What Is Going Through Your Thought Processes Whenever You ...

People want to improve their home for many reasons. Home improvement requires a big investment of your time and money, so these decisions should not be made lightly. If you have some home improvement ideas that you would like to explore, read these guidelines for things that you should think about.

How often you update your home depends on many things. If you just want to update the cosmetics of your house, like new paint or fixtures, you can do that every five years or so or when you get tired of the old look. Structural aspects of the home do not need to be updated if everything is done to code and is in good shape. When you notice that something is worn, tired-looking and does not seem to improve in appearance after a good cleaning, then it is time for replacement.

Think twice before you invest a lot of money into improving your home to the point that it becomes the fanciest house on your block. You will probably not recoup a lot of what you put into your house. When home buyers look at houses, they look at the average price of houses in a neighborhood and expect to pay not much more than that for any house on that same block, even if the house has a lot of upgrades. If you want to make the improvements so you can enjoy them, then that is just fine. However, do not expect to get a very good return when you decide to sell your house.

Check with your local building authority to see if your home improvement project requires a permit. Usually, anything that alters the structure of a house will need a permit. Projects involving electrical wiring and plumbing will also require a permit. If you are hiring someone to do the job, the permits are the responsibility of the contractor.

When to update your home is a person choice. Some people will upgrade only when the existing configuration is in disrepair and no longer functioning the way it should. Others might want to upgrade simply because they want a different look. When you come across something that is not to code, that should be updated. But for the most part, the frequency of updates is up to you.

There are home improvements that will give you a good return for your money. That means when it comes time to resell, buyers will be willing to pay a little more because of the additional upgrades. For instance, new countertops and appliances in your kitchen are desirable. A remodeled bathroom is also a good investment. A room addition will boost up your home value. A poor investment would be to add a swimming pool in your back yard. Many buyers do not want the hassle of keeping up with a swimming pool. For one thing, extra precautions will need to be taken if there are young children around.

You can try tackling your home improvement projects if you have the skills and knowledge to do the job. After you finish your project, it can quite fulfilling to look back at your handiwork.

If you want to find out more about different kinds of home improvement tips, then read more about robotic vacuum cleaner or learn more about speed cleaning now.

Source: http://cathedralrockpublishing.com/2012/09/what-is-going-through-your-thought-processes-whenever-you-plan-for-renovations/

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Czech hops harvest to be down by 26 pct

PRAGUE (AP) ? Fear not, beer lovers! The Czech hops harvest is expected to plummet by around a quarter this year due to bad weather ? but there's plenty of stock to quench the huge thirst both at home and abroad.

As well as being home to more beer drinkers per capita than anywhere else in the world, the Czech Republic is also one of the top producers of hops ? the dried seed cones that give beer its bitter taste and aroma. Their hops are highly sought after and exported to about 80 countries, including Japan, China, Germany and Russia.

The Hop Growers Union of the Czech Republic said Friday preliminary figures show a yield of about 0.95 - 1.00 metric tons per hectare compared with the average of 1.11 metric tons per hectare. They cited freezing temperatures in February and a drought in spring.

The country's overall production is expected to fall by 26 percent to 4,500 metric tons from 6,088 metric tons in 2011.

Authorities say there are enough supplies following the exceptionally high harvests of the previous two years ? and that prices are unlikely to rise.

"This year's harvest won't have any significant impact on the price of hops," said Bohumil Pazler, the chairman of the union.

Hops, soaring seven 7 meters (23 feet) into the air and supported by wire, have been cultivated on Czech territory for over 1,000 years. The heartland near the western towns of Zatec and Rakovnik provides an ideal climate for the local dominant brand known as Saaz, a fine aroma hop with a low concentration of alpha acids which give beer its bitter flavor.

Almost 80 percent of hops production is exported ? and more than two thirds of that is Saaz, which the Czechs call the "Roll Royce" among hops.

"The Czech Saaz is the best in the world," Jiri Vesely, the Czech Beer and Malt Association executive director said.

In 2007, Saaz was granted the EU's Protected Designation of Origin label as the top hops brand. It is used by brewers for premium products.

