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Sunday, July 5, 2015

The Virtue of Tolerance: Making an Effort with Empathy, Kindness, Goodness, and Grace

Getting Better, with Tolerance.

A personal saying, 'Kindness breeds Tolerance' ...Tolerance requires an accepting mind and a willing participant. It's not a spectator's virtue. To see life from another person's perspective suggests that we are attempting to live outside of ourselves, to mentally travel the journey of another soul.

This world is our home, we all live here, and we all deserve the best from each other.

Below you'll find a few of my works on Tolerance, Perspective, & Self Awareness.

I hope all your flowers grow

TOLERANCE

Hold my hand

then judge me

Or better

Feel my sameness,

Look me in the eye

then tell me I don't matter

Or better

See I am you,

Sit at my dinner table

Sharing food and conversation

then tell me I'm not worthy

Or better

Understand my hunger is like yours,

Take a walk with me

then hate where I live

Or better

Understand my plight,

Watch my children play

and tell me they are expendable

Or better

Love them as your own,

As I hold your hand

Look in your eyes

Eat at your table

Walk with you

Understand your plight

And watch your children play

I know I want to be better too

by Barbara Tremblay Cipak

SELF AWARENESS

I can't judge you

I'm too busy judging myself

I can't hate you

I'm too busy learning about myself

I can't envy you

I'm too busy competing with myself

I can't expect anything from you

I'm too busy expecting the best from myself

I can love you

By loving myself

by Barbara Tremblay Cipak, Copyright

PERSPECTIVE

From Your Perspective
What do you want me to know about you
I'm interested in your life
You're journey is my teacher
I'm wrong about so much
How can I make your day better
Show me what I can do
I am a willing spirit
by Barbara Tremblay Cipak

COMPASSION

Youtube Channel - DragedaPoemsLyrics

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Friday, July 3, 2015

Sense and Sensibility Movie Review

I suspect we all have movies that we "go to" when we simply want to unwind. A movie that we know we can trust to sooth our nerves while entertaining us time and time again. Sense and Sensibility is one of my "go to" movies. For a first time viewer, it may have some fairly stressful events and drama, but for me, it is an old comforting friend. You see, I know the way it all ends!

The actors in Sense and Sensibility are so well suited to their parts that I often forget they are actors and do appear in other movies. In my mind, Emma Thompson will always be the sensible Elinor. Kate Winslet will always be the sensitive Marianne and Alan Rickman will forever be that dashing and stable Colonel Brandon, not Snape in Harry Potter. As a matter of fact, he plays those two parts so well and claims them so completely, one would think he was two different people.

As for Hugh Grant, his youthful good looks and his ability to appear somewhat shy and naive, make him the perfect Edward Ferrars.

I should note, I do know there are other versions of this movie, but this is the version I prefer and these are the actors I identify in their respective parts.

Sense and Sensibility: The Plot


By C. E. Brock via Wikimedia Commons

The movie Sense and Sensibility is based on the book (same title) by Jane Austen. It takes place in the very late 1700's. In a time when women were most often completely dependent upon their male relations. In the case of the Dashwood family, the entire Dashwood estate was willed to one single male heir, John Dashwood, who was the son of Henry Dashwood and his first wife. It is important to note here that even the current Mrs. Dashwood did not inherit anything and was dependent upon the benevolence of John Dashwood or other relatives.

After the death of Henry Dashwood, the Dashwood women all became the responsibility of their half-brother, John who was easy manipulated by his selfish wife, Fanny. The three Dashwood sisters and their mother are forced to move out of their home of luxury and wealth and into a small cottage owned by a distant relative, Sir John Middleton.

The story is not only about their struggles to survive, but also the various romances of the young women. Unfortunately, their reduced economic circumstances made them no longer desirable alliances by the wealthier families, which made them less likely to marry back into the wealth of which they were born.

There are broken hearts, shattered dreams, unexpected alliances and kindness, but there is also love. The kind of love that hopes all things and endures all things. For the forever hopeless romantic, this movie is an absolute must!

Trailers and Scenes from Sense and Sensibility

There are many remarkable, quotable scenes in Sense and Sensibility, but none quite so palpable as the moment when Colonel Brandon says "give me an occupation, Miss Dashwood, or I shall run mad". His concern for the gravely ill Marianne, his stress and his need to do something, touch every heart in this unforgettable moment.

