Main Street "The Blog" Magazine

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2011-03-08T15:16:00.000-08:00

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Poetic Musings: Collection of Love Poems

2011-02-23T07:22:00.001-08:00

As seen in the February Issue of Main Street Magazine/Poetic Musings
Printed in Canada under ISSN: 1920-4299
To find out how to receive your free copy check out www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Collection of Love Poems

Never Have I Fallen
Your lips speak soft sweetness
Your touch a cool caress
I am lost in your magic
My heart beats within your chest

I think of you each morning
And dream of you each night
I think of your arms being around me
And cannot express my delight

Never have I fallen
But I am quickly on my way
You hold a heart in your hands
That has never before been given away
- Rex A. Williams -

A White Rose
The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
O, the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.
But I send you a cream-white rosebud
With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips.
- J B O'Reilly (1844-1890) -

A Wish
I lie on the ground,
and stare into space,
the stars start to move,
into the shape of your face.

I see you there now,
looking down at me,
with that cute little smile,
that I like to see.

You say "close your eyes",
"tell me what you see",
I see only two people,
just you and me.

We're walking the shoreline,
with our feet getting wet,
the horizon turns pink,
as the sun starts to set.

We make love through the night,
on that white sandy shore,
then I hold you while thinking,
I could want nothing more.

Oh I wish I could be,
in that one special place,
as I lie on the ground,
and I stare into space...
- Randy Schutte -

QUICK TIPS FEBRUARY

2011-02-18T08:02:00.001-08:00

© Copyright, 2011 Main Street Magazine/Rain Enterprises

As seen in the February Issue of Main Street Magazine.
Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises
To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM
check out www.mainstreetmagazine.net

His and Hers Ideas for Romance

By Janice Collins for Main Street Magazine

Marriage is not a noun; it's a verb. It isn't something you get. It's something you do. It's the way you love your partner every day. -Barbara De Angelis

Romantic Ideas for Men

Draw her a warm bubble bath. Wash her back (& everywhere else). Take your time. Then towel her dry and carry her off to bed.
Give her a full body massage without expecting anything in return. You’re sure to get your reward the next night!
Little things go a long way. Hold her hand, link her arm through yours while you’re walking together, place your palm on the small of her back when standing beside her. Those tender gestures won’t go unnoticed.
Brush her hair at night. This can be very sensual. Be sure to use a brush, not a comb. And don’t pull. Be gentle. If you encounter a tangle, hold the hair above the tangle, then work it out.
Tell her you love her. Seems obvious, but many men overlook this. Women like to hear it. Often. Make her an audio tape and secretly slip it into the cassette player for her to find.

Romantic Ideas for Women:

Do something different. Instead of a massage, graze your nails lightly down his bare back (if you have good nails). It will send shivers of pleasure through his body.
Let him pick one fantasy a month for you to fulfill. Make up a list for him to choose from (that way the fantasy will be something that you’re not opposed to). Then plan it out as an official “date.”
Have some sexy (but tasteful) pictures taken and give them to him as a gift. It’ll be something unexpected and special–meant for his eyes only.
Personally write him an erotic story. He’ll see a new and exciting dimension to you after that.
Put on some sexy clothes, turn on the music, then slowly strip the clothes off layer by layer while he watches.

Quick Tips for Writing Love Letters

Be in a good mood when writing a love letter. Never try to write a love letter when you're in a bad mood, not only will it be more difficult to write, but your bad vibes will make their way into the letter.

Write a love letter anytime. Don't wait for a special occasion to write one. Anytime you want to spice up your relationship is a great time for a love letter.
Your love letter should look appealing. Fountain pens look nicer than ball point pens. Plain paper is fine, but try to choose a better grade of paper stay away from lined paper or paper with lots of designs printed on it.
Think about why you're writing. Do you want to say you had a good time, are you asking for a date, are you expressing your affection, do you want to know how they feel about you or do you want to say I miss you?
Always hand write your love letter even if your writing is sloppy. Never type it unless your handwriting is truly illegible. Don't underline or write any words in all caps; it's like yelling.
Only say what you really mean. Don't make promises you can't keep and don't write anything you may regret later. Once the letter leaves your hands there is no guarantee it will stay private.
A one page love letter is great. Love letters aren’t meant to be long. As you get more comfortable, your letters may get a little longer but don't write a book.
If you're writing an erotic lover letter, talk about yourself as well. If you wish to arouse you can write about how hot, wet, positions and lingerie.
Re-read your love letter to make sure it says what you mean. You may want to write a rough draft first.
Use a thesaurus to find unique romantic words for your love letter, such as:

~ Openers – Dear, Dearest, My Love, Dearest Love, My Beloved, My Sweetheart, My Darling, My Sweet, Darling

~ Middle – cherish, idolize, embrace, hold dear, adore, caress, desire, fondle, fascinate, passion, smitten, enchanted, captivated, treasure, stroking, touch, infatuated, precious

~ Endings – yours sincerely, with love, all my love, truly yours, love, till we meet again, your sweet peach

All About Sex

2011-02-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

Sex Toy Quiz

How much do you know about sex toys?
Sex toys seem to be everywhere these days (you know they’re mainstream when Martha Stewart is talking about her favorite vibrators). And while it’s easier than ever to buy a sex toy, finding straightforward honest information about sex toys can still be tricky.

Phthalates are:
1. a) Scent oil molecules used in sex toys to give them artificial smells like strawberry or cherry.
b) A chemical compound used to soften hard plastics into soft rubber and jelly.
c) The viscous compound added to lubricant to keep it slippery.
d) Bacteria that can live on the surface of a dry sex toy.

2. True or False: The more you pay for a sex toy the better it is
a) True
b) False

3. Which vibrator was purchased by Charlotte on Sex in the City and resulted in her disappearing for the rest of the episode?
a) Jack Rabbit
b) Japanese Rabbit Pearl
c) Hitachi Magic Wand
d) Japanese Pocket Rocket

4. The world’s first sex toys were:
a) Hollowed out boxes filled with bees that would vibrate.
b) Metal balls used for vaginal insertion.
c) Bone carved anal beads.
d) Stone carved dildos.
e) Textured papyrus sheets used for clitoral stimulation

5. Which two things are necessary for an anal sex toy to be safe?
a) It must have a gradual increase in size and a flared base
b) It must be made of rubber and have no seams or sharp edges
c) It must be small and soft rubber
d) It must have a flared base and have no seams or sharp edges
e) It must be hard plastic and curved

6. Which of the following should not be used with silicone sex toys:
a) Water based lubricant
b) Oil based lubricant
c) Silicone based lubricant
d) Warming massage lotion
e) All of the above

7. According to a report by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, how often can you safely use a dildo containing phthalates, providing you are not pregnant or breastfeeding?
a) 1 hour per month
b) 1 hour per week
c) 1 hour per day

8. True or False: Sex toys make sex less natural
a) False
b) True

9. True or false, you can become addicted to your vibrator?
a) True
b) False

10. According to most survey research, what percentage of the adult population has used a vibrator?
a) Less then 10%
b) 10-20%
c) 20-30%
d) 30-40%
e) More than 50%

ANSWERS
1. The correct answer is "b". Phthalates are a chemical compound used to soften hard plastics into soft rubber and jelly. Derived from Phthalic acid, and often called a plasticizer for its plastic softening properties, phthalates have been produced since the 1920’s and have been used in everything from perfumes to pesticides and, of course, sex toys.

2. The correct answer is "b". In many stores more expensive vibrators will actually be better quality, but there are still sex stores that engage in “premium pricing” where they charge more simply to make you think the product is better quality.

3. The correct answer is "b". The buyers on the show must have known their stuff, since the toy Charlotte purchased was the Japanese Rabbit Pearl one of the most popular and well built dual actions vibrators in the business

4. The correct answer is "d". In 2006 archaeologists excavated what is now the oldest sex toy artifact, which was a sculpted and polished phallus that was representational in size and shape, and dated to be 28,000 years old.

5. The correct answer is "d". While all those elements might be desirable, for an anal sex toy to be safe it has to have a flared base and no seams or sharp edges

6. The correct answer is "c". Water based, oil based, and warming lotions are all safe to use with silicone sex toys (water based lubricants are the most recommended to use with toys). But most silicone lubricants will damage silicone sex toys.

7. The correct answer is "c". According to the Danish EPA, you can safely use a sex toy with phthalates for 1 hour per day, as long as you are not pregnant or breastfeeding.

8. The correct answer is "a". The idea of “natural sex” is arbitrary, particularly if you're talking about non-procreative sex that’s just about sexual pleasure. Good sex, natural sex, is anything that makes you feel good and that is consensual. Using sex toys is no less natural than listening to music while you have sex, or creating mood lighting for a romantic evening.

9. The correct answer is "b". It’s true that people can become used to using a vibrator, and may get into a sexual rut where they only use a vibrator, but it doesn’t constitute an addiction.

10. The correct answer is "c". The correct answer is between 20-30%. Mind you there has been almost no reliable academic research on sex toy use, so most of the data we have comes from surveys by women’s magazines and sex toy companies themselves, neither of which are completely reliable

© Copyright, 2011 Main Street Magazine/Rain Enterprises
As seen in the February Issue of Main Street Magazine.
Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out
www.mainstreetmagazine.net

A NOVEL IDEA

2011-02-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

As seen in the February 2011 Issue of MSM

Proudly Canadian, ISSN: 1920-4299

Irrational Behavior

By CURTIS SITTENFELD

Maile Meloy called her first novel “Liars and Saints,” but there was a fair amount of evidence she was being ironic, at least about the saints part. There was also a fair amount of evidence that Meloy sympathized with the sinners, an impression reinforced by the title and contents of her new story collection, “Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It.” Almost all her characters are flawed: lawyers, Montana residents, unfaithful spouses, rich and eccentric older women, young women who are close to their fathers in nice as opposed to creepy ways, and multiple combinations thereof. They are people who act irrationally, against their own best interests — by betraying those they care about, making embarrassing romantic overtures and knowingly setting in motion situations they’d rather avoid — and Meloy’s prose is so clear, calm and intelligent that their behavior becomes eminently understandable.

Beth, a recent law school graduate who appears in the first story, “Travis, B.,” is teaching an adult- education class on public-school law in Glendive, a small town on the eastern side of Montana. The problem is that she lives and works a nine-and-a-half-hour drive west, in Missoula. “I’ve never done anything so stupid in my life,” she tells Chet, a ranch worker in the class, about having accepted the teaching position, which she did out of anxiety over her student loans. Twice a week, Beth leaves her Missoula law firm at midday, makes the drive, teaches the class that evening, then turns around and spends the night driving home.

“There are deer on the road, and there’s black ice outside of Three Forks along the river,” she explains to Chet, who has quickly developed a crush on her. “If I make it past there, I get to take a shower and go to work at eight. . . . Then learn more school law tomorrow night, then leave work the next day before lunch and drive back here with my eyes twitching.” The bizarreness of Beth’s situation is matched by its plausibility; a kind of banal, daily desperation animates many of Meloy’s characters, including Chet, who first shows up in Beth’s classroom not as a real student, but as a lonely person who on a random night happens to stumble into the school because it’s one of the few buildings in town with its lights on.

While the American West is clearly close to her heart, Meloy — who is 37, grew up in Montana and now lives in Los Angeles, and has won prizes from The Paris Review and the American Academy of Arts and Letters — bravely plunks down her characters in a wide range of times and places, including a 1970s nu clear power plant, an East Coast boarding school and Argentina. All these settings are equally convincing, granted verisimilitude by Meloy’s eye for the casually perfect detail: the knee-to-nose stretch, performed while lying in bed beneath a Charlie Parker poster, that a boarding-school girl learns from her roommate; the party in Buenos Aires where an appearance by the Prince of Wales sends the guests into a frenzy and a woman’s pearl necklace breaks and scatters on the floor. Meloy does her research — either that, or she’s lived many lives — but it never feels as if she included information just because, by God, she spent time unearthing it and now wants to make use of her hard work. Rather, she includes tidbits about, say, the playing cards used in raffles at the nuclear power plant because they’re organic to the stories.

Though it might seem strange to praise a writer for the things she doesn’t do, what really sets Meloy apart is her restraint. She is impressively concise, disciplined in length and scope. And she’s balanced in her approach to character, neither blinded by love for her creations, nor abusive toward them. In an allusion to the collection’s title, a character wonders near the end, “What kind of fool wanted it only one way?” The person asking this question is a man considering leaving his smart, appealing wife of 30 years for the much younger woman who gave swimming lessons to his now-grown children. Such a man isn’t particularly likable — in fact, the opposite — but it’s a mark of Meloy’s evenhanded character development that you find yourself agreeing with him, thinking, Yeah, what kind of fool? In the end, everyone in these stories retains at least a sliver of humanity, whether it’s an 87-year-old who in her youth cheerfully appeared in movies under the Nazi studio system or a father who wordlessly offers his teenage daughter as sexual enticement to persuade a plaintiff to remain in a lawsuit.

Meloy’s restraint also comes through not in the way she plots stories, which is boldly, but in how she chooses to reveal her plots, delivering shocking twists in as low-key a manner as possible. In “The Girlfriend,” the fact that the protagonist’s daughter was murdered is revealed in an aside. In “Two-Step,” Naomi, a medical resident, talks to her friend Alice about Alice’s suspicion that her husband is having an affair; and though the story is told from Naomi’s perspective, it doesn’t become clear until nearly halfway through that she’s the one with whom the husband is cheating. Meloy drops this bomb understatedly, noting of Naomi that “she had told her husband that she was leaving him, with the understanding that Alice would simultaneously — or at least soon — be told the same thing. It had been a difficult week.”

Thanks to Meloy’s spare, subdued style, the death and infidelity running through these tales don’t take on as grim a tone as you’d expect. Only one story, about the murdered daughter, really makes you want to slit your wrists; and, indeed, a wry humor appears regularly. An Argentine aristocrat observes that another man “was a bore; not even failure could make him interesting.” Or, as one wife tells another, “the whole soul mates idea . . . is really most useful when you’re stealing someone’s husband. It’s not so good when someone might be stealing yours.”

Meloy is also the author of two inter connected novels and an earlier collection, “Half in Love.” Personally, I prefer her stories — “Half in Love” is wonderful too — but she’s such a talented and unpredictable writer that I’m officially joining her fan club; whatever she writes next, I’ll gladly read it.