Exports to the United States crashed to virtually zero in the 1990s after the beer giant Anheuser Busch stopped using Czech hops as a response to the ongoing trademark dispute with the Czech state-run brewer Budejovicky Budvar and a refusal of the Czech government to sell Budvar to its U.S. rival.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/czech-hops-harvest-down-26-pct-123828888--finance.html

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MARKET REPORT: Xcite Energy rush in the North Sea

By Geoff Foster

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Excitable punters have helped shares of North Sea oil explorer Xcite Energy gush more than 40 per cent over the past month. They chased them up further to 112.5p yesterday amid continuing speculation that Norwegian oil and gas giant Statoil is stalking the company, before closing 6.5p better at 112p on turnover of 7m shares.

Ever since Cairn Energy, 13p up at 287p, splashed out ?414m on Nautical Petroleum in June to bolster its presence in the North Sea, analysts have been expecting more corporate activity in the area.

Xcite is a likely target. It owns the Bentley heavy oil field, and its recoverable reserves are around 160m barrels of oil. The total oil in place is estimated at about 690m barrels.

JKX Oil and Gas, on the other hand, remained friendless and flat at 85p. The stock has been in the doghouse since the surprise resignation of chairman Ian Prosser in July to ?pursue other interests?.

Elsewhere, the market awaited the content of Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke?s speech at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for any clues on further stimulus measures. When Wall Street opened 80.60 points higher, the Footsie responded with a gain of 43 points, before closing 7.97 points down at 5,711.48.

Dealers will be glad to see the back of August and are hopeful that the return of traders from their summer holidays on Monday will help volumes improve. Although they will have to do without Wall Street, which is closed for Labor Day.

?

Data from Peter Lenardos, analyst at RBC Capital Markets, shows that the average daily value of shares traded on the London Stock Exchange in August was down 13 per cent on the month, at ?3.14bn, and 49 per cent lower than August 2011?s ?6.17bn.

Meanwhile, Oriel Securities? strategist Darren Winder tells us that the Footsie is trading more than 10pc higher than a year ago. Including the contribution from dividends, the total return from UK equities has been well over 5 per cent so far in 2012. He continues to forecast returns of more than 10 per cent for the year.

Awaiting confirmation of a contract from the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission in India to supply temporary power in Delhi, Aggreko jumped 66p to a 52-week peak of 2374p. It ended the day 55p higher at 2360p.

Still unable to operate its mines in South Africa following violence at its Marikana platinum mine, Lonmin succumbed to renewed nervous selling and closed 11.5p cheaper at a 52-week low of 573p.

Recovery hopes helped Dixons Retail touch 18.07p and close a fraction dearer at 17.55p. Philip Dorgan, analyst at Panmure Gordon, expects a decent first-quarter sales performance when the group reports on Thursday. He says it is improving its products, its stores and its operations, and that it will easily repay its bonds in November. His target? price is 28p.

Frankie & Benny?s-to-Chiquito chain Restaurant Group rose 7.5p to 329.5p following solid interim figures. Pre-tax profits improved 7 per cent to ?26.1m on a 7.5 per cent rise in revenues to ?252m. It opened eight new sites during the first six months and has opened an additional five in the second half so far.

Upmarket housebuilder Berkeley Group erected a gain of 8p to 1444p ahead of Wednesday?s AGM. Analysts anticipate that the board will have to answer searching questions about the Long Term Investment Plan (LTIP) agreed at last year?s meeting.

The maximum potential of LTIP would grant ?280m worth of shares to directors at the current share price on completion of the ?1.7bn capital return.

Torotrak, the developer of novel automotive transmission systems, was sold down to 34.15p on news of chief executive Dick Elsy?s departure before rallying to close 0.5p up at 38.5p. Boss since 2006, he is leaving to head a new UK high-value manufacturing initiative and will be replaced by Jeremy Deering, commercial director.

NomuraCode has a target price of 63p and says the change does not signal problems or represent discontinuity.

Despite reporting interim profits ahead of expectations and a 10 per cent dividend increase to 1.72p, bwin.party digital entertainment declined 4.9p to 94.1p. Scrappy selling followed accompanying news that current trading is mixed with average daily net revenue down 8 per cent compared to the second-quarter, reflecting its seasonality and the late start to the German Bundesliga.

Beowulf Mining firmed 0.25p to 9.75p after reporting record iron ore grades from its? first nine holes at the Kallak North drill? programme in Sweden.

Online dating services company Cupid, recently rumoured to be a US takeover target, put on 4p to 207p ahead of Monday?s half-year figures. Management said in July that it was confident of meeting full-year expectations.

