> “The most intelligent men, like the strongest, find their happiness where others would find only disaster: in the labyrinth, in being hard with themselves and with others, in effort; their delight is in self-mastery; in them asceticism becomes second nature, a necessity, an instinct. They regard a difficult task as a privilege; it is to them a recreation to play with burdens that would crush all others.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche Did you know that it takes 30 days to form a new habit? The first fe

It's okay to get a little help from your friends when life gets hard. Look to these 50 best inspirational quotes that will get you motivated to think, do, and live your best life.

The current lot of 20-something CEOs are ruining it for people like us who are facing a mid-life crisis. This infographic gets back at those young pricks

I hope, this is part of my future too!

Haunting photographs document the scene in the bunker beneath Berlin where Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun were married -- and where they died.

CEOs occupy an outsize role in the technology sector.

Old Wind has a very jolly face in this image. “Adventures in Storyland, A Second Reader” by Frances Lilian Taylor. Published by Beckley-Cardy Co. of Chicago, 1930. Illustrated by Clara Atwood Fitts.

I won't pretend to be a comic book connoisseur. My brother and I collected Tintin books for our father to read to us before bedtime and well, that's about as far as it went for my foray into the graphic arts world. But now I'm wondering, if I had spent a little more time at the comic book store as a

Second grade is first in our hearts.

How to Make a Good First Impression at a Job Interview

It's time for you to throw your old dictionary away because this one's going to tell you everything that you need to know. https://www.instagram.com/p/BQqF0KmlN

Heinrich Hoffman's 1845 Struwwelpeter might be classic German children's book, but it's not the kind of book you'd want to get anywhere near your own lovely little ones. That's because it's filled with horrific nightmares and gory tales of terror. In the tale above for example, "The Story of Little Suck-a-Thumb" informs tots that A.) a vengeful tailor will lop off your appendages with hedge trimmers; and B.) your parents will shrug nonchalantly when it happens. Read the rest of the scary stories at the...

Growing Old Together quotes about love

This Summer has been crazy. . .Seems there's been something popping up every day to keep me from my blogging. . .I wanted to reveal the final touches on the bedroom next but can't seem to find a day when the sun is shining for some good photos. . .So I decided to go ahead with the FARMHOUSE BATH instead. As I've noted many times before, our home was built by my Grandfather Magers ca. 1930 for his first FARM MANAGER. . .He had bought the 600+ acres that year from the Widners. . .It would be the fourth farm operation that he owned. . .He immediately started building barns, houses, a farm shop and other buildings necessary for the FARM COMPLEX . . . The manager's bungalow was fairly large for that time and more comfortable than the tenant houses. . .Yet, from the 1930s to the 1960s there was no bathroom indoors. . .An outhouse served the need for a potty. . .the #3 washtub in the KITCHEN worked for Saturday night baths. . . Sometime in the 60s, the bathroom came indoors. . .almost. . .It was actually on the back porch, which had been enclosed. . .A room was built on one side of it for the bath. . .with all the conveniences. . .This was "HIGH COTTON". . . I've already shown you how we took down those walls at BEFORE & AFTER SERIES: The Farmhouse Keeping Room. . .At that point we were right back in the 1930s--no indoor bathroom. . .but not for long. . . I had dreamed of a bathroom as big as a bedroom for years--place to lay back in the tub and relax--place that was open and inviting. . .So that was what I did. . .I took one of the three bedrooms for all of our necessaries. . .No jacuzzi, though. . .This bath had to be VINTAGE FARMHOUSE. . . We stripped the sheetrock off three of the four walls. . .It was so badly damaged. . .As we stripped it clean, we found the original cypress walls. . .What a great FARMHOUSE look!! . . .A coat of paint would do. . . Dental molding was added to hide the huge gap between the wall and the ceiling. . .I did something totally out of the box on that ceiling. . .I decided I'd like to lay back in the tub and watch the clouds. . .The ceiling was painted a Sky Blue and I came right behind and painted the clouds. . .Adding a touch of elegance with the chandelier. . . A closet was built along one side of the room for the washer and dryer. . .They hide behind Southern style shutter doors. . . On that same wall our shower is located. . .John is particularly proud of that shower. . .It was the first tile work he'd ever done. . . Have you noticed that we find John in this position a lot? (grin) All kidding aside, I think he did a SUPER JOB. . . Perhaps it was John's Little Helper that kept him inspired? To cover holes in the fourth sheetrock wall, we added bead board and painted it the same soft blue. . .It added interesting texture to a plain wall and kept with the FARMHOUSE THEME. . .I picked up the architectural piece on a curbside. . .Someone had discarded it for garbage pick-up. . .John added the shelf top from an old piece of cypress found in the barn. . . A dresser was fitted with the sink. . .No telling how many coats of paint I put on it before I found the combination I wanted. . .I'd paint a little. . .then sand a little. . .then paint more. . .sand more. . .Took weeks until I was satisfied. . . Then I decoupaged a 1938 page from my Granddaddy's calendar. . .You can't see it in the photos but he had made a note: 'Irene's birthday' on August 6. . .That was my Mom. . .She would turn 11 that year. . .One of his envelopes was decoupaged above it. . . The first thing people notice when they walk in is the cast-iron tub. . .It's a beauty---now. . .A friend found this tub buried in the ground and planted with flowers. . .It had to be dug up, cleaned, and resurfaced. . .another of those 'John tasks'. . .He did an amazing job in restoring it. . .The date on the bottom is December 24, 1925. . .A piece of whitewashed cypress barn wood from the Simmons Plantation holds needed items while bathing. . . More shutters at the windows allow loads of sunlight in, as you can see. . .My ladies came from the bedroom to the bath some time ago. . .They seem to fit well. . .changing clothing with the seasons. . .I must say that I like this look the best. . .denim and lace. . .tying in the living room denim accents. . .The lady on the right is MISS MAMIE. . .the one on the left is MISS ALICE. . .Having such a large room gives me many opportunities for utilizing larger pieces such as these. . . Our FARMHOUSE BATH has gone through many changes as I experimented with the look I liked the most. . .Also had to add the layers as I found them. . .I thought it would be fun to look back over a few previous years. . . Let's begin with the oldest first, so you can see how the room evolved. . . I learned many lessons and developed my Plain and Simple Style over the years. . .It's been GOOD. . We only have one more room to explore at this time. . .There are others but they are not finished and certainly no inspiration to anyone. . .As with the rest of the house, I have many ideas. . .only need the time and energy to do them. . .Still to come, though, is one of the bedrooms. . .The one I'll let you see. . .The others are 'beauty in the making'. . .Til then. . .(Don't miss the added note below) NOTE: We're in a documentary on AETN, the local PBS Station!!!! It's entitled BACK ROAD BARNS. . .There's an interview with John and me, along with shots of our barns and grounds. We are one of several properties showcased--all amazing. It first aired last night (August 25) at 6:30, but it will be shown several times. Check your TV Guide for the details or go to aetn.org for a full schedule. See you there!