Fashion Sense

2011-01-14T05:31:00.000-08:00

"How to Dress and Flatter Your Inverted Triangle Body Shape.
Let's Create More Curves!"

The best Inverted Triangle Body Shape fashion advice and styling do-it-yourself styling techniques. You'll find everything you need to know about bringing out the best in your slightly athletic body shape, from how to flatter your wide shoulders to creating more curves around the hips and thighs to create a proportional silhouette.

So What Does it Mean to Have an Inverted Triangle Body Shape?

It means your shoulders and bust part are wider than your hips.

Your probably have strong shoulders and narrow hips.

An "Athletic" Body Shape

You're known for having an athletic-looking body shape! Your frame is quite common among catwalk models. And often your type of shape comes with nice, lean legs :)

Celebrities known to have an inverted triangle body shape: Reneé Zellweger, Naomi Campbell, Teri Hatcher, Demi Moore

How to Dress Your Inverted Triangle Body Shape

Your main goal when putting on clothes should be to add volume and width around your hips. This creates a balanced, hourglass shape.

However your wide shoulders are definitely a great body asset, so don't be afraid to show them off! More on that further down this page.

Let's take a closer look at how you can create a flattering look on your shape!

· Add volume and width around your hips and down. I seriously don't like the fluff Naomi Campbell has put on her upper body (it's such a hideous layering), but you might want to take a look at her jeans. Those flared pants will help balance out your shape.

Other bottoms suited for your body shape: Flare pants, wide leg jeans, A-line skirts.

Tip: Are you a petite size? Then make sure you wear something tailored and fitted on top with flare/wide leg pants. The flare/wide leg + layering combo Naomi Campbell's wearing suit taller women best.
Proud of your beautiful shoulders and want to create a trademark? Then accentuate them!

However avoid overdoing it as it can make you look stick-figured. Balance the look.

· If you look at Teri Hatcher (the woman on your right left), you can see how she pulls it off. She emphasizes her upper part with white, but at the same time she draws attention to her breasts (maybe her best feature?) and the center of her chest. Her dress also has a subtle flare at the hemline. She also adds self-confidence into the mix :)

Best Clothes for Your Inverted Triangle Body Shape

· Your narrow hips and legs are primed for all kinds of pants! Examples are gauchos, harem pants, cargo pockets etc.

· However if you're wearing skinnys or anything that is slim-fitted, make sure you wear something that minimizes your upper part a little bit (like a solid, dark colored sweater) on top and a pair of bright colored (or anything eye-catching) shoes to balance the look.

Full and flaring skirts. Such as A-lines skirt, circle, balloon, etc. anything that flares around the hemline and create more curves around your hips.

Long tops, shirts and sweaters that nip at your waistline or flare out from your waist or bust. Examples are tunics and belted cardigans. It creates curves around your waist and down.

Tip: Petite or/and full-figured? -- Then take extra precautions when wearing long tops/sweaters/jackets as they can make you look shorter and add width around your hips. However, you can try wearing a regular length top (falls right above your hips) with a dark colored belt around the waist.

Belted coats. Choose coats with minimal designs at top and that flair out from the waist.

Bright-colored or eye-catching shoes. These are sure to grab attention to your lean legs.

Low U and V-necks. These will vertically slim down your chest and make it look leaner.

Dresses that are fuller at hemline/cinch your waist/flares out from your waist as they'll add more volume on the bottom, balancing your body shape.

Large straps. Have in mind that if you attempt to wear thin straps then you'll automatically broaden your shoulders by making your shoulders look bigger in comparison. So if you want to achieve a proportional body shape choose larger straps.

Imagine an hourglass shape. Now in your head try to merge your inverted triangle figure with that shape. See the lack of width and flesh around your lower half compared to your shoulders? That's your main focus -- adding more volume and attention to your hips and thighs to stay in proportion with your lower body part, or of course, minimizing your shoulder to keep them in line with your hips.

As seen in the January Issue of Main Street Magazine.

Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out

www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Ancient Mystic

2011-01-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

Yemaya, Goddess of the Ocean and the New Year

They call her the goddess Yemaya,

Ymoga (Mother of the Fishes), Iamanga, and Balianne. She traveled with them from Yoruba to distant lands, comforting them in the holds of the slave ships that took them f

ar away from their homeland in Africa. Today she is also celebrated under many other names, including the virg

in Mary (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception), Stella Maris (Star of the Sea), and Our Lady of Regla...to name but a few.

Originally Yemaya was a river goddess of the Yoruba in Nigeria, far from the ocean. She was a nature spirit, an orisha, a powerful guardian spirit that reflects an important aspect of the God of the Ife religion. An orisha manifests itself as a force of nature. When her people were hoarded onto the slave ships, Yemaya went with them, thus becoming

the Goddess of the Ocean.

Actually Yemaya shares responsibility for the ocean with another orisha. Okolun rules the dark and turbulent

depths of the ocean. Her domain is the upper level, the part of the sea that the light strikes, where water evaporates to be carried to land by her daughter Oya (the wind) to make rain for the crops. Yemaya's gentle waves rock the watery cradle of the abundant life forms of the sea.

Yemaya is a mother goddess, the goddess of home, fertility, love and family. Like water she represents both change and constancy--bringing forth life, protecting it, and changing it as is necessary.

In the creation myths of the Yoruba, the creator Olodumare first created a mortal god-human, Obatala, and gave him a wife. Their children were Yemaya and Aganyu, who had a son together. They named him Orungan. As a teenager Orungan rebelled against his father and brutally raped his mother.

When he tried to rape Yemaya a second time, the river goddess fled to a nearby mountaintop

where she cursed her son until he died. In sorrow she chose to end her own life on the summit of the mountain. As she died she gave birth to fourteen powerful orisha. When her waters broke it caused the great flood that inundated the world and created the seven seas. Obafulom and Lyaa, the first human male and female and the ancestors of all humans, arose from the bones of the goddess. According to legend, Yemaya is the mother of all life.

According to legend, Yemaya's first gift to humans was a sea shell in which her voice could always be heard. To this day we honor Yemaya when we hold a shell to our ear in order to hear her voice, the ocean.

Olokun, the orisha of the bottom of the sea where the light does not shine, inspires respect and fear, for the powers of destruction that can be unleashed from the ocean depths are vast.

In The Secrets of the Sea, Gloria Rolanda tells of a time that Okolun, feeling unappreciated, decided to punish mankind:

At his orders, immense waves began to invade the land...the ocean swelled up, darkened, infinite, and people who lived furthest from the coast saw, terrified, a horizon of water mountains running towards them.

Fortunately Yemaya was able to calm the fury of Okolun just in time, and the wave settled gently into the shore, leaving mounds of coral and pearls when the water receded.

Olukun demands respect for his ominous power that is unbounded, but it is Yemaya that is associated with creation and with life itself. When each of their dual aspects, (such as male and female, power and compassion) is held in proper balance, these two orisha unite to offer enormous gifts and unlimited energy.

Often depicted as a mermaid, or simply a beautiful woman standing amidst the waves, Yemaya is a goddess of comfort and inspiration. When it comes to caring for others, her impulses are sincere and comforting. And she has a love for children that is unequalled.

Yemaya reminds us that ev

en the worst catastrophes can be endured and that, with her help, we can learn to negotiate the ebbs and flows of change in our lives with her wisdom, courage, and

grace.

As seen in the January Issue of Main Street Magazine.

Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Gizmos & Gadgets

2010-12-16T05:15:00.001-08:00

Hostess Gadgets for the Holidays

Tools for fun & festive entertaining...

The holidays are almost here and soon it’ll be time to eat, drink and be merry! Here are five great gadgets that’ll make entertaining over the holidays a breeze.

Everyone loves chocolate fondue and it’s never been easier to serve, and keep warm, than in the Dessert Electric Dip Tray by T-fal. There’s no need to search around for a tea light and match since the chocolate melts directly in the ceramic pot. Put biscotti and fresh cut pieces of fruit in this compact tray and you’ve got a festive dessert that will have your guests grinning with delight. Also great for keeping appetizers like a spinach and artichoke dip or cheese dip warm.

$49.99 at The Bay,

Home Outfitters, and Sears

If you enjoy slow cooking, you’ll love the 3-in-One Slow Cooker by Hamilton Beach. There are three different bowl sizes (2, 4, or 6 quarts) so you can cook a meal according to the number of guests you plan to have at the big holiday feast. The stoneware bowls are elegant enough to be placed right on the dinner table. For cocktail parties, make a mulled cider in the slow cooker and let guests help themselves.

$69.99 at major department and hardware stores Visit HamiltonBeach.ca to find a retailer.

Impress your guests by how quickly the turkey gets carved and ready for serving. The Electric Knife by Cuisinart is a handy gadget that easily slices through large cuts of meats. The handle is designed for a right- or left-handed person so the turkey-carving task can be done by just about anyone. Also comes with a second blade for bread slicing.

$59.99 at Home Depot

If you forgot to put the white wine in the fridge, the Single Bottle Wine Cooler by Koolatron will cool it for you in less than 30 minutes. The temperature can also be heated to up to 45°C which makes it great for warming up sake, too.

Serve your guests a perfectly brewed cup of coffee at dessert time using the Pro Grinder-Brewer KM 7000 by KRUPS. This hi-tech appliance automatically measures and grinds the right amount of beans so the coffee tastes the way your guests like it—mild, medium or strong. There’s even a programmable clock to set the machine to start brewing coffee at anytime—a great feature for the hostess who bustles around all evening!

$249.99 at The Bay and other leading kitchen and gourmet stores

$47.99 at Costco

As seen in the December Issue of Main Street Magazine.

Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Ancient Mystic

2010-12-02T07:07:00.000-08:00

Helen of Sparta and Troy

Some of you may have even seen Troy, the movie with Brad Pitt playing a very sensitive Achilles and Orlando Bloom as a painfully wussy Paris. I love that movie, despite the fact that it's only loosely based on recorded myth, but seeing Helen was a big downer for me. I mean, she was hot (and that was great given my feelings about most artistic representations of the heroine), but what's awesome about Helen is that no one every can really know her. That she is profoundly multi-dimensional and beyond any one telling. Which brings me to my own telling: what do I do? I will try to tell you as much as I can so that you can choose the aspects you like best and make her into the woman of your dreams, just as she was meant to be.

I'm here to tell you the story how those infamous thousand ships got launched, but, since you can (and should) go ahead and read the Iliad to see the version focusing on such heroes as Achilles and Hector, I will begin with the woman who got the blame, and unlike Euripides' version, I will begin at the beginning.

Leda was the very beautiful Queen of Sparta and married to this dude Tyndareus by loved by that most fecund of all gods, Zeus himself. Only, this wasn't any ol' seduction, as you may remember, Zeus was quite creative, and in this case, he took the shape of a swan. Less than a year later, Leda laid two eggs. The first contained Helen and Polydeuces and the second held Clytemnestra and Castor (the idea being that Helen and her egg mate were Zeus' children, while the latter egg belonged to Tyndareus. Anyway, Helen grew up in Sparta getting more and more beautiful until just after she hit puberty and really began to follow in her mother's footsteps by getting abducted.

The abductor was the equally famous Theseus, King of Athens. He took her to Aphidna and they did their thing for a good while. One unlikely version says that their child was Iphigenia. At any rate, his goal of banging a daughter of Zeus now accomplished, the king moved on. But Helen was still a hot (in the slang sense) commodity, and her family - especially her brothers who were heroes in their own right - wanted her back. Castor and Polydeuces (the Dioscuri) attacked Athens and got Helen back and even took some girl slaves of their own while they were there. Back at the ranch, Clytemnestra was already married (first to Tantalus and then to Agamemnon who we will see later) but Helen, well, now that she was home her unmarried status became an immediate problem. As Mr. Robert Bell says, "Every red-blooded male in Greece who had heard of the gorgeous Helen dreamed of possessing her." And that was an economic problem for Daddy Tyndareus who had to pay for all the suitors coming to visit.

Alternatively, the rule of Sparta was matrilineal and thus she was such a hot ticket because she also brought with her in marriage one of the most successful cities on the continent. Either way, she had a lot of suitors. Fortunately for Tyndareus, when Odysseus came (and ended up walking out with Penelope, Helen's cousin), he made a suggestion that suitors be required to swear an oath:

Whoever Tyndareus chose to be Helen's husband must be respected by the rest, and more than that, ready to defend that relationship against anyone who would try to steal her away.

Turns out, Tyndareus chose Menelaus. Menelaus kinda sucked. He was kind of like a noble, not-to-attractive, rich scrub (since most of his power and money came from his powerful brother Agamemnon - remember? the one that married Clytemnestra?). Yeah, well, anyway, when his granddad died he went for some rituals and met Paris (aka Alexander) and took him home and then LEFT him there while he took a trip to Crete. What?!? Well, I suppose he felt safe given the oath of the suitors. Well, Paris had a different kind of advantage given to him by the goddess Aphrodite herself.

You ready for the abduction? Hah! Not yet. First she cranked out 4-5 kids. Menelaus' kids. Or possibly Menelaus' and a handy hunky slave's kids. Don't feel bad for Menelaus, kids; he was cheating on her when he was out mourning his grandfather. So, yes. Helen was a MILF. Incidentally, while Menelaus was out purifying himself one day (there was a famine, and if you've read Oedipus Tyrannos you know it's gotta be the king's fault) and he brought home Paris (aka Alexander aka Orlando Bloom). Now Paris was already convinced that he had been given Helen by Aphrodite, but he didn't mention that to Menelaus. Instead he bided his time and when the moment seemed right ... that is, the moment Menelaus left Paris in the house while he left town (this is a very Mafia moment here). Young, dashing, arrogant Paris was actually given extra hotness by Aphrodite to seal the deal and off they went in his ship back to Thebes. Now, I feel like I owe it to Helen to explain that there are a number of different versions of the "abduction". Some say it was by force, some say she went willingly, some remember that Aphrodite had cursed both daughters of Tyndareus to be unfaithful and hey look, she was already sleeping with slaves!, mostly, though, they say she fell in love. Even if she was in love, there was a whole lot of sorrow in her life and her relationships hurt a lot of people, not least of all Helen. __

© Copyright, 2010 Main Street Magazine/Rain Enterprises
As seen in the December Issue of Main Street Magazine.
Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out
www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Poetic Musings

2010-11-25T05:55:00.000-08:00

Reaching for White
By Lisa Shields

The sun rose on fields
snow blown and misted
ghostly swirls and dervishes.
No fog this---
for fog simply lies.
No---this was living
as it arched and twisted,
fingering out to the road
and reaching for me
like the shade of a beloved friend.
There was white inside,
trying to seep out of pores,
I felt it strain
trying to mesh and meld
with this sentient wraith
fingers touching
joining
and suddenly
I am the morning mist
dancing in the crystal air.