Placed on the junior AIM market by broker Fox Davies at 20p, shares of Fox Marble touched 21.9p and closed at 21.62p.

It is a UK holding company of a group which has been granted mining licences in respect of five quarries in Kosovo.

The ?9.65m raised in the flotation will help fund its plans to commence quarrying operations at two of its quarries, build a processing plant and develop a sales network for the marble.

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Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/markets/article-2196486/MARKET-REPORT-Xcite-Energy-rush-North-Sea.html?ITO=1490

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Free Facebook for Business Class at Spring Lake District Library

Spring Lake, MI--Spring Lake District Library is offering a free Facebook for Business class on Friday, Sept. 14 at 2:30 p.m. Learn how your business or organization can use the social networking site Facebook to create a business profile page. Use the page to communicate with existing customers, attract new ones, and promote your product or services.

Attendees will learn the basic do?s and don?ts of setting up a business page and are encouraged to bring their questions. Pre-registration is requested. Register online at www.sllib.org or call the library at 616.846.5770. The library is located at 123 E. Exchange St. in Spring Lake.

Source: http://grandhaven.wzzm13.com/news/business/72898-free-facebook-business-class-spring-lake-district-library

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[APP] Activision Anthology Available in the Google Play Store

Experience the classics that started the video game revolution! Now, on Android!Download Activision? Anthology to receive the classic hit KABOOM!? for FREE, and collect up to 45 classic Activision? and Imagic games!
Pitfall!?, Kaboom!?, River Raid? ? everyone remembers these great Activision games on the 2600 console. Now, for the first time ever on your Android devices, relive these classics and experience the phenomenon that started the video-game revolution. This one-of-a-kind compilation offers the entire Activision 2600 catalog in one app, with controls designed and optimized for each game. Each game is presented alongside the original box art and manuals for retro lovers, and features Google Play support and the ability to earn digital versions of the famous game patches!

FEATURES:
? Get the action classic KABOOM! for FREE
? Access to 45 classic Activision and Imagic games including PITFALL, RIVER RAID, THE ACTIVISION? DECATHLON, BARNSTORMING?, STAMPEDE?, PITFALL II, ENDURO?, DEMON ATTACK, and many more!
? Choose from multiple control schemes to play as you like to play
? Enjoy full Google Play integration including leaderboards and achievements!
? Earn digital versions of the renowned Activision game patches offered in the 1980's
? Features original cartridge and box art, original game manuals, tips and strategies from the original game designers, and more
? In-app game purchases unlock across devices associated with the player's account
? Taunt your friends by showing off your high scores on Facebook
? Buy once, play any time!

Complete your collection and keep these classic retro games alive for generations to come. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

-Your Friends at Activision

?2012 Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

Source: http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-games/222591-app-activision-anthology-available-google-play-store.html

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HOME IMPROVEMENT WALTIP.COM: A Culture of Corruption

----PARIS,TEXAS, TOPIX FORUM DISCUSSION---We reported on the PEDC?s (Paris Economic Development Corporation) plan to get a coordinated plan through a unified plan by paying a Gregg County, Texas, firm to act as "third-party facilitators" at a meeting or two.
Which, in and by itself, is a heck?ova plan ?
Taxpayers, who pay the PEDC?s bills, coughed up at least $1,710 for the consultants. Evidently, an outside firm was needed to ?facilitate? the meeting to get a plan to get a plan, because. . . ?
Surely, the PEDC doesn?t believe no one in our Paris-Lamar County area knows how. . .?
The PEDC also have taxpayers on the hook to pay for a study by an Oklahoma retail development ?expert? they hired, and to pay for a long-term contract for his help in soliciting retail businesses to Paris (see Drowning on Dry Land).
Why is the PEDC even considering bringing in competition for local merchants and businesses? They have enough problems without the PEDC adding to them. The PEDC should be helping, not bringing in competition. It is as if the PEDC has never heard of the ongoing retail campaign urging everyone to "Shop Paris". (But, why is the PEDC involved in ?retail development?? It?s NOT something they're chartered to do...)
A PEDC employee, a ?community development specialist?, has moved or is moving to Georgia. The PEDC will pay her $800 per month for the next 10-months to handle "electronic media? and to maintain the PEDC website. But according to previous reports, the website and its maintenance is being done by CDSuites of Longview, Texas ( see job_creation).
And, no, it is not the money: It is the thinking that leads to the actions -
Taxpayers, through the PEDC, have guaranteed for ten years, $5.8 million for the financing of existing and new debt and around $1.8 million for operating capital for a local firm. The firm?s headquarters are in Paris, but they also have offices in Dallas, Waco, Sulphur Springs, and other Texas communities, as well as in North Carolina.
In exchange, we?re getting a promise of 25 new jobs within the next five years. And the PEDC has given a $105,000 ?cash incentive? for another 10 jobs at the company?s headquarters.
No report of how much money or what kind of guarantees, if any, taxpayers in the firm?s other locations chipped in or provided.
Shouldn?t Paris taxpayers know if the guarantees and/or operating capital they?re providing will be used to help underwrite the firm?s business operations in those communities? How could it not help . . . ?
But, how would we know?
These PEDC actions signal it can do what it wants, and spend the taxpayer?s money for whatever purpose they want, as long as they have some kind of semi-plausible deniability. This is a moral hazard, and weakens confidence in what they say and do.
In all these actions, the PEDC is funding jobs and job creation opportunities for communities ? and states ? in competition against us!
And the PEDC calls what they?re doing ?Economic Development"?
Our question is, ?For whom??