This was the only video I could find with the quote focus.

Conclusion

If you enjoy the works of Jane Austin, historical romance or simply romance, I have no doubt you will enjoy this awesome movie. If it is your first time to see Sense and Sensibility, I recommend you have your Kleenex close by.

Sense & Sensibility (Special Edition)Check Price

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Thursday, July 2, 2015

Small Rival Rice Cooker Review

This small Rival rice cooker with steamer basket is the perfect size for our small family. Here's my review.

What's red, resembles a donation kettle at Christmas-time, and cooks rice without muss or fuss? It's one of my favorite kitchen appliances, the RC61, 6-cup small Rival rice cooker and steamer, the perfect rice cooker for a family of two or three.

What To Love About a Rice Cooker

You'll love the steamer basket that comes with this handy 6-cup rice cooker.

I've owned this cute kitchen appliance for five years now and use it faithfully and frequently. In fact, since I got it I haven't prepared rice any other way. It's great for any kind of rice that I've tried (my favorites are jasmine and good-for-you brown rice) and makes plenty for our family of two plus a couple servings more, up to six cups total.

Two things I especially love about this rice cooker:

1. It has a steamer basket (as shown in the picture above). I'll often add fresh broccoli, green beans, or asparagus while the rice cooks, preparing two parts of the meal in the same space as one, just a little taller!

2. It's so easy to clean! The pot part of the cooker has a non-stick finish and requires little more than a good soapy swish and rinse after the meal's over.

Tips for Using a Small Rice Cooker

Rice cooker instructions can be confusing. With that in mind, here are two more things to know before you buy:

1. Measuring the rice and the water. Don't confuse the rice measuring cup that comes with the cooker with a regular, 1-cup measuring cup. When the included instructions and cookbook refer to "cups," they always mean the rice cup, which actually holds less than a measured cup. The first time you use the rice pot, use 1 rice-cup of rice and add liquid (I like to mix chicken broth and water) to the "1" mark on the inside of the pot. Cook as directed (i.e. put on the lid, plug it in, and move the selector to "Cook") and you'll see how much cooked rice you'll get. Usually, that amount will be enough for a side dish of rice for two people.

2. Will this size be big enough? If you usually cook for more than two or three people, it's likely that you'll want to choose the next size up. However, I'm surprised how inexpensive these convenient gadgets are, so having one small (like this) and one large-capacity version on hand isn't a bad idea at all since they really take up very little storage space. When we have the extended family present, a large rice cooker would occasionally come in very handy.

Another benefit of this appliance (that I'd almost call a requirement in anyone's kitchen) is the price. At around $2, it's super-affordable and makes a very nice wedding or shower gift. While you’re at it, pick up or order two, one for the gift recipient and one for yourself.

Where to Buy the Rival RC61 Rice Cooker

Can you tell I like my little red Rival rice cooker? If you and your family enjoy healthy meals that include rice, I think you'll like it, too. Here’s the link to find the Rival RC61 on eBay and here it is at Amazon.com.

P.S. Here's a tasty tip. Use your rice cooker to make rice pilaf. Simply add chopped, sauteed vegetables (celery, onions, carrots) to the rice and water/chicken stock before cooking for an easy, flavorful, dressed-up side dish.

Rice pilaf made in my small Rival rice cooker
makes an easy but special side dish.

-- Susan Deppner

About the author

Food photos property of the author

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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Tuesday, June 30, 2015

My Nose Has Always Been in a Book

I Began to Read at an Early Age

This is me.

My parents say I taught myself to read when I was three years old, and I still remember the exact book that helped me learn – I See a Kitty. It had large print, few words, several full-page photos of a kitten doing interesting things, and a very uncomplicated plot. My mother read it to me until I had it memorized, and I would still be able recite it to you if you could stand it. Memorized or not, though, I was able to recognize those words in other books my mom read, and I'd ask my dad about the letters in the headlines of the paper he was reading. By the time I hit first grade, the teacher didn't know what to do with me. I and another girl in my class who coincidentally had the same first and last name as I, got to sit in a corner of the classroom and read books while the teacher taught the rest of the class to read.