© Copyright, 2010 Main Street Magazine/Rain Enterprises
As seen in the November Issue of Main Street Magazine.
Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out
www.mainstreetmagazine.net

kiss - I Was Made For Loving You

2010-11-19T07:44:00.000-08:00

Fun and Easy Crafts

2010-11-18T10:09:00.001-08:00

Create Instant Artwork

Creative Paper Picture Matting
Use leftover paper as a makeshift mat board. Simply measure your scraps and piece them together in a patchwork pattern. Customize the frame with photos and journaling.

Paper-Lined Jars
The difference is in the details. Cover the insides of plastic or glass jars and containers with patterned paper. Cut to size, place inside, and secure with tape. Cover a grouping of jars and display together

Pretty Desk Organizer
Take your desk organizer from plain to pretty with paper scraps. Start with a clear acrylic desk organizer. Cut scraps according to size of the organizer spaces. Play with patterns and colors to create a fun look. Adhere to the bottom of the container with tape. These can be easily switched when your decor changes.

Gift Embellishments
With Christmas right around the corner you might want to try some homemade gift wrap. Adorn gifts with repurposed paper details. Tie up packages with pretty ribbons. Stamp on plain or patterned paper. Cut around the design and adhere to the gift or use as a tag.

Treat Baskets
Another great Christmas idea!
Make little baskets for anyone deserving of a special treat. Cut paper in a circle. Make two cuts to the center so that one-fourth of the circle is removed. Wrap the paper in a cone and adhere. Punch holes near the top to lace through a ribbon handle. Fill with treats for any occasion, these are great for your child's teacher, you can customized the paper with a theme, names or other funky ideas. And there is no limit to the goodies you can put inside.

© Copyright, 2010 Main Street Magazine/Rain Enterprises
As seen in the November Issue of Main Street Magazine.
Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out
www.mainstreetmagazine.net

10 Affordable ways to De-Stress

2010-11-12T05:09:00.000-08:00

Whether you’re an executive, an assistant juggling 10 high-level bosses, or a receptionist dealing with difficult customers, any can be overwhelming and stressful. Learning how to manage stress and channel it through positive means is vital, not just for a successful career, but for your happiness and well-being too.

If you don’t take time to unwind, constant stress can lead to a number of physical and psychological problems, like poor concentration, depression, back pain and weight gain. It also weakens your immune system and increases your risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease.

1. Do Something You Did All the Time as a Kid
Do you ever long for those days when your biggest concerns were nap time, recess and Saturday morning cartoons? You’d build pillow forts at slumber parties, climb the biggest tree in your neighbourhood and catch fireflies at night. It’s amazing how much less complicated life was back in the day.
Just because you’re all grown up now doesn’t mean you can’t still partake in the simple joys of childhood. Turn off your Blackberry, disconnect from the internet, and act like a kid whenever you can. Revel in the refreshing nostalgia, and feel the positive associations and memories melt away your stress.
If you have kids of your own, have them participate in these activities with you. Ride a bike to the park. Start a pick-up kickball game with your family or friends. Make a snowman in the wintertime. The possibilities (and your imagination) are endless.
Cost: Free

2. Volunteer Your Time or Expertise
One of the best feelings in the world is giving back to others. As an administrative professional, you have tons of knowledge and experience and can work in any field, so why not share your skills with someone else? Volunteering can be something small – like reading a story to young cancer patients one day a month. It can also benefit your career. No matter what you do, you can be content to know that you’ve made a difference in someone’s life.
Not only is volunteering incredibly fulfilling, it’s also a great resume builder. If you’re a recent grad or career changer, volunteering can give you valuable training and hands-on experience to jump start your career – you can even offer administrative services like business writing to charity organizations in need.
Non-profit associations are always looking for more help, so even if you can only donate 5 hours a month, your time will be very much appreciated and well worth the effort.

Cost: Reading at your local hospital or cleaning up litter at your favourite park costs next to nothing (just factor in the transportation costs and pack your own lunch). Volunteering abroad may cost the price of airfare and lodging.
You can also Google “volunteer” and your town.

3. Stretch, Breathe and Meditate
It’s hard not to feel stressed and overworked by the hectic pace of a hyper-connected society that moves at the speed of social networking. Before you go into meltdown mode, hit pause, relax and take a breather.
Even if yoga’s not your thing, basic meditation, stretching and breathing techniques, though seemingly simple, can work wonders for your stress relief. When you stress out, tension is stored in your body, causing pain and tightness, especially in your back and shoulders. Stretching will get your body loose and your circulation flowing in full force again.
To meditate, find a relaxing atmosphere, sit on level ground (find a cushion if uncomfortable), close your eyes, relax every muscle and breathe deeply with your abdomen, not your chest. Focus on each inhale and exhale to exclude other thoughts and quiet your mind.

Cost: Free
More Info: Google “how to meditate” or visit How-to-Meditate.org

4. Hang Out With Your Funniest Friend
It’s been scientifically proven that laughter is both preventive and therapeutic. It decreases your stress hormone levels and boosts healthy hormones, like endorphins, strengthening your immune system. You even get a mini workout for your abs, diaphragm and your shoulders.
Not only will laughing with your friend boost your mood, it’ll take your mind off all the stressors in your life. It offers a release from the pent-up emotions and frustrations you may be feeling, and the emotional bonding will boost your self-esteem and feeling of connectedness to others.
Laughter really is the best medicine, so call up your funniest friend and hang out. You’ll be glad you did.

Cost: Free

5. SLEEP
Nothing beats a good night’s rest. Impatient customers calling you non-stop? Holier-than-thou coworkers bossing you around? Many administrative professionals bring their troubles home with them and that equals more stress for you and your loved ones. Why not sleep it off? Getting even 30 minutes of shut eye can help you relax and put your problems in perspective.
If you’re going to try to sleep off your stress, make sure you’ve got surroundings that promote good quality rest. A dark, cool, quiet room with few electronics is best. Feeling antsy but still want to rest? Try a cup of Valerian Root or chamomile tea. A warm bath can also help put you in a restful state of mind.

Cost: Free
More Info: National Sleep Foundation

6. Visit the Shooting Range
Does your stress ever turn into rage, and you want to rip your hair out and scream? Before you tear down your curtains and punch that hole in your wall, consider paying a visit to your local shooting range.
There’s something curiously calming about loading a gun, aiming, squeezing the trigger and hearing the bullets rip holes into a paper target. Not only does it release the physical tension that’s been building up from your stress, but you also get the satisfaction of taking home your target and showing off your killer aiming skills to your friends.
Shooting ranges generally charge by the hour, and the prices are reasonable if you have your own gun. Renting a gun isn’t that much more expensive, but if you wanted to take a class, they’re a bit pricey, ranging from $40 to $65.

Cost: $10-18/hour if you have your own gun; Renting a gun can be $10-20/hour extra; Classes run $40-65
More Info: Google “shooting range” and your town.

7. Buy Cheap Paints or an Art Project at a Hobby Store
Looking at art definitely has its calming effects, but it’s not always just about the product. You don’t have to be Picasso to get the health benefits of producing beautiful works of art either. People who make art as a hobby find that the process of self-expression through unwinding and creating art can be extremely soothing as well.
Artistic self-expression originates from Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, who theorized that the power of imagery could tap into the thoughts, memories and feelings of a person, whether conscious or unconscious. Art therapy is thus frequently used in hospitals, clinics and rehab facilities to promote physical, emotional and mental wellbeing via creative expression.
Making art helps lessen anxiety, stress and depression, and promote self-awareness, self-esteem and insight into your life. You can pick up reasonably priced art supplies or art kits at any hobby store. Just set aside an art space, turn on some relaxing music and paint to your health.

Cost: $7-25
More Info: Google “art store” or “hobby store” and your town.

8. Cook a Delicious Dinner with Items You Have in Your Fridge
America’s “Fast Food Nation” mentality has us ploughing through processed, barely digestible microwave dinners and super-sized extra value meals. Not only is our physique suffering, our stress and anxiety levels are off the charts. Everything around us, even food, is moving at the speed of light.
Back up, slow down and consider taking the time to cook your next meal with simple items you already have in your fridge and cupboards. Cooking takes patience and persistence. The process of chopping, measuring, stirring and sautéing can be incredibly therapeutic.
Check what ingredients you have in your kitchen, and look up a recipe (see below). Pick something simple to make, so the preparation and cleanup don’t stress you out. Let the culinary sensations, like scent, sight and touch mesmerize you. Finally, take pride in the sense of accomplishment as you slowly enjoy your delicious meal.

Cost: Free
More Info: Visit any of these websites to get recipes based on ingredients that you have:
• Allrecipes.com
• Cookingbynumbers.com
• Bigoven.com
• Recipematcher.com
• Supercook.com

9. Go on a Hike or Go to the Park
Sometimes we get so caught up in traffic, shopping malls and the hustle and bustle of everyday life that we forget to stop and smell the flowers. But when Ralph Waldo Emerson said “adopt the pace of nature,” he wasn’t being poetic—he was being entirely scientific.
Science has proven time and time again how the psychological benefits of nature can calm the brain and better your mood and concentration. Hospital patients recover faster when they have a view of trees and flowers from their window, and children with attention-deficit disorder exhibit less symptoms in a natural environment.
So get back to basics, and enjoy nature. Bring a blanket to the park and lie out, or go for a hike and take in the scenery. Bask in the sun, breathe in the fresh air, and appreciate all the colourful simplicity of the outdoors. Your brain’s health depends on it.

Cost: Mostly free (Some parks/hiking grounds may charge $3-5)
More Info: Check out this great interactive park directory or just Google “hiking trail” or “park” and your town.

10. Take a Bath with Candles and Aromatherapy
The recuperative and healing properties of water have many stress-relieving benefits and allow the body to fall into a deeper sleep. Submerging in a bath tub relieves your body from the constant pull of gravity, and heated water relaxes muscle tension, improving circulation, range of motion and energy flow.
Melt away your stress by creating a mini spa in your bathroom. Turn on soothing music, dim the lights, light candles and prepare fresh towels. The music will drown out household sounds that you may associate with everyday stressors, and relaxed lighting can go a long way when creating a peaceful mood. You can pick up high-end aromatherapy bubble bath soap, skin-moisturizing oils and exfoliating body scrubs on the cheap at your local discount stores.
Most importantly, make arrangements for your well-deserved uninterrupted solitude. Turn off your cell phone, log out of email and if you have roommates or family around, tell them to leave you alone for an hour or two. Be sure to prepare your bed beforehand so you have a nice, comfy space to crawl into after your bath.

Cost: $4-18, depending on how many spa items you want to buy

Ancient Mystic

2010-11-04T07:48:00.001-07:00

Aphrodite
Greek Goddess of Love
At first I thought that Aphrodite was one of those women - you know brain dead and beautiful? She got herself (and others) into enough trouble! But she was also far more than that. Women and men turned to her for aid to ease their longing; she was seen as gentle, fierce, pure, whorish, unpredictable, complex, fickle, steadfast, beautiful ... you get the picture. Love, to the ancient Greeks, was not a fluffy bunny emotion; it often clouds your judgement, gnaws at you, and just plain hurts. Aphrodite was not even immune to that herself (see her relationship with Anchises, among others). I said this would be quick, so I'll finish up with a few more important facts: she was born from the foam on the sea, married to an ugly nice god but slept around with a gorgeous jerk of a god, and could be quite involved in the lives of mortals (see Paris and Helen, Pygmalion and Galatea, and Meliboea, to name a few). She also had a girdle that made her smokin' hot and she sometimes lent it out.
Birth of the Love Goddess
When you think of Aphrodite, you probably think of the painting at the right - Botticelli's beautiful white-skinned red-headed goddess sailing to shore on a shell. He got it as right as can be expected, but the truth was, there was more than one story of her birth. The most well known has to do with the first part of her name: "aphro" (it means foam), and it's mostly the one we all think about as "the real story" - try to keep in mind though that there really isn't just one correct version. So without further ado, the story of Aphrodite's birth (according to Hesiod, a Homeric Hymn, and Pausanias).
Wayyyyyyyy back in the day, there was this dude named Uranus (Heaven). Now, Uranus wasn't such a great guy. He was totally harsh to his kids and his wife, so it wasn't much of a surprise when they turned on him. Gaia (Earth), his wife, sent their youngest son Cronus against his father, armed with a sickle. So, as Cronus was throwin' his dad out of heaven, he castrated him with the sickle (we are talking some serious daddy issues). The blood from Uranus' genitalia fell into the sea, and caused foam upon which the beautiful Aphrodite was born. She was blown to the island of Cythera and then went on to Cyprus with Love and Desire accompanying her (this is slightly confusing since other myths say that she gave birth to Love later, but don't worry your head about it!). As she arrived on the shore, she found the Horai (Seasons) there waiting for her dancing around like beautiful dorks. As she stepped off her pillow of foam onto the sand they clothed her in golden robes and jewels and led her to Mount Olympus. It's worth mentioning that Cyprus maintained the largest cult of Aphrodite, based on her apparent "birth" there, and she was particularly big in Paphos
The second most popular story is the one described and alluded to by Homer (in the Iliad), Apollodorus, and Euripides (in Helen). It says that Aphrodite is not as parentless as she seems, her mother's name is Dione and her father was Zeus. This creates a couple of problems when Zeus decides he wants to sleep with her, but not for long. Not a whole lot of pretty details on story two, but I did warn you.
There are also stories that ascribing parentage to Uranus (Heaven) and Hemera (Day). And even another story that said that she was the daughter of Euonyme and Cronos. Euonyme may sound new to you. That's okay; she was new to me, too. Robert Bell says that she is an epithet of Gaia. So another Earth connection. But then Carl Kerenyi says that Euonyme is just a corruption of Eurynome (the Oceanid and Creatrix). Then there's the version that makes her an Oceanid. Try to believe all of them at once, if you can.

