft ball in cold water or registers 240

degrees using a thermometer. Remove from heat and beat until stiff. Stir in 1 teaspoon

of vanilla and pour into pan, which has been buttered, then dust with icing sugar. Cut into squares when mixture holds its shape, then dust with more icing sugar.

Have the most

incredible family

Christmas and take care

of yourself and your

loved ones this Holiday

Season!

By: Kathryn Hartwell

The Newsy Neighbour www.thenewsyneighbour.

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ince the 2010 September full moon that told the deciduous leaf trees to drop off their leaves there has been a drought for lack of water. Leaf trees need to be watered in, in order to hold in place the soil and roots. Each tree need many pounds of water to anchor the plant from wind blow down. Water only when the tem-perature is above freezing for a least 20 minutes in the root zone.Evergreens, our coniferous trees are desperate for a drink of water – right now as soon as possible – in order to keep them healthy and alive. Healthy watered trees have up to 3 years of needles. Stressed tree have only one to two years of needles. On a day above freezing use a sprinkler to water lightly the whole area under the branches to watering more heavily 2-3 feet out side the branch ends. Water first for 20 minutes, wait 20 minutes and then wa-ter the area just outside the end of the branches for 30 - 40 minutes. Water less in heavy soil and more in sandy soil. As winter progresses “Snow Farm” with light dry snow

HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR TREES GET THROUGH THIS WINTER

Breakthru is proud to welcome Barry Erskine to our team. Barry has been hosting “Let’s Talk Gardening” (am770chqr Sundays 9 to11am) for more than 40 years and has impressive credentials in the gardening world - including be-ing a professional Journeyman Gardener. With his wealth of gardening experience we expect to offer our readers exceptional gardening tips and other interesting reading. Barry is a founder and life member of the AWA (Alberta Wilderness Association). Barry is a long time member of the Calgary Horticultural Society and was an instructor with Bow Valley College for many years and is currently instructing Horticulture at the University of Calgary as part of its Continuing Education programs. Barry was also an Alderman for Ward 11 for 15 years serving his communities on a number of City Hall committees on environmental issues. Barry also runs his own gardening-consulting firm, Brilliant Green Solutions. (brilliantgreen.ca). Welcome to Break thru magazine Barry – we are thrilled to have another new columnist join the team.

in and around the trees. Place the snow from one foot from the trunk to just past under the ends of the branch-es. Snow Farm as often as you can to slow down early growth in the spring by keeping the tree roots cool and to ensure needed water latter. Wrap dark and red barked tree trunks especially facing south with corrugated card board to prevent Sun Scald. Sun Scald will split the trunk on the east, south and west sides. Damage occurs most often in the early to late spring. The reflection of the snow with the direct sun on the trunk causes the bark to split. Once spring is finally here and the trees are past frost, the feed for new trees (3 to 5 years old) is 10-50-10 by Shultz or Plant Prod - half strength. Apply at the Drip Line. The Drip Line is the ground under the ends of the tree’s branches or otherwise known as the edge of the tree’s canopy. Older established trees (6yrs or older) feed half strength 30-10-10 fertilizer by Shultz or Plants Prod. After, the Full Moon of July feed half strength no nitrogen 0-10-10 fer-tilizer by Pacific Fish. Reminder, do not feed nitrogen after the full moon in July on trees and shrubs. Apply fertilizer at the drip line.Remember to water and feed at the Drip Line that is directly under the ends of the branches. Do not water close to the trunk unless the tree is just newly planted.

Copy Rights: Barry Erskine B.Sc. CACE, Professional Journeyman Gardener

ACTIONS TO TAKE: Don’t role up the hose! Trees are desperate for a drink of water.

Brilliant Green Solutions

S

1. Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you’ll have to pee.2. Law of Gravity - Any tool, nut, bolt, screw, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.3. Law of Probability -The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.4. Law of Random Numbers - If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers.5. Law of the Alibi - If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.6. Variation Law - If you change grocery lines or traffic lanes, the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).7. Law of the Bath - When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.8. Law of Close Encounters -The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don’t want to be seen with.9. Law of the Result - When you try to prove to someone that a machine won’t work, it will.10. Law of Biomechanics - The severity of the itch is inversely pro-portional to the reach.11. Law of the Theater and Hockey Arena - At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last and

UNIVERSAL LAWSthey are the ones who will leave their seats several times to go for food, beer, or the toilet and who leave early before the end of the performance or the game is over while those in the aisle seats come early, never move once, have long gangly legs or big bellies and who stay to the bitter end of the performance and beyond. The aisle people also are very surly folk.12. The Starbucks Law - As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last un-til the coffee is cold.13. Murphy’s Law of Lockers - If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.14. Law of Physical Surfaces - The chances of an open-faced jelly jam/marmalade sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.15. Law of Logical Argument - Anything is possible if you don’t know what you are talking about.16. Brown’s Law of Physical Appearance - If the clothes fit, they’re ugly.17. Oliver’s Law of Public Speaking - A closed mouth gathers no feet.18. Wilson’s Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy - As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.19. Doctors’ Law - If you don’t feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you’ll feel better. Don’t make an appointment and you’ll stay sick.


TEST YOUR MINDHow do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator? Stop and think about it and decide on your answer. The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly com-plicated way. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator? Did you say, open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigera-tor? Wrong Answer. Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals Attend... except one. Which animal does not attend?Correct Answer : The elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there! This tests your memory. Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities. There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and You do not have a boat. How do you manage it? Correct Answer: You jump into the river and swim across. Have you not been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the animal meeting. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

ho does not love cookies, cakes and squares? Everyone does! We have been receiv-ing so many wonderful, incredible and just amaz-ing recipes from our readers, we have decided to create a new yummy article for the magazine called “LUSCIOUS JOYS” and we are excited! Af-ter all, we love luscious joys as much as you do. So enjoy these recipes sent in by our loyal read-ers and by all means, if you have a sweet treat you would like to share, your recipe may be in the next issue! This recipe I always use when family and friends drop by. The aroma of apples and cinnamon throughout the house is somewhat comforting. I hope you will try and include my recipe in your magazine. Rose-Marie MacPherson Strath-more, Alberta

Rozie’s Apple Coffee Cake1 1/3 cup flour ¾ cup sugar 3 tsp. Baking powder¼ tsp salt ¼ cup Butter or Margarine (room temp)1 whole egg, beaten ¾ cup Milk1 tsp Vanilla Extract. 2-3 Cooking apples. Peeled and sliced.Add a squeeze of lemon juice or orange juice to prevent apples from turning brown.

Topping1/3-cup Brown Sugar ½ tsp Cinnamon Place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in or Rub butter into flour mix-ture until it is crumbly. Make a well in the cen-ter. In another bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Add milk and vanilla. Pour into well. Stir just enough to moisten. Place into a greased 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) cake pan. Arrange sliced apples on top of batter, and push in slightly. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon mix over top of the apples. Bake in a 350 F (180 C) oven for 35-45 min or until apples are tender.

SPIRITUAL DIRECTIONS piritual Directions is a not-for-profit inter-spiritual centre that affirms the sacredness of life and the importance of building relationships that nurture community. We are committed to assist-ing people to develop spiritual practices that lead to personal transformation such as: expanding awareness, contemplative listening, working for justice and knowing and expressing your authentic self.

We have a variety of courses and workshops in various price ranges on many fascinating topics such as art and spirituality, writing your life story, meditation and dream work. We offer professional counselling and spiritual direction/mentoring for those who would like a companion at a particularly important time in life. We believe that mind, body and spirit all offer sources of wisdom and direction for your life, and work together for good. We also provide healing sessions and/or training opportunities in several complementary healing modalities such as Healing Touch, Reiki, Energy Medicine and the Yuen Method.

