~ Happy New Year~

Happy
New
Year

I want to wish you all
A wonderful, magical
And blessed New Year and
I hope you all find the happiness
That you seek

Till Next year
Fair Thee Well My Friends

Much Love
~Kristal~

~Sanctuary of Silence~

Sanctuary of Silence

I revel in silence
Where no words are spoken

A place to be whole
Not fragmented or broken

For when I am silent
There is rest for my mind

And such peace, that only
Those who are quiet can find

It’s a language so soft
And yet so clear

That only those willing
To listen can hear

A place where fantasy
And reality meet

And burdens from the past
Would not dare to compare

A place where I can
Be focused and free

Yes… a place to finally
Find the real me

There is such a place
With no tremors of violence

This place that I speak of
Is my sanctuary of silence

Christi Ray ©

~Types of Kisses~

Butterfly Kiss - With your faces less than a breath away, open and close your eyelids against your partners. If done correctly, the fluttering sensation will match the one in your heart.
Cheek Kiss - A friendly, "I really like you" kiss. Often the preferred kissing method of a first date. With your hands on your partner's shoulders, gently brush your lips across her cheek.
Earlobe Kiss - Gently sip and suck the earlobe. Avoid louder sucking noises as ears are sensitized noise detectors.
Eskimo Kiss - With your faces less than a breath apart, gently rub your noses together.
Eye Kiss - Hold your partner's head with both hands and slowly move their head in the direction you wish your kiss to go... then slowly kiss up towards your partner's eyes and give them a tender kiss on top of their closed eyes.
Eyelid Kiss - While your partner is resting/sleeping with eyes closed, very very gently kiss the spot right below their browbone. A very intimate kiss.
Finger Kiss - While laying together gently suck on their fingers. This can be very seductive and pleasurable.
Foot Kiss - An erotic and romantic gesture. It may tickle, but relax and enjoy it! To give a toe kiss by gently suck the toes and then lightly kissing the foot. It helps to gently massage the base of the foot while performing the kiss.
Forehead Kiss - The "motherly" kiss or "just friends" kiss. The forehead kiss can be a comforting kiss to anyone. Simply brush your lips lightly across the crown of their head.
Freeze Kiss (or Melt Kiss) - Experiment with this fun kiss. Put a small piece of ice in your mouth, then open mouth and kiss your partner, passing them the ice with your tongue. It's an erotic and sensual french kiss with a twist of cold.
French Kiss - The kiss involving the tongue. Some call this the "Soul Kiss" because the life and soul are thought to pass through the mouth's breath in the exchange across tongues. Surprisingly, the French call this "The English Kiss".
Fruity Kiss - Take a small piece of fruit and place between your lips (juicy fruits such as grapes, strawberries, small pieces of pineapple or mango are ideal). Kiss your partner and nibble one half of the piece of fruit while they nibble the other until it breaks in half, allowing the juice to run into your mouths.
Hand Kiss - Gently raise her hand to your lips. Lightly brush your lips across the top of her hand. Historically this kiss was performed with a bow, which showed deference to a lady.
Hickey Kiss - The object is not to draw blood, but to gently leave a mark that will prove your interlude was not a dream. This is often included in erotic foreplay.
Hostage Kiss - Cover your lips with tape and get your love's attention. When they come near, make noises like you're trying to tell them something and motion as if you can't get the tape off. Once they remove the tape from you to hear what you're trying to say tell them: "I've been saving my lips all day just for you!" Then kiss your love passionately!