Lovers
I'm still working on this part. Trust me; there are a lot of them. She slept with both gods and mortals - but tended to prefer the former - except in the case of Adonis. It's a story that everyone should know, as it is still referred to by "educated people." There was also her relationship with Ares, with Hermes, with Poseidon, with Zeus, and with Dionysus, with a little minor water deity named Nerites. In addition to Adonis, there was the unfortunate fling with Anchises, the lucky Boutes, and the young Phaon and Phaethon. She had a number of children from these unions; in fact, she bore children to most everybody except her husband. To Ares she bore Phobus (Fear), Deimus (Dread), and Harmonia, To Hermes she bore Hermaphroditus, the counterpart of Androgyne. To Dionysus she bore Priapus - who had huge genitals given to him by Hera in disapproval for Aphrodite's promiscuity.
Some of her affairs were hilarious and some were tragic, and some just nice. I will try to remember to come back and fill in some more details when I get a chance.

Marriage
Marriage for upper class women in ancient Greece wasn't so much about the love, and this was just as true for Aphrodite. When Hephaestus got mad at his mommy, Hera, for throwing him off Olympus and crippling him, he tricked her into imprisonment in a golden throne. Zeus, the dutiful husband, offered up his ward Aphrodite to whoever let Hera out. Aphrodite was pretty sure Ares would be able to do it (he wasn't). When Hephaestus came back and released her himself, she was stuck with him. Sort of. It's tough to make a goddess do what she doesn't want to do.
Homer tells the story of how Ares wooed her with gifts and flowers (plus he was certainly more attractive than the lame Hephaestus). They started sleeping together, mostly in Hephaestus' bed. But Helios (the Sun) saw through the window that they were getting it on and went straight to tattle to Aphrodite's husband. Well now, he was a master craftsman - the God of such things in fact - so he made a trap with a golden net to catch them in delicto flagrante. It worked and they were caught in the act. Hephaestus, pissed off like nothing, called all of the gods to witness (and laugh their butts off at) their shame. Hephaestus got his bride-gifts back, and Poseidon (the sea god) convinced him to let the couple go (they were off like a shot in different directions). That was Aphrodite's only marriage. Well, almost the end. Hephaestus gave Harmonia, Aphrodite's daughter from the affair, a cursed necklace that screwed all of her descendants (see Semele, Agave, Ino, etc.)

Her Realm
Aphrodite is more complicated than most Greek myth summaries give her credit for. That said, she does have her moments - like the one about Aphrodite's work ethic. You see, the Fates allotted Aphrodite one divine duty, and one only: to make love. Perhaps sex got old for her, perhaps she had a headache, who knows, but one day Athena found her at a loom. Athena immediately complained that her territory was being violated, and threatened to abandon the loom and everything that went with it. Aphrodite, not wanting to be stuck with too much to handle, apologized profusely, and never did a day of work after that. But that is NOT all there is to this Goddess. More later, but I need to mention that she was also the patron goddess of prostitution.

Ancient Poems
~Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, translated by N. S. Gill~
I will sing of stately Aphrodite, gold-crowned and beautiful, whose dominion is the walled cities of all sea-set Cyprus. There the moist breath of the western wind wafted her over the waves of the loud-moaning sea in soft foam, and there the gold-filleted Hours welcomed her joyously. They clothed her with heavenly garments: on her head they put a fine, well-wrought crown of gold, and in her pierced ears they hung ornaments of orichalc and precious gold, and adorned her with golden necklaces over her soft neck and snow-white breasts, jewels which the gold- filleted Hours wear themselves whenever they go to their father's house to join the lovely dances of the gods. And when they had fully decked her, they brought her to the gods, who welcomed her when they saw her, giving her their hands. Each one of them prayed that he might lead her home to be his wedded wife, so greatly were they amazed at the beauty of violet-crowned Cytherea.

Poetic Musings Presents

2010-10-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

Poet T.R. Woodruff

© Copyright, T.R. Woodruff, 2010.
Reproduced with permission to: Main Street Magazine/Rain Enterprises, from T.R. Woodruff

Goddess

I had never touched a woman
with an immortal beauty, & while
what I know of goddesses
wouldn’t satisfy the curiosity of scholars,
something in me summoned up
the archetypal figure in my head
of Aphrodite.
With your long hair, exposed
breasts silhouetted & I watched you enter
moonlit waters, that pale reflection
distorted in the rippling pond,
your flesh an eternal glow.

I asked you if you were real, your stare
declaring war against my body,
while untruths filled your eyes like inky pools,
swirling with obscurity, your lips
whispering promises to the darkness, perhaps
even to me.

Come! you said when first you took me
into the glistening midnight pond, rippling
rings spread outward. You in its middle,
standing nude, waist deep.
Softness, your tender skin
cleansed with an earlier rain, gentle—
—locks of hair
caressed the midsummer wind,
like a child’s giggle somewhere off in the distance.
Grey mist twisted from the surface of the water
I was afraid of you, afraid
of your embrace. That I the liar & you the thief,
would lead us into trickery, into deceit
I knew my flesh betrayed me
to you in that moment
your pale radiance the prison.
I surrendered to you,
your sexual shape, my sexual lust, & the writhing creature
our bodies twisted into, yours equally strong—
the proof of passion,
small scratches on my skin.

Goddess! I said out loud
to the hooting owl & trickling fish,
I had to read your lips above the crickets, whining—
My tongue swollen in my mouth
kissed midnight dew drops from your skin.
In the water, as we embraced
in the wavering reflection of the moon,
you kissed me hard & with a smile
said, You are a surprising lover!

I awoke in the moist earth, stuck against
a stone & mud soaked stalks.
My feet touched the pond.
You, the goddess I loved hard, gone & I tried
to shake the image of your nakedness
from my mind,
but my body collapsed into the soil,
slurping muck, my own nakedness
my lust & lost underthings.

Whether we loved under the moon
or only I imagined you on your pedestal
that night, there’s no telling.
But something made me wonder,
that you touched me before I got there. Let me to believe
you were with me all along.

About the Author: T.R. Woodruff lives in the Midwestern grasslands of Missouri. In the spring of 2010, he left behind more than fourteen years of corporate America to pursue his passion for words. He is wrapping up his MFA from Lindenwood University, holds his MBA from Webster University, and plans to pursue his PhD in 2011.

© Copyright, 2010 Main Street Magazine/Rain Enterprises
As seen in the October Issue of Main Street Magazine.
Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out
www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Budget Travel

2010-10-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

Off Season Travel

By Mark Kahler

During an enjoyable and unhurried visit to Venice, my budget travel curiosity prompted a question for the desk clerk. I asked him what our room would cost in July.
His response came in two parts: The first was "if it's available" and the second was a quote of about $110 USD.

Notice "part one" of the answer. Smaller budget hotels that build loyal clientele often have their rooms booked months or even years ahead. This little budget gem might not even be an option for the July budget traveler.

Now to part two: although $110 is a reasonable rate, it was about 40 percent more than I was paying in March. It's the same room, with the same complimentary breakfast and the same short walk to St. Mark's.
Many European hotels have a "menu" of prices almost as extensive as the restaurants down the street. November rates are low, December can rise one week, sink the next, with January lower still.

One drawback to this strategy is that some European inns close during the off-season, content to remodel and retool for the next tourist onslaught. So off-season travelers need to do even more homework than most. That great deal in the guidebooks might come with fine print that says "closed" on your intended travel dates.

Dark and Cold

The weather can be a big problem. It's not much fun admiring the architectural beauty of Rome when a biting wind is in your face. Be sure to dress in thin layers that can be peeled off as the weather warms during the day.

Burning sun can be a turn-off, too. That's something to think about if you're bound for Italy. Personally, a cool day with occasional showers is fine for sightseeing. A day with overwhelming heat and humidity is much less enjoyable.

Bonus

I'm told Venice is a crowded place in summer. Every other person you see has a camera and a bag of souvenirs in hand. The natives love it because they can sell lots of high-priced film and kitsch.
These are things I have read about. Remember, I went in the off-season.

I got to meet restaurant owners and shopkeepers. They were relaxed enough to talk to me and answer my wide-eyed questions about their beautiful city. A few were able to share money-saving tips.
This could happen on a crowded, hot summer day, too. But the odds are much more in your favour from November through March.

Low prices, smaller crowds, and better opportunities to meet the natives. Who says it's "off" season, anyway?

© Copyright, 2010 Main Street Magazine/Rain Enterprises
As seen in the October Issue of Main Street Magazine.
Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out
www.mainstreetmagazine.net

ART in ACTION: Interview with Nick Rose

2010-10-18T05:29:00.000-07:00

|For the complete interview including photos and art work download a pdf copy of MSM on the website. |Copyright Main Street Magazine, October 2010 issue. ISSN:1920-4299, Printed and published in Canada. For your FREE copy of MSM go to www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Nick Rose is a traditional illustrator who is renowned for his of pictorial storytelling, and influence he acquired by studying the work and teachings of Howard Pyle, the father of American illustrations as taught to him by Master Daniel Horne.

Not only has he trained under a Master, he also trained under Todd Lockwood, one of the all time greats in the fantasy field. Though the years Mr. Rose has done 100’s of book and magazine covers as well as interior illustrations. He also has an impressive list of commercial clients, including Sea World, the Carolina Panthers, the Williamsburg VA civil war museum, and Quay Publishing in London England to name a very few.

Some of the more notable publishers he has worked for are Dragon Magazine, Evil Nerd Empire, Hero Games Inc, 100 Kingdom games, Whiskey Creek Press (The Torrid Romance division, yes, he even did erotic romance covers) and many, many more.

Main Street Magazine had the opportunity to interview “Nick”, and we are happy to have him in our first “ART IN ACTION” article! We know too that as you read his story, walk in his shoes and get to the man, the artist and the vision of “Nick Rose”- that you too will love him as much as we do!

“I was born with the name William “Nick” Johns”, Nick told MSM, “but after becoming a professional artist, I decided to go by a name I had used in my days of doing fandom art, Nick Rose. I always have had a love for roses, and I felt like my life was a lot like a rose. After a long time I bloomed into something beautiful, but still would draw blood if you were not careful. That’s one reason I named my blog “Every Rose has its Thorn” like the song by Poison. If you’re interested in reading it, you can find it at http://nickroseart.blogspot.com/

I talk about my life as an artist, the work I do, and share the lessons I was taught by 2 of the greatest artist in the world, Master Daniel Horne and Fantasy legend Todd Lockwood. Like myself, I realize that there are a lot of talented artist out there that never got the chance to go to an expensive art school and learn the things that “famous artist” learn, but mostly don’t want to share. I understand why a good percentage of artist don’t want to share the knowledge, (They don’t want any more competition than they already have) but in my eyes, I feel that the knowledge should be shared with anyone who seeks it”. Daniel reached out and offered to help me after we had known each other for several years. He is truly one of the all time greats, and a wonderful man. His paintings, sculptures and Monster masks are amazing, and he does do some on line classes as well. The lessons he taught me where handed down by the very first American Master, Howard Pyle. So there is a lot of pride and history there. One day I hope to do a book or a long article on the linage of how the knowledge was passed from one student to the next. I know the Master that trained Daniel is named Ken Lagger.

Daniel introduced me to Todd Lockwood to learn the basic rules of drawing and painting. Todd is an awesome man and artist, but he explained to me he didn’t have time to blow smoke up my butt, and if I wanted to learn, he didn’t have time to waste so I did everything he told me to do. It was like going to boot camp, I love Todd to death, but he didn’t cut me any slack. At one point he told me I had no business painting, because I didn’t even understand how to draw. I’m not ashamed to admit it, he had me in tears. Up to that point I had been working in small press and had at least 80 illustrations under my belt, 20 of those being covers, and at the time I could not understand why he would say such things to me, but now 4 years later, I understand why, and in his shoe’s would have done the same thing. One thing is for sure, without the help of these two wonderful men, my career would have been very different.

A self taught artist does not know those basic’s, you can read about them, but until someone actually takes the time to go over them with you with examples, questions and answers you really don’t “get it”, or at least I didn’t and most of my friends that I came up through the ranks with didn’t either. It’s like when I was a kid and I wanted to learn Kung Fu, and I bought some book full of pictures on how to do it. I studied it and I thought I knew what I was doing, until I got out of the Army and studied Martial Arts for several years. The real thing, and I what I thought I had learned from the book where two very different things. So this is why outside of doing my own art and projects that passing this knowledge on is something that is very close to the chest with me. I want to equal the playing field, and give everyone the same chance I was given. If Daniel and Todd hadn’t helped me, I would be someone that only a few people have heard of. I am also putting all this information into several books and DVD’ that should be available around 2014, and we are going to sell them very cheap compared to the 100 grand you would spend at an art school. I’m thinking just enough to cover the cost, plus a few dollars for the work put into it, and of course the money we donate to children’s charities. That is something very important to Madison and I.

MSM: Your artwork is considered by most as being on the dark side. How do you describe it?

What some see as dark and scary, I see as beautiful, mysterious and consider to be part of who I am. I often tell the young folks that I was “Goth” before people had a name for it. I am not a person of evil, a devil worshiper or any such thing. I just see the world in a dark light, and I consider that a gift. You can’t have the light without the darkness. Most the images I paint are a reflection of how I see some of the real life monsters that have always found there way to me ever since I was a child, or the ones I see on the news, and pass by on the street. The painting of the ghost girl (Spooky) to me is a sad painting. A poor little girl’s spirit left behind for whatever reason, just wanting someone to spend time with, but people run in terror from her because she is different and misunderstood. Like all things the majority of the human race doesn’t understand, they either kill, or experiment on. I have dreamed about her on several occasions and often wonder if she is real.

Over half of the work I do comes from my dreams, and a good bit comes from writers who I am hired to illustrate a cover for, but things have changed now. If I do work with a publisher or writer, it really has to be something that gets me excited and I feel like was made for me. I have reached the point to where I can pick and choose the work I do, and the really dark work is yet to come. One of the projects I am publishing myself is going to be called “The Book of Rose” It is a story told, with countless drawings and paintings by me, and it will be very dark. The faint of heart will have nightmares from it. But that is all I can say for now. Perhaps when I get it completed and published, I will tell more then, but honestly, I have a few people out there that like to steal my ideal’s, and this one no one is going to have a clue about until it is out and everything is trademarked and copyrighted. I am creating a role playing game based on it as well and there will be many volumes of “The Book of Rose” to come. This is one of those projects that will keep on as long as I am alive, perhaps even longer.