Since those days I've continued to love kitties and books. I currently don't own a cat, but I own way too many books. I've been collecting them all my life. My first job after high school was in a library. My major in college was English. I taught English at the high school level for two years after that. I quit with the hope of starting a family, but that didn't happen, so I started working in a Christian bookstore. At both the library, where I could check out all the books my heart desired, and at the bookstore, where I could borrow all the books I wanted to read, I had access to as many books as I needed. My bookstore discount helped me stock my home library. Is it any wonder they have made me the Book Contributor here on Review This?

Living with Books and Selling Them

My book collecting didn't end there, though. As a teacher and later, a homeschooling mom after we adopted our two children, I continued to buy and read books. After our daughter moved out and our son was killed in a jet ski accident, I made a hasty decision to become a home school book vendor. That meant I exhibited my books at conventions all over the country between 1992 and 1996, as Barb's People Builders. We had to stop the exhibiting and California book fairs at private schools after that because my husband had worn out both hips. So I took the business online.

Part of History Display at Bookfair

I decided it was time to retire from e-commerce at the end of May 2015 because several surgeries in 2014 made me deactivate my site while I recovered and the site itself became obsolete as far as Google was concerned. I was also not physically able any longer to ship large purchase orders. So after twenty years of selling inventory, I just stopped. I still love books, but now I am a real life book contributor. I'm donating as much inventory as I can to worthy nonprofit organizations. I'm concentrating more now on writing and building more web sites.

I now have more time to read and review books. I have started converting my Barb's People Builders website into a review and affiliate selling site, Books to Remember so that I can promote the books I love whether I own them or not, though I still do own most of them. Most of the books I review there are for children or educators. I review most books for adults here on Review This Reviews!

I Finally Discovered a Way to Share My Writing

I have been writing since I was a child, but at first I only shared it with family and friends, mostly in long letters. I was still selling books when I discovered Squidoo became a lensmaster in 2009. By the end of that year I had become a Giant Squid, and still wear my Squidoo T-shirts I was given when I became a Giant Squid. In fact, I'm wearing one right now. Unfortunately, Squidoo died in 2014, but I had already begun writing for other sites and starting my own blogs. Much of what I wrote for Squidoo has been transferred to a new HubPages account.

Here are the other places you can find me on the internet.

Facebook Page: Focus on San Luis Obispo County

Zazzle: Barb's California Card and Gift Gallery

Zazzle: California Wine Country Memories and Gifts

The Writing Life of Barbara Radisavljevic

Paso Robles Daily Photos Blog
Barb's Garden Observations

Books to Remember

HubPages (original account)

Medium

Wizzley

Of course, there's more to life than reading and writing. I have a garden or two, and I concentrate on herbs and drought-resistant plants. I enjoy keeping up with my local art scene, and I love to take pictures of all our local scenery and activities. When I have time I like to cook and bake. I just don't have time very much anymore.

Cicero - If you have a garden and library.. Postcard

Jane Austen Book Well Written Quote Pillow

Not too many books, Not enough shelves! Buttons

Book and Chocolate Lover's Mug

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Monday, June 29, 2015

Creative Storage Solutions for Small Laundry Rooms Using Laundry Sorting Bins & Other Functional Ideas

Do you need help finding ways to utilize your home's space efficiently? Whether it's a laundry sorting bin or laundry baskets, they both have to be positioned to organize a small space for their highest and best use

For as long as I can remember, I've had to learn how to make small spaces efficient. Most homes I've lived in over the years have had a small laundry room. In fact, my current home has an 'efficient' laundry room; featured here are photos so you can see exactly how I've had to deal with that very compact part of the house.

If you have a small laundry room, using a laundry sort is imperative.

You just can't afford to heap and pile clothes on the floor when floor area is a commodity.

My Laundry Room Storage Solution

We have this exact problem and have solved it by strategically positioning two laundry sorting bins in the space.

The two bins give us five sorting areas. When we bring a basket to the laundry room, we simply sort it immediately into those five slots; that way, nothing is left piled on the floor to trip over and crowd the room. We put the loads of wash in from those bins.