For 10 years Spiritual Directions has been working primarily with individuals, providing opportunities for personal and spiritual development. In 2010 we expanded in a new direction, acting on the belief that spiritual connections have the power to trans-form whole societies as well as individuals. The “Leading the Way: Building a Sustainable Future” conference with Margaret Wheatley and Peter Senge is/was our first major endeavour in this larg-er arena. We believe that leadership is critically im-portant in this time of rapid change and challenge. Through meaningful conversations and working in the community with people of all ages and abilities, we plan to provide opportunities to develop lead-ership which can serve us and the world.

You are invited to visit us in person at 1407 10th Street SW, or on the web at www.spiritualdirec-tions.com. To pre-register for programs or individ-ual counselling please call 403-210-2802. We look forward to meeting you.


LUSCIOUSJOYSS

WE LOVE COOKIES – CAKES AND SQUARES

W

Oatmeal Treats1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal 1 tsp vanilla1 1/4 cup boiling water 1 1/2 cups flour1/2 c margarine, softened 1 cup brown sugar1 cup sugar 1 tsp baking soda2 eggs 1 tsp saltFrosting6 Tbsp margarine 1 cup brown sugar1/4 cup evaporated milk 1/2 cup coconutCombine oats and boiling water, let stand for 20 minutes. Cream to-gether margarine and sugar. Add prepared oatmeal. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Blend in flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Spread in greased 15x10x1 inch jellyroll pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until set.Frosting - In small saucepan, combine margarine, milk, brown sugar, and coconut. Bring to boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Spread over the warm squares.

Frozen Tiramisu1 Pint coffee flavoured frozen yogurt3 tbsp chocolate sauce1 tbsp instant coffee granules1 container (8oz) frozen light whipped topping1 package (3oz) soft ladyfingers1 tbsp cocoa powderSoften the frozen yogurt on the countertop for 10 minutes. Mean-while, combine chocolate syrup, coffee granules and 1 tbsp of warm water in a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat frozen yogurt with 2/3 cup of the whipped topping until good spreading consistency. Please half the ladyfingers on bottom of a 8x8x2 inch baking dish. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of chocolate mixture. Spread with 1 cup of the frozen yo-gurt mixture. Top with 1 cup whipped topping. Repeat layers. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze at least 4 hours - best overnight.

By: Kathryn Hartwell

Art Horizons

ORIGINAL ARTInvites you to a Show & Sale

SaturdayNov. 20

10am - 4pm

Hillhurst/Sunnyside

Community Centre

1320 5th Ave, NW

Local Artists

ORIGINAL ART

Free Parking

FreeAdmission


The divers grew quiet as I told them of the dog shark in the crab trap. They were just suiting up for a shore dive o� the dock, on an inlet on British Columbia’s sunshine coast and the location of Tzoonie, a small but wonderful wilderness camp you can reach only by boat.Camp Tzoonie is only two hours from Vancouver. From Horseshoe Bay it’s a short picturesque cruise to Gibson’s Landing and a beautiful half-hour drive to Sechelt, a charming and quaint town dotted with fabulous shops, perfect for snoopers and an artisan’s dream. I wished we had more time for poking around but we head down the street to Porpoise Bay to board a �shing boat to Camp Tzoonie.The re�ection of the mountains and the clear blue sky on the calm ocean water evoke a sense of peace and relaxation, during the 45 minute trip we were accom-panied by a family of seals surfacing beside the boat and racing through the water dipping in and out with speed and agility – it was a game for them, it made me smile.Giant cedars totally engulf the camp making it hard to

Travel Pages

Size: 4.7 to 9.4 in (12 to 24 cm)Weight: Up to 11 lbs (5 kg)

Did you know? Sea stars have no brains and no blood.

Their nervous system is spread through their arms

and their “blood” is actually filtered sea water.

RELAXATION OR ADVENTURE

Marine scientists have undertaken the difficult task of replacing the beloved starfish’s common name

with sea star because, well, the starfish is not a fish. It’s an echinoderm, closely related to sea urchins and sand dollars.

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - St. Augustine

Breakthru is looking for contributors

and advertisers for our

travel pages. Do you have a

travel story? Tips? Recommenda-

tions?Please contact

Aleesha 403-519-4559

[email protected]

We would love to have a large

travel section in our magazine,

but we need your help!

THANK YOU!

Most sea stars also have the remark-able ability to consume prey outside their bodies. Using tiny, suction-cupped tube feet, they pry open clamsor oysters, and their sack-like cardiac stomach emerges from their mouth and oozes inside the shell. The stom-ach then envelops the prey to digest it, and finally withdraws back into the body.

There are some 2,000 species of sea star living in all the world’s oceans, from tropical habitats to the cold seafloor. The five-arm varieties are the most common, hence their name, but species with 10, 20, and even 40 arms exist.

Most sea stars also have the remark-able ability to consume prey outside their bodies. Using tiny, suction-cupped tube feet, they pry open clamsor oysters, and their sack-like cardiac stomach emerges from their mouth and oozes inside the shell. The stom-ach then envelops the prey to digest it, and finally withdraws back into the body.

STARFISH Fast Facts Type: Invertebrate

Diet: CarnivoreAverage lifespan in the wild:

Up to 35 years

tell it was there at all. As I strolled up the dock to the beach I noticed the water was �lled with hundreds of star�sh. They seem to glow in the clear cool water – large purple and small red asteroidean there to prey on the oysters and clams, as we were, digging some later for supper. Fresh, succulent and divine.Covered hot tub, a large open �re pit – where I imagined we would spend our evenings sharing stories and cheer, a cook house with a large covered veranda, all surrounded and protected by the majestic peaceful giant Cedars, our wilderness domain.We get settled in and the divers were excited to prepare for their �rst dive. Art, one of the owners, asks me if I would like to join him to check the crab traps. As we pull the �rst large cage to the surface and into the boat, I was excited to see the dog shark. With skill and con�dence, Art slit its throat. As I tell the divers of the shark, some are not as excited as I. There are new divers here, only trained in the safety of the dive pool. Now they will dive in the Paci�c Ocean with an additional weight on their minds besides watching their depth and air gauges. Now they are thinking about other things they may encounter beneath the

cool dark waters.It’s later morning and the sun is starting to feel hot. The divers are starting to sweat from the heat and the wet suits, but the cool 60-degree water will reverse the feeling soon after they descend. You can feel the anticipation in the air the last few minutes before they plunge into the ocean water. One by one they take a giant stride o� the dock waiting for the signal for all to descend together. The signal is given and they slowly slip beneath the surface until all you can see is the bubbles where they once �oated and now a clue to where they now swim below, moving further and further away, heading out to the allure of the deeper water.A day charter boat has arrived, bringing guests for a day of sun, fun, hiking, kayaking, �shing, clam digging, beachcombing, photography, bird watching and biking or just peaceful indulgence at this place of serenity. Art told me a story of a lawyer from New York sitting on the dock on a clear warm evening quietly crying. He told Art he had never been to a place of such great beauty. That night I understood his emotions with the clear sky �lled by millions of stars, as many as

the trees covering the slopes of the quiet giants surrounding the camp. The simple magni�cence and presence of nature.The divers appear to the surface and as they unsuited you can hear the excitement in their voices. They spoke of the wonders of the deep, the �sh, a sunken �shing boat commanded by a very large octopus – its tentacles the size of a man’s legs and huge eyes, that some said, they would never forget.Our evening was spent relaxing around the camp�re with the fragrance of burning cedar and redwood �lling the air. The divers shared diving stories, not unlike �shing stories, one by one slowly slipping o� to bed, to a journey to dreamland with fresh cool moun-tain air �lling our lungs.The next morning I embarked upon a peaceful hike to the gold panning creek returning with a small bag of �ecks and in the afternoon, Aleda, the other owner, and I spent a few leisurely hours �shing. Much to my delight I caught a 10-pound red snapper. For supper that evening we all enjoyed the red snapper, clams, oysters, steak, salad, baked potatoes and the most fabulous carrot cake I have ever tasted. A feast and an

marvellous awesome day at Tzoonie.Our days of Tzoonie �ew by and we reluctantly pack our gear and head back to civilization. We all agreed we would return – there is an extraordinary presence about this place that will call you back again and again. Besides the peace and beauty, perhaps it was the shore where you dig the clams in the morning with Art and Aleda. Or perhaps it is the family of loons who bless this place with their longing cry, or the eagles souring far above, gliding on the wind blowing gently through the trees covering the majestic moun-tains surrounding and holding you with their re�ec-tion on the quiet but eminent ocean. Whatever it is, you will feel di�erent as you cruise down the inlet with the seals to your home.By: Kathryn Hartwelldock to the beach I noticed the water was �lled with hundreds of star�sh they