To me the darkness is like a blanket. In it, I feel protected and free from harm. When I am hurt, it is where I go to heal. I remember when I was a young teenager; my stepfather would get drunk and beat either my mom or me. I still have the scars under my neck from where he threw a glass at me and it shattered in my neck. My mom wouldn’t take me to the hospital, because she was afraid of what he would do. Instead, she picked most all the glass out of my neck with a pair of tweezers. I was lucky that it didn’t hit a main vein, after that I ran into the woods to a place only I knew about and hide in the darkness. The moon was out, and I could feel something around me giving me comfort as I shook with terror from what the monster had done to me. I didn’t come out of the woods the next day until he had left for work. That was the first time I can remember not being afraid of the dark, and felt safe in it. That is why my tag line is “May the Darkness Comfort You”

How did you come up with the name "Wicked Kitty Studio?"

Well, the truth is, it just kind of happened. I’ve always loved cats, and anything to do with them, including cartoons. Shortly after I moved in with Madison, she got a cat for her daughter and named it Misty. We had no ideal how old Misty was, because the family we got her from had found her a few years earlier in a church parking lot. At that point she was already full grown. But the couple who had found her told us that she didn’t “Play” well with other cats and hada lot of “wild” left in her. They finally had to get rid of her, since they had several cats and Misty didn’t want to share the food with the other cats.

She was declawed, so she could not scratch us, but she had one mean bite. I had also noticed that she seem very sensitive in the back half of her body, so I am guessing that she was hurt at some point and was never given the medical attention she needed.

Misty took up to me like I was her long lost owner, but she would play rough with Madison and the kids, so as a joke I started calling her “Wicked Kitty” and one night when everyone else was in bed, I got a wild hair and did a sketch of a cartoon like cat with an eye-patch, scars and so on. A few weeks later I did a quick painting based on the sketch, and I added the words Wicked Kitty Studio, and the Studio was born. It was about this time that Madison started forking out a ton of money for some very expensive equipment for me to use, and as the year went by, she had invested a lot into my career and gave me the chance I never had before. So Wicked Kitty Studio became a publishing company as well. Once we knew that we where going to be married and spend our lives together, I made her the owner of the company, so everything we build will be protected. By the time people are reading this, it will be Wicked Kitty Enterprises LLC.

For the complete interview with Nick Rose, visit www.mainstreetmagazine.net and download a FREE copy of MSM

One last thing, please check out my website at http://www.wickedkittystudio.com we do have prints for sale at very reasonable prices, and please check out the link page as well. You can visit the websites of the models I use, my artist friends, and other great things.Many blessings and Much Love. “May the Darkness comfort you”

~Nick Rose~

That's The Spirit

2010-10-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

Well summer has passed and fall is into its full glory. Sunny days, cool nights and natures paintbrush have coloured the landscape. Sundays are full of football and the frost has hit the ground; my favourite time of year. Here are some of my favourite fall libations.
I always enjoy a wee glass of scotch by the fire on these cooler nights. I have been sampling a few new ones. My recent discovery is the one for me this fall – Longrow 10 year old. Longrow is a hard to find single malt from the Campbeltown region. Some suggest it has reached cult status. Longrow is double distilled from heavily peated malt. The whisky itself is restrained but full of flavor. It is antique gold in colour and delivers a full nose of toffee, salt and notes of peat. I love it s robust full body with its sweet palate of peaches and a hint of smoke. It has a pleasing long finish highlighted by its smoky, peachy palate. I enjoy it neat paired with a robust Cuban cigar. Try the Cohiba Siglo VI.
After a hearty stick to your ribs meal I like to enjoy a snifter of brandy. My recent favourite is a domestic pear brandy by Essential Spirits. As I look out at our small orchard and see our pear trees this brandy seems only appropriate. It has a delicate pear, cream, anise cookie, and mineral aroma. Its palate is clean with a balanced texture and long honeyed pear finish. A great dry fruity character with allspice and pink peppercorn accents. Very serious stuff and very enjoyable as a digestive.
In the fall we tend to eat a lot of breads and cheeses. We refer to them as nibbles when we have guests. Our cheese and bread selection is usually very artesian in nature and obviously very unique. This is when I like to roll out a full bodied deliciously deep red wine. This fall I will be serving up 2003 Due Torri Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico. This wine is produced from a blend of corvina, rondinella and molinara that has been dessicated on specially ventilated drying racks. The result is a full-bodied red with generous, plummy, dried fruit and chocolate notes. My note: A gorgeous, full-bodied to the max wine. Notes of deep black cherry liqueur. Food matches: aged cheeses, braised venison, bison steaks.

Many a folk will be raising a stein to celebrate Octoberfest. When thinking about this German celebration we must stay true to its origin. I like Spaten Oktoberfest. It can be described as golden to amber in colour. The aroma is fruity, caramel with a slight pungy rye hint. It is light and semi sweet in flavour and very satisfying. I like how it is malty with a very nice finish. Don’t forget to serve it in a traditional German stein. You may want to forgo the lederhosen unless you are throwing a full on Oktoberfest bash! Ein prosit!

It is apple season and what better way to finish the evening off than with a unique beer. Nickle Brook Brewery offers up a special little treat. They have brewed a Green Apple Pilsner that gets high marks. It is not an every day beer for me but at the end of the night it is a pleasure. It is amber in colour and has a very white head when properly poured. The aroma is of green apples – just what we would expect! There is a touch of sourness to the aroma and a thick rich creamy mouth feel. The overwhelming taste is of green apples with a slight sugary note. The finish continues to be sweet with a cider like taste while the aftertaste continues to deliver green apple flavours and a light hop tingle. If you are so inclined try serving it with a cheese sampler. Your guests WILL be impressed!

As always enjoy responsibly and
share amongst good friends.
Clare Jackson

© Copyright, 2010 Main Street Magazine/Rain Enterprises
As seen in the October Issue of Main Street Magazine.
Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out
www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Money-Saving Tips from Finance Bloggers

2010-09-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

Snowball Your Debt
J.D. Roth at Get Rich Slowly (getrichslowly.org) dug himself out from under a mountain of debt and now has cash in the bank. He did it by bucking conventional wisdom, which is to pay off the biggest debt with the highest interest rate first. This does minimize the interest you pay over the long term but offers very little motivation to stick with the program, because it's easy to feel like you're not getting anywhere and give up. Instead, Roth did what's called a "debt snowball," paying the minimum on every bill except the one with the lowest balance, which he quickly knocked out in full. Then he did the same thing again, eliminating another balance, and so on. I jumped on the bandwagon, paying off a small retail credit card lickety-split, which made me think I was succeeding. I added that monthly sum to the minimum payment on my next-smallest debt. Each time I hit another zero balance, the amount I can throw at the next debt in line gets bigger. As my snowball keeps growing, even large debts are dwindling—much to my delight.

Compute the Real Cost
According to the Bargain Babe (bargainbabe.com), if you're a minimum-amount-due type of payer, you end up shelling out 68 percent more for an item when you buy it with a credit card. This means that those 50-percent-off shoes are no bargain if you can't pay with cash. Since I loathe paying retail, I find that mentally adding 70 percent to the purchase price of something about to go on plastic is surprisingly effective at holding the line on my spending.

Know What Triggers You to Shop
When I click to open the National Spending Journal blog (blog.shoeboxed.com), these words greet me: "Often, consumers aren't aware of the underlying psychology that drives them to buy. Does the product trigger a nostalgic memory? Will it help you forget the bad day you just had?" Yes! That's me! This sort of pleasure-purchasing often happens to me at Target—I mean to grab shampoo and end up enthralled with a cappuccino machine. I know the drill—the best way to break the spell in a situation like that is to just walk away. For me, that's difficult. The next suggestion is to jot the must-have item on a list, which I tell myself I can bring shopping next time. But usually, said list looks silly when I get home and ends up in the garbage.

Shake Up Your Eating-Out Routine
As a big fan of eating out, I took note when Wise Bread (wisebread.com) suggested, "Bring your own wine." Obviously this depends on whether the restaurant allows it, so my husband and I go one better—we pair takeout from a place we like with our own bottle of red or white, and dine somewhere romantic, like in a park or next to the fire pit in our yard. Another trick we use pretty often is to hit Restaurant.com to buy gift certificates at a discount. I recently nabbed a $25 gift certificate for $10. We ate and drank in style for the cost of fast food.

Drive a Hard Bargain
At I Will Teach You to Be Rich (iwillteachyoutoberich.com), author Ramit Sethi offers no-holds-barred advice about negotiating, offering scripts for talking to everyone from your cable provider to your credit card issuers. I turned to him before I bought my Honda Fit. Even though I already considered myself a worthy adversary for any car dealer, I did learn from this master. As Sethi suggested, I began the process by going online and asking every dealership within 100 miles to e-mail me its best offer. A place an hour away offered me a lower price than one nearby, but not enough to make me want to road-trip. Off I went to my local dealer, just minutes away. Sure enough, he matched the price, which was lower than I would have dared suggest had I been a walk-in customer. The salesman tried to convince me to spend what I'd saved on a pricey maintenance package. I laughed. "It's my money," I said. "I'll keep it."

Log Spending
"Track your spending for three months," insists J. Money at Budgetsaresexy.com. True, this is the only way I can learn exactly where our money goes. What a huge eye-opener—so much so that instead of stopping at three months, I do this daily. I pay for everything with a credit or debit card and use Mint.com to trace every penny. The free program connects to all of my accounts, applies transactions as they happen to specific categories, like gas, groceries, and shopping, and compares my spending with the budgets I've set up. If I go over my allotment, I get a text message or e-mail (as does my husband) immediately, often before I'm even out of the store. (Yikes.)

Real Estate Secrets
If you pay a mortgage monthly or might list your home, keep this advice front-of-mind:
The Mortgage and Credit Diva (mortgageandcreditdiva.blogspot.com) says you can negotiate the commission you pay your real estate sales agent. "Consumer Reports conducted a survey recently of sellers," she says. "Only 46 percent tried to negotiate the fee with their real estate agents, but 71 percent of those who did were successful. You won't know if you don't try." I absolutely plan to do this if we sell our house. What do I have to lose—the respect of my real estate agent? Highly unlikely I had that anyhow.
Fivecentnickel.com helped me feel better about the $300,000 in interest my mortgage will cost over 30 years by showing me how to nearly effortlessly reduce that number. "Try making a payment every two weeks instead of once a month," he writes. "By sending in half of your monthly mortgage payment every two weeks, you end up making the equivalent of an extra payment each year." This will cut years off the life of the loan. Another way to accomplish the same thing is to overpay the mortgage by a fixed amount every month—as little as 10 percent extra does the trick. If I shave just five years off my mortgage, according to my bank's online calculator, I will save $59,000. Now that's a shopping spree!
Originally published in the July 2010 issue of Family Circle magazine, but certainly worth repeating here.

Javier - The Answer is Yes

2010-09-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

2010-07-27T06:57:00.000-07:00

16 Outdoor Decorating Ideas for under $50

by Yasmin Tabi

From the cheapest lounge chairs to easy-to-make decorations, here are 16 ideas that will turn your backyard into a festive entertaining space for family and friends.

Decorate with a Casual and Comfortable Feel
The key to creating a good space -- indoors and out -- is making sure the environment allows for relaxation and enjoyment.
• Start creating your backyard escape by surrounding yourself with items you love. Whether it's placing a collection of small glass bottles filled with daffodils on a side table or hanging wind chimes from a few tree branches, your styling choices should reflect your personal taste.
• "Treat your outdoor area as an integral part of your home," says Susie Coelho, star of HGTV's Surprise Gardener and author of Everyday Styling. "Break the psychological boundaries of the walls of the house by bringing indoor elements such as drapes, pillows, mirrors or candelabra out to the patio or yard."

Use color to create a festive look. Canvas pillows, for instance, are a perfect way to brighten up an old lounge chair or a washed out wicker loveseat. Keep in mind that pillows don't necessarily have to match; have fun experimenting with different styles.

Set the Mood with Outdoor Lighting

From easy-to-make lanterns to candle-adorned garden torches, create a mood with these lighting ideas:
• Create a rustic feel by making outdoor lanterns out of items from your own kitchen. Start with a few rusted tin cans and old mason jars (cleaned out, of course), add a candle and hang it with wire.
• Not only are citronella candles great for keeping bugs away, but they're also a cheap alternative to outdoor lighting. Drugstores carry various sizes of citronella candles in small hand-held mugs and larger buckets, which give those old yellow candles a more festive feel. When entertaining, cluster a bunch of citronella candles in the center of your picnic table to create a stylish effect.
• Fabric lanterns are all the rage this season. You can hang them from tree branches or planter hooks. Look for them in houseware and gift specialty stores.
• Though it might seem strange to pull out your Christmas lights in the middle of the summer, wrapping that small iridescent string of white bulbs around tree trunks and branches will bring a romantic, starry atmosphere to your backyard.
• Try something different than the typical summer tiki torch and look for candlelit lawn torches with flower or butterfly covers.

Create an Inviting Seating Area

Turn your backyard into an outdoor room with seating that's functional and comfortable so that you and your guests can relax and enjoy the surroundings.
• Don't be afraid to use old indoor chairs outside -- especially if they're just taking up space in the garage. Change their look and get them ready for summer by recovering cushions with colorful fabric.
• Add some tropical color to the backyard with bright beach chairs and recliners, perfect for relaxing and seating party guests.
• Create a canopy to define your area. With just four posts, some rope and a large piece of canvas, a make-it-yourself canopy can be a striking backdrop to your backyard.
• Another way to brighten up an old bench or lounge chair is to decorate it with colorful pillows and cushions. In fact, the brighter the pillows the less likely you are to notice the small nicks and signs of age on your outdoor furniture.

Use Outdoor Accessories

Maybe your outdoor space is already the ideal haven, but it still needs a few extra touches. Whether it's a pillow, a hammock, umbrella or some cute table settings, the smallest extras can add so much.
• Author Susie Coelho suggests highlighting the colors in your outdoor area by using coordinated place mats, glassware, dishes and plants. "For a centerpiece with the spirit of the outdoors, collect old or new bottles in different sizes, shapes and colors. Group them together and fill each one with a different flower or sprig of greenery from the garden."
• Create an easy-to-make outdoor table with help from styling guru and Discovery Channel star, Christopher Lowell. Christopher suggests pairing a wicker basket or a large terra-cotta pot with a piece of glass to create a quick patio table. (Just be careful of the kids!)
• Free-float in the summer breeze with a hammock, or lie back under the cool shade of a colorful umbrella, and let the weight lift from your shoulders.
• Decorate your eating spaces with exotic bamboo place mats that will add style to any table, followed by some fun (and unbreakable) acrylic plates in pastel colors.

