The Water Wheel

When Cynthia Koenig, a young social entrepreneur from New York, learned that millions of girls and women around the world spend hours each day collecting water from distant sources, she decided to create a new way to help people in poor communities transport water and it's called the WaterWheel. Koenig's WaterWheel allows people to roll water in a 50-liter container versus carrying it in 5 gallon (19 liter) jugs. Koenig estimates that the WaterWheel can save women 35 hours per week in water transport time, as well as prevent the physical strain that comes from balancing 40 pounds of water on top of their heads for hours each day.

Every day around the world, over 200 million hours are spent each day fetching water, often from water sources miles from home, and this task usually falls to women and girls. By freeing up valuable time, the WaterWheel allows women to spend time on income-generating activities that can help pull her family out of poverty. The time savings also means that there is a greater likelihood that girls will be allowed to stay in school, further reducing the rate of intergenerational poverty.

After receiving a $100,000 Grand Challenges Canada prize to develop the WaterWheel, Koenig founded a social enterprise company, Wello. The company is in an early stage of development and has been piloting the WaterWheel in rural communities in India. Koenig also plans on continuing to make the WaterWheel itself more useful by adding in filtration, drip irrigation kits, even a cell phone charger that uses the rotation of the wheel to charge the battery of the cell phone and give people more access to essentials like communication and education.

To learn more about this invention and its potential to transform the lives of many girls and women around the world, check out Koenig's TED talk athttp://bit.ly/1gBdpGt and you can read a recent article in The Guardian about her venture at http://bit.ly/1dMt7Mh.

To learn more about how to support her work, visit Wello's website athttp://wellowater.org/

To vote for Wello in The Guardian's poll for top development innovations, visithttp://bit.ly/1dODukU

For a wonderful book about more female innovators and inventors throughout history, check out “Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women” for readers 8 to 13 at http://www.amightygirl.com/girls-think-of-everything

Or, for younger readers age 4 to 9, we highly recommend the newly released fiction book "Rosie Revere, Engineer" about an budding young engineer athttp://www.amightygirl.com/rosie-revere-engineer

To help children and teens better understand the challenges many children around the world face in order to go to school, check out our blog post, "Honoring Malala: Mighty Girl Books on Children's Fight for Education," showcasing our top books for young readers on children's educational access issues athttp://www.amightygirl.com/blog/?p=4057

A Mighty Girl also has a section highlighting stories that feature poverty and hardship as a significant theme. Such stories provide opportunities for parents to discuss these topics with their children while also helping to foster children's empathy for people living in difficult circumstances. Learn more athttp://www.amightygirl.com/books/social-issues/poverty-hardship

Begin each new day with anticipation

and excitement,

as if it is the first day

of the new year.

~m.miller

Written by my beautiful friend the above quote

you can read it on her blog

Delights of the Heart 

link on my sidebar


http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/toronto-using-beet-juice-to-melt-ice-on-city-streets-1.1627195#ixzz2pm9ERxUr

Toronto using beet juice to help with the frozen city streets
the salt just freezes in these temps.

Goodnight stars, goodnight air,

goodnight noises everywhere.”

From the book I used to read to my Son 

and passed that book along to his son

called Good Night Moon

By  Margaret Wise Brown

Goodnight Moon Quotes (showing 1-3 of 3)

“Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere.”
― Margaret Wise Brown, Goodnight Moon

“In the great green room, there was a telephone
And a red balloon
And a picture of a cat jumping over the moon...”
― Margaret Wise Brown, Goodnight Moon

“Goodnight nobody, goodnight mush”
― Margaret Wise Brown, Goodnight Moon

https://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/stories/imagine-if/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fbp201417imagineifgallery&utm_campaign=Content

http://willows95988.typepad.com/photos/soup_recipes_from_tongue_/ladle.html

A few more good recipes


“Friendship, 
like the immortality of the soul, is too good to be believed. 
When friendships are real, they are not glass threads or frost work but the solidest things we know.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Bitter Bitter Cold Outside

Today
I will pray for those affected by the bitter cold…

Please keep warm and safe everyone

From Today's Windsor Star just a reminder to stay indoors.

The coldest Windsor weather in 20 years will freeze the area Tuesday — all thanks to something frightfully frigid called a polar vortex.

Also known as an Arctic cyclone or a circumpolar whirl, the polar vortex essentially means the North Pole is moving in.