Remember to measure the width of the space you have to work with. We had limited space, so I had to ensure the laundry sorting bins would be wide enough. We used a two-sort bin in one space and a three-sort bin in another.

Your Laundry Room is Small; use the Walls.

When you can't spread out horizontally, go vertical. You'll notice what I did in the two photos of my own laundry room. Since the space is small, I wanted to avoid cupboards on the wall, which would close the space even more.

The Other Side of My Small Laundry Room

What we did do was put Ikea shelves and an Ikea sorting shelf bin on the wall. The Ikea Shelf Bin was from the kid's storage area in Ikea.

By putting shelves on the wall, I can put my empty baskets there, and as the laundry is pulled out of the dryer, I can fold it and then place it directly in an open basket so it can make its way upstairs. Then, once emptied, the baskets go back on the shelf.

Also, I needed a spot to put hang-to-dry clothes: put a storage bracket over the laundry sink to do this.

It serves a dual purpose; it's a wire hanging rack/shelf enabling us to hang things from the rungs underneath and store items on top of the shelf if needed. Plus, with it being an open-wire-rack, it doesn't close the space.

Our laundry room is tiny, so if I can do it, you can do it! In fact, I'm such a fan of maximizing small spaces I have a Pinterest Board that focuses solely on that called 'Creative Storage Solutions':

Follow Barbara Tremblay Cipak's board, Creative Storage Solutions, on Pinterest.

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Saturday, June 27, 2015

Reviewing Babies and Pushbutton Toys

Review of the Fisher-Price Boppin' Activity Bugs Toy

Tyler on his first birthday

I recently spent ten delightful days visiting my youngest grandson who was celebrating his first birthday. Since it has been over 40 years since my children were babies, I'd forgotten how appealing toys with buttons to push are for tiny tots.

Tyler, like most babies, loves to push and pull, wiggle and turn (and bang on) his toys. And toys with bright colors and fun sounds are especially appealing.

Fisher-Price Pop-Up Toy

One of the birthday gifts Tyler received is the Brilliant Basics Boppin' Activity Bugs pop-up toy by Fisher-Price. It has all the features babies like best ~ bright colors, sounds, and things that move ~ all baby-powered (no batteries required)!

Fisher-Price Activity Bugs Push Button Toy

Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Boppin' Activity Bugs

This pop-up toy has four colorful 'bugs' which wobble around when baby bats at them. Then they can be pushed down where they lock in place. Next there is a row of four actions to get the 'bugs' to pop back up – a slide, a pull switch, a toggle knob and a turn knob. A good learning activity that helps baby develop motor skills. A toy especially designed for babies and toddlers in the 6 months to 3 year range.

Happy Birthday, Tyler


Baby Tyler and Big Brother David

Tyler, and his big brother David, really enjoy playing with this Fisher-Price activity toy. And 'grandma' very much enjoyed being at their house for this special one-year-old birthday celebration!

Fisher-Price Pop-Up Bugs Toy available on Amazon

Other Fisher-Price Toy Reviews:

For more toy reviews, check out

ReviewThisReviews Toy Reviews

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Friday, June 26, 2015

Mad Max: Fury Road Movie Review

Occasionally we all go to movies we didn't select ourselves just to be with the people we love. On very rare times, we are surprised and end up really enjoying the show. Thus was the case for me with Mad Max: Fury Road.

This past Father's Day, our son gave his father an afternoon at the movies with hot dogs and coke slushies included. I was thrilled to be included in the boy's day out when our son informed us that he had purchased 3 tickets. I was still sitting in my gown when my husband opened his present and discovered the movie tickets. Tickets to a show that started 35 minutes later. I jumped from behind my computer, threw on some clothes, combed my hair and we all made a mad dash to Mad Max.

Both of the men expected to enjoy the movie, but I think we were all astonished that I really liked the show too. It was a fast action film with wicked cars, lots of bombing and blowing up things, and really ugly men that seemed to enjoy killing each other. Decidedly not my kind of movie. However, with the beautiful Charlize Theron cast as the leading lady, Furiosa, and a touch of romance I was perfectly content and properly entertained. I might add, I always appreciate a rebel who fights for a worthy cause.

