Month: May 2011

Beads from Rose Petals

rose petals

Have you ever wondered why the string of prayer beads used by Catholics is called a rosary? Well, the answer lies in the bush outside your window. Once, the beads in rosaries were made from rose petals. Many modern rosaries are made from wood, silver, or glass, but it is still possible to buy rose beads. Or, if you are a rose gardener, you can simply make your own. These beautiful and fragrant beads make unique jewelery and a wonderfully personalized gift.

rose beads

Making rose beads from rose bushes (actually, you will use the rose petals from the roses themselves) is not really that hard. It is also a great project that you can do with your kids this summer. Here is how to make rose beads from rose bushes.

Here is what you’ll need:
* Several quarts of rose petals. This is an excellent use for the flowers from your rosebushes that are just starting to wilt.
* A food processor or grinder
* Plastic wrap
* A cast iron skillet
* Thin nails

First, grind or pulverize the petals thoroughly. Then spread them in the skillet, cover airtight with plastic wrap, and set aside.

Once a day for 10-12 days, scrape the mixture out and regrind it. Eventually the petals will turn into a dark, putty like substance. Now you can mold the paste into beads of any shape you like.

Put a nail in each one where you would like it to be threaded. Leave the nails in the beads and set them in a sunny spot to dry for a couple days.

Remove the nails and, voila! You have rose beads. Happy Jewelery Making!

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Control Bleeding

Regardless how severe, all bleeding can be controlled. If left uncontrolled, bleeding may lead to shock or even death. Most bleeding can be stopped before the ambulance arrives at the scene. While you’re performing the steps for controlling bleeding, you should also be calling for an ambulance to respond. Bleeding control is only part of the equation. The first step in controlling a bleeding wound is to plug the hole. Blood needs to clot in order to start the healing process and stop the bleeding. Just like ice won’t form on the rapids of a river, blood will not coagulate when it’s flowing.

The best way to stop it is to…stop it. Put pressure directly on the wound. If you have some type of gauze, use it. Gauze pads hold the blood on the wound and help the components of the blood to stick together, promoting clotting. If you don’t have gauze, terrycloth towels work almost as well.

If the gauze or towel soaks through with blood, add another layer. Nevertake off the gauze. Peeling blood soaked gauze off a wound removes vital clotting agents and encourages bleeding to resume.

Once bleeding is controlled, take steps to treat the victim for shock.

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Ice Cube Necklace

This is a favorite among kids:

You’ll need:

string or yarn
large beads or buttons
ice tray
water
time, prepare ahead of time (kids hate to wait!)

String the beads, and arrange so that each bead sits in a cavity in the tray. Add water, don’t overfill. Freeze.

When frozen remove and tie around your neck. Ahhh.

step by step instructions here

Prepare a Chicken

	1. Remove the legs Place the chicken breast side up on a solid cutting board. Pull one leg away from the body and cut through the skin between the body and both sides of the thigh.Bend the whole leg firmly away from the body until the ball of the thighbone pops from the hip socket. Cut between the ball and the socket to separate the leg. Repeat with the other leg.
	2. Divide The Legs Place the chicken legskin side down on the cutting board. Cut down firmly through the joint between the drumstick and the thigh.
	3. Remove The Wings With chicken on it’s back, remove wing by cutting inside of wing just over joint. Pull wing away from body and cut from down through the skin and the joint. Repeat with the other wing.
	4. Cut Carcass in Half Cut through the cavity of the bird from the tail end and slice through the thin area around the shoulder joint. Cut parallel to the backbone and slice the bones of the rib cage. Repeat on the opposite side of the backbone.
	5. Remove The Breast Pull apart the breast and the back. Cut down trough the shoulder bones to detach the breast from the back. Cut the back into two pieces by cutting across the backbone where the ribs end.
	6. Cut Breast In Half You may leave the breast whole if your recipe requires. To cut in in half, use a strong, steady pressure and cut downward along the length of the breastbone to separate the breast into two pieces.

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Remember a Name

1. Commit

Begin by making a commitment — a conscious decision — to remember people’s names.

2. Concentrate

You can only remember what you observe in the first place. If you are distracted or if you aren’t paying attention, you won’t register the person’s name so you can’t possibly remember it. Concentrate, then, on 1) paying attention to the person’s name when you first hear it, and 2) forming an impression of the person.

3. Repeat

Repetition helps engrave the name in your memory.

Use the name immediately.

Repeat it silently to yourself.

Comment on the name, if possible.

Use it occasionally in the conversation without overdoing it.

Use it when leaving.

Write it down afterwards.

4. Associate

Try to make an association between the person’s face and an image the name suggests. If you exaggerate the image — make it larger, say — and give it movement — have it slam into some feature of the person’s face, for example — you will make the image even more memorable.

more ideas and info here