“The polar vortex describes a massive pool of cold air that normally swirls around the North Pole but that from time to time comes down south,” Chris Scott, chief meteorologist at The Weather Network, said Monday. “That’s not unusual, but what is unusual this time is that it’s almost like the entire North Pole decided to head south and set up over the American Midwest and southern Ontario.”

Polar Vortex 101

A polar vortex is the large and persistent cyclone swirling counter-clockwise above the north and south poles. At the north pole, the Arctic vortex typically has two centres: near Baffin Island and in Siberia. Polar vortexes strengthen in winter and weaken in summer and are the cause of most of our cold snaps.

Scott said the good news is that the deep freeze won’t stay long — it will be 4 C by Saturday. The bad news is that while the polar vortex remains, threateningly cold temperatures will prevail.

“It’s very dangerous to be outside, especially if you have any exposed skin,” Scott said. “This is about as brutal as it gets.”

The normal high for this time of year is -1 and the normal low is -8. According to Environment Canada, the high Tuesday will be – 19, with a low overnight tonight of -27. That will come close to Windsor’s all-time coldest marks, both set Jan. 19, 1994, when the high was -20.9 and the low was -29.1.

Record cold

The coldest highs and lows ever recorded in Windsor since Environment Canada started keeping records in 1940 came Jan. 19, 1994, when the high was -19 C and the low was -29.1.

“We haven’t seen these temperatures in 20 years,” said Dave Phillips, Environment Canada senior climatologist. “This is prairies cold. This will freeze flesh in five minutes. This is dangerous.”

With wind chill — a combination of temperature and wind, which will blow at 40 km/h, gusting up to 60 — Phillips said the air could feel like -42 at its worst.

“We don’t keep wind chill records but my sense is that -42 wind chill has never occurred before in Windsor,” Phillips said. “These are terrible wind chills.”

Besides the cold and the wind, Windsor has had uncommonly heavy snowfall.

Wind chill info

Wind chill is the perceived temperatures people feel. Though no universal standard exists to calculate it, wind chill is a combination of temperature and wind speed, which causes a loss of heat through convection. Wind can cause frostbite sooner on exposed skin.

Sunday’s snowstorm brought 15 centimetres, hiking the winter total so far to 103. Normally we see 42 centimetres at this point. Last year we had 33. The record through the end of January, set in 2008-09, is 147 centimetres.

“There really has been a lot of snow,” Phillips said. “You have a real winter going on in Windsor.”


"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love, to work, to play, and to look up at the stars." ~Henry Van Dyke

In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back."

Albert Camus, The Stranger

Monday Monday

25 AWESOME TIPS FOR BEAUTIFUL LIFE!!!

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. & while you walk, SMILE.
It is the ultimate antidepressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. When you wake up in the morning, Pray to ask God’s
guidance for your purpose, today.
4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food
that is manufactured in plants.
5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, broccoli, and almonds.
6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
7. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past,
negative thoughts or things you cannot control.
Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a
college kid with a maxed out charge card.
9. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Forgive them for
everything !
11. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
12. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
13. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
14. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what
their journey is all about.
15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will this matter?’
17. Help the needy, Be generous ! Be a ‘Giver’ not a ‘Taker’
18. What other people think of you is none of your business.
19. Time heals everything.
20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
21. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your
friends will. Stay in touch.
22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
23. Each night before you go to bed ,Pray to God and Be thankful
for what you’ll accomplish, today !
24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
25.Share this to everyone on your list to help them lead a happier
life…!!!!

As seen on Facebook

Under Kindness Paid Forward


♪“I have my books
And my poetry to protect me;
I am shielded in my armor,
Hiding in my room, safe within my womb.
I touch no one and no one touches me.
I am a rock,
I am an island.” ~ Paul Simon 

http://www.mommysfabulousfinds.com/2013/10/easy-crock-pot-freezer-meals-2.html

Easy crock pot freezer meals

We were meant to explore this earth like children do... unhindered by fear... propelled by curiosity and a sense of discovery. Allow yourself to see the world through new eyes and know there are amazing adventures here for you. 

TRUE LOVE (A Doctor's note) Must Read!! It was approximately 8.30 a.m. on a busy morning when an elderly gentleman in his eighties arrived to have stitchesremoved from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9.00 a.m. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat. I knew it would take more than an hour before someone would to able to attend to him. I saw him check his watch anxi...ously for the time and decided to evaluate his wound since I was not busy with another patient. On examination, the wound was well healed. Hence, I talked to one of the doctors to get the supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound. We began to engage in a conversation while I was taking care of his wound. I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment later as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no and said that he needed to go to the nursing home to have breakfast with his wife. I inquired about her health. He told me that she had been in the nursing home for a while as she was a victim of Alzheimer's disease. I probed further and asked if she would be upset if he was slightly late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was and she had not been able to recognize him since five years ago. I asked him in surprise, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?" He smiled as he patted my hand and said, "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is." I had to hold back my tears as he left. I had goose bumps on my arm, and I thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life." True love is neither physical nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be. 