Hot and Cold Kiss - Lick your partner's lips so that they're warm, and then gently blow on them. The sudden cold blast makes for a sensual explosion, and they will often try it on you next, as well as get very passionate.
Mistletoe Kiss - Surprise your lover by capturing them with a gentle holiday kiss under the mistletoe. This is also a good method for shyer individuals to steal a kiss from a potential lover.
Letter Kiss - Send your lover a kiss in a love letter by writing the letter x several times in a row at the bottom of a letter such as XXXXX.
Lick Kiss - Just before kissing, gently run your tongue along you partners lip whether it be the top or bottom one depending on the position of your lips. Very sensual.
Lip Sucking Kiss - When kissing gently suck on their lower lip. This can be very exciting.
Neck Nibble Kiss - Gently nibble up and down your partners neck. End with a gentle kiss on the lips.
Nip Kiss - This kiss can create a very erotic sensation. While kissing your partner, ever so gently nibble on their lips. You must be very careful not to bite to hard or hurt your partner. When done correctly, this kiss ignites wonderful sensations.
Reverse Lips Kiss - It involves standing above your lover and kissing them from over their head. This way, each kisser can take the hyper-sensitive bottom lip of thier lover in their mouths, and GENTLY draw blood to the surface of the lip by nibbling and sucking. A very sensuous, connecting kiss.
Searching The Cavern - Use the lips and tongue to gently tickle and kiss your lover's navel. Vary speeds and stroke to change sensation. Invigorating and intoxicating.
Shoulder Kiss - Simply come from behind, embrace her, and kiss the top of her shoulder. This is a sensual, loving kiss.
Sip Kiss - Take a small sip of your favorite drink. Leaving a little bit of it on your lips, kiss your partner. It is a unique way to create a sensual feeling and your partner will enjoy it.
Talking Kiss - Whisper sweet nothings into your partner's mouth. If caught in the act, simply say as Chico Marx, "I wasn't kissing her. I was whispering into her mouth."
Teaser Kiss - Starting on the forehead, a sweet short kiss on lips, then move up the arms up to her hand, kiss her hand, then come back up her arm, to her face and then lightly kiss her lips till she wants a passionate kiss.
The Buzzing Kiss - Gently place your lips against your lover's neck , behind their ear. Now, send a shudder through their skin by gently growling and humming, vibrating your lips and cheeks as you do so. Move up and down the neck, over the bones of the face and lips. Stimulating and erotic when done correctly.
The Whipped Cream Kiss - Dip your finger into some cool whip or whipped cream of your choice. Lick it off slowly, then embrace your partner and kiss them deeply letting their tongue slip over yours for a wonderfully sweet kiss. It's very seductive and passionate.
Tiger Kiss - Quietly sneak up behind your partner making sure they do not know what you are going to do. Out of the blue, grab them and gently bite their neck. Make sure to get a few good growls in too. This will surely surprise them.
Trickle Kiss - Take a sip of a favourite drink and trickle it slowly into partner's mouth while kissing.
Tongue Sucking - A variation of the French kiss. During an open-mouth kiss gently suck on your partner's tongue (not too hard because it may hurt). Very sexy :-)
Quickie Kiss - When you're in a rush. Often the nose gets it rather than the lips.
Vacuum Kiss - While kissing open-mouthed, slightly suck in as if you were sucking the air from your partners mouth. This is a playful kiss.
Wake Up Kiss - Before your partner awakes lean over and kiss their cheek and move over giving soft kisses until you reach their lips. Definitely a more than pleasant way to wake up!