DOG DIARY8:00 am - Dog food! My favourite thing!9:30 am - A car ride! My favourite thing!9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favourite thing!10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favourite thing! 12:00 pm - Lunch! My favourite thing!1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favourite thing!3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favourite thing!5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favourite thing!7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favourite thing! 8:00 pm - Watched TV with people. My favourite thing!11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favourite thing!

Your Pets

CAT DIARYDay 983 of my captivity.My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I never-theless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only

thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its head-less body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a ‘good little hunter’ I am.There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in sol-itary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of ‘allergies.’ I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage. Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs. I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe.For now...

Pet PagesPET


Your Pets

Pet Pages

o matter what type of crate you decide to purchase it is crate size that is the issue of impor-tance. You want your dog to have enough room to lie down comfortably and turn around, but the crate should never be too large. Why? Your dog may start to use one area of the crate to sleep and another to eliminate. If you have purchased a larger crate so it will fit your growing puppy as an adult, use a divider which allows you to confine your puppy to a smaller area of the crate, then you can make the area larger as your puppy grows.Crate training should be kept positive so you should introduce your puppy or adult dog to the crate slow-ly. Place something soft in the bottom of the crate, along with a couple of your dog’s toys. It is important to let your dog explore the crate at his own pace—do NOT force him inside. Instead, toss a treat or two inside and praise him when he voluntarily enters the crate. Eventually you will use a command marking the behaviour, like “go to your crate”, when he is on his way in. Tossing him a cookie at each of these times will make this a positive place. Be sure to keep the door open letting your dog wander in and out as he wishes.Once your dog is comfortable with the crate, it is time to start getting him used to being confined. Once again, throw some treats into the crate—when your dog is inside, close the door. Wait a minute or so and then open the door. Be careful to ONLY let him out when he is quiet. Slowly start to extend the amount of time you leave your dog in the crate. For some dogs it is easier to adjust to the crate when they are in the same room as the rest of the family, others will calm down faster when they are in anoth-er room. Don’t rush this experience and constantly vary the time the dog is confined.To minimize separation anxiety, always practice leav-ing your dog alone. Gradually build up the amount of time you are out of the room, until your dog or pup-py is comfortable being left alone in his crate for an hour or more. Then you can start to leave the house for extended periods of time on a regular basis.~ Sandy Cormier, K9 Training and Supplies

Introducing Your Dog to the Crate“Your pets health & happiness is our priority!”

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Quality dog grooming is based out of Strathmore but we groom in Calgary

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We also groom cats!!

Strathmore, AB • [email protected]

Don't forget to purchase a dog grooming gift certificate for the hard to buy

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Has your pet had a bad grooming experience in the past?

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PET


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Monthly Book Review by Derek DonaisMy name is Derek Donais. I live in a small town outside of Calgary, Alberta, Canada with my wife of eleven wonderful years, Connie, and our two beautiful children, Kieran—age six, and Maia-Lynn—age four. I’ve been a teacher for nearly a decade and before that I was a police officer for two years.I’ve always been a fan of fantasy and science-fiction and I started writing my own stories seriously about ten years ago. I’ve written two fantasy novels so far, and after encouragement from a men-toring author, among others, I decided to self-publish the second work. After some careful research into self-publishers, I opted to go with my present publisher, Wheatmark Books. It’s been a great experience and MetalMagic, the first in the planned trilogy, has received excellent support and feed-back so far. I’m working on a sequel, and time will tell which route it takes to publication.

Prince Kristian’s Honor: Book One of the Erinia SagaTod LangleyWheatmark, 2009Fantasy, 282 pagesISBN: 978-1604943047

“What if Mikhal was right? What if everything I have done was simply for some stupid notion of glory, for a quest that was never my right to undertake?” — Prince Kristian of Landron

Prince Kristian, heir to the throne of Erand, is not a popular young man. He is reckless, haughty and wilful: traits that do little to endear him to the people of his nation. The soldiers who ride in his escort believe him to be pompous and arrogant. They have no faith in his abilities as their future leader. As the story unfolds, Kristian is headed to Duellr in order to forge an alliance against the rising threat posed by the kingdom of Belarn. The alliance will follow his arranged marriage to Allisia, the Duellrian princess.

Ferral, Prince of Belarn, is leading a revival of the old ways, a return to worshipping the evil Belatarn. Ferral hopes to regain the favour of this elder god so that his nation might prevail against its bitter rival, Erand, and regain the prominence it once enjoyed. Through the use of Belatarn’s gift of dark magic, Ferral descends to ever deeper levels of evil in the attempt to realize his visions of power. He orders Princess Allisia abducted and unleashes unnatural forces against the other realms.

Ferral’s vile machinations devastate both Kristian’s homeland and the state of Duellr. The Erandian prince becomes king, forced to take up the crown of his slain father. With only remnants of his shattered nation’s armed forces and scattered allies to aid him, Kristian must set out to gain the trust and respect of his army, win Allisia’s heart and reclaim his family’s honor. But Ferral has other plans and he has sum-moned an horrific, seemingly unstoppable army to enforce his will.

A great strength of this book is that it is written by an author with genuine combat experience. A former officer in the United States armed forces, Tod Langley served two tours in Iraq following the attacks of September 11, 2001, and has merited two Bronze stars for his military service. Those insights help him to expertly craft complex and believable scenes of conflict, which adds to the sense of urgency, realism and perspective that permeate his novel.

Prince Kristian’s Honor is a worthwhile and entertaining read for any fan of epic fantasy.

Derek [email protected]


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I AM A CRANBERRYHO-HO-HO and Merry Christmas, my name is Candi and I am a cranberry.

Christmas is my favorite time of year, I become very popular and I’m invited to all sorts of Christ-mas celebrations. The American Indians were one of the first people to enjoy my cousins and made sauce out of us by adding honey and cooking us

By Kathryn Kartwell

DECEMBER RECIPE PAGE

Our focus for our recipe page this month is cranberries. Fresh cranberries are with us for such a short time each fall, you may want to buy a few extra bags to throw into your freezer – especially since you have read about how good they are for you on the previous page.

First, we will give you the BASIC WHOLE FRESH CRAN-BERRY SAUCE – very easy. One Bag Cranberries, One Cup Sugar and One Cup water, bring to a boil and simmer five minutes – that’s it. You may add grated orange peel, a little cinnamon or maple syrup at the end for added flavour.

When your guests arrive you may share a very lovely HOT CRANBERRY TEA with or without a little added liqueur for the adults. Grand Marnier or Amaretto is always nice with the cranberry flavour. An easy recipe to make and a slow cooker will keep it warm while serving.3 ½ quarts water 1 (12 ounce) package cranberries2 Cups white sugar 2 Cups Orange Juice1 Cup Lemon Juice 12 Whole Cloves and 2 cinnamon sticksCombine water and cranberries. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, cloves and cinnamon sticks. Cover and steep for 1 hour.