Legal Beagle

2010-06-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

*Please note, “Legal Beagle” articles are general legal guidelines and are not meant to replace legal counsel. Please see your local Paralegal, or Lawyer for detailed case-by-case information.

Step One: The Divorce

Marriage Breakdown

THERE ARE ONLY TWO WAYS TO GET A DIVORCE
The easy way - - Uncontested Divorce:
or
The hard way - - Contested Divorce

Divorce in Canada is controlled by the Divorce Act

However each province also has its own Family Law Acts, which will affect your divorce in some manner.

Divorce is granted in Canada for one reason. Marriage breakdown.

Marriage breakdown is based on one of the following three "grounds." There are just three grounds for marriage breakdown: Cruelty or Adultery, or Separation for one year. Any one of them is sufficient for divorce. You do not need to have more than one ground.

Separation for one year:
You have lived "separate and apart" for a year having decided the marriage is over. Living "separate and apart" does not necessarily mean living in separate homes. You can live separate and apart while sharing a home.

It is also possible to claim that although you only recently moved out and live in a different home, the marriage broke down and was essentially over at some time in the past, regardless of living arrangements

You do not need a separation agreement to prove separation.

Adultery:
Your spouse has had sexual intercourse with someone else and you are not going to forgive her/him for that.
Cruelty:
"Cruelty" can mean just about what ever the woman wants it to mean. If she claims it is unbearable to continue living together, the courts will probably accept that. Cruelty may include physical or mental "abuse."

Unfortunately many women's groups coach women on how to manipulate the system by claiming abuse, or be unfair regarding support, whether it is true or not, or out of spite and revenge; DO NOT put yourself and your children through this mess. Stick to the truth and the facts.

You should seriously consider using Separation as your ground for divorce. Most divorces in Canada are based on the grounds of separation for a year or more. Proving cruelty or adultery will be expensive, slow, frustrating and very difficult. Most people find it faster, simpler and much less expensive to simply separate for a year and then plead Separation as the grounds for divorce.

How do you determine when the one year waiting period started and ends?

The clock starts running when you decide that the marriage is over and there can be no reconciliation. You do not have to be physically living in separate homes to be "separated." Your separation can mean living in separate bedrooms, or as one of you moving out and living elsewhere. A separation agreement is a good idea as it will help you resolve property, custody and support matters. However you do not need a legal document that says you are separated, as there is no "legal separation" in Canada.

A Long Separation Doesn't Mean You're Divorced

Some uninformed people will say that if they are separated for a long period of time, say ten or twenty years, that their marriage is nullified. This is not true. Marriages do not just disolve or evaporate. A divorce granted by a judge is the only way that your marriage will be terminated under the eyes of the law.

Divorcing When You Didn't Marry In Canada

If you didn't marry in Canada, you can still legally get a divorce here. Divorce in Canada is based on residency, not the place of marriage. So, if you or your spouse has lived in Canada for at least one year you can obtain a divorce here. Citizenship: You do not have to be a Canadian citizen to apply for a divorce in Canada. You must reside here. Canadian Divorce Laws

The Divorce Act is a federal law made by the Parliament of Canada, administered equally across all provinces and territories. Only the superior court of each province has jurisdiction to deal with a Petition for Divorce. There Are No Winners in Court: Getting involved with the courts in a contested divorces is a lousy, destructive, enervating, expensive, frustrating, and time wasting nightmare that will last for years.

Do you know, for example, that a prolonged divorce or family court battle often will wipe out your resources completely? Can you afford to spend $30,000 or more on legal costs? How would that help your children? Or be in their "best interests?" Dealing with divorce is very trying and hard on both parties. It is not just the divorce, it is also the custody and access battles that follow and drag on for years. Dealing with the many unknowns.

How do I file for divorce in Canada?

You can do your own "uncontested" divorce, using separation for one year as the reason. You will have to do some leg work and follow simple instructions, but it can be done cheaply and quickly. If your divorce is simple and there are no major problems, you can do it yourself and seek an uncontested divorce with or without the help of a lawyer or paralegal. BUT, regardless it is prudent to spend a little money and consult with a divorce lawyer and have your options explained before you act A lawyer will explain how the law applies in your situation and how to protect your rights. You can then choose the right course of action for your situation. You can file for divorce with or without the involvement, consent or cooperation of your spouse.

BASIC TYPES OF DIVORCE

Uncontested Divorce: You file the forms for divorce and if your spouse does not file a response, then the divorce becomes uncontested. You probably will not even have to appear in court. Usually a judge will just rubber stamp the divorce so long as there is no glaring unfairness or inequity in the proposed divorce arrangements. You cannot file an "uncontested divorce." The court determines this based on your filings.
Joint Divorce: If you and your spouse agree on most or all of the issues you have an uncontested joint divorce. When both parties sign, and swear to the divorce papers the divorce is mutual and you are telling the court that you both want a divorce and agree on the terms you set up.
Collaborative Contested Divorce: A Collaborative contested divorce occurs when the parties cannot agree on all of the issues, but are willing to negotiate through lawyers to solve all problems and all agree not to go to court.
Contested Divorce: A contested divorce occurs when the parties cannot agree on all of the issues. This is where lawyers get involved. A contested divorce will involve considerable time, money and frustration. They often turn into major battles and both parties end up losers.

Common Steps to Divorce.

Decide to Divorce.
Research.
Attend to property issues.
Decide if you need a lawyer to prepare your divorce documents.

Each province has it's own way of doing things. Basically in each province the steps are:

File your first set of papers in the right court.
Wait for clearance from the Divorce Registry in Ottawa.
While you are waiting you conduct 'service' on your spouse according to the rules of court procedure.
Wait the prescribed number of days and hope the other side does what you want.
File the second set of papers and your Affidavits.
File Motions and financial statements as requested.
Wait for a court decision

When are you divorced?

Divorce becomes final 31 days after the judge signs the order.

Once the judgement is final you can apply for a certificate of divorce.

You cannot remarry until you have that certificate.

Donna Kaye

As seen in the June Issue of Main Street Magazine.

Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out

www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Jewellery Making - How to Use a Beadboard

2010-06-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

Introduction - A Bead Stringer's Best Friend

A bead board can be a bead stringer’s best friend. Though they aren’t 100 percent necessary, using a bead board to help design and string beaded jewellery can be an enormous help and time saver. For the most part, they are very easy to figure out, but this quick tutorial will give you a few steps and tips to help you find your way around a bead board for the first time.

First, there are a few different types of bead boards, but most will at the very least have one long groove around the board where you set your beads as you prepare to string.
On either side of this groove are markings and numbers. Each long mark represents an inch, and each of the shorter marks represent a half inch.

These markings help you determine the final length of a piece of beaded jewellery. In the center of the board, are small extra compartments where you can store beads as you work.

You’ll also find some bead boards have more than one groove. This is helpful if you plan to string a beaded piece that has more than one strand. With multi-strand necklaces and bracelets, these grooves will help you ensure that they are the same length or in graduated lengths, depending on what you want to design.

First Step When Using a Bead Board
Once you have your bead board ready, it’s time to select your beads and start to add them to the groove in the board. At this point, don’t worry about length or what goes where, just get your beads together and start adding them to the board.

Next Step - Arranging the Beads

The next step is to start determining where you want to place your beads in the design. If you already have a pattern to follow, great, just go ahead and put them in the correct order on your board. However, if you are not sure what pattern you plan to string yet, this is when a board becomes super handy. Just play with the arrangement of your beads, moving them into different configurations until you find a design that you like.

Start Stringing Beads
Now you’re ready to go ahead and string up your beads onto your chosen stringing medium. The string pictured here is actually beading wire. On either side of the strung beads are bead stoppers, fabulous little gauges that help make sure you don’t lose your beads before you’re ready to finish.

You’ll notice that I have the strung beads back on the bead board. This is because it’s a good idea after stringing to double check that you have the desired length. You’ll also notice that my strand is a little longer than 6 inches. This is because I am allowing about 1 inch or so for the clasp. This is something to always consider before finishing a piece of beaded jewellery.
You’ll notice that I have the strung beads back on the bead board. This is because it’s a good idea after stringing to double check that you have the desired length. You’ll also notice that my strand is a little longer than 6 inches. This is because I am allowing about 1 inch or so for the clasp. This is something to always consider before finishing a piece of beaded jewellery.
Once you have determined that your beaded jewellery item (necklace, bracelet, and anklet, whatever it is) you can remove the piece from the bead board and finish it off using your choice of finishing technique, such as a crimp bead or a bead tip. The bracelet pictured was finished off using crimp beads.

© Copyright, 2010 Main Street Magazine/Rain Enterprises
As seen in the June Issue of Main Street Magazine.
Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out
www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Footsteps Across the Continent

2010-06-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

Australia

There are more jaw-dropingly gorgeous places to see Down Under than we know what to do with. Sure some you have to battle the crowds to get a glimpse of, but all great things take time to see right?

But what if there are a couple secret places that the Aussies love to keep for themselves? Let’s take a few ‘footsteps’ along these secret areas of Australia that are sure to become part of your bucket-list!

MYALL LAKES NATIONAL PARK

Myall Lakes National Park conserves one of this state’s largest coastal lake systems, Myall Lakes and 40 km of beaches and sand dunes.

The vegetation consists of heath lands, rainforests and swamps and the park is home to wildlife such as kangaroos, wallabies, egrets, herons and 15 amphibian and 16 reptile species.

The landscape is dominated by wetlands and sand dunes. Many of the park’s walking tracks such as Dark Point Trail, across the sand dunes, and Mungo Brush Rainforest Walk are extremely scenic. Stoney Creek Road is a picturesque cycling trail. Visitors can enjoy water sports such as canoeing, sailing and kayaking in the extensive number of lakes. Boat-based camping at Johnsons Beach and the camping grounds at Boolambayte Lake are very popular with Aussie locals.

One of New South Wales largest coastal lake systems - and an official Ramsar Wetland of International Significance. The Grandis, a magnificent 76 m high flooded gum, is one of the tallest trees in the state. The Myall Lakes National Park incorporates 31 562 ha of headlands, forest, swampland and a staggering 10 000 ha of coastal lagoons. These lagoons - Myall Lake, Boolambyte Lake, Two Mile Lake and The Broadwater - are linked by narrow straits which form a continuous waterway joined to Port Stephens by the lower Myall River. Between the lakes and the sea, are high sand dunes and 40 km of almost unbroken beaches.

The ferry at Bombah Point leaves every half hour from 8.00 am - 6.00 p.m. The car ferry transports you across to Myall Shores, from this point a walking track leads to the mouth of the Upper Myall River. A very poor quality unsealed road leads to the township of Bulahdelah just 15 kms away.

Things to do

· Camp, caravan or use the boat ramp at Mungo Brush (seasonal)

· Camp at Korsmans Landing at Two Mile Lake

· See numerous Aboriginal middens on the coast and Broughton Island

· Choose a fishing or dolphin-watch cruise

· Boats & houseboats can be hired at Tea Gardens, Bulahdelah or Nelson Bay

· Hire a canoe, sailboard, power boat or catamaran at Myall Shores campground

· Walk the 21-km Mungo Track to Mungo Brush

· Walk Dark Point Walk & Wildflower Walk-best between August & October

· Dive Broughton Island or Little Gibber

· Spot lorikeets, wattle birds, honeyeaters, bowerbirds, kookaburras, green catbirds, little terns, ground parrots, tawny frogmouth, kangaroos, echidnae, lace monitors, koalas, sugar gliders, ring-tailed possums, carpet pythons, flying foxes, bandicoots, marsupial mice and dingoes

Bungle Bungles

One of WA's key attractions is Bungle Bungle (Purnululu) National Park. Only reachable by 4WD vehicle (there are no sealed roads to the park) in the wet season (Nov-Mar) the area is inaccessible. These ancient, rounded, orange and black-striped sandstone formations of the Bungle Bungles are truly spectacular. This is one of the best areas to take a scenic flight to appreciate the enormity of the landscape

Purnululu National Park the Bungle Bungle Ranges was discovered by white men only in the 1980s late twentieth century! And ground access into the extremely remote range was almost never achieved.

Clearly visible from the air, but without tracks or trails, it took the pioneering ingenuity of an East Kimberley family man: a spotter plane; sacks of flour; lots of patience and a four wheel drive vehicle to find a reasonable and safe entry into the wonders of the Bungle Bungle Range.

The spotter plane flew low and carried sacks of flour, which were thrown out from the aircraft to mark the most accessible route into the Bungle Bungles. The 4WD vehicle followed the white dusty flour trail through the brilliant red earth and found a way into this most splendid natural creation.

The Bungle Bungles Experience
Purnululu is truly one of nature’s cathedrals and to take a helicopter flight over Purnululu is to understand what awesome means. Experiencing the Bungle Bungles in this way will tell you that no mere camera will ever do it justice please see and feel the Bungle Bungles.

Access
The Bungles are a hidden world of magnificent gorges, tropical pools, dramatic caves and Aboriginal rock art 250km south of Kununurra, off the Great Northern Highway.

The access road to the Bungles is unsealed and is only suitable for large 4WD vehicles. The access road is only 55 km long but takes some 3 hours to travel in reasonable conditions.

The Bungle Bungles can be reached by plane or helicopter. Alternatively, a specialist Landcruiser 4WD Self Drive Holiday package from Kununurra or Broome is the perfect way to properly feel the Kimberley: with a couple of nights stopover in the National park; accommodation and meals and an optional helicopter flight available from the remote camp inside the National Park.

The joy of a flight by helicopter or light aircraft will remain with you forever and be a constant reminder of the awesome beauty of the Purnululu National Park in the East Kimberley.

Purnululu means sandstone in the tribal language of local Kija Aborigines. The Bungle Bungle Ranges are usually closed to traffic from January to March to protect the fragile sandstone during the Kimberley wet season. Extreme care must be taken to keep to the marked trails when walking through the National Park in order to preserve the fragile, ancient range.

Bungle Bungle Stripes
Over the span of 350 million years, rivers washed sand and pebbles into the area, layer-upon-layer, and the sand was ground finer and harder together until it formed sandstone rock. Strong winds and heavy rains have eroded the sandstone away to form the dome shapes we see today. The Bungle Bungles gain their tiger-stripes from black algae growth that permeates the more porous layers of the rock, and a glossy orange build up of manganese and iron staining. Standing within these domes, you can’t even begin to fathom the time it has taken for this process to occur.

