Cleopatra's Milk Bath

So make like an Egyptian.

Any spa experience isn't complete without a luxurious bath. A soothing soak in the tub can calm nerves and relax the muscles or serve as a wake up call and get the energy flowing. Baths come in many varieties.

Legend has it that Cleopatra bathed in ass's milk so her skin remained incredibly smooth and soft. I haven't seen any asses around lately, the four footed hoofed kind that is so here's an alternative recipe. You will need several springs of fresh rosemary, thyme and mint. You can use dried herbs if fresh aren't available. Use at least two tablespoons of each of the dried herbs. Combine with the peel of one orange and one lemon. Add these ingredients to 2 cups of water, bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid.

Add the herb citrus mixture to the bath water and at least one cup of dry powdered milk as the tub is filling. You can use up to four cups of powdered milk. Fill the bathtub with warm, but not hot water. Soak in the tub for at least 15 minutes up to 30 minutes. Rinse off with cool water.

Wrap yourself in a fluffy bath towel and pat dry. While your skin is still moist and warm from the bath water apply a rich moisturizer.

Silly but fun

I was at a friend's house and her little girl was staring at the computer screen intent on the images before her, concentrating fiercely and quiet. Let me tell you that child is never quiet. Curious as to what was keeping her enthralled I went over.

She was engrossed in food games. What might you ask are online food games? Well she found a site that gave her a selection of games. One of the most elementary, and the one I started out on, was simply looking at a 6 item shopping list and then picking those items off the virtual grocery store shelves and dragging them to my shopping cart. Sounds simple. You control the speed of the cart by how fast you move your mouse. You can go faster if you don't have to look at the list to remember the items. It also helps to know that produce is way past the clothing aisles so you can buzz past them.

The first two times I played I didn't even finish the list before time ran out. She beat me 3 out of 5 times. Well she did have the advantage of experience.

The games seem simple but they're educational as well. They improve memory, hand eye co-ordination, and reading. Although younger children could play because the audio is supportive and the shopping list is in images as well.

Next time I'm bored I'm going back. I just need a little practice to beat her.

Dee

From Fishing Village to Holiday Hideaway

That's Yarmouth in the UK. It began life as a commercial fishing village netting Herring. As the fish population declined the holiday vacationers increased. And with good reason. Hemsby Yarmouth Holidays' offers weary travelers 15 miles of sandy golden beaches, clean, cold, clear, ocean water, restaurants and a broad variety of places to stay.

Love shopping? Then the shops within ocean view should be appealing. Restaurants offer varied menus and prices for those looking for a long romantic dinner or a quick bite between dips in the ocean.

Did you know that David Copperfield by Charles Dickens is based in Yarmouth? Or that the beloved childrens' tale, Black Beauty, was written by a Yarmouth Native, Anne Sewell.

Greater Yarmouth literally has something for every vacationer. There are festivals throughout the summer from the National Beach Volley Ball Championships to the Greater Yarmouth Festival of Bowls. And let's not forget the Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival in early September.

Children will be entertained by the amusement park, of course the beach, donkey rides, crazy golf and the circus.

Adults will love the cruising on the Southern Belle Passenger Steamer, the night life, and just soaking up the sun on the pristine beaches. Every Wednesday during the summer brings a free fabulous fireworks display.

Desert Wasteland of Television

You would think that with cable TV and the literally hundreds of channels that the challenge would be winnowing down to the programs you have time to watch, but alas that's just not so, especially during summer time.

The Olympics are one option but there's only so much thrill to seeing the American Women's Gymnastics team doing double buttskies (that's landing on their butt to the uninformed) and losing out to a Chinese team that looks like it's made up of ten years who haven't hit puberty yet. I mean come on, no hips, no curves, no bust line. That must make it easier on the uneven parallel bars, nothing to get in the way if you know what I mean.

Summer might be the time to catch up on watching the shows you missed. Free Tv Shows online make it possible to see episodes you couldn't watch - not everybody has Tivo- or shows you may have been curious about.