Mad Max: Fury RoadCheck Price

The Plot Of Mad Max: Fury Road

In an attempt to free the captive wives of the tyrannical leader of Citadel, the town where they all "serve", Furiosa hides the 5 wives in her armored truck on a routine fuel run. Her crew easily accepts that she is on a different mission when she breaks from the caravan and they don't really question her actions.

It doesn't take long for the Citadel leader to observe from his high "castle" that she has gone off the route. He somehow thinks to check on his wives in their large vaulted cage and finds that they are missing. He immediately gathers warriors and leads an attack on the wayward Furiosa and her group.

Max, who is also a captive for the purpose of being a universal blood donor, is literally forced to go in pursuit of Furiosa. He is chained to the front of one of the warriors cars as he is simultaneously giving that warrior a blood transfusion.

It is on this road of escape that all of the wrecking, fighting, bombing, killing and action take place. It was actually pretty cool to see how Max was able to break free and subsequently join and aid Furiosa and the wives in their battle against Joe, the tyrannical leader.

I have now given you the basic plot. You will have to go see the movie yourself to find out how they enlist the aid of some old grannies on motorcycles, which characters survive, and where they end up going.

There really is plenty in this movie to entertain anyone. I have no doubt others will like Mad Max himself, but for me, I liked the capable, spirited women in the movie.

The Video Trailer of Mad Max: Fury Road

The Many Faces of Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron really is an amazing actress. Not only is she beautiful with or without hair, but she captivates an audience regardless of the part she is playing. From an emotionally charged drama, to playing the part of the evil queen in Snow White and the Huntsman, to the rebel with a cause in Mad Max: Fury Road, she is truly fabulous and equally believable in either character part.

Burning Plain: Charlize Theron as Sylvia (top photo)Check Price Snow White and the Huntsman Limited Collectible Character Edition Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy / Ultraviolet / Collectible Book: Charlize Theron as Queen Ravenna on coverCheck Price Mad Max: Fury Road - Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD +UltraViolet Preorder - Charlize Theron as FuriosaCheck Price

Note to My Son and Husband
Thanks for including me in your boy's day out! It was a lot of fun watching Mad Max: Fury Road, eating hot dogs and drinking a coke slushie with you guys. I am also thinking it was quite wise on my son's part that he didn't take his dad to see Charlize Theron without me!

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Thursday, June 25, 2015

Review of Garden Photography Tips

Garden photography can be a very rewarding hobby and one that can be practiced in your own backyard or in many public gardens. I decided that it was time for me hone my skills in photography so I signed up for a 5 week course in Garden Photography. This class is held at Missouri Botanical Garden during the month of May, so in addition to learning some new photography skills, I got to spend a lot of time at one of my favorite public gardens.

Missouri Botanical Garden was founded in 1859 and is the nations oldest continuously operating garden. I feel fortunate that this beautiful garden is only 45 minutes from my home.

Garden Photography Class

Class One

The first photography class covered a review of the basics including use of aperture, shutter speed and ISO. The instructor spent a good amount of time talking about composition and gave us lots of tips that he found helpful in his photography. Here are a few of the tips that I found particularly useful.

Take the safe shot first and then fine tune.
Slow down...take your time (this is one area where I need to listen).
Find a subject that you want to photograph and then keep fine tuning to find the best shot.
Get eye level with what you are photographing
The higher the number of the f-stop (aperture) the smaller the opening and more of the photograph is in focus.
Try using the Aperture mode on the camera where I set the f-stop and the shutter speed is set automatically. This is particularly good for still shots.
Use a tripod most of the time---buy a good tripod. Use especially for closeups and low light conditions but it is good to use it most of the time. ( I really need to work on this one)
Turn off camera to change lenses.
Don't delete in the camera
Work on getting closer and filling frame with subject.

After some time in the classroom we went out into the garden. The irises were in full bloom so we went to that section to work on our photography. It was a sunny day and there was a wind so it was not the best time to be shooting the irises. The instructor gave us several tips while we were shooting to help us get some good shots in that light. He steered us toward the edges of the beds were there was some shade and we could get some photos without the bright sunlight. He also suggested that when we shot in the sun we should look for brightly colored flowers because the pastels would complete fade out in the bright light.