Source: http://waltip.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-culture-of-corruption.html

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The Case Against DNA

Good thing you're not my lawyer.

If they can't provide something which refutes the prosecution's case, then they have failed to instill doubt, and the cell phone isn't close to what is needed for that.

The defense doesn't have to "provide" anything, and certainly doesn't have to "refute" anything, as the definition of refute [merriam-webster.com] is:

1: to prove wrong by argument or evidence : show to be false or erroneous

The very act of refutation is "proving wrong." You cannot refute unless you prove, and there is no, repeat no burden of proof on the defense. The defense does not have to prove the prosecution wrong, or show that any of their evidence or facts are incorrect. The defense can cede every fact and piece of evidence the prosecution can provide but simply raise enough doubt that this evidence is sufficient to reasonably prove their case. The defense can be successful simply telling another tale with the same evidence.

For instance, the police arrive on the scene to find bigstrat2003 and zzsmirkzz locked in room with a dead prostitute. A knife is buried in the back of the prostitute's neck. Both people are wearing gloves, neither has blood spatter on them, and neither of them are talking. The prosecution claims "bigstrat2003 did it! He was in the room, he had the opportunity, and bigstrat2003 bought the knife earlier that day!" You don't have to prove you weren't in the room. Don't have to prove you didn't buy the knife. You can cede you had the opportunity. You don't have to even say "I didn't do it." All the defense has to say is, "Isn't it possible bigstrat2003 gave the knife to zzsmirkzz, and zzsmirkzz killed him?" Done, reasonable doubt established, and bigstrat2003 walks. No "refutation" required.

Does that make sense now? You don't have to prove or refute anything to establish "reasonable doubt." Just tell another story with the same facts that could be "reasonably" true. However, the more evidence the prosecution has, and the stronger that evidence is, the harder it becomes to tell another story that fits the facts and is still reasonable. If 30 million people watched you murder someone on live TV while it was recorded from 15 different camera angles, and police apprehended you immediately, you could cede all those facts and claim it was not, in fact you, but a doppleganger from an alternate dimension who switched places back with you immediately after committing the crime, but that would hardly be "reasonable."

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/PDdCPFVuw3E/the-case-against-dna

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This Time Lapse of Rio De Janeiro Makes It Look Like a Beautiful Make Believe World [Video]

Say what you want about Rio De Janeiro possibly being undeserving of hosting a World Cup and a Olympics but you can't deny that the city can be vowel stretching beeeaaauuu-tee-ful. I'm not kidding. It looks like another world. Avatar with a beach. Watch it. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/X6j9GyhOBDI/this-time-lapse-of-rio-de-janeiro-makes-it-look-like-a-beautiful-make-believe-world

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Shopping for Pet Supplies in the Best Online Pet Stores ...