From http://www.romantic-lyrics.com/

~The Cloud~

The Cloud


I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers,
From the seas and the streams;
I bear light shade for the leaves when laid
In their noonday dreams.
From my wings are shaken the dews that waken
The sweet buds every one,
When rocked to rest on their mother's breast,
As she dances about the sun.
I wield the flail of the lashing hail,
And whiten the green plains under,
And then again I dissolve it in rain,
And laugh as I pass in thunder.


I sift the snow on the mountains below,
And their great pines groan aghast;
And all the night 'tis my pillow white,
While I sleep in the arms of the blast.
Sublime on the towers of my skiey bowers,
Lightning, my pilot, sits;
In a cavern under is fettered the thunder,
It struggles and howls at fits;


Over earth and ocean, with gentle motion,
This pilot is guiding me,
Lured by the love of the genii that move
In the depths of the purple sea;
Over the rills, and the crags, and the hills,
Over the lakes and the plains,
Wherever he dream, under mountain or stream,
The Spirit he loves remains;
And I all the while bask in Heaven's blue smile,
Whilst he is dissolving in rains.


The sanguine Sunrise, with his meteor eyes,
And his burning plumes outspread,
Leaps on the back of my sailing rack,
When the morning star shines dead;
As on the jag of a mountain crag,
Which an earthquake rocks and swings,
An eagle alit one moment may sit
In the light of its golden wings.
And when Sunset may breathe, from the lit sea beneath,
Its ardors of rest and of love,


And the crimson pall of eve may fall
From the depth of Heaven above,
With wings folded I rest, on mine aery nest,
As still as a brooding dove.
That orbed maiden with white fire laden,
Whom mortals call the Moon,
Glides glimmering o'er my fleece-like floor,
By the midnight breezes strewn;
And wherever the beat of her unseen feet,
Which only the angels hear,
May have broken the woof of my tent's thin roof,
The stars peep behind her and peer;
And I laugh to see them whirl and flee,
Like a swarm of golden bees,
When I widen the rent in my wind-built tent,
Till the calm rivers, lakes, and seas,
Like strips of the sky fallen through me on high,
Are each paved with the moon and these.


I bind the Sun's throne with a burning zone,
And the Moon's with a girdle of pearl;
The volcanoes are dim, and the stars reel and swim
When the whirlwinds my banner unfurl.
From cape to cape, with a bridge-like shape,
Over a torrent sea,
Sunbeam-proof, I hang like a roof,--
The mountains its columns be.
The triumphal arch through which I march
With hurricane, fire, and snow,
When the Powers of the air are chained to my chair,
Is the million-colored bow;
The sphere-fire above its soft colors wove,
While the moist Earth was laughing below.


I am the daughter of Earth and Water,
And the nursling of the Sky;
I pass through the pores of the ocean and shores;
I change, but I cannot die.
For after the rain when with never a stain
The pavilion of Heaven is bare,
And the winds and sunbeams with their convex gleams
Build up the blue dome of air,
I silently laugh at my own cenotaph,
And out of the caverns of rain,
Like a child from the womb, like a ghost from the tomb,
I arise and unbuild it again.


Percy Bysshe Shelley

~Merry Christmas~

May you all have
A blessed and magical
Christmas and a very
Amazing and wonderful
New Year

“Merry Christmas”
Everyone

~ A friend and Happiness ~

I read a dear friends journal and she is having trouble finding the happiness in this holiday season.. Many of us here in journal land are having  hard times during the holiday for one reason or another. We try to find are paths.. are happiness.. that magical thing that will make everything fall into place. I caught myself today saying.. I just don’t have time and I stopped myself.. for I know I have to make time.. it is my responsibility. I can’t expect anyone to find my happiness for me.. I have to find it.. and I am heading the path that I need to follow to find said happiness.. it is not always a small journey.. But much is learned along the way.

To my friend.. I give you this.. You have so much to be thankful for.. you have four beautiful children and another on the way.. you have a roof over your head.. a car to drive.. a job to take care of you and your families needs.. Friends and family who love you very much. It is not the gifts that make the holidays special.. it is love… and my friend you have this in droves… We must take control and make our own happiness.. close your eyes.. and visualize all that is important to you.. the things that really matter.. then open them again and see that those things are right there with you.. what more do you need to make this holiday be the happiness ever. You are LOVED and that makes you very blessed.. think about this.. and I know you will find what you seek.. because it has always been right there in front of you… Merry Christmas my friend.. I love you.

All is Calm, All is Right

All is Calm, All is Right

~James Kisner~

We're moving on to Christmas now, the biggest holiday,
A time when people gather just to celebrate and play.
Thanksgiving Day is past and now the Christmas season starts,
And something happens every year to warm the willing hearts.
I see the decorations on the houses start to glow,
And in the crisp clean air at night you almost smell the snow.
The stations on the radio start changing there format,
And on TV a wave of toys and kids want this and that.

It all starts out so slowly but then seems to come real quick,
Then Christmas is upon us and we run till we are sick.
People running everywhere to finish up their task,
To late to get the hottest item so don't even ask.

Shopping now becomes a chore to fill in all the gaps,
Flying through the malls and stores as if their running laps.
Getting so frustrated to the point of panicky,
All to get those toys and presents underneith the tree.

Losing all the spirit of the Christmas holiday,
Caught up in the shopping spree and all you do it pay.
Church bells ring and Christmas bells are ringing loud and clear,
But the ringing of the register is all you hear.