And as they are enjoying refresh-ments you can offer them scrumptious CRANBERRY SHORTBREAD BARS the shortbread is sweet and buttery with a hint of vanilla – beautiful with the bright red cranberry filling.Cranberry filling:(2 ¼ cups) of fresh cranberries, 2/3 of a cup of white sugar and 3 Tbsps. of water.Shortbread Bars:2 cups all purpose flour 2 Tbsp. cornstarch¼ tsp. Salt 1 cup butter – room temperature1/3-cup light brown sugar 1 tsp. Pure vanilla extractPreheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter or spray a 9 x 9 inch pan. Prepare filling by bringing to a boil and then simmering for 5 minutes until thick and set aside to cool. Combine flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. In another bowl cream the butter until smooth and add the butter and then vanilla until smooth. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Press two-thirds of the shortbread into the bottom of the pan. Then spread the cranberry filling over the shortbread base. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the filling then lightly press into the filling. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until golden brown. Cut into 16 squares while still hot and then allow to cool com-

And, as they are gathering around the table for the Special Christmas Dinner they can ooh and aah at your amazing CRANBERRY SALAD.2 packages of fresh cranberries 1 cup chopped pecans1 cup white sugar 1 pint whipping cream1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple (drained) 7 ounces miniature marshmallowsCoarsely chop the cranberries in a food processor, put in a large, non-metal bowl and mix in the sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. Whip the cream until stiff; add the pineapple and nuts to the cranberries mix well. Fold in whipped cream and marsh-mallows, refrigerate until ready to serve.

We wish you all the very best in your Christmas Season and all throughout your year!

by Kathryn Hartwell

pletely in pan.

to a sweet yummy sauce. Soon the word got out and farmers began to grow us all across the world.

We were shipwrecked in Holland and we liked it there, so now we grow all over Europe and Asia. Even though we had our adventure abroad, we are still most popular in the United States, where 154 thousand metric tons of us are produced every year. Most of us live in Massachusetts.

I am very pretty. My skin in a glossy, scarlet red and I have a pretty pale pink blossom that looks like the head of a crane. My cousin is the blueberry. I’m not just another pretty face though - I am so good for you too. I have lots of Vitamin C, dietary fibre, manganese and vitamin K. Scien-tist have written a lot about how healthy we are for you and have even done studies about it.

We help women with urinary tract and kidney infections and we can even protect you against viruses. I’m good for your teeth too! You should drink a glass of me every day and I will help you and your heart feel healthy.

I hate to brag but there are so many good things about me I could go on and on. I am a phyto-chemical powerhouse, packed with five times the antioxidants than broccoli – I am the cham-pion. I can help to get rid of bad things in your body and have shown to help women with breast cancer; I stop those bad cancer cells from multiplying by stopping their process of cellular replica-tion before its complete – those bad cells should not be growing in your body.

You can find out way more about me at www.whfoods.org. Check it out, but in the meantime I’m going to tell you some of the different ways you can enjoy my wonderful taste. Since I am very tart, you can use me to replace the flavour of vinegar or lemon in your green salads. I am wonderful to add to other fruit juices or sparkling mineral water and you can add me to pud-dings, breads or muffins.

To help you out I am including a few recipes you can use me in.

Well, goodbye for now and enjoy your Christmas celebrations!

Signs of theZODIAC

IF you were born March 21st thru April 19th you are an ARIES - Aries are fire signs and those born under this ele-ment are regarded in astrology as adventurous, active and outgoing. No matter what upheaval, challenge or triumph they confront - an Aries has a wonderful ability to bounce back. Your stone is Ruby and Your life Pursuit – The thrill of the moment.

IF you were born April 20th and May 20th you are a TAURUS – They will let others get close, but only so close as they want them. Their feelings, fears and desires often run far deeper than anyone around them would guess. Taureans are sometimes regarded as snobby, withdrawn, boring, or even sulky. Your stone is Emerald and your life Pursuit is emotional and financial security.

IF you were born May 21st thru June 20th you are a GEMINI – Those born under the sign of the ‘Twins’ are always on the move; thirsty for knowledge and new experiences. Gemini’s are multi-faceted souls who enjoy knowing a little bit of everything but generally not too much about one particular subject. It’s just that variety is the spice of their lives! Your stone is Aquamarine and your life Pursuit is to explore a little bit of everything.

IF you were born June 21st thru July 22nd you are a CANCER – Compassionate and caring with friends, family and lovers, yet they can cut to the bone with their jealous remarks and ever-changing moods. Cancers can appear hard and insensitive on the outside. However, for those of us who know and love a “Moon Child”, we understand that deep below lies a softness and sensitivity that makes them so very special. Your stone is Moonstone and your life Pursuit is constant reassurance and intimacy.

IF you were born July 23rd thru August 22nd you are a LEO – Love triumphs over all for this sign, which is ruled by the heart. Leo’s are born fortunate. Charismatic and positive-thinking they attract not only an abundance of friends and opportunities, but manage to survive life’s stormy times with style and good humour. Once a Lion is committed to a relationship, they are totally devoted and faithful. Your element is Fire. Your ruling planet is the Sun and you are a symbol of the Lion. Your stone is the Peridot and your life Pursuit is to Lead the way.

IF you were born August 23rd thru September 22nd you are a VIRGO – When a Virgo shines, there is practically no sign to match their inner light. Many Virgos can be found working in the “service to others” industries. One of the most magical character-istics of the Virgo is no matter how many times life or romance turns sour on them, they still manage to maintain faith in others, refusing to become cynical. Your stone is the Sapphire and your Pursuit is to do the right thing.

IF you were born September 23rd thru October 22nd you are a LIBRA – Every adolescent Libran’s fantasy is to find the Prince or Princess of their dreams. Librans can switch off from the world around then and during these periods much more occurs on the deep innermost levels of the Libran’s psyche, than their closest companions imagine. They can escape into obscure role playing - and often this makes them extremely successful business people. Your stone is Opal and your Pursuit is to be consistent.

IF you were born October 23rd thru November 21st you are a SCORPIO – Reputed to be the “most powerful” sign of the zodiac, Scorpios lead fate filled lives and have intense and dramatic personal relationships. Even as children Scorpios are often found to be wise beyond their years. Many astrologers call this the sign of the “oldest souls”. Old and wise beyond the average, Scorpios often know all the answers, except sometimes; they too often have difficulty finding what they need to develop their own happiness. Your stone is the topaz and your Pursuit is to survive against all opposition.

IF you were born November 22nd thru December 21st you are a SAGITARIUS – Sagittarians possess a natu-ral exuberance, sense of adventure and love of life that makes them one of the most optimistic zodiac signs of all. Like their astrological symbol - the Archer - Sagittarians are renowned for aiming their sights towards whatever it is they find alluring - a love partner, dream job, vacation - and making it their own. They believe that anything is possible - and because of this belief system, Sagittarians are adept at seeking out their very own pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Your stone is the Turquoise and your Pursuit is to live the good life.

IF you were born December 22nd thru January 19th you are a CAPRICORN – The sign of the high roller, Capricorn is regarded as the zodiac’s top, but also quiet, life and business achievers. There are two very different types of Capricorns. The first, always climbing higher and higher; never content until reaching the top. The second is happy to remain within a small domain, refusing to budge un-less pushed. But they reach their goals one step at a time. Your stone is the Garnet and your Pursuit is to be proud of your achievements.