Here is one of the photos that I took. I know I have a lot to work on, but I felt very good about what I learned in the first session.

Purple and White Iris

Landscape Photography - class 2

Our second class was on landscape photography. It was a overcast day so we also got a lot of tips on photographing on overcast days. We were out in the garden about 30 minutes and it started to rain so we headed back to the classroom. Scott, the instructor is great on turning everything into a learning experience so we then got a lot of good tips for shooting on rainy days.

During the short time we were out in the garden shooting I took the photo of the waterfall above using Scott's formula for making the water look "silky". The photo I shot was using a F18 aperture at 1/8th of a second. Here is the formula:

Cloudy Day
ISO100
Tripod (a must)
Polarizer filter (I don't have one yet...so I didn't use this)
Aperture set between F16-F22

Here are some of my favorite tips from the Landscape Class.

Move things out of center...imagine a grid like a tic-tac-toe and place center of interest at one of the intersections.
Rarely put horizon line in center of photo (reflections are an exception)
On dreary day eliminate sky from picture (or minimize it if you can't eliminate)
Frame your photo...use trees--leaves etc. to frame the picture and draw your eyes into the scene
Curved lines bring interest to photo
Avoid bright spots near the edges..they draw you out of picture
Most images fail because they are too busy and do not have a point of focus
Use more vertical shots
Layers give more depth i.e. flowers in foreground, lake, mountain, sky ...use wide angle 17-35 and get close to foreground
For landscapes focus about 1/3 of the way into the photo and use a F16 aperture.
Polarizer filter is great for fall shots.

Practicing Photographic Techniques

Class 3

For our third class we spent most of the morning in the garden practicing the techniques we have been learning in class. There were two instructors that went out with us and gave us a lot of personal tutoring. I really enjoyed being able to ask questions as I was photographing. We first went to the Iris garden and worked more on closeup photography. The instructor had some diffusers with him and showed us how they work to bring light into a subject. One of the tips that really hit home with me was to always look at what is in the background even though you are taking a closeup of a certain item. In the case of the irises I saw what a difference it made when I moved just a bit to make sure I had a darker background.

Session 4

In our fourth class we studied both water photography and close up photography.

For the first section we took our cameras and tripods and went into the woodland gardens. There was bright sunlight so in order to understand the effects of aperture and speed on our photos we needed to get out of the bright sunlight. In the woodlands we found a small stream running through the area with many small waterfalls as the water went over the rocks. We took the same scene using various apertures and speeds. Although the lighting was not the best we were able to get a good idea of how the different settings would effect the photo. I am anxious to go out again on a overcast day or in the early morning and take the same photos in a better light.

Garden Photography - class 5

When the last day of class came I was really sad to see it end. I enjoyed the people in the class and I feel that I really learned a lot. The instructor was great and I will definitely take one of his classes again. It turned out to be a very hot and sunny day, not really a good day to photograph. Like all of our classes the instructor used the weather circumstances to give us tips. He talked about the summer not really being the best time to photograph. Early morning and at dusk are the best times all year, but this is particularly true in the summer months. He suggested that you use mid day to work on your photos or to go to museums and view other photographers. There is so much to be learned but viewing the works of others.

Here are some of the tips that I took away from todays session.

Light will tell you what to photograph and how to photograph.
Polarizer works well on sunny days.
Tips to photograph fireworks--bulb setting--ISO 400--Aperture F11-F16 Tripod is a must.
You need to know the rules..but don't be afraid to go outside the box and break the rules.
Try to photograph underneath flowers...get on the ground
Wearing a hat forces you to look down..also great to take off and block sun from lens.

In the last class we visited the Chinese garden to photograph. The instructor took a few minutes with each of us individually and answered any questions we had. I had just gotten a new polarizing filter so he gave me hints on how to best use it. It works best when sun is coming in from the side. It mades skies and clouds pop. It is great for landscapes but not so good for water reflections. After my time with the instructor I was working on photographing a small waterfall. Someone said there was a statue of frog sitting on a rock at the bottom of the falls, but just when I was going to take the shot he jumped off into the water. For a second I was disappointed, but then he came up with a crawdad and I captured the photo above. Not a great shot, but a fun one and we all had a laugh about the "statue" catching the crawdad.