Responsible pet owners know that their duties do not end with providing food and shelter for their companion. Owning pets means you also need to make sure that they will live in a stress-free environment and will receive lots of love and care from you and your family. This means that you have to shop for various pet supplies and what better way to look for them than to browse in the best online pet stores?

petco

Petco

Petco is one of the most famous online pet stores in the Internet today.? This pet retail store has its headquarters in San Diego, California and sells live animals and pet supplies; it also offers pet-related services to their customers. They have over 1000 stores across the country and their products are also sold online. They have products and services that cater to do dogs, cats, fish, small animals, ferrets, reptiles, and birds. If you are looking for an actual Petco store, you can use their website?s store locator. Here, you can also shop for products by animal and by category. You can also look for top rated products, branded products and products on sale. They also offer vaccinations, pet insurance and training services for dog owners. For those who are looking for natural, organic and high-end products for their pets, they can look at Unleashed by Petco for their needs. They also offer gift cards and free shipping if your purchases amount to $49 and above.

petsmart

PetSmart

If you are looking for online pet stores that offer specialty pet supplies and services, look no further than PetSmart. This pet retail store has its headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona but it also caters to customers from Canada and Puerto Rico. Searching for an actual PetSmart store is easy with their website?s Store Locator. You can also use the same service if you are looking for the nearest Doggie Day Camp or PetsHotel in your area. When you shop in their website, you will find that they offer a wide range of products that cater to the needs of dogs, cats, fish, birds, reptiles, small pets, and live pets. These products are categorized according to supplies & training, food & health, and general care. Customers can also avail of the PetPerks Card which is part of PetSmart?s membership program that allows you to take advantage of exclusive offers and sales. They also offer gift cards and e-gift certificates. Standard shipping rates apply but buying certain products can give you a discount.

Pet Store.com

Pet Store.com is one of the online pet stores that transact business with their customers online. They offer a wide range of products for dogs, cats, fish, reptiles, birds, small animals, and pond animals. If you are on a budget and want to purchase affordable items, you can visit their Pet Store Specials where they offer a low price guarantee and a $5.99 fixed shipping rate. Some of these discounted items include pet bowls, dog toys, treats, and cat collars. The website also has special offers such as dog grooming savings, cat toys specials, deals on dog doors and gates, bird food, and aquarium kits. You can also shop items by brand name or by their arrival to the store. They accept various payment methods such as credit card payment (Visa, MasterCard, American Express), PayPal, Google Wallet, and Bill Me Later. If your purchased items amount to $75 or more, you are entitled to free shipping but some exclusion terms may apply.

world pet store

World Pet Store

The World Pet Store is another online pet store that deals with customers through online transactions. The people who run the website believe that pets are more than just animals, they are considered members of the family. They offer a wide range of products for dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, fish, and small animals. Aside from these, they also give information for pet owners such as the different types of training methods and the importance of having pet insurance. They accept payment through Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. Customers will be charged with a flat shipping rate of $9.95; however, if the purchased items amount to $100 or more, shipping is free (subject to some restrictions).

Source: http://www.petshoppingforums.com/shopping-for-pet-supplies-in-the-best-online-pet-stores/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=shopping-for-pet-supplies-in-the-best-online-pet-stores

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The Family Business: ?Running Away from Home? by Kathryn Kysar ...

Kathryn Kysar. Photo courtesy of the author

Editor?s note: For this installment of our series on the marriage of art and daily life, poet Kathryn Kysar writes eloquently about the 21st century juggle of creative work and motherhood. Specifically, she talks about running away from home, the need for peeling away the responsibilities of domesticity, layer by layer, to reveal the artist within.

A recalcitrant, cupboard-slamming teenager sulks in my kitchen, blasting hard rock into his ear buds while eating his third snack of the afternoon, tortilla chip crumbs flying around the table. His exuberant younger sister shares her every action??and now I am folding the paper crane?s neck!?? from the coffee-table-turned-art-studio as I sit at the dining room table, trying to write.

Before I had children, I lived in a large third-floor apartment overlooking the trees and lights on Hennepin Avenue. When I needed to work on a project, I simply changed the message on the answering machine and gave up cooking and cleaning for a week. But now, in my charming St. Paul bungalow, something is always in disrepair, in need of my attention ? the garden, the laundry, the mismatched Tupperware, the outgrown winter clothes, as well as the two kids.

I have always been a creative writing sprinter, a poetry manuscript-binger. Some people can slowly and steadily put in a few hours a day, but I work best with a deadline and a few empty days alone with my laptop. My brain cannot easily follow a complex creative thread with multiple interruptions. I need to be able to let my mind amble, freed from worry about what to make for dinner in 45 minutes or that email I should send to my child?s teacher sometime today. ?I write best when I can be still, thoroughly immersed in my thoughts. This doesn?t easily happen at home.