Stop I say! now stop this madness slow it to a crawl,
There's absolutely nothing wrong with shopping at the mall,
There's nothing wrong with giving gifts it has been done forever,
But don't get so caught up that you miss Christmas altogether.

Now while you still have the time just plan your holiday,
Time for love and time for laughter and take time to pray.
Time for family and for friends and all those you hold dear,
That is what it's really all about this time of year.

Take the time to share your love and then take time for YOU,
Take the time to just sit quietly and then review.
Review the blessings that you have and all of those you love,
Remember all the blessings that you have came from above.

The running, shopping, cooking, presents, parties and the food,
Are all a part of Christmas and the festive attitude.
But never lose the reason why we celebrate this day,
Don't let the hussle and the bussle get into your way.

Enjoy the total picture and don't get caught in the race,
Don't miss the reason for the season at a hetic pace.
Take the time to Celebrate and understand HIS birth,
And then you'll understand "Good will and peace to men on earth."


James Kisner

~Unexpected Gifts~

Today the most wonderful, unexpected thing happen today.. We were making a late dinner.. and all of the sudden there was a knock at the door.. it was around 7:30 pm so I had no idea who it could be.. when I open the door.. I was greeted by a very nice gentleman I had met once before under sadder times for my husbands grandmothers funeral..

He shook my hand reintroduced himself and the group of 15 people with him.. people from all ages.. and the proceeded to sing to us.. yes.. the were true Christmas Carolers.. I have seen this in movies.. even did it once with my choir back when I was in school many years ago.. But I had never experience this for myself.. I was delighted.. it was a wonderful experience that brought me to tears.. These wonderful people out in the cold night air stopping by to bring some holiday joy.. and that is exactly what they did.. For the first time this holiday season it actually felt like Christmas.. and it was a wonderful feeling.. and I will cherish this gift.. and remember this wonderful night filled with song and happiness...

May you all have a wonderful and Blessed holiday season..

~Credit where credit is due~

I am writing this entry because credit is due to a wonderful, amazing writer of poetry by the name of James Kisner. Many of you in email have received a poem called "Roses for Rose" and after it there will be no author or even the words anonymous written.. I have received this poem many times like this and every time I do what I am doing right now.. Giving credit where it is due. "Roses for Rose" is an amazing, loving, emotional poem written by James Kisner.

He is a very talented amazing man who I have been fortunate enough to talk to through emails on several occasions. I had lost touch when I moved to Va. From Ohio.. And now have been catching up on his poetry. This man has a gift not only for words but for the emotion behind the words. You can read many poems and never feel what this man pours into his work. Many times I sit in front of my computer and cry.. Being so touched and blessed by his poetry. I wanted to write this entry for many reasons. To give James credit for his amazing work.. To let people know who wrote this wonderful poem and many others. And to open up a nother world to those of you who may not have been touch yet by this talented poet.

So please.. Enjoy the poem.. Got to the links and learn more about James and read more of his work. Sign up to receive his poems by email. Let him know what you think of his work by email him and rating his poems. Check out the link to order his books of poetry..

And most important if you receive "Roses For Rose" with out James Kisner name on it.. Please fixed it.. Give credit where credit is do.. Go to his site add his copyright and link information and let the sender know who the amazing person that wrote this poem and many others is.

~Now Enjoy~

"Velvet Box"

~James Kisner~

She opened up his cabinet that he had kept locked for years,

She wondered what would be inside as she looked through her tears.

No longer was it private as she viewed what was inside,

Her loving husband was now gone, two weeks ago he died.

She knew it was all personal but really not a secret,

It was his special little things as safe as he could keep it.

Old momentos from his past and things from years ago,

Little things he loved to bring out now and then to show.

On the top shelf was his albums withered now with age,

She remembered how he sat and flipped from page to page.

Telling her about the pictures as he looked inside,

Most were from his army years, he never lost the pride.

Then there was the souvenirs he brought back from the war,

And his metals, he would always tell what they were for.

He even had his army boots still polished clean and bright,

And a brass belt buckle shined so bright it gleamed as light.