IF you were born January 20th thru February 18th you are an AQUARIUS –Special note for Aquarians: With the new Millennium heralding the Dawn of the Age of Aquarius, at this time, ready or not, your sign is regarded as the zodiac’s leader. You are the trendsetter for the future and because of this high responsibility, many under born your sign will be undergoing at this time, as we approach the Millennium, the pressure of personal change (particularly in your values and what makes you content and happy). Yours has always been a philanthropic sign. Now more than ever these qualities will be highlighted. Your stone is the Amethyst and your Pursuit is to understand life’s mysteries.IF you were born February 19th thru March 20th you are a PISCES – Mysterious and alluring individuals, most Pisces are extremely talented, but even though they are gifted in many ways, they still manage to spend most of their lives battling “con-fusing” conditions. Pisces is the sign symbolised by the image of two fish. Their symbol depicts one fish heading upward, the other pulling downward. This mirrors how Pisceans are frequently torn between two pathways in life, or actually do live two very different existences at the same time. Your stone is the bloodstone and your Pursuit is to avoid feeling alone.


THE 12 SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC

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To learn more or to book yourFREE CONSULTATION, please call

Phone: 403-269-5344 2206, 2nd St. S.W. - Holy Cross Centre

Life LinesMonthly column by Jody Brown, designed to help you make better connections and live happier lives. Sometimes we just need to ask the question. Joanne (Jody) Brown is an NLP Master Practitioner and Advanced Master Hypnotherapist with a Diploma in Corrections. You can learn more about NLP and hypnosis techniques on her website at www.authenticbeing.ca or contact her at Authentic Being Consulting #403-983-2230 in Strathmore.

Dear Miserable;

Well, you are right about needing to work at it. We all have to. It is funny, but one of the hardest questions is to ask yourself what brings you happiness. It’s not as easy as it might seem. There are lots of things we do in life to busy ourselves and keep preoccupied. Sometimes it gives us a sense of purpose, but many times it might just be a matter of moving from one activity to another, not really thinking about how the activity impacts us or people around us and what its true purpose really is. Are we doing it for ourselves? Is it out of a sense of obligation to someone else? Is it because we like the way we look to others when we do this activity? Or do we feel a real connection and joyfulness in doing the activity? Do we get pleasure in the ‘doing’ and not in the receiving of any other gains? We need to make ourselves aware and conscious of our actions and how they impact our feelings, our bodies and our thoughts.

Often it’s a real challenge to determine what brings us happiness from within ourselves apart from anything ex-ternal. Of course sometimes we do activities because we have an obligation to the school or to the community or to a relative, but what we’re talking about here is the actual fulfillment of your passion in life and how you go about uncovering, identifying and honoring that passion. It’s what will give you the skip in your step and the zest for life that eludes so many of us.

Many recommend that we reduce the stress in our lives as a first step in creating the life we desire. You might need to clear all the items that you no longer use from your house – keep the things you need or are attached to. If you feel this is too overwhelming, watch the show ‘Hoarders’ and that might quickly put your situation into perspective. However, if you can identify with those on ‘Hoarders’, perhaps it’s time to seek some assistance from professional organizers or professional mental health experts to help you deal with your situation. After reducing some of the clutter around you, it’s amazing how that frees up the mind and allows you to do so much more with your time. You will also want to pay attention to your nutrition, exercise and mental health as well. Slow things down a bit.

There are many terrific books on finding your passion and joy. Some of my favourites include, Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting by Lynn Grabhorn,. A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and Happiness by Thich Nhat Hanh. I would rec-ommend reading them in that order as the final book is really focused on mindfulness and meditation.. As well, Dr Wayne Dyer has a number of inspirational books and DVDs that help put you in a receptive frame of mind for receiving good things in your life. It’s amazing how many great opportunities we overlook or avoid because we just feel it’s not the right time or we’re ill prepared for something. Receptivity is a real skill you need to develop in order to be ready for those great opportunities for joy that exist around us.

Hopefully these few initial points give you a small compass that you can align, personalize and navigate to your own inner sense of direction. If you need more in-depth discussion or direction, I offer complete sessions includ-ing strategies and exercises that offer you greater discovery into how to locate and navigate your inner compass.

Keep us posted on your progress!Life Lines

Dear Life Lines:How can I find fulfillment in life? I just feel that there is no way that I can reach happiness. I feel like I’m trying everything.

Signed, Miserable.

“Unlocking your heart is not something that happens once and is done with. It is a moment-to-moment process that will not stop until you die.” Gary Zukav


KlassicKabins

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Helping You Build Your Dreams

We are a family run business and are well trained and seasoned. We offer an unparalleled service, We are not happy until your happy!!! After we supply and deliver your park model, we stay involved to ensure your satisfaction with our product and service!!!

A MAN ONLY NEEDS TO BE: 1. A friend 2. A companion 3. A lover 4. A brother 5. A father 6. A master 7. A chef 8. An electrician 9. A carpenter 10. A plumber 11. A mechanic 12. A psychologist 13. A pest exterminator 14. A psychiatrist 15. A healer 16. A good listener 17. Very clean 18. Sympathetic 19. Athletic 20. Attentive 21. Intelligent 22. Funny 23. Creative 24. Tender 25. Strong 26. Understanding 27. Tolerant 28. Prudent 29. Ambitious 30. Capable 31. Courageous 32. Determined 33. True 34. Dependable 35. Passionate 36. Compassionate WITHOUT FORGETTING TO: 37. Give compliments regularly 38. Love shopping 39. Be honest 40. Be rich 41. Not look at other girls AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU MUST ALSO: 42. Give her lots of attention, but expect little yourself 43. Give her lots of time, especially time for herself 45. Give her lots of space, never worrying about where she goesIT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO: 46. Never to forget: * birthdays * anniversaries * arrangements she makes


It’s not difficult to make a woman happy.

Happy Holidays to all our wonderful customers that made 2010 so successful.

Thank you!

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Your Health, Beauty & Happiness

A WOMAN’S WEEK AT THE GYM This is dedicated to anyone attempting to get into a regular workout routine.

ear Diary, For my birthday this year, my husband purchased a special gift, for one week of personal training at the local health club. Although I am still in great shape, I was a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago; I decided it would be fun. I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Christo, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. Friends and family all encouraged me and seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club also encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress. MONDAY: Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Christo waiting for me. He is something of a Greek god - with blond hair, dancing eyes, and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Christo gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skilful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspir-ing! Christo was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!! TUESDAY: I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Christo made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT! It’s a whole new life for me. WEDNESDAY: The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn’t try to steer or stop. Christo was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Christo put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Christo told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other crap too. THURSDAY: Butthole was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in afull snarl. I couldn’t help being a half an hour late-- it took me that long to tie my shoes. He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. He sent some skinny witch to find me. Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine - which I sank. FRIDAY: I hate that demon Christo more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anaemic, anorexic, little aerobics instructor. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it. Christo wanted me to work on my triceps. I don’t have any triceps! And if you don’t want dents in the floor, don’t hand me the darn barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn’t it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director? SATURDAY: Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing his voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.SUNDAY: I’m having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun - like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!! ~ Unknown Author. Contributed by one of our readers.

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Cantaloupe flushes the fat!One cup provides 110% of the RDA of Vitamin A. This cleansing antioxidant com-bined with the melons high water content helps speed the elimination of fat trap-ping toxins from the body.