My beautiful cousin Wendy and her family

I love you all so very much

May the new Year bless you all with good health, joy and happiness

I don't mean what other people mean when they speak of a home, because I don't regard a home as a...well, as a place, a building...a house...of wood, bricks, stone. I think of a home as being a thing that two people have between them in which each can...well, nest.” 

― Tennessee Williams

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” 

― Edith Sitwell

Teach us to make the most of our time

"Teach us to make the most of our time,

so that we may grow in wisdom"

{Psalm 90-12}

Quote as seen on the beautiful blog

Bluebird Notes

"This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one 

before." ~ 



Maya Angelou




Live more mindfully, write a new chapter in your life, reclaim your wholeness and feel reverence in your heart, for by planting these seeds you will create a beautiful garden that will bear fruit to sustain your soul and nourish your spirit for eternity.

~ Micheal Teal

Count your Blessings

What To Count
=============

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself.

~Author Unknown~


`*.¸.*✻ღϠ₡ღ¸.✻´´¯`✻.¸¸.Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ..
The only difference between a good day 
and a bad day is your attitude. 
~Dennis S. Brown~

¸☆´.•´ .•´✶`*. *.*★v . ✶•´ ☆´,•*´¨★ Ձ๏14 ¸✶.•´¸.•*´✶ ☆´¸.•★´ ¸.✶* ☆★ ╱◥◣ │∩ │◥███◣ ╱◥███◣ ╱◥◣ ◥████◣▓∩▓│∩ │╱◥█◣║∩∩∩ ║◥█▓ ▓█ ๑۩๑๑۩๑๑۩๑๑۩๑๑۩๑๑۩๑๑۩

From our hearts and home to yours May we be blessed with the very best in 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmYZrGYMNBk

Thanks for always putting a song in my heart♥

http://5daysago.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/up-north/

Beautiful photographs of Northern Michigan

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.554797444601797.1073741902.371102426304634&type=3

Recipe for a Happy New Year

"Recipe for a Happy New Year"

Take twelve fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate, cleanse them completely from every clinging spite; pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness;

In short, see that these months are freed from all the past—have them fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time.

Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way) but prepare one day at a time.

Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing— don’t do it), prayer, meditation, and one well-selected resolution.

Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.

~ Unknown 

Let us owl be blessed with the very best in 2014

Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda

*°☆.♪♫ On this January 2, 2014...
.,-,*´`'*°☆“Winter came down to our home one night
/.( ..Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow¸.✫
\ { *.☆*.And we, we were children once again."✫˚¯`☆
`-`☆.¸¸.•´☆all the way to your door” ✫.¸`★

`☆´¸.✫.¸~ ~Bill Morgan, Jr.

Kale chips  a recipe from Allie McBride

ingredients
1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt, for sprinkling
Directions
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes. Serve as finger food.

A Brand New Year a Brand New Beginning

Rabbit Rabbit

and a very Happy New Year 2014

*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•
::: (\_(\...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*
*: (=' :') ::: rabbit rabbit :::
•.. (,('')('')¤...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*
¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•

A new year is beginning to peak through
softly beautiful and different like new falling snow,
each day unique and shaped just for you.
Your life adding something as each day does grow.
My wish for your new year is beauty
and softness with surprises thrown in for delight.
Love for each day bringing happiness to you,
making your life a scene of sparkle and shining sunlight.

~ Author Unknown...Happy New Years 

✻ღϠ₡ღ✻
(¯`✻´¯) 
`*.¸.*✻ღϠ₡ღ

Owl you need is love

Owl love you forever

"Begin each day of the New Year with goodness in your heart, caring in your soul, and peace in your mind. A great year will follow." ~ A.D. Williams


"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety. Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson 

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety. Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson 



Make A Wish!
⁀) ✫ ✫ ✫.
`⋎´✫¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•✫
..✫¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.✫
☻/ღ˚ •。* ♥♥ ˚ ˚✰˚ ˛★* 。 ღ˛° 。* °♥ ˚ • ★ *˚ .ღ 。
/▌*˛˚ ░M░A░K░E░ - ░W░I░S░H░ For the New Year˚ ✰* ★
/ \ ˚. ★ *˛ ˚♥♥* ✰。˚ ˚ღ。* ˛˚ ♥♥ 。✰˚* ˚ ★ღ ˚ 。✰ •* ˚ ♥♥"



"Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, Whispering 'It will be happier'..." (Lord Alfred Tennyson)



Happy New Year 2014 may it bless us with the very best.