Some old 8 super movies taken many years ago,

She wondered why he kept them, he had made a video.

And transferred all the movies to a brand new VHS,

Maybe he just didn't trust the new thing was her guess.

Boxes filled with pictures that he took and filed away,

Thinking he would make an album adding them one day.

Home made crafts and art work that the kids had made for him,

And Father's day and Birthday cards stored inside cans of tin.

Then there was the shoe box and she knew what was inside,

And then she pulled the foot stool over and just sat and cried.

They had sat and gone through it a while one summer morn,

Letters they had sent each other withered now and torn.

But she noticed something she had never seen before,

And she knew it wasn't something brought back from the war.

It was not that old at all, it almost looked brand new,

A velvet box completely covered in a royal blue.

She wondered when he got that box and what it held inside,

He must have done it recently not long before he died.

With shaking hands she picked it up, not knowing what to do,

And then she saw a name tag saying "Sweetheart it's for you."

She sat there for a moment holding her new found surprise,

And could not help but feel more tears start flowing from her eyes.

She slowly took the lid off as she wiped away a tear,

And saw an envelope that said "Please read if I'm not here"

She sat there almost motionless as if she had been smitten,

And then she slowly opened it to see what he had written.

My precious, precious loving wife is how it did begin,

I have to be the luckiest of all the other men.

To have a wife so precious who means all the world to me,

I had to be more fortunate than any man could be.

The love that you have given me made for a happy life,

But you mean so much more to me, much more than just a wife.

When I would have depression that I thought would never end,

You would always be there as my closest, dearest friend.

When I had to make decisions and did not know how,

You would help me find the answer just being a pal.

When I had ideas and tried to get them all in order,

You would stand behind me as my number one supporter.

When I failed at something as I did once in a while,

You always showed me what went wrong, but did it with a smile.

As I write this letter and my time is drawing near,

I think it is the first time I have ever felt this fear.

It's not the fear of passing or departing from this life,

The fear is I will be alone without my loving wife.

So sweetheart as I face my fear of something that is new,

Please remember sweetheart that I'm so in love with you.

One day in the future we will meet up once again,

And once again share precious love as it has always been.

But for a little while I guess we have to separate,

One must always lead the way to destiny and fate.

But love like ours will last forever and it will endure,

And one day in the future we will meet again I'm sure.

She wiped away her tears again and forced a little smile,

Leaving her this velvet box and letter was his style.

She knew his words were true and one day no more keys or locks,

And she would cling to words he left inside this velvet box.

James Kisner
By James Kisner HEARTS WITH SOUL

Copyright © HeartsWithSoul 2002 All rights reserved

Heartwarmer's Poet Laureate PoppyK1
JAMES A. KISNER (POPPYK1) THE WORLD RENOWNED POET,

MADE HIS FIRST HEARTWARMERS PUBLIC APPEARANCE AT THE HEARTWARMERS CONFERENCE 2000, AT QUEENS LANDING AT NIAGARA ON THE LAKE.

HE HAD THE ENTIRE CONFERENCE IN TEARS WHEN

HE READ HIS POEM "ROSES FOR ROSE." (see link below)

THE CROWD FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM AND HIS WORKS AND LINED UP TO GET AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF HIS FIRST BOOK, "SWEET DREAMS AND TENDER TEARS" "SWEET DREAMS AND TENDER TEARS" HAS MANY OF THE POEMS THAT HAVE TOUCHED HEARTS AROUND THE WORLD. THE POEMS ARE BASED ON REAL LIFE SITUATIONS AND READ MORE LIKE STORIES. MANY ARE OF HIS OWN PERSONAL LIFE STRUGGLES AND HEARTACHES AND MANY ARE OF READERS AND FRIENDS.

HIS SECOND BOOK "ANGEL WHISPERS AND TENDER TEARS"

HAS AN ANGEL THEME THROUGHOUT THE BOOK.

DO ANGELS INTERVENE IN OUR LIVES AND IF SO HOW?

MANY OF HIS POEMS HAVE APPEARED IN HEARTWARMERS SUCH

AS ROSES FOR ROSE, MY DAUGHTER YOU WILL SEE, EASTER AWAKENING, PAVING A WAY, IN MY EYES AND MANY MORE IN THE HEARTWARMERS ARCHIVES.