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Green Tea is one of those ingredients that has credible research backing its effectiveness as an antioxidant on your skin. So you want a prod-uct that gives you the best results for the money you pay. Check to see how far down on the in-gredients list it appears. The higher on the list, the higher the percentage the product contains

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ithout a strong immune system you can be prone to diseases that can do harm to your body. Natural and herbal remedies can provide much-needed assistance in strengthening the immune system and getting the body’s natural defense mechanisms in top shape. Boosting the immune system naturally can allow your body to fight off infectious agents without the side effects of conventional medicine. During the winter colds and flu’s become more preva-lent. This is thought to be because of decreasing day-light times and the resulting Vitamin D levels falling in the body. As we now know Vitamin D greatly affects our immune system. Hundreds of studies now link low levels of vitamin D with significantly higher rates of cold’s and flu’s, many forms of cancer‚ as well as heart dis-ease‚ osteoporosis‚ multiple sclerosis and several other conditions and diseases. Of course during wintertime when we do go outside we are bundled up leaving very little exposed skin. This combined with decreasing daylight hours makes it so our bodies can not keep the same levels of Vitamin D as the rest of the year. This is why supplementation is so crucial to helping to fight colds and flu’s during the winter.Other herbal formula’s such as Sangster’s Immu-boost contain herbs that are well known for their immune boosting properties. Echinacea has been shown to stimulate the immune system by increasing the activity of the immune system’s B- and T-cells that fight invad-ing bacteria and viruses. Reishi and Shitake Mushrooms combat bacteria that enter the body. Odourless Garlic Extract has been used for centuries to fight off infections and boost the immune system. If you are looking to boost your immune system come on down to Sangster’s Marlborough Mall and we can find the supplements and give you the advice that is right for you.

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e have been going to the Farmers Market every weekend all summer – my favourite place – I love all the aromas of the fresh fruits and vegetables and the beautiful eye candy of the place. A photographers dream – so many beautiful pictures with all the colours and imaginings of angles and themes. Thoughts of imaginative recipes and juices pop into my mind. Therefore, for the first time in a long time, I have started to juice again. I pulled my old juicer from the back of the pantry and became cre-ative with producing really tasty and healthy concoctions to tantalize my taste buds. There are a lot of awesome juicing books around and they all explain the advantage of how juices can detoxify, heal and make you feel better inside and out. The nice thing about juices is that they make it simple and easy to take in the nutrition you need. Juices are living foods in one of their most potent and easily accessible forms. So go ahead and supercharge your bloodstream with powerful plant medicines and concentrated nutrients and start juicing! I have included a few ideas to help you get started.

CARROT FIXER UPPERCarrots are the best-known source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that fights against many diseases of aging including can-cer, heart disease and stroke. Alfalfa sprouts are a top source of phytoestrogens, the plant equivalent of human estrogen, which can stimulate cell growth. Garlic has several anti-aging benefits, including improved memory and lowered blood pres-sure.Juice 8 to 10 medium sized carrots, 1 small carton of Alfalfa Sprouts & 1 Clove GarlicI have been making this carrot recipe for about a month now and I can truly say I’m feeling I have more energy and just feeling all around better. Try it for yourself – it’s addicting.

ANTI - ALZHEIMER JUICE1 Cup Prune Juice. Prunes are our richest source of malic acid, which is a proven remover of aluminum and other toxic metals from the brain. Aluminum toxicity is a factor in Alzheimer’s disease. Prunes are dried plums. Whereas plums are difficult to juice, they can be dried and soaked. Their juice fills the soak water suffusing it with its nutritional properties.


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- Theo Fleury #14 Foreverhttp://www.theofleury14.com/news/247/12/fleury-shares-one-of-his-health-secrets

[email protected]


1- Advertise to Reach New Customers.Your market changes constantly. New families in the area mean new customers to reach. People earn more money, which means changes in lifestyles and buying habits. The shopper who wouldn’t consider your business a few years ago may be a prime customer now. Remember 20% of families will move this year, 5 million people will be married and 4 million babies will be born*. 2- Advertise Continuously.Shoppers don’t have the store loyalty they once did. You must advertise to keep pace with your competition. The National Retail Merchants Association states: “Mobility and non-loyalty are rampant. Stores must promote to get former customers to return and to seek new ones.3- Advertise to Remain With Shoppers Through the Buying Process.Many people postpone buying decisions. They often go from store to store comparing prices, quality and service. Advertis-ing must reach them steadily through the entire decision-making process. Your name must be fresh in their minds when they ultimately decide to buy.4- Advertise Because Your Competition is Advertising.There are only so many consumers in the market who are ready to buy at any one time. You’ll need to advertise to keep regular customers and to counterbalance the advertising of your competition. You must advertise to keep your share of customers or you will lose them to the more aggressive competitors.5- Advertise Because it Pays Off Over a Long Period.Advertising gives you a long-term advantage over competitors who cut back or cancel advertising. A five year survey of more than 3,000 companies found Advertisers who maintain or expand advertising over a five year period see their sales increase an average of 100%. Companies, which cut advertising, averaged sales decreases of 45%.6- Advertise to Generate Store Traffic.Continuous store traffic is the first step toward sales increases and expanding your base of shoppers. The more people who come into the store, the more possibilities you have to make sales and sell additional merchandise. For every 100 items that shoppers plan to buy, they make 30 unanticipated “in the store” purchases, an NRMA survey shows.7- Advertise to Make More Sales.Advertising works! Businesses that succeed are usually strong, steady advertisers. Look around. You’ll find the most ag-gressive and consistent advertisers are almost invariably the most successful.8- Advertise Because There is Always Business to Generate.Your doors are open. Salespeople are on the payroll. Even the slowest days produce sales. As long as you’re in business, you’ve got overhead to meet and new people to reach. Advertising can generate customers now .and in the future.9- Advertise to Keep a Healthy Positive Image.In a competitive market, rumours and bad news travel fast. Advertising corrects misleading gossip, punctures “overstated” bad news. Advertising that is vigorous and positive can bring shoppers into the marketplace, regardless of the economy.10- Advertise to Maintain Employee Morale.When advertising and promotion are suddenly cut or cancelled, salespeople may become alarmed and demoralized. They may start false rumours in an honest belief that your business is in trouble. Positive advertising boosts morale. It gives your staff strong additional support.

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And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ‘till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. ~Dr. Seuss

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011Be a part of our next issue!

After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, “Who was THAT?”

he key to any successful small business is advertising. You need to make your potential clients aware of your business and products. This is the KEY!

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The Villa Vista Del Mar FOR SALEBucerias, MexicoBucerias is 20 minutes North of Puerto Vallarta nestled towards the North shore of Banderas Bay. Once considered a �shing village and now a home to one of the most favorite vacation spots in Mexico.It is known for its slower pace yet has all the amenities that one needs to get away. Bucerias boasts its 5-mile stretch of so� sandy beaches, cobblestone streets and heartwarming charm. Founded in the 1030’s, Bucerios is now home to many Canadian and US residents.�e Villa Vista Del Mar is located in this incredibly tranquil location.

�e Vista Del Mar is located three blocks from the beach and is a very private property, this two story Villa contains 5 suites, swimming pool, garden area with barbecue and pizza oven, turtle pond and a roo�op with a palapa (which is app. 1600 Sq. Ft., has two bathrooms and a fully equipped kitchen) destined to be a restaurant and bar – if agreed by all owners. �e view is incredible.�e main �oor has two suites approximately 1150Sq. Ft. each. �e second �oor has three suites – the largest being app. 1300 Sq. Ft. (includes a Jacuzzi) and the other two app. 500 Sq. Ft. bachelor style suites.

�e property has been split into 4 equal shares of 25% each. Two shares of 25% are still available. You may own 25% of this incredible property for a mere $300,000.00

For more details please contact [email protected]

This is a private sale –

no commission will be paid to realtors.

This Month: SpanishEvery month we are going to teach you bits and pieces of different languages. Our first focus will be on Spanish. Spanish is spoken all over the world, but mostly in: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Sava-dor, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Spain, Uruguay & Venezuela. The purpose of these articles in the magazine are just to teach you some words, phrases and sentence conjunctions to help you communicate some basic information in Spanish. Also, of course for FUN!

A (ah) b (bveh) c (seh) d (deh) e (eh) f (eh-feh) g (heh) h (ah-cheh) i (ee) j (hoh-tah)K (kah) L (eh-leh) m (eh-meh) n (eh-neh) o (oh) p (peh) q (koo) r (eh-reh) s (eh-seh)T (teh) U (oo) V (bveh) w (doh-bleh bveh) x (eh-kees) y (ee gree eh-gah) z (seh-tah)

In Spanish, the letter h is always mute. Example – huevo (ooeh-bvo) Means EGG.