Piccaninny Creek

Here, gorges, gullies and caves are the products of this evolution; tourists visit the Bungle Bungles in particular for some places of spectacular interest; Piccaninny Creek on the southern edge, a winding 12km gorge within the high walls of the domes.

Cathedral Gorge

Cathedral Gorge is a spacious cavern rising high into the sky that will make anything insignificant for that moment in time. The walking tracks at Echidna Chasm run for 1.5 to 3km long and make for an interesting hike along a narrow gorge quite different to the other side.

Permanent waterholes and remnants of tropical rainforest are found at Frog Hole and Mini Palms gorge.

Whichever way you visit the Bungle Bungles, it is imperative to make the Ranger Station aware that you are entering the Bungle Bungles National Park. Please take care, leave no rubbish behind, keep to the trails and never climb on the ancient and fragile sandstone structures of the Bungle Bungle National Park.

This world offers us so many treasures, and as any treasure hunter knows, sometimes you have to take that ‘footstep’ off the path. Most locals are proud of their birth place and will be happy to show you the ‘real’ culture and hidden gems if you ask.

As always when travelling, be safe, use common sense and respect the environment, culture and traditions of where you are! If you are unsure, ask, and seek out resources such as the local Ranger’s office to help make your stay adventurous and safe.

Be sure to tell us about your footsteps across the globe, and a hidden gem that you think must be shared!

As seen in the June Issue of Main Street Magazine.

Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out

www.mainstreetmagazine.net

The Ancient Mystic - The Goddess Selene

2010-06-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

The Goddess Selene

“I look down on Earth every day, seeing it whole and beautiful.”-Selene

Selene is the moon goddess, daughter of the Titan Hyperion and the Titaness Theia (or her mother was Euryphaessa, according to others). She is the sister of Eos (Dawn), Helios (Sun) and Titan. With Zeus she had Pandia, an exceedingly beautiful woman, and two other daughters. With Endymion, she begat fifty daughters, and the handsome Narcissus, whose beauty led to a tragic end.

Selene is known for her countless love affairs. The most famous of her loves is the shepherd Endymion (see Thomas Bullfinch below). Other affairs of Selene's include involvement with Zeus and also Pan who gave her a herd of white oxen. Pan accomplished the seduction of Selene by disguising his hairy black goatishness with white fleece. Selene consented to ride on his back, unaware of whom he was, and Pan proceeded to ravish her.

Some sources report that the Nemean lion, which fell to the earth from the moon, was the result of an affair of Zeus and Selene, and that she had given birth to the monster on Mount Tretus. Others say that the Moon Goddess created the lion out of sea foam enclosed in a large ark at the request of Hera, and that Iris enclosed it in her magic girdle and bore it with a fearful shudder, dropping it on earth. You see, as punishment for a promised sacrifice that was not fulfilled, Selene set it to prey upon the people who dared dishonour her, the story goes. They were called Bambinaeans, and they were terrorized by the beast until Heracles (Hercules) came along and subdued it.

Selene was identified with the goddess of the hunt Artemis, another "moon goddess" of spring and summer, and Athena, the "moon goddess" of autumn and summer. She's portrayed as a young woman with an extremely white face who travels on a silver chariot drawn by two horses. Also she is often shown riding a horse or a bull. Selene is said to wear robes, carry a torch, and wear a half moon on her head.

After her brother Helios completes his journey across the sky, she begins hers. But before Selene journeys across the night sky she bathes in the sea.

The seduction of Endymion is the love affair that brings Selene the most fame. Selene fell in love with the very handsome Endymion, who was allowed to choose what he would, and he chose to sleep for ever, remaining deathless and ageless. However some say that he chose to be always sleepless.

Since Selene was so deeply in love with Endymion she asked Zeus to allow him to decide his own fate. Zeus granted Selene's request, and Endymion chose never to grow old and to sleep eternally. However, Endymion's eternal sleep did not prevent Selene from giving birth to his daughters. Endymion was visited by Selene every night and softly kissed by her rays of light.

Here is the story of Endymion as told by Thomas Bullfinch in: The Age of Fable:

Endymion was a beautiful youth who fed his flock on Mount Latmos. One calm, clear night Diana, the moon (Selene), looked down and saw him sleeping. The cold heart of the virgin goddess was warmed by his surpassing beauty, and she came down to him, kissed him, and watched over him while he slept.

Another story was that Jupiter (Zeus) bestowed on him the gift of perpetual youth united with perpetual sleep (Hypnos). Of one so gifted we can have but few adventures to record. Diana, it was said, took care that his fortunes should not suffer by his inactive life, for she made his flock increase, and guarded his sheep and lambs from the wild beasts.

The story of Endymion has a peculiar charm from the human meaning which it so thinly veils. We see in Endymion the young poet, his fancy and his heart seeking in vain for that which can satisfy them, finding his favourite hour in the quiet moonlight, and nursing there beneath the beams of the bright and silent witness the melancholy and the ardour which consume him. The story suggests aspiring and poetic love, a life spent more in dreams than in reality, and an early and welcome death.

The "Endymion" of Keats is a wild and fanciful poem, containing some exquisite poetry, as this, to the moon:

"...The sleeping kine
Couched in thy brightness dream of fields divine.
Innumerable mountains rise, and rise,
Ambitious for the hallowing of thine eyes,
And yet thy benediction passeth not
One obscure hiding-place, one little spot
Where pleasure may be sent; the nested wren
Has thy fair face within its tranquil ken;" etc., etc.

Dr. Young, in the "Night Thoughts," alludes to Endymion thus:

"...These thoughts, O Night, are thine;
From thee they came like lovers' secret sighs,
While others slept. So Cynthia, poets feign,
In shadows veiled, soft, sliding from her sphere,
Her shepherd cheered, of her enamoured less
Than I of thee."

Fletcher, in the "Faithful Shepherdess," tells:

"How the pale Phoebe, hunting in a grove,
First saw the boy Endymion, from whose eyes
She took eternal fire that never dies;
How she conveyed him softly in a sleep,
His temples bound with poppy, to the steep
Head of old Latmos, where she stoops each night,
Gilding the mountain with her brother's light,
To kiss her sweetest."

As seen in the June Issue of Main Street Magazine.

Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out

www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Just a Moment......

2010-06-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

June can be both an exciting and stressful time. High school students are preparing and shopping for Prom or Semi Formal, parents are making plans for the younger kids being home for summer holidays. No matter which one your family is faced with there are so many areas to cover and so many plans to be made.

We have a few helpful tips and some calming distractions in this month’s issue.

In Creative Cuties which is a new article this month we have a few great and easy craft ideas for the little ones, including a Fathers Day Craft.

Gardening is a stress reliever for many, check out our Gardening for Beginners and Attracting Butterflies and Hummingbirds in our new article Country Mouse.

Fashion Sense this month will help not only with getting the perfect Prom dress, but also helping to update your summer wardrobe.

If you are thinking about saving a little money, or you just want to make your own creative and unique accessories for that perfect Prom outfit be sure to check out our Jewellery Making article for great bead boarding tips.

Find out how to get rid of unwanted mosquito’s, and make a great little bird house in our DIY article

Get some great party ideas from the Party Guru, ideas for all ages and interesting reasons to party! This month Lily’s Garden hosts hottie David Duchovny.

Gizmos and Gadgets has great Prom gift ideas.

Karma-Vore reviews a kitchen gadget and gives a great warm weather smoothie recipe for you and the kids.

And as always we have all of your favourite articles to make you smile.

Enjoy the month of June!

~Chris Reynolds~

As seen in the June Issue of Main Street Magazine.

Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out

www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Hope Floats - Quotes

2010-06-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

People spend a lifetime searching for happiness; looking for peace. They chase idle dreams, addictions, religions, even other people, hoping to fill the emptiness that plagues them. The irony is the only place they ever needed to search was within.

~Romana L. Anderson ~

Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things.

~Frank A. Clark ~

Be wise to insure that every idle word spoken is carried with peace, driven with love, and filled with hope. For this we know is certain, one day our words will become our last.

~Courtney James~

There is no better time than now. The time to live is now. The time to dream is now. The time to imagine and forget the past is now. The time to shine is now. The time to bleed, sweat, and determine yourself for the things you want most is now.

~Anonymous~

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

~Anonymous~

As seen in the June Issue of Main Street Magazine.

Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out

www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Fashion Sense - Determining Your Body Shape and Style

2010-06-02T07:50:00.000-07:00

Determining Your Body Shape and Style

Part: ONE

Style isn't about the trends. It's about reuniting fashion with your height, shape, skin, eye and hair color, personality and age! Sorry ladies, old house wife, Pyjamas are us, frumpy, or t-shirt heaven are NOT fashion styles. They are however a refection of someone who has either given up on their appearance, or someone who does not understand how to dress the body mother-nature gave them.

When you walk out the door you should be showing the world that you are a put-together confident woman. Do not let others snicker at you behind your back because you look like something the cat-dragged-in, or worse, the corner bag lady. Be proud of who you are RIGHT now. Take control of your fashion, and your self confidence by determining your body shape, and what looks best on you now- you will feel better about yourself, and might even surprise yourself to discover there is a sexy vibrant woman under those baggy t-shirts and pyjama bottoms!

DO NOT allow a number to control your appearance, the number on the weigh scale or the tag size is not a reflection of who you are, it is a number-period! This number changes, you know that at 16 you did not have the same number you do at 30, it can go up, and it can go down, let your ‘style’ shine, and say good bye to the ‘number’ that is holding you back!

Reflect Upon Your Previous and Current Fashion Bloopers

Unlike men, you and I are blessed with endless variety in clothes and the freedom to dress creatively with exciting embellishments and details like sequins, earrings and beautiful shoes. But in spite of the many women’s clothing opportunities, you might end up looking ridiculous or "just not right" if you are dressing yourself in the right size or colour. All of us have made fashion mistakes, from the wrong colors to an unflattering cut that made our butt look bigger and our chest flatter.

Fashion Style Facts

Ø Some clothes and fashion trends won’t look good on you.

Ø "The more, the merrier!" doesn't necessarily apply to a real fashionista. Quality always outranks quantity. By quality, I don't necessarily mean the fabric quality. It's more about how valuable a piece of garment is to your style. It's about the versatility and how it makes you look and feel good.

Ø You don't need a fat wallet, model body or the fanciest clothes to look good.

This article series is meant to teach you;

Ø The right way to measure your size

Ø Tips for plus sizes

Ø What works for you and what doesn’t – finding your style

Ø Making it easier for you to decide what you're going to wear- putting together outfits

Ø Finding your best colours

Ø Body Shapes: How to Dress Your Body Shape-Finding Your Body Shape

Ø Tips for petites

Ø Closet organizing

Ø Flatter your face shape

And an entire slew of tips in between.

Let’s get started with “the right way to measure your size”- don’t be scared, remember we have decided that numbers no longer rule us, nor do they hold us back from our beauty- ALL women, of ALL sizes are vibrant, sexy creatures that are meant to stand proud!

Side note:

Ladies, let’s band together and make a pack not to judge the shape of any woman, but encourage them for who they are, with greater confidence we let go of negative body images and ‘want’ to become healthier, (health is the key- not shape!) because we have increased our own personal happiness and poise!

How to find your size

So, we have resolved that sizes mean nothing!! When it comes to clothes, this is so very true, one manufacturer's size 8 is another one's 12. UK sizes look the same as US, but they're not. Because US sizing has changed over the years, finding your size in vintage clothing can be a challenge. But armed with your accurate measurements, you can decipher any sizing system.

What you'll need

A cloth tape measure and a full length mirror. Take measurements undressed (and smile! This is your body- LOVE it) or in lightweight clothes. Pull the tape measure snug, but not too tight. Keep your arms at your side and have a friend take the measurements, for the best results. And don't slouch! Stand up nice and tall.

Bust

Measure around the shoulder blades, under the armpits and over the fullest part of the bust.

Waist

Find your natural waistline and measure.

Hip

Measure the fullest part of the hip (usually about 7-9 inches below the waist-your belly button)

Bra Size

1. Wear a comfortable bra and measure the rib cage just below the breast. If the number is 33 or less, add 5 inches to that number and that is your bra size. For example, you measured 31 inches + 5 = bra size 36. Over 33 inches add 3 inches to get you bra size. For example you measured 40 + 3 = bra size 43.

Both ways--rounding odd numbers up to even.

2. Then measure the bust around the fullest part. When you subtract the last number (fullest part) by the among of your bra size, you'll come up with a number used to determine cup size by using the chart below (the A,B,C, etc. cup chart) For example if your bra size was 36 and your cup measurement was 38, the difference is 2" so you would wear a 36B.

Use this Cup chart:

AA = 1/2" A = 1" B = 2"
C = 3" D = 4" DD or E = 5"
F = 6" G = 7"

Hats

Measure above the ears about 1/2" around the forehead.

Gloves

With hand partially closed, measure over the knuckles, around the hand, excluding the thumb.

Tips

Ø UK sizes may seem the same as U.S. women's, but are generally about a size smaller (a U.S. 8 is about a UK 10) To find your European size, you can add 30 to your size. A U.S. 6 is a Euro 36. Always refer to size charts for fit!

Ø When buying vintage clothing, be aware that the sizes have changed drastically over the years.

Ø If it's cotton, it's going to shrink. Add anywhere from 1/3" to 3/4" extra to compensate. Some makers count potential shrinkage into the size already. When in doubt -- ask a customer service person.

Ø Many manufacturers or stores may have their own special fit and size tips. It's a good idea to consult any additional information.

Ø Get a great tailor, because no matter how closely you order your size, it's still not custom made, you will be surprised for only a few dollars more having your clothes tailored what it will do for a proper look.

So there you have it ladies, part one is complete, come back for the July issue, as we discuss tips for plus sizes and how to determine your body shape.

~Louise Kana~

As seen in the June Issue of Main Street Magazine.

Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out

http://www.mainstreetmagazine.net/

Chef of Merit - Personal Chef Jen

2010-06-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

Interview with Personal Chef Jen

Culinary history has not officially recorded when the first personal chef opened their

doors for business. Was it hundreds of years ago, when a talented cook offered sweet morsels to several affluent families, traveling from one estate to another? Or the first in-house chef-for-hire? While history of the personal chef may be undetermined, there is no doubt that personal chefs are now one of the hottest new cooking trends for those whom love to entertain.