HIS POEMS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE GARDENER'S SOUL, CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE TEENAGE SOUL "TOUGH STUFF", STORIES OF THE HEART AND THE NEW HEARTWARMERS OF LOVE, TO NAME A FEW. THE "TENDER TEARS" BOOKS WILL TOUCH EVERY EMOTION OF YOUR BEING. THEY WILL BRING TEARS OF SORROW BUT ALSO TEARS OF JOY, WHEN THE POETIC STORIES REMIND YOU OF THE REALITIES OF LIFE. TO SEE POPPY AND HIS BOOKS USE THE LINK BELOW.

Join Poppy's pals mailing list send an email to: poppyspals-subscribe@yahoogroups.com For more about Poppy see these links

READ ABOUT AND ORDER HIS BOOKS AT THIS SITE
http://www.heartwarmers4u.com/members?fleetingmp
http://

The Best of PoppyK1 including the famous "ROSES FOR ROSE"
http://heartswithsoul.com/jameskisner.htm

Read and Rate Poppy's weekly poem
http://www.heartwarmers4u.com/members?ratethepoem

Hear Poppy's radio interview and hear him read "Roses for Rose"
http://www.goodnewsbroadcast.com/poetry

Have you seen the heartwarmers conference photo album with all of the guest speakers? See them here
http://www.heartwarmers.com/confpicts/

~~ Favorite Past Times ~~

One of my all time favorite past times is baking... I love to cook.. and people say I am good at it.. But one thing they never let me live down is my cookies... I get request after request for my Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Chocolate chip cookies.. and Peanut Butter ones.. So yesterday I baked.. I made the Chocolate chip and Peanut Butter ones and they are delicious cookies.. The aroma filling the house.. Mmmm.. I also tried a new recipe.. Macadamia nut cookies with white chips.. First time I ever made them but a friend ask me to and I think they turned out pretty good... Just waiting for the official taste test to see what they think. I am posting a few pictures of the cookies I baked yesterday.. Don't they look YUMMY !!! :-)

I used to bake with my mom every year when I was little.. I always loved to bake with her when I could... back then they never said it was bad for you to eat the dough.. so little hands always find their way in for a treat.. As the years went on my mother rarely baked.. She suffers from an illness that lots of people don't understand.. but it is very much real and very much an on going battle even to this day.. She is Bi-Polar ... Hit the link here to learn more about this illness. I love her dearly and I hold on to her memory of the mother I knew.. and no matter what my love for her doesn't change.. I am sure I will be writing more on this subject in later entries but for now.. I think about my yummy cookies.. and the wonderful colors and sounds of Christmas.. even on the coast of Virginia once in a while we get some snow.. for now it is rainy and a cold... a cold that bites from the ocean.. but for me.. it is a wonderful day.. a day filled with memories and hope.. a day filled joy.. a day that I even feel like cleaning around the house.. hehehe. I am just in a wonderful mood today..

Enjoy the pictures I took and have a wonderful and safe weekend..

Pictures By © Kristal 2005

~~ One of my all time favorite movies~~

I Love old movies.. Growing up I used to rent a handful of them and have old movie nights. I would watch Danny Kaye, Bogart, Abbott and Costello, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Jimmy Stewart, Bob Hope, Gene Kelly.. To name a few. I was always fascinated by these movies and loved getting lost in a another time and place. To this day I love going to the movies..

Some of my favorites were movies like.. Singing in the Rain, South Pacific, Flower Drum Song, Don't Eat the Daisies, Pillow Talk, The Beach Movies with Annette and Frankie, Anything Bob Hope, Anything Danny Kaye.. I love Danny Kaye, Abbott and Costello.. I love the old comedies. There are too many to write here of the movies I love.. So I am going to focus on one of my all time favorites.. and my all time favorite movie.

Humphrey Bogart.. He has made such great movies like " The Maltese Falcon", the original "Sabrina", "African Queen".. And this is to name a few.. But the ultimate for me was and still is the movie "Casablanca". This movies has everything.. Humor, intrigue, love, Lost love, passion, friendship, standing up for your beliefs, corruptions, music and sadness. It is the ultimate movie with such lines like these....