Some basic phrases to knowGreat! Supurb! - Olé! (oh-leh)The Boy – el niňo (elh nee-nyo)The Girl – la niňa (lah nee-nyah)The woman – la mujer (lah moo-hehr)The Man – el hombre (ehl ohm-bvreh)

One – unoTwo – dosThree – tresFour – cuatro (kooah-troh)Five - cinco (seen-koh)

Six – seisSeven – siete (seeeh-teh)Eight – ochoNine – nueve (nooeh-bveh)Ten – diez

Hi! What is your name? ~ Hola! Cómo te llamas? (oh-lah! Koh-moh teh yah-mahs)My name is Aleesha. And yours? ~ Me llamo Aleesha. Y tu? (meh yah-moh Aleesha ee too)It’s a pleasure to meet you! ~ El un gusto conocerle. (ehs oon goos-toh kon-noh-sehr-leh)I speak Spanish badly ~ Yo hablo mal el espaňol. (yoh ah-bvloh mahl ehl ehs-pah-nyohl)I don’t understand ~ No entiendo. (noh ehn-teeehn-doh)Many Thanks ~ Muchas gracias. (moo-chas grah-seeahs)Lunch – AlmurarzoSupper – CenaBreakfast – DesayunoHow Much? ~ A cuanto? (ah kooahn-to)Please ~ Por favorGood Morning ~ Buenos dianGood Night ~ Buenos nochesHow are you? (informal) Cómo estás? (koh-moh ehs-tahs)Two beer please ~ Dos cervezas por favorWhere is the bathroom? ~ Dónde está el baño

Monthly LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE COLUMN

Encontrar (en-hon-trahr) – to findEl pasto (el pahs-toh) – the grassCorer (koh-rrehr) – to runEsperar (ehspehrar) – to waitEl bano (ehl bvah-nyo) – the bathroomTranquila (trahn-kee-lah) – quietLa cama (lah kah-ma) – the bedPreciosa (preh-seeoh-sah) – Gorgeous, beautifulDucharse (doo-chahr-she) – to take a showerCaliente (kah-leehn-the) – hotFria (freeah) – cold

Some fun phrases:Quickly, come here! Rapido, vengan! (rah-pee-doh bven-gahn)Your under arrest! - Usted va detenido (oos-tehd bvah deh-the-nee-doh)Why? Por que? (Pohr keh)How was your trip? Como estuvo tu viaje? (koh-moh ehs-too-bvoh too bveeah-heh)Fabulous! Fabuloso (fah-bvoo-loh-soh)

I’m Canadian - Soy Canadiense (sohy kah-nah-deeehn-she)Is it expensive? - Es un poco (ehs onn poh-koh jah-roh)I like to speak Spanish - A mi me gusta mucho hablar espanol. (ah mee meh goos-tah moo-choh ah-bvlahr ehs-pah-noyohl)Where are you from? De donde es ustedDeh dohn-deh ehs oos-tehd)Where do you work? Donde trabaja usted?(Dohn-deh trah-bvah-hah oos-tehd)Where do you live? Donde vives?(dohn-deh bvee-bvehs)I like it very much! Me gusta mucho!(meh goos-tah moo-choh)Do you want anything to drink? Quieren algo para be-ber? (keeeh-rehn ahl-goh pah-rah bven-bvehr)Will you help me, please? Me ayuda por favor?(meh ah-yoo-dah porh fah-bvohr)



The Villa Vista Del Mar FOR SALEBucerias, MexicoBucerias is 20 minutes North of Puerto Vallarta nestled towards the North shore of Banderas Bay. Once considered a �shing village and now a home to one of the most favorite vacation spots in Mexico.It is known for its slower pace yet has all the amenities that one needs to get away. Bucerias boasts its 5-mile stretch of so� sandy beaches, cobblestone streets and heartwarming charm. Founded in the 1030’s, Bucerios is now home to many Canadian and US residents.�e Villa Vista Del Mar is located in this incredibly tranquil location.

�e Vista Del Mar is located three blocks from the beach and is a very private property, this two story Villa contains 5 suites, swimming pool, garden area with barbecue and pizza oven, turtle pond and a roo�op with a palapa (which is app. 1600 Sq. Ft., has two bathrooms and a fully equipped kitchen) destined to be a restaurant and bar – if agreed by all owners. �e view is incredible.�e main �oor has two suites approximately 1150Sq. Ft. each. �e second �oor has three suites – the largest being app. 1300 Sq. Ft. (includes a Jacuzzi) and the other two app. 500 Sq. Ft. bachelor style suites.

�e property has been split into 4 equal shares of 25% each. Two shares of 25% are still available. You may own 25% of this incredible property for a mere $300,000.00

For more details please contact [email protected]

This is a private sale –

no commission will be paid to realtors.

ou want to sell your home or maybe worse yet you have to sell your home now and all you hear from everyone is how “It is not a good time to try and sell your home” or “No way are you going to be able to sell your home” and then the most scary statement of all is “You will have to give it away or pay someone to buy it from you.”It’s an understatement to say most of what you hear on the news about real estate is not good. With anything you read or hear on the news it many times is reporting the worst case scenario and blowing things out of proportion.What’s worse is many times the news actually is perpetuating the problem by keeping bad news out there longer than the problem. Appar-ently good news doesn’t sell.In any market people are still buying homes. People are moving in and out of areas for a multitude of reasons and always will. While the numbers may be lower than in previous years there are people still selling their homes and will continue to do so in good and bad markets. The good news is that yes you can sell your home if you are motivated to do so and will take a few steps to maximize your chances.Getting started, your first real step is to decide if you truly want to sell or have to sell your home now. Selling your home can be a chore so you have to be up for the task. Keeping your home spotless day after day and being available to show your home at a moment’s notice can be tiresome but necessary. If your market area is declining and you can wait you might want to, however it is all relative. Prices may continue to deteriorate and you may be waiting for awhile. Also if you intend to buy another home then you will be able to buy less as well. In a perfect world you would buy low and sell high but I don’t know anyone that has been very successful at this.Okay you’ve decided to sell your home, now you must get prepared. A huge part of this preparation leads us into the second biggest step which is to throw all your emotions about your home and personal attachment to it, out. You have to look at selling your home as a business venture. Bottom line is you are trying to make as much money as you can.You will have to make your home look less personal, take away the numerous family portraits, so a potential buyer can see your place as their new home. It is not about what you like it is about what they like or want.Now that you are mentally prepared, your third and very critical step is to get your home in order. This means you will have to repair everything that is broken and have your home in tip top shape. In today’s market you will not receive an offer at all or be lowballed if there are a lot of things wrong with your home. As the selling market has slowed down more and more homes are on the market that you will be competing with. Potential buyers will want to take more off the price than it would have cost you to fix it. Start with the repairs at the same time that you start to declutter your home. A potential buyer will only see your stack of papers or dust in all the window seals if it is not clean and tidy. They will never see how spacious and wonderful your home really is.Now you have your home in the best condition it’s been in for years, it probably looks so good that you are rethinking you decision to sell it, but now it’s time to price your home, your 4th and final step. If your home is not priced right, it will not

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sell, regardless of how great it looks. Your homes selling price will be determined by what a similar home in your area has re-cently sold for or perhaps a pending sale. This is what a realtor or appraiser will do to determine value. They look at a competi-tive market analysis of homes that have sold or are on the market currently in your neighborhood. Of course they will add or subtract value based on how your home matches up to other homes that have sold in the last few months. Appraisers and lenders alike look at closed sales within the last 6 months to determine value but in many areas they will only go back a few months now as values have continued to decline in some areas.Whether you are selling your own home or working with an agent it is universally agreed that the above steps are manda-tory.