I tried renting an office, a room of my own. I shared the space with a wonderful woman, but the office was hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and spooky at night. The packing up, parking, and unpacking consumed so much of my precious writing time. When I was finally seated at the writing studio?s desk, my teaching and household to-do lists persistently nattered away in my mind, hard to silence.

When my children were little, I feared I would never write again. I asked successful women writers how they wrote when their children were small; often the answer was ?I don?t remember,? or, worse yet, ?After my partner went to work, the kids got on the school bus, and the day stretched before me?? It was a local poet/novelist/professor who said the magic words: ?Run away from home.? She told me she would get a hotel room a few miles away from her house, or go to a local bed and breakfast for 48 hours and write in binges. She said this was how she completed several novels.

Clare?s Well ? a retreat center operated by Franciscan sisters in Little Falls, Minnesota. Photo courtesy of Clare?s Well.

I received a month-long residency at the Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Red Wing, which meant working out an elaborate child care schedule. I went home about every five days, but when I was at the Anderson Center, I lived by myself in a glorious room with two walls of sunny windows overlooking the road and surrounding lawns. ?A chef cooked dinner for the residents every night, and if we wanted something from the grocery store, we could just tell her, and she would pick it up for us. It took the first week to silence my mental nattering; I thought deeply about my life the second week. And then, by weeks three and four, I found could write, really write, easily and with focus and skill. It was as if my domestic life had to be peeled from me to reveal the writer.

Most of my female visual artist friends chose not to have children; they said it would be impossible to make art and care for kids. But women writers seem to fool themselves into thinking they can easily create both art and people. Perhaps that?s because we think we do not need studios to do our work. Before we have children, it is easy to entertain the fantasy that we will simply write at home, industrious while our future children take long daily naps. There is a picture of me at my baby shower, pretending to type on computer while wearing a wraparound pillow, demonstrating how I could write and nurse at the same time. ?That baby cried every night from 5 to 11 p.m., and I never slept more than two hours at a time for seven months. My brain was slow and foggy throughout her infancy. Creating good writing was just not possible.

One smart woman writer friend wrote very slowly for many years after she became a parent, patiently spending a decade to write a novel. But then, once her children were grown, she spent her summers in rented offices where she would binge-write 12 hours a day, while her husband graciously handled the cooking and household chores. Finally, now that long-deserved success has found her, she has built a shed in her back yard, desk and day bed side-by-side, a nod to the need to let her mind rest and wander, as well as work. Now, she can run away from home by crossing her yard.

I have, at last, found a wonderful place where I can be alone, letting my mind to wind around poems rather than grocery lists. ?It is a ?spirituality farm? run by some very hip Franciscan sisters at an affordable retreat center an hour outside of the Twin Cities. The sisters provide meals and occasional conversation, and I stay in a small cabin where I can read, drink tea, spread my poems on the floor, and write. Relieved of caring for others or preparing my meals, I am able to focus totally on my writing. When lacking inspiration, I am free to wander the forest and meadow on the grounds.

On the morning after I returned home from my most recent writing retreat: I washed the dishes, served breakfast, washed the dishes again, drove the kids to the fencing club, attended a coach/parent meeting, drove home, cooked lunch, washed the dishes, put in a load of laundry, and then it was 2 p.m. ? half the day already over, and I was still wearing the clothes I had slept in. Had I written a poem, drafted an essay, or sent something off for publication? Those tasks would just need to wait until the next time I could run away from home.
______________________________________________________

About the author: Kathryn Kysar is the author of two books of poetry, Pretend the World and Dark Lake, and the editor of Riding Shotgun: Women Write About Their Mothers. She teaches creative writing, composition, and literature at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and lives with her family in St. Paul.

______________________________________________________

About THE FAMILY BUSINESS column: In partnership with the Walker Art Center?s Education and Community Programs department, mnartists.org publishes an almost-monthly series of personal essays, interviews and exchanges with and by local artists ? ?The Family Business.? We hope these dispatches from the intersection of art and real life will offer a window on the lived experience of Minnesota?s working artists, in their own voices, and on the day-by-day juggle of art-making with the rest of their responsibilities: kids & family, day-jobs and other everyday obligations. From grocery shopping to daycare, caring for older relatives to community activism, we aim to offer snapshots of what a life in the arts really looks like, as seen through the eyes of the creative people living it every day.

Source: http://blogs.walkerart.org/ecp/2012/08/30/the-family-business-running-away-from-home-by-kathryn-kysar/

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