Ilsa Lund: Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time.


Rick Blaine: Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.


Rick: Here's looking at you, kid.


Ilsa: Play it once, Sam. For old times' sake.


Rick Blaine: How can you close me up? On what grounds?
Capt. Renault: I'm shocked ... shocked to find that gambling is going on in here.
Croupier: Your winnings, sir.
Capt. Renault: Oh, thank you ... very much. Everybody out at once!


Capt. Renault: Major Strasser has been shot. Round up the usual suspects.


And the two most famous lines


Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa): You're saying this only to make me go.
Humphrey Bogart (Rick): I'm saying it because it's true. Inside of us, we both know you belong with Victor. You're part of his work, the thing that keeps him going. If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.
Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa): But what about us?
Humphrey Bogart (Rick): We'll always have Paris. We didn't have, we, we lost it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night.
Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa): When I said I would never leave you.
Humphrey Bogart (Rick): And you never will. But I've got a job to do, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. What I've got to do, you can't be any part of. Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that. Now, now... Here's looking at you kid.

Humphrey Bogart (Rick): Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

They truly don't make movies like the classics any more.. Don't get me wrong I still love the movies and they do make amazing things happen on the big screen... But there was a magic in the old movies that will never be captured again.. Thankfully we can all relive them time and time again on Tape or DVD..

So .. Grab some popcorn.. Pop in your favorite movie and snuggle up and escape into another world and enjoy!!!

~~Nuttie's and Crows~~

After reading two journals from two amazing, wonderful woman "Judi & Virginia", I was compelled to right this entry. Everyday when I leave the house in the morning I am at ahh of the lovely calls of the crows in the trees .. It always as if they are wishing me a good morning ... and it always makes me smile. When I arrive at work and start that long walk into the store, the whole length of the parking lot I am greeted up close and personal by these beautiful birds.. I too always wish them a good morning.. It fascinates me to watch them as I walk into the store where I work. They are talking and watching me.. It actually makes me feel safer knowing they are there. I find them very peaceful and very beautiful, especially in the early morning light.


Another animal I am drawn to are Nutties.. ok.. I know your wondering what Nutties are.. Well they are squirrels, affectionately called so because of a small park I go to to relax.. to think.. to write.. and the park is always full of nutties.. all over.. They play.. look for food.. watch all that is around them.. I love watching them and being around them.. I even have a stuffed squirrel named... Nuttie of course :-) There are also many nutties around my house.. over the summer one came and visited my often.. we seemed to have this connection.. I was the only one he would let near him.. we watched each other .. and enjoyed each others company. One day after getting back home from work.. I got out of my car and he was sitting in the tree near my car.. it was like he was waiting for me to come home.. when I got out.. I felt him and I look over at the tree and he was looking me square in the eyes and then he starting talking to me.. never breaking eye contact. I have never heard a squirrel be so verbal.. it was like he had so much to tell me.. I couldn't look away.. I just listened and watched him.. and then it seem he said what he needed to say to me .. after one last look he retreated down the tree.. and I never did see my nuttie friend again.. but I think of him often and maybe he was letting me know he had to go.. So I look forward to some day seeing him again.

Photo By Kristal©2005

~~ Art That Feeds The Soul ~~

My hands are those of an artist
Your body a brilliant work of art
I study every inch of you
Etching memories in my heart

I admire you while you’re sleeping
Deep in dreamland you may be
I watch your gentle face
Your dreams a sweet mystery

Gently caressing your body
Feeling the warmth of your skin
I smile at the love I feel
And the pride I have within

You are the love of my life
You are the colors of my soul
No work of art can compare
To the love for you I hold

©Kristal
8-19-03

~~My Favorite Sculpture~~

The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called Nike of Samothrace, is a marble sculpture of the Greek goddess Nike (Victory), discovered in 1863 on the island of Samothrace (Greek: Σαμοθρακη, Samothraki) by the French consul and amateur archaeologist Charles Champoiseau. The statue is now displayed in the Louvre in Paris while a plaster replica stands in the museum at the original location of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on Samothraki.