For example I'm intrigued by House M.D. I love the attitude and personalities. Dr. Gregory House, the character the show is named after, may not have much of a bedside manner, okay no bedside manner, but he's the Doc, I'd want if I had a mysterious disease. The guy stops at nothing to diagnose his patients. Gotta love him Unfortunately my significant other doesn't like medical shows, or cop shows, for that matter so I don't get to watch very often.

That's not going to stop me. This summer I'm going to watch House M.D online during my lunch break.

Dee

Put a little fun in your life

In my business life I deal with lots of entrepreneurs who take their projects very seriously, as well they should. But sometimes you have to take a break from the grunt work and have a little fun. I love reading and, what I call popcorn movies. Those movies that don't try to lecture you, enlighten you, or make you feel guilty. In other words, for the most part, they're not Indy movies or Oscar winners. What they are is fun.

Movies like "Indiana Jones," "Men in Black," "Under the Tucsun Sun," Enchanted," and most westerns.

Another way to take a quick break from drudgery is to find Free Online Games a few minutes spent playing can be refreshing. Some of these games can be addictive so monitor yourself, don't let a few minutes turn into a few hours.

You've heard it before but exercise can be uplifting. You don't have to change into sweats or a tank top and shorts. Get up, walk around the room, go down and up a flight of stairs, do some deep knee bends. Movement gets your blood flowing faster and that means not only will you get a boost of energy, you'll think more clearly.

What you don't want to do is get a hit of caffeine or sugar. it will give you boost but you'll crash about an hour later. Those energy drinks have the same effect, at least on me.

You'll have a better day if you have some fun.

Dee

Best photo forward

Have you ever wondered how celebrities look in real life? Do they have bad hair days? Personally I don't have bad hair days, or good hair days, I have hair and it does what it wants to, when it wants to. No sense fighting it. But I digress.

If you met a movie star or pop culture icon in the supermarket would you even recognize them? You've probably seen the tabloids where the headlines scream PLASTIC SURGERY GONE SOUTH and show you photos of Ms Glitz and how her smile is stretched so tight you could bounce a quarter off it. Compare that with the Celebrity Photos in the latest four color glossy fashion magazine and she looks fabulous.

I've been fortunate to meet a few actresses, models, dancers in my life and the truth is somewhere in between. When they're just being regular people they pretty much look like regular people. Okay maybe really good looking regular people, but not drop-dead-gorgeous-oh- my-gawd-he-can't-be-that-handsome people. Except for George Clooney. I met him years ago before he was an established actor and he was unbelievably handsome. Sigh.

The difference between you and I and the stars, is that they are paid to look great, we're not. They also have a stable of professionals to help them dress, make up, do their hair, even style them. We just have "What not to wear."

Dee

As expected Joshua won

The last show of So You Think You Can Dance is usually a lot of fun because they bring in the favorite dances of each judge and you can see the top 20 dance all over again.

Joshua did win. I personally don't think he is the best dancer, that would have been Will, who didn't even make the final four, but Joshua has an endearing quality about him. Make no mistake he can dance as well.

Dieting for Dummies

Dieting for Dummies, Walk off the Weight, Cram down the Calories, all sound like book titles don't they? Well I think the first one actually is. We have been told often enough not to judge a book by its cover, although that's exactly what potential readers do. They look at the title first, then if the cover is attractive, they pick it up and turn it over and read the back blurb.

Why does the publishing industry think we need these in your face titles? If I want to lose weight I don't necessarily want to move to South Beach to do it, or go into the Zone, or well, ... you get my point. And while Oprah can afford both a personal trainer and a personal chef, me and about a bazillion others can't. Oprah also has the incentive to avoid gaining weight in front of her huge audience. And lots of support when she admits failure - yet once again- and goes on another weight loss program.

I have to admit that the Idiot proof diet review does have some merit. It's seems simple. The diet uses proven weight loss methods and then generates an 11 day diet menu for you. The program is online and has lots of support groups and forums. So maybe Idiot proof is a good term for that diet.

so You think you can dance?

Okay I admit it I love So You Think You Can Dance. I guess it's the frustrated dancer in me. This year they decreased the number of programs about the auditions and the judges were kinder. Less in your face and more aware of the fact that anyone who auditions has to be given a certain level of credit.