Henrietta Vernon was born in the most fortunate of circumstances. Not only was she an aristocrat (grand-daughter of the famous politician Thomas Wentworth) but she was a noted beauty. Therefore, it may come as no surprise that she was married very early in life. She met her future husband in one of the most cinematically romantic of ways, during a rainstorm. Richard Grosvenor, the 1st Baron Grovesnor captured the young girl's fancy despite the 14 year age gap between them. They married within a month of their initial meeting, in 1764. Henrietta soon realized that her hast in marrying Richard had been a huge mistake. He was a huge gambler, even by 18th century standards. We're talking £250,000 in one night (more than a million today)! When he wasn't gaming away the couple's money he was out whoring in every brothel in London. Yuck! Imagine the diseases he brought back to his young bride. It was not long before Henrietta admitted to feeling "ill used." Do you blame her eye for wandering? Henrietta's attention fell on the King's brother, Henry Duke of Cumberland who just happened to be the same age as her. Henry himself, already had a rebellious history, it was rumoured that he had married a commoner, Olivia Wilmot and there was to be more commoner marriages in his future as well. Henry was young and royalty; there was a dangerous appeal to having an affair with him. The couple would meet in secret in inns around the country. One time, while they were out at a friend's house in Cavendish Square Henrietta asked for a private meeting with the Duke to talk about her brother in the dining room. They were excused but after a half hour, the friend decided there had been enough talking and went in to interrupt. She found Henry on top of Lady Grosvenor, "with her petticoats up" on her couch. There is nothing I hate more than rude house guests! A crim con trial was soon underway. As with just about every other crim con trial, this was the talk of the town, especially since it involved royalty. Henrietta, was outraged at her husband's hypocracy. She slept with one man and was to be damned for all time while her husband constantly frequented brothels. She went to bawdy houses in search of witnesses to testify upon Richard's many infidelities. But this was not to aid her defense. Henrietta and Henry's dirty letters to each other was enough to award Richard damages of £10,000. After a mere seven years of marriage, Henrietta and Richard were seperated in 1771. Now Henrietta was an outcast with a mean £1,200 allowance. But rather than wallow in the sorrow of her situation she made the best of it, and became friends with other social outcasts. Soon she was seen at the Pantheon arm in arm with Lady Worsley. The papers would follow her, in hopes of catching her in a scandalous act with a rake. Once they reported that she showed up to the opera with a different man every night. Well, can you blame her? With such a small allowance, Henrietta needed rich men to support her elegant lifestyle. In 1802 Richard finally kicked the bucket. Relieving Henrietta of her marriage limbo. A month later Henrietta was no longer Lady Grosvenor. She married Lt.-Gen. George de Hochepied, 6th Baron de Hochepied and retired to a quiet life with him until her death in 1828. Her second husband followed, two months later.

“Not even Snape could Severus apart.”