In Greek the statue is called the Niki tis Samothrakis (Νίκη της Σαμοθράκης) and in French La Victoire de Samothrace. Numerous copies exist in museums and galleries around the world; one of the best-known copies stands, somewhat incongruously, outside the Caesar's Palace casino in Las Vegas.

The Victory is considered one of the great surviving masterpieces of Greek sculpture from the Hellenistic period, despite the fact that the figure is significantly damaged, missing its head and outstretched arms. By an unknown artist (presumably Rhodian in origin), the sculpture is thought to date from the period 220 BC - 190 BC (though some scholars date it as early as 250 BC or as late as 180 BC). Certainly, the parallels with figures and drapery from the Pergamon Altar (dated about 170 BC) seem strong. A partial inscription on the base of the statue includes the word "Rhodhios" (Rhodes), indicating that the statue was commissioned to celebrate a naval victory by Rhodes, at that time the most powerful maritime state in the Aegean. The Samothrace Archaeological Museum, however, says that the statue was an offering donated by the Macedonian general Demetrius I Poliorcetes after his naval victory at Cyprus. This would date the statue to 288 BC at the earliest.

Originally located outside, in a niche in an open air amphitheatre, the sculpture probably served as an altar, within view of the preserved ship of Demetrius I Poliorcetes and its elaborate protective building. The statue stands on the prow of a ship, representing the goddess as she descended from the skies to the triumphant fleet. Rendered in white Parian marble, the larger than life-sized figure (height 3.28 m / 10.7 ft, including the wings) originally formed part of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods. Before losing her arms the Nike was probably blowing a victory paean on a trumpet.

The statue has been reassembled in stages since its original discovery in 1863. The prow was rediscovered by Champoiseau in 1879 and reconstructed in situ before being shipped to Paris. Various other fragments have since been found: in 1950 one of the statue's hands was found on Samothrace and is now in a glass case in the Louvre next to the podium on which the statue stands. Neither the arms nor the head have been found.

The statue shows a mastery of form and movement which has impressed critics and artists since its discovery - the Nike of Samothrace is particularly admired for its naturalistic pose and rendering of the figure's draped garments, depicted as if rippling in a strong sea breeze. It soon became a cultural icon to which artists responded in many different ways. When Filippo Tommaso Marinetti issued his Futurist Manifesto in 1908, he chose to contrast his movement with the supposedly defunct artistic sentiments of the Winged Victory: "A screaming automobile that seems to run on grapeshot is more beautiful than the Winged Victory of Samothrace."
The Victory is one of the Louvre's greatest treasures, and it is today displayed in the most dramatic fashion, at the head of the sweeping Escalier Daru, or the Daru staircase. The loss of the head and arms, while regrettable in a sense, is held by many to enhance the statue's depiction of the supernatural.

This statue was a favorite of Frank Lloyd Wright and he used reproductions of it in a number of his buildings, including Ward Willits House, Darwin D. Martin House and Storer House.

~~Christmas Lights on the beach~~

Every Year off Atlantic Ave. In the resort area of Virginia Beach, Va. Have Holiday lights of the beach. They close a portion of the boardwalk starting at around 2nd street. Where you enter a world of holiday wonder. Before entering your car is greeting by wonderful people where you can order Hot Cocoa, Coffee, holiday cookies and soft drinks delivered right to your car before entering this lighted wonderland. You can stay all nice and cozy drinking your hot cocoa ( my personal favorite) you pay a small fee and receive a CD or cassette hosted by Chick Filet. As you drive slowly through this wonderland your greeted with beautiful music which blends with the themes of the lights. The lights are always a nautical theme with Neptune castle, treasure chest, sea creatures, nativity and of course Santa himself.. Having some summer fun :-)

It is a treat for me having grown up in a little town in Ohio and lived there all my life until I moved here the March before last.. I had been to the ocean before in Fla. when I was little.. but it was something seeing the ocean again after so long.. I love the ocean. Seeing this light display and hearing the sound of christmas carols and the waves crashing on the sandy beach behind the light displays is a pleasure. Here are some photo's we took a few days ago of the lights.