The programs about cutting from 100 to 20 final dancers are interesting but there are too many dancers to have any particular one stand out.

Last night was the performance of the final four. At this point it's a popularity contest not to be judged on the quality of the dancing. One of their best dancers Will didn't even make the semi finalists.

So who do I think will win? Joshua.

Diet Downers the scale's gone up.

Part of me wishes there was a magic pill I could take and the pounds would just melt off. It's not like I have a ton of weight to lose. I don't. In fact it's only about 15 pounds and I'd be exactly where I'd want to be.

I've tried the all you can eat fruit diet and don't ever want to see another banana or blueberry. There's the cabbage soup diet, where, um, people don't want to be around you because of your unique scent, shall we say?

And while the eat grapefruit, tomatoes, olive oil and salmon at every meal sounds good, it's fishy after awhile.

Diet pills sound like a good idea. However there are so many different kinds that work in different ways it's hard to tell what's a good choice and what's not. Take Alli for instance. It blocks about 10% of the fat you ingest from being digested. That's the good news. The bad news is that you can't eat whatever you want. If you go over a certain number of grams per fat per meal there are consequences to pay. Nasty consequences.

It would be nice if someone sampled all the different diet pills and diet pill brands and gave honest diet pill reviews. It would simplify the choice for me.

Or maybe I should just give up my before bedtime cookies and milk and get a little more exercise. Mhem. Maybe that would do it.

Dee

A Bolt From the Blue

Monsoon season is here, finally. This June wasn’t as hot, or as dry, as it historically has been, but still any time the temperature is over 100 degrees and the humidity less than 10%, the relief provided by summer thunderstorms is welcomed. Monsoon means much needed rain, a cooling breeze, and lightning.

At any given time there are 2000 thunderstorms in progress around the world releasing 100 lightning bolts every second. A lightning bolt unleashes 20 million volts of electricity and heats the air around it to 50 thousand degrees, that’s five times hotter than the surface temperature of the sun. Every year there are a hundred or so lightning related deaths, several hundred more people injured, and millions of dollars of property damage just in the United Stated along.

Exactly what lightning is and how it’s caused has been a mystery for thousands of years. Ben Franklin with his infamous kite was the first to prove that lightning is electrical. Of course if old Ben was so terrifically smart, why was he out in the middle of a storm holding on to a metal wire attached to a kite?

Lightning is caused by the separation of negative and positive charges in different regions of a cloud. Ice particles in the cloud grow, break apart and collide. The smaller ice particles acquire a more positive charge and the larger particles a negative charge. The smaller particles are lighter and have a tendency to be carried up into the higher regions of the cloud. The larger particles are heavier and accumulate in the lower regions of the cloud. When the electrical potential (the difference between the negative and positive charges) within the cloud and between the cloud and the ground, is great enough, the electrical resistance in the atmosphere breaks down and the flash begins. Lightning is the electrical discharge, think of it as Mother Nature restoring order.

Thunder is produced by the heating of the air along the electrical current and occurs simultaneously with the lightning flash. Sound travels much slower than light, so the farther away the lightning is, the longer the delay between the lightning flash and the thunder. You can guess roughly how far away a strike is by counting the seconds between when the flash is seen and when the thunder is heard. For every five seconds counted, the lightning is a mile away. If you see the lightning at the same time you hear the thunder, odds are: you’re toast.

Worst places in Fountain Hills to watch a thunderstorm:

Under a tree at McDowell Park

On the tenth tee at Eagle Mountain

(any tee, green, fairway or rough on any golf course, for that matter.)

In a swimming pool

Sitting on the scrap metal horse at The Fountains Park

In other words if you’re caught in a thunderstorm, stay away from tall trees. Usually lightning will hit the tallest object and if you’re standing under it, the charge can jump from the tree to you. If you’re in an open space you are the tallest object, so crouch low, lay flat on the ground, or get to your car or a building as quickly as possible. Water is a great conductor of electricity, stay away from being in the water or on it during thunderstorms. There’s a reason throwing a hair dryer into a bathtub is used in cheesy movies to murder someone. And finally don’t pull a Ben Franklin – what was he thinking – stay away from metal objects.

time to take off the weight

Have you ever noticed that you diet like crazy before summer comes so you look good in a bathing suit, shorts, and cute cropped tops, but then when you go on vacation you gain some of the weight back? Me too.