YOU WANT TO SELL YOUR HOUSE??

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Vacation Proof Your HomeThere is always a lot to do before heading off on vacation. Some-times things around your home get overlooked and are left undone.Here is a list of things to double check before you leave.- Get a house/plant/pet-sitter. -Pay bills that will be due while you are away. - Ask neighbour to pick up your mail and newspapers while you are away or have the post office hold your mail.- Let a relative or neighbour know when you’ll be back and how to reach you in the case of an emergency. - Ask a neighbour to park in your driveway while you are away or park your car in the driveway. - Ask your neighbour to put out your trash on garbage day. - Discard perishable food. - Turn fridge temperature to a moderate setting (not the coldest) to save on energy use and prevent other food from freezing due to lack of opening and closing of door. - Set lamps on timers to switch on and off. - Adjust curtains and blinds so that the house looks occupied but so that people cannot see in. - Lock all doors including the garage door. - Lock all windows. - Turn down the volume on your telephone and answering machine. (So burglars can’t hear that no one is home) - Turn heat or air conditioning to 10 degrees less than the tempera-ture outside. - Unplug appliances and electronics. - Turn off water and gas. - Empty trash cans.

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RERRSP or TFSA or both? Let goals drive your strategy

eginning January 2009, contributing to investments in a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) has been possible. And each year, while deciding on your TFSA contribution, you may also be considering how much to put into your RRSP. If you can’t max out con-tributions to both, review your savings strat-egy.

What’s the difference?You contribute to an RRSP with pre-tax dol-lars, while TFSA savings come out of after-tax income. Both have annual limits and allow you to carry forward unused contribu-tion room.Both enjoy tax-sheltered growth, but you will be taxed on withdrawals from an RRSP. All TFSA withdrawals are tax-free — you keep every cent.

Each has its benefitsWith higher contribution limits than the TFSA, your RRSP is ideal for retirement sav-ings, especially if you reinvest your tax sav-ings. RRSPs promote long-term savings be-cause withdrawals are taxed and can’t be returned to the plan, with a few exceptions that let you borrow from a plan to buy a home or go to school.In contrast, you may take money out of a TFSA and recontribute it later, and there is no upper age limit for contributing, as with RRSPs. TFSA withdrawals don’t count as in-come, so won’t affect benefits like Old Age Security.

Both can work togetherAn RRSP-TFSA split may be useful if you have pension benefits that reduce RRSP contribu-tion room, or to save more for retirement. You might use a TFSA to save for short-term needs or emergencies. You can use both to split income with your spouse. We can re-view your goals to set a suitable strategy.Brought to you by: ATB Investor Services


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ith the economy still not recovering as quickly as hoped, I have been get-ting more and more calls from clients that have been deeply affected by either losing their jobs, having their hours reduced considerably, or have been laid off in-definitely. One of many uncertainties facing these clients and their families is how their mortgage and other bills are going to get paid with limited or no income. Be-cause these calls are becoming so common these days, I felt this issue warranted more exposure.

When faced with a financial crisis, one of the last things we think about, under-standably, is our credit rating. Unfortunately, the banks and creditors are not very compassionate, and during times of financial turmoil they don’t generally offer any kind of salvation. This is where I may be able to help.

If you own a home, and have a significant amount of equity, you may be able to buy yourself and/or your family some time until you get back on your feet again. This can be done by taking out a second mortgage, and using the funds to finance your everyday living expenses including your mortgage, vehicle loan, and making the minimum payments on your credit cards as an example. By doing this, you ensure that your day to day living expenses are met, as well as continuing to meet your monthly obligations.

This translates into maintaining an excellent rating with your credit grantors, and this will enable you in qualifying for future credit when your financial stability has been regained.As always, I welcome any calls or emails regarding this issue or any mortgage questionsyou may have.

Jason Eldridge - Axiom Mortgage Solutions

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Economic Down Turn…Is Your Credit At Risk?

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Funny True Story of the Strange a Smithsonian Exhibit

The story behind the letter below is that there is this man in Newport, Rhode Island named Scott Williams. What he does is dig things out of his backyard and then sends them to the Smithsonian Institute. Scott labels his exhibits with scientific names, insisting that they are actual archaeologi-cal finds. This man really exists and does this in his spare time! Anyway, here’s the actual response from the Smith-sonian Institution. Bear this letter in mind next time you think you are challenged in your job to respond to a difficult situation in writing.

Smithsonian Institute, 207 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20078

Dear Mr. Williams, Thank you for your latest submission to the Institute, labelled ‘93211-D, layer seven, next to the clothesline post... Hominid skull.’ We have given this specimen a careful and detailed examination, and regret to inform you that we disagree with your theory that it rep-resents conclusive proof of the presence of Early Man in Charleston County two million years ago. Rather, it appears that what you have found is the head of a Barbie doll, of the variety that one of our staff, who has small children, believes to be ‘Malibu Barbie.’ It is evident that you have given a great deal of thought to the analysis of this specimen, and you may be quite certain that those of us who are familiar with your prior work in the field were loathe to come to contradict your findings. However, we do feel that there are a number of physical attributes of the specimen, which might have tipped you off to its modern origin: 1. The material is moulded plastic. Ancient hominid remains are typi-cally fossilised bone.


2. The cranial capacity of the specimen is approximately 9 cubic cen-timetres, well below the threshold of even the earliest identified proto-hominids. 3. The dentition pattern evident on the skull is more consistent with the common domesticated dog than it is with the ravenous man-eating Pliocene clams you speculate roamed the wetlands during that time. This latter finding is certainly one of the most intriguing hypotheses you have submitted in your history with this institution, but the evi-dence seems to weigh rather heavily against it. Without going into too much detail, let us say that: 1. The specimen looks like the head of a Barbie doll that a dog has chewed on. 2. Clams don’t have teeth.It is with feelings tinged with melancholy that we must deny your request to have the specimen carbon-dated. This is partially due to the heavy load our lab must bear in its normal operation, and partly due to carbon-datings notorious inaccuracy in fossils of recent geo-logic record. To the best of our knowledge, no Barbie dolls were produced prior to 1956 AD, and carbon-dating is likely to produce wildly inaccurate results. Sadly, we must also deny your request that we approach the Nation-al Science Foundation Phylogeny Department with the concept of assigning your specimen the scientific name Australopithecus spiff-arino. Speaking personally, I, for one, fought tenaciously for the acceptance of your proposed taxonomy, but was ultimately voted down because the species name you selected was hyphenated, and didn’t really sound like it might be Latin. However, we gladly accept your generous donation of this fascinat-ing specimen to the museum. While it is undoubtedly not a Homi-nid fossil, it is, nonetheless, yet another riveting example of the great body of work you seem to accumulate here so effortlessly. You should know that our Director has reserved a special shelf in his own office for the display of the specimens you have previously submitted to the Institution, and the entire staff speculates daily on what you will happen upon next in your digs at the site you have discovered in your Newport back yard. We eagerly anticipate your trip to our nation’s capital that you pro-posed in your last letter, and several of us are pressing the Director to pay for it. We are particularly interested in hearing you expand on your theories surrounding the trans-positating fillifitation of ferrous ions in a structural matrix that makes the excellent juvenile Tyran-nosaurus Rex femur you recently discovered take on the deceptive appearance of a rusty 9-mm Sears Craftsman automotive crescent wrench.

Yours in Science, Harvey Rowe Chief Curator-Antiquities

They say laughter is really good for you as it triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humour and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use. Therefore, have a good laugh today and enjoy this funny story.

Laugh For Your Health

LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOWDecember 4th, 2010 – January 5th, 2011

Franz Johnston RCA, The Shadowed Valley, Oil on Board, 20” x 24”

T 403.245.8300 F 403.245.8315 [email protected] www.cgoart.com

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