(¯`•.•´¯) (¯`•.•´¯)
*`•.¸(¯`•.•´¯)¸.•´ 
¤ ؛° ¤ .`•.¸.•´ ¤ 
Happy New Year 

H appiness depends upon your outlook on life. - Find the good in all situations 
A ttitude is just as important as ability.- Keep your attitude positive
P assion find yours this year! - Do what you love and you will never work 
P ositive thoughts make everything easier.- Stay focused and stay positive 
Y ou are unique, with special gifts, use them. - Never forget you have talent 

N ew beginnings with a new year. 
E nthusiasm a true secret of success. 
W ishes may they turn into goals. 

Y ears go by to quickly, enjoy them.- Wisdom from your elders, listen 
E nergy may you have lots of it. - Take care of yourself 
A ppreciation of life, don't take it for granted. - Live each day 
R elax take the time to relax in this coming year.- Keep a balance in your life 

~Catherine Pulsifer~


•¤❅¤•.•°˚˚°•. From My House To Your House .•°˚˚°•.•¤❅¤•.
˜”*°•♥•°*”˜ To You and Your Family and Friends ˜”*°•♥•°*”˜
.,-,*´`'*°☆ I WISH YOU Happy and Healthy New Year 2014 Our very best ever. ☆ : ❄　°❅ 
/.( 　❄° : ❄ AND A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR!!! ❄　 ° ☆ 
\ {　 ° ★ : .︵ . ❅　 　❄┊ . * ❅● ¸ . 　　° : ❄. • 　❅ 　★ 
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( (　`´︶´¯`︶´`´︶︶´*★ 　^v^　 ┊❅　 °☆ . 　 ☆ :. ☆ 　
　 ) ) 　⦅‖ ͇͇ ͇͇▃▇͇͇͌̿̿⌂͇͇▌..*　★　　☆ . 　 ★ ^v^ 　°　 ┊❅ 　 . ☆
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╱◥◣ ◥████◣▓∩▓∩║
│╱◥█◣║∩∩∩ ║╲◥███╲
││∩│ ▓ ║∏ 田║▓ 田田 ▓ ∩║ ii--ii--ii i--ii--ii—ii⏃☃⏃
☸„„„„„„„„„☸„„„„„„„„„☸„„„„„„„„„☸„„„„„„„„„☸„„„„„„„„☸„„„„„„„„☸
.........................____{.\..*** ../.}
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...............................(( *+* *+* ))
........................ ((_,»*¯*«*»*¯*«, _))
..........((_,»*¯*«*»*¯*«,_)) ((_,»*¯*«*»*¯*«,_))
((_,»*¯*«*»*¯*«,_))(_,»*¯*¯*«,_)((_,»*¯*«*»*¯*«_))
((_,»-✫ •°*”˜❄.•°*”˜•°*”⏃☃⏃”*°•˜”*°•.❄˜”*°• ✫-«_))
((_,»*¯*«*»*¯*«,_))(_,»*¯*¯*«,_)((_,»*¯*«*»*¯*«_))
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.........................((_,»*¯*«*»*¯*«, _))
..............................(( *+* *+* ))
.....................(`'•.¸(` '•. ¸* ¸.•'´)¸.•'´)..
...................« †GOD bless you always †.¸»
.................. (¸. •'´(¸.•'´ † * † `'•.¸)`'•.¸ )

"Another fresh new year is here . . .

Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!" ~William Arthur Ward
I surely hope they lighten up on the booms tonight.
I wish for a Peace filled 2014

"And now we welcome the new year,
full of things that have never been..."~ Rainer Maria Rilke


¯`•.•´¯)
.……… .• . • . •°•.*.•°• . • . • .
..…(¯`•.¸.•°*°•. ✿ .•°*°•.¸.•´¯)
..•°•.•*~*.✿... happy .. ✿.*~*.•°•.•
.......………(¯`* new year *´¯)
……•. • . •° ••°• •°•.º.•°••°• . • . • .
………………....° º ✿ º °
…………………...(¸.•´¯)
…………………... .¸.•´
…………………....(.*