I guess it must be all the restaurant food. How can you go to the beach and not chow down on creamy clam chowder, sour dough toast, and fried fish? Not to mention desserts, which I won't.

So what's a girl to do?

I've looked at different diet pills and besides being confusing, it's difficult to tell which ones really work. First there is Alli which says it prevents fats you eat from being absorbed in your stomach and intestines. The downside is well, on their website they say wear dark clothing and bring a change of underwear.

Then there's the pills that boost your metabolism by cramming you full of caffeine, green tea and herbs. No thanks. I get jittery enough during the day without extra stimulants.

There are supplements that make you feel full because they expand in your stomach so there isn't room for food.

And finally products that work in your brain telling you you're not hungry so don't eat.

I think I'll lose these few extra pound the old fashion way. Eat less and exercise more. One of my favorite diets is simply eating fruits and vegetables, as much as you want, cooked anyway you want (no butter sorry - but you can use olive oil) all day and then a having a 4 ounce portion of skinless chicken or fish with more fruits and veggies for dinner. I do that 2 days a week, eat reasonably the rest of the week and the weight comes off.

Dee

Summer Heat

Summer is ending but my dry skin is just beginning. I love the summer, even though where I live the temperature averages over 100 degrees during the day. May and June are dry, as in desert dry. July and August are humid, perhaps only from 20% t0 30% humid but combined with 105 degrees it's uncomfortable.

Drinking water is vital for your skin survival. You have to replace all that dripping sweat somehow. Did you know that your body burns 25 calories to bring your body temperature back to normal if you quickly drink a 12 ounce glass of ice water? So there's the double benefit of weight loss and better skin.

I've found that hydrating my skin through steam and then applying a nice thick moisturizer does wonders, especially if I do this right before bed. I don't use a greasy moisturizer because that would just clog up my pores. I've been lucky I've never had acne, even when I was a teenager. It must be awful to have to try to figure out How To Get Rid Of Acne when you're a young adult. Fortunately there have been a lot of advances and research into in dealing with skin problems like acne.

Love to Travel - Hate to Fly

I love to travel but these days flying is getting to be impossible. I live within an 8 hour drive of beautiful beaches or one hour's flight time. That's in the air time. Why would anyone drive for 8 hours when it only takes an hour to fly. Well here's why.

It takes an hour to drive to the airport and of course you don't want to cut that too close so leaving an hour and half for drive time makes sense. Checking baggage and getting boarding tickets takes another 30 minutes to 45 minutes. Going through security takes an hour. fly time for an hour. Landing and collecting baggages take 30 to 45 minutes and finally driving to the final beach destination takes from 30 minutes to an hour.

So it's really comparing 8 hours driving from my doorstep to the beach to 5 hours for flying and I have a car when I get there, save on car rental and save on airfare.

No matter where you live you can holiday in a place close to you and not spend extra time or money getting there.

Dee

A sign from Heaven?

One of the most widely known symbols in the world, the Peace Sign, is now captured in diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and gold in the Peace Sign Jewelry collection from HeavenlyTreasures.com, a New Jersey based company. The collection includes Peace Sign Pendants and Peace Sign Necklaces. While the peace sign is pervasive in our culture it is not commonly known that the symbol was designed as a logo for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in the United Kingdom in 1958. Gerald Holtom, the designer was inspired by a Goya painting. The peace sign also incorporates the semaphore N and D signals. Semaphore is a method of communicating visually over long distances with flags. The letter N (Nuclear) is represented by the flags being held downward and away from the body at a 45 degree angle, while the letter D (Disarmament) is represented by one flag being held directly over the head and one straight down. The inner symbol is then enclosed in a circle which represents completion and infinity.

"Showing faith in world peace is one reason we're excited about the Peace Sign Jewelry collection," says Rebecca Mandel, Production Designer at Heavenly Treasures. "People can demonstrate their hope for peace by wearing the peace sign jewelry. We've used rubies and sapphires, which are actually the same gemstone called corundum. Any color corundum but red is called a sapphire. Red corundum is known as a ruby. The sapphires we use are a lovely dark blue and the rubies are a deep, rich red."