“Cooking is at once one of the simplest and most gratifying of the arts, but to cook well one must love and respect food”

This phrase was quoted by Chef Craig Claiborne (1920–2000), author and New York Times food critic. MSM caught up with just such a Chef: Introducing Personal Chef Jennifer Mattka

Chef Jen, owner of Imagination Culinary Services, has been in the background of the industry for some time as a hospitality consultant helping restaurants, hotels and individuals develop everything from menus and dietary plans to full marketing and costing control assistance. Recently she has taken a leap out of the kitchen and is working on a cookbook that some say is the next cooking revolution after Julia Child's The Art of French Cooking. In the meantime, she is working as a Personal Chef and Caterer as well as a cookbook advisor to other writers both new and established.

Let’s get to know Chef Jen…

MSM:

Please tell the readers what a 'personal chef' is.

JM:

My sort of Personal Chef is a Chef/Cook/Nutritionist who does everything from food shopping to small dinner parties to meal planning and nutrition advice. Typically people who hire Personal Chefs are health aware individuals who do not have the time to cook for themselves and require an alternative to living out of fast food cartons. For a typical client a Personal Chef will consult with the client to discover what their nutritional requirements are, if they have any unique health issues, and provide a meal plan as required (daily, weekly, monthly). If the client does not have the time, the Personal Chef will shop for all of the ingredients required after working out an extensive food budget with the client. The Personal Chef then goes to the client's home, prepares all meals and properly stores the meals so that the client has healthy, nutritious, selections every day or as required. For some clients a Personal Chef will cook fresh every day and for others a week's worth of meals are prepared in one day and then stored at the client's location so that the client can pick and choose their variety for each day. A Personal Chef will also be called upon by clients to prepare and serve unique meals for intimate dinners or small dinner parties. The possibilities and reasons to have a Personal Chef in the list of professionals you keep in your contact list are endless. We even take calls for quick cooking tips in the middle of those "oh no I ruined it" moments and will give in-home cooking lessons here and there.

MSM:

Why did you choose cooking as a career?

JM:

That's simple - I'm passionate about food. I come from a long line of very passionate foodies, cooks and bakers. Every amazing memory I have from childhood forward is surrounded by some sort of equally amazing food experience. I'm lucky enough as well to have been raised in a way that always expanded my pallet to new and interesting flavours and textures. I give credit to my Mother for seeing the passion in me at an early age and allowing me to experiment like a mad scientist in her kitchen whenever the mood stuck. She allowed the artist to thrive and from there the passion was born. To stand on your feet for hours preparing every sort of food you can imagine requires a passion that transforms the work into a joy. Cooking is an absolute joy for me and my greatest art form. I'm also very nutritionally aware. I love when I'm able to get people excited about vegetables. It sounds odd but when you can take a person who commonly eats just meat and starches to jumping up and down over broccoli and kale, you know you're doing something right. One of my greatest joys beyond creating my own unique art/recipes is when I watch their faces light up like children at Christmas as the plates are placed on the table and their eyes sparkle more and more with every bite. There is so much you can do with food that it is only limited by the imagination - colour, flavour, texture, and appearance - the passion is always fuelled in some way every day and the reaction to your art is instantaneous.

MSM:

As a Canadian chef, do you find the seasonal offerings of food to be an asset or hindrance?

JM:

Ontario is a treasure chest of produce and I encourage people to buy locally and organically whenever possible not just because of the fact that traveled fruits and vegetables are often chemically altered in some way to make the trip, but to keep our local farmers in business providing the best of the best. And before anyone starts an argument of cost - the more we buy local the less expensive local will become. I don't think the seasons hinder us so much as challenge us to keep creating unique dishes for every season. The one thing Chef's in this area need to learn is canning - to have a wonderful red tomato sauce made with perfect Ontario organic tomatoes in the dead of winter requires that we have honed our skills in preserving. Every good Chef should know how to do this regardless.

MSM:

What are the differences in the industry you face as a woman?

JM:

As a woman, I am actually treated with greater respect. Women (sorry guys) have a much more complex and sensitive pallet and therefore our ability to taste is much more heightened. We have a tendency to be allowed by our superiors to be much more experimental with sauces and so forth than that of our male counterparts. That being said, women in this industry have to work a little harder still to reach higher planes in the field and that's really ok because the pressure to put more effort into your art the better you become. We're still learning however to do what the men in the industry do - market ourselves. We're learning to get out here, get our faces and personalities known, and gain the trust of the people who take an interest in our food and skills. Men have paved the way for the do's and don'ts in this area.

MSM:

Chefs at one point in time where considered male domain, do you ever run into this now? If so how do you handle it? If not, why do you think that is?

JM:

Well it is a very male dominated industry still - even as the last great generation of cooks enters retirement there are still more men entering the industry than women. That's a result of a number of factors - the highest of which is mobility. Fact is however, way--way back it was exclusively a female dominated field but the men in the industry took it to the next level - so you must respect them for where we are today. Yet, as the times are changing we're seeing more and more female Executive Chefs who own their own part of the industry - for every Escoffier there is a Julia Child - For every Jamie Kennedy there is a Lynn Crawford. Gone is the Chef who yells and screams and tries to break up any coming cooks that would quickly chase the females out of the commercial kitchens. Yes I know you still see it on TV but any Chef today knows that the way to grow and enhance a person's skills is by guiding them confidently and not berating them until they leave the industry. The screaming that you see going on in Kitchens today is typical of old school - Women have a great deal to do with changing the method of correcting cooks by being often more diplomatic and encouraging than reactionary - but then again I've seen my share of female Chefs lose it in high stress service times. We also have a tendency to stand up to tyrants instead of backing down, holding back tears, and trying to make it through the day. This confidence that we are just as good as our male counterparts is directly related to the role models we have out there now like Lynn Crawford, Monica Pope, Elizabeth Falkner, Susan Feniger and Deborah Reid to name a few.

MSM:

Do you think personal chefs get the same credit as other chefs?

JM:

No. I think a lot of people see Personal Chefs in the light of food-maid, basically because there is still a lack of understanding for what a Personal Chef is and what they can do for the individual household. We're the Nanny-911 in the food industry - it will just take some time for people to understand what impact we actually have on health standards, food safety, and proper eating within the home environment. A Personal Chef is your personal Nutritionist, Meal Planner, Cook, Caterer, and Party Planner - try getting another sort of Chef to do that for you personally and within your budget.

MSM:

What are the major differences in your opinion between your career as a personal chef and that of a chef in a restaurant? Good and Bad

JM:

It takes much longer to become known as a Personal Chef and much more effort in the area of marketing and getting the word out. When you have a restaurant as your base to get your name out there, provided your food and service is top notch, people talk about you more often. On the other hand, a Personal Chef's career can't be killed from one bad review. We don't have the constant headaches of restaurant reviews, critics, and pressure to beat the guy down the street. Location, parking, rent, landlords who don't fix things, big industry equipment - all are not an issue for us because we cook in the client's home and plan around what is available in their kitchen. There's a lot less pressure in many respects.

MSM:

What are your long term plans?

JM:

That's quite a loaded question. I'm working on a cookbook of course that I plan to launch in the next year or so, which I feel will revolutionize meal planning entirely. Beyond that I'm continuing to grow my Personal Chef and Catering business. I'd like to eventually have a nice cafe/bakery/catering company with a sweet homey feel by the water and I plan to teach nutritional cooking at some point.

MSM:

What are you known for? {Signature dish}

JM:

I'm very slanted toward Mediterranean and vegetarian dishes - I have a wonderful Italian Vegetable Stew that is a star in my collection as well as Muscles Marinara and I'm always asked for my Chocolate Mocha Mousse, Vegan Apple Pie, and Vegetarian Lasagnes. As of late my braised Lamb Shank has become quite popular and I have my own unique sauces that I'm quite proud of. My Contadino Patate (Peasant Potatoes) is a previous signature dish that I now share with anyone for the asking - you can get the recipe for it by going to

http://rouxbe.com/recipes/1375-caspacci-contadino-patate-peasant-potatoes/text

and I'm extremely fond of my fresh pastas.

MSM:

Anything else you would like to add?

JM:

Yes. Cook Happy. Food is not a chore - it should be a joy and the joy you put into its preparation is reflected in its appearance and taste. Never enter a kitchen in a bad mood or prepare food while upset and angry - your energy is transferred directly to your final product. Always take the time to breathe, plan, and enjoy the ride through preparing yet another successful meal - and you will succeed. And include your family in the food decisions and preparation - I'd love to see everyone go back to the kitchen and give their children the wonderful childhood experiences of happiness and good times around healthy food.

My online portfolio can be viewed on my Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/jendechef

~Tilly Rivers~

As seen in the June Issue of Main Street Magazine.

Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

To find out how to receive your free copy of MSM check out

www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Dating Again

2010-05-28T05:16:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's been a while since you've dated? It's natural to feel nervous and scared about dating again. Even though things seem foreign to you now, you'll eventually begin to navigate the dating waters like a pro. The first thing is to give yourself space to learn some new dating skills and practice the art of approaching people. Don't expect things to click into place immediately. Learning the proper way to go about finding a relationship will take some time and effort, but that's not a bad thing. Start with asking yourself some tough questions, why are you dating? Do you want a friend for companionship? Sometimes ‘outing’s’ just need someone to share it with. Do you miss the sexual or affectionate side of having a partner? Do you want to just meet new people? Maybe it is all of the above, and maybe more than one partner is required, after all we aren’t always attracted to our ‘friends’ are we?

Step one:

Practice.

It is okay, perfect in fact to practice dating, especially if you have not dated in awhile. Go on as many dates as you can to learn how to date again. Go on- put yourself out there, ask your co-workers to set you up, check out a dating site, and strike up a conversation at a café or the grocery store. Like anything else, practice makes perfect, and if you look at every new date you have as a learning experience, practice, eventually you will hit on a person in whom you want to spend more time with.

Bad dates are good learning opportunities, do not take it personally, there are many reasons why a date was bad, and the bottom line is- you just did not mesh. You will not be for everybody, and everybody will not be for you. You do not want to get too serious about the first person you meet anyway, as nice as it is to curl up on the couch with our blankie and romance movie, life is real, not a Hollywood script.

Falling in love with people too easily is a natural outcome when you're new to dating again, this is where the big caution light comes on- do not confuse loneliness’ with love, and do not settle! .Truly meeting the right person will take time, and you shouldn’t rush it, besides there are lots of benefits to the single life.

When you're thrown in the dating world again it can seem as if you need to hurry and find someone new or your life just won't be complete. But don't sell yourself short by trying to rush something that isn't right. Have fun and be true to you, even if you suspect that you probably won't be with your date forever, appreciate the fact you are having a great new conversation, and meeting different people. Keep it light, you do not have to know everything about the person you are with, nor do they have to know everything about you. Share only what your comfortable with.

When we're back in the dating world, it can seem refreshing to talk about our previous long-term relationship and the possible causes for its failure. Save it for your trusted friends, they will be sure to give you the straight goods anyway, either validating that you aren't to blame for their previous relationship ending, (what you want to hear), or that you screwed up, the truth is usually somewhere in the middle! Dating is about the new; do not drag the past with you!

Now is the time to rediscover yourself, often in a relationship you get use to the way you and your former partner always did things. It's natural for couples to get into a routine when they've been together for a long time. But now that you are back in the dating world you can have fun being flexible. Make a list of all the things ‘you’ wanted to do but didn’t because you compromised in your other relationship and start doing them, with someone or alone.

Dating again can be scary, but it can also be fun, it really is about your attitude!

ALWAYS use caution when meeting a new person, meet them, DO NOT have them pick you up or take you home. Double dates are great if you are uncomfortable and safe, do not give out your personal information, and use common sense!

Next month:

Advice on how to spot if someone is not who or what they seem!

As seen in the May Issue of Main Street Magazine.

Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

For your Free copy of MSM go to www.mainstreetmagazine.net

Main Street "The Blog" Magazine

PLEASE NOTE

Poetic Musings: Collection of Love Poems

QUICK TIPS FEBRUARY

Romantic Ideas for Men

Romantic Ideas for Women:

Quick Tips for Writing Love Letters

All About Sex

A NOVEL IDEA

Fashion Sense

"How to Dress and Flatter Your Inverted Triangle Body Shape.Let's Create More Curves!"

So What Does it Mean to Have an Inverted Triangle Body Shape?

An "Athletic" Body Shape

Best Clothes for Your Inverted Triangle Body Shape

Ancient Mystic

Gizmos & Gadgets

Ancient Mystic

Poetic Musings

kiss - I Was Made For Loving You

Fun and Easy Crafts

10 Affordable ways to De-Stress

Ancient Mystic

Poetic Musings Presents

Budget Travel

ART in ACTION: Interview with Nick Rose

That's The Spirit

Money-Saving Tips from Finance Bloggers

Javier - The Answer is Yes

Legal Beagle

Jewellery Making - How to Use a Beadboard

Footsteps Across the Continent

Bungle Bungles

The Ancient Mystic - The Goddess Selene

Just a Moment......

We have a few helpful tips and some calming distractions in this month’s issue.

In Creative Cuties which is a new article this month we have a few great and easy craft ideas for the little ones, including a Fathers Day Craft.

Gardening is a stress reliever for many, check out our Gardening for Beginners and Attracting Butterflies and Hummingbirds in our new article Country Mouse.

Fashion Sense this month will help not only with getting the perfect Prom dress, but also helping to update your summer wardrobe.

If you are thinking about saving a little money, or you just want to make your own creative and unique accessories for that perfect Prom outfit be sure to check out our Jewellery Making article for great bead boarding tips.

Find out how to get rid of unwanted mosquito’s, and make a great little bird house in our DIY article

Get some great party ideas from the Party Guru, ideas for all ages and interesting reasons to party! This month Lily’s Garden hosts hottie David Duchovny.

Gizmos and Gadgets has great Prom gift ideas.

Karma-Vore reviews a kitchen gadget and gives a great warm weather smoothie recipe for you and the kids.

And as always we have all of your favourite articles to make you smile.

Enjoy the month of June!

~Chris Reynolds~

Hope Floats - Quotes

Fashion Sense - Determining Your Body Shape and Style

Chef of Merit - Personal Chef Jen

Dating Again

"How to Dress and Flatter Your Inverted Triangle Body Shape.
Let's Create More Curves!"