Other gems used in the jewelry are diamonds, jade, and amethysts. The carat weight of the pieces vary from .13 carat to about 1.5 carats total of gemstones. The peace symbol is available in pure gold as well. The peace sign itself is about one inch in diameter for the pendants and 5/8 of an inch for the rings and earrings. The inner symbol is composed primarily of fully faceted diamonds surrounded by a circle of gemstones or additional diamonds.

The jewelry is available in both white and yellow 14 k gold. The peace sign jewelry comes in pendants, with or without a chain, rings, earrings, and even an ankle bracelet. The items are sold separately but can be bought as matched sets of ring, pendant and earrings.

"There are other symbols of peace, such as the dove and olive branch, but none translates so beautifully and simply into jewelry as the Peace symbol. Our collection is a wonderful way to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the symbol's design," adds Mandel.

Tired Tomatoes, Cranky Cucumbers and Balky Beans.

No, this isn’t a salad gone bad, it’s a vegetable garden in July. Fountain Hills is a terrific place for all sorts of things, but not for growing vegetables in the middle of summer. No matter how much water they receive the plants are pooped. The tomatoes won’t set when the temperature is above 100 degrees because the pollen dries out before it gets to fertilize the flower stamen. The cucumbers are in a permanent state of wilt. They might perk up around 4:00 in the morning but I am not going out there with a flashlight to find out. The green beans should be renamed the yellowish brownish beans.

The lantana looks lousy and refuses to bloom. The lawn, once a cooling emerald sea of grass, is pockmarked by brown spots where the sprinklers don’t quite reach and a permanent sludge of mud where it gets over watered to compensate for the soaring temperature.

The plants aren’t the only sufferers in the summer heat. The swimming pool, even if aerated by sprays and fountains, is bath water warm. The cement is blistering and results in an odd little dance of shuffling and hopping in at attempt to have the feet make as little contact as possible with the pool deck on the way to the water.

The car is always hot. A trip to the Post Office or grocery store, isn’t long enough for the air conditioner to get going full blast. Opening the door and climbing in is like getting into an incinerator. Not that I’ve actually had that experience but I do have an active imagination.

The dogs, Kate our Irish Setter and Rose, our Springer Spaniel, refuse to go outside, except for the necessary potty trips. Kate actually sits under the sprinkler when it’s on. And then of course runs through the decomposed granite and the mulch so when she comes back in the house, one knows where she’s been and where she’s going by the paw print trail.

Both girls love their walks in the morning, but now the paraphernalia required resembles that of going on safari. Besides the requisite plastic baggies, and hand sanitizer, and emergency treats, there is the water bottle for them which attaches to your belt and a water bottle for each of us. At the half way point of the walk Rose gulps down her water. Kate on the other hand refuses to drink, she wants the water poured on her nose. That’s what she does to stay cool, puts her entire head in her water dish with her nose under water. Sometimes she even blows bubbles.

Then we have our hats and they have their little hats. You know the doggy kind that are terry cloth lined and you wet down the lining before you put them on? I don’t know if the hats actually keep the puppies any cooler but they look just darling. We have our bandannas and they have theirs. Well they did, until Rose ate hers. I suppose the bandanna just didn’t make the right fashion statement.

That’s just how it is in Fountain Hills in July, no matter how early you get up or how late you go to bed, it’s just too hot.

Three Dynasties of China Dynasty Three

Chen’s Garden, located at 16720 E. Avenue of the Fountains, 816-8880, is family owned. The inside dining room is tiny with only about ten tables. There is additional seating in the patio area, which is misted in the summer and heated in the winter. The décor is hit and miss Chinese but who cares, the food is right on and so is the service. Chen’s, offering Hunan and Szechwan cuisine, has daily lunch and dinner specials, in addition to its full lunch combo menu and dinner entrees. The hot and sour soup is a spicy broth loaded with tiny shrimp, strips of pork, tofu, and veggies. Follow that with Kung Pao shrimp in a chili sauce with scallions and peanuts, served with steamed rice, and you have yourself a satisfying dinner. Lunch combos are $4.95, with choice of entrée, fried rice, fried wonton and egg roll. Dinner entrees are $7.95 to $8.95.

Three Dynasties of China Dynasty Two

Pei Wei Asian Diner, 14835 Shea Blvd in the Eagle Mountain Shopping Center, has 62 locations in 13 states. The concept was developed by the ever popular P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, and offers more than just Chinese food. Traditional dishes such as crispy potstickers: fried dumplings stuffed with pork, cabbage, and scallions, complimented by a soy and ginger dipping sauce, are on the menu. You can also find more unusual dishes influenced by flavors from Thai, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese cooking. Try the Pad Thai rice bowl with Thai sweet and sour sauce, tofu, bean sprouts, scallions and peanuts topped with your choice of chicken, beef pork, vegetables, or Tofu. The interior of Pei Wei is modern Asian and just a bit crowded. Diners order cafeteria style, can watch their meal being prepared in the exhibition kitchen, and then delivered to their table by the friendly wait staff. Prices range from about $6.00 to $9.00 ala carte. 837-0926. Oh, Pei Wei doesn’t offer take out but does offer take away. As in drive up and you can take away your pre-ordered selection.

Three Dynasties of China Dynasty One

Fountain Hills is fortunate to have not one Chinese restaurant but three: Chen’s Garden, Pei Wei Asian Diner, and Ha Ha China.

Remember when you were a kid and you and your family would go down to your neighborhood restaurant for sweet and sour pork, fried rice, and egg drop soup? Well, family owned Ha Ha China, located at 11849 N Saguaro Blvd, 837-8889, is the Chinese restaurant of your childhood. The dining room is good sized, décor expected oriental and the food reliable. All the old Cantonese favorites are here and taste just how you remember them. The Mongolian beef is tender with just a hint of sweetness served over a bed of stir fried scallions and rice noodles. Those noodles have been crisped in hot oil and add crunch to the dish. The rice bowls are popular at lunch. Portions are hearty. Prices range from $4.00 to $8.00. Ha Ha China is the only restaurant of the three that delivers.

23 Full Grown Elephants? That’s a Lot of Books.

News Release

(Fountain Hills, AZ – June 2, 2008) The year 2007 saw 276,649 new books released by traditional publishers in the United States, according to Bowker, a leading provider of bibliographic information. The number of new titles increased about 1% from 2006. 276,649 titles is quite a few books.

Dee Power, the co-author with Brian Hill, of "The Making of a Bestseller," puts this number into perspective. If the books were shelved side by side, spine out, one would need almost 4.5 miles of shelving. If the books were stacked one atop the other, they would reach almost ten times higher than the world’s tallest building, the Taipei 101, which measures 1,671 feet. To transport one copy of each title, the vehicle would have to be capable of hauling 103 tons or 23 full grown elephants. Laying the books down in a straight line would require a little over 30 miles of railroad tracks.

If one person spent twelve hours every day reading each and every title it would take 263 years to finish them all.

If each author received a $5000 advance, the total would be over $1.3 billion. And most interestingly of all, if one author wrote all these books, consecutively, he or she, would have had to start writing during the time of Neanderthal Man, over 130,000 years ago.

How difficult is it to get a book published by a commercial publisher? Well the odds are better gambling in Las Vegas. Power and Hill surveyed over 60 literary agents. On the average these agents agreed to accept only a little more than 2 in 1000 of the authors who contacted them.

It has been estimated that 25 million people in the United States consider themselves writers and only 5% have been published anywhere. Ready for another dose of reality? Only 1% of manuscripts submitted to publishing houses are accepted for publication.

If 99% of all manuscripts submitted are rejected, by any standard, a writer whose book has been commercially published has achieved a major milestone. However you look at it, 276,649 is a lot of new titles and a lot of happy authors.

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About the Authors:

Brian Hill and Dee Power were inspired by their own publishing experiences to research and write “The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories From Authors and the Editors, Agents and
Booksellers Behind Them,” Dearborn Trade. Hill and Power have also co-authored two other nonfiction books. Reach them through their website http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com

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