Chinese Students Built "iPad" for his Girlfriend

What is the best way to show a girl you love her? Sure, you can always buy the iPad, but why not build one for him?

Chinese art students wanted Wei Xinlong to demonstrate its commitment to its long-distance girlfriend by building a tablet PC with touch screen in their daily life dates for video chat. This way, when he left to work in Shenzhen, they will be able to stay in touch easier.

As a student at the University of North normal in Changchun, Jilin, Wei was familiar with electronics and engineering, and found most of the answers to the questions I had online. He bought most parts of the unit second-hand market and dismantled laptop recovered. Even incorporates some of the parties as a conductor of heat from a soda can and an aluminum bar. Wei has been dedicated to the unit for 10 days before the end, and even managed to put an Apple logo with rhinestones on it.

Characteristics of its "iPad" includes touch screen, integrated camera, microphone, four USB slots, a LAN port and works as a lithium battery. It may be a step back from Apple's best selling product, but still not able to read e-books, watch movies, listen to music and even play video games. It costs only 800 yuan Wei (126 dollars) to build than the price of about $ 500 Apple iPhone.

Wei remarkable final product is really a representation of hard work and dedication. It will definitely strengthen their long distance relationship and her boyfriends around the world to shame.

http://ax3battery.com/2011/11/11/chinese-art-student-builds-home-made-ipad-for-his-girlfriend/

Prayer Request

 

I am going to keep this short and to the point. I am asking you to pray for my mom. She has Chronic Kidney Disease and is in the final stages of the disease. She went into the hospital last Fri. with Pneumonia, and a Blood Infection, and is now on Kidney Dialysis. We are hoping with treatment she will be able to overcome these complications. Please keep my mom in your prayers, and us her family. This is a very difficult time for all of us. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and most importantly, your prayers.

Dianne

Thankfulness Is a Lifestyle

Today is a beautiful day with temperatures that I thought sure would not be around again until next year.  The snow has mostly melted and it’s Thanksgiving, I’m very grateful to God for another day to live and love.  I don’t think I’ll have the pictures of our bountiful feast until after Thanksgiving but let me tell you it smells like heaven about now!  Aside from the trees being barren it looks like an earlier day in fall today.  I love going out and just letting things capture my eye as I hold my camera.  I like organic photography quite a bit.  Gratitude for the moment we’ve been given brings out the best pictures if you ask me.  Sometimes I go out and find things still growing that surprises me.  I was actually going behind our backyard fence to take pictures of some of the leaves therewhen this mushroom caught my eye.  You just never know what you might find if you look for it.  Here the weather can be deceptive because it can be warm…much like today and then very suddenly be brutally cold.  Some of the leaves were yet again shocked this year…not knowing whether to simply die or change colors.  We had some trees that changed in only a couple of days leaving us with some brilliant yellows to enjoy.  All of this leads me inevitably to the cat tails in the pond not far from our back yard.  I think they age beautifully don’t you…at least they age with some personality!  All of this gets me into the mood for the season we are in.  Winter really isn’t my favorite season but without it I doubt spring, summer and fall would be there so I’m thankful for it none the less.  I’ve lived in countries that don’t have the changing of the season..except adding rain to the heat and it’s a whole different thing.  I am now in a land of profound seasonal shifts so I’ll take the cue from the plants and animals and move along with it.  Living next to the prairie makes me learn to love the colors even if they are hues of brown and gold…after this makes the blue sky and clouds all the more beautiful.  My grandmother on my Mom’s side used to dry and press flowers but here in the field nature does it naturally.  I’m thankful because I am able to go out and see this.  I’m thankful to have a beautiful family that I love dearly…they stick out in a dreary world much like this colorful late blossom.  I’m grateful for those that God has placed in my life that make my perspective far more amazing then if I did not know them.  I’m thankful for all that makes this life so colorful and amazing.  Above all I’m grateful to God for His kindness and amazing love for us.  I don’t have to understand or know what I’m looking at to be appreciate its beauty.  This is the gift of faith that God has given.  I may not know everything or even close to it but I know the One who does.  May this gratitude fill you all, not just for today but every day.  May it be our lifestyle.  Happy Thanksgiving all!

Still Gardening In A Winter Wonderland

We have over 1 1/2 feet of snow.  But that doesn’t stop the gardening at our place.  Plants are still growing in the greenhouse.  So follow me as we take a glimpse of our winter wonderland outside and what’s growing in the greenhouse.

Our garden house built into the hillside sits just below our log home.  It is more then just a greenhouse we also have complete guest living area in it as well as a sauna. For more all about our greenhouse visit my posts Building Dreams The Garden House Part 1 and Building Dreams the Garden House Part 2 where you can see us building the garden house in stages and a better look inside.

I had moved all my container tomatoes and most my flowers into the green house in late October.  Here in November with snow outside and temperatures as low as –20 Celsius or 5 Fahrenheit the plants are thriving.  I also transplanted some lettuce that has already bolted.

 

Nasturtiums peeking out the window at the snow outside.

 

On this particular day the sun was shining, heating the greenhouse to a warm tropical climate.  Our other source of heat is a wood stove that has to be lit if the sun doesn’t come out during the day and nights are expected to go below 15 degrees or below –10 Celsius.  This day I was working in a tank top.  Bathed in the sunlight tomatoes are also enjoying days like this and continue to turn red.

  

 

More flowers are still blooming.

  

 

My little winter get away place. Where the garden still grows.

 

Outside my garden is blanketed with snow.  It came so early this year that many of our fruit and ornamental trees still have their leaves on.

 

But hidden under this blanket of snow along with another layer of cloth lies the last of my lettuce.  I was able to harvest enough for another 5 or 6 more salads.   I still have some Kale undercover in a couple places left in the garden for fresh winter greens. 

 

But when the sun is out this is really where I love to be.  Outside in our winter wonderland.

 

We have no proper snow plough this winter, it got broke last winter so it is done towing a V wood plough with our 4X4 truck, going down our driveway it went wacky the 1st run going back and forth.  How we have gone back in time.  Here also is a photo from over 20 years ago with the same V wood plough loaded with friends and their kids to help add  weight after a heavy snow fall.  Those were the days when keeping the driveway cleared was a fun thing to do.  There was no electricity, running water, TV or internet.  I use to be so adventurous back in the first years we leaved here.  We also have one of the best sledding runs on our driveway as you can see.  But with my back my sledding days are over. 

 

 

We still have our neighbour's cows here which hubby goes down and feeds in the morning and I go down and feed in the evening.  I really enjoy the time out and watching them munch on the hay.  They will be picked up soon.

 

While out this sunny day I was trying to find a little texture on something and found this lovely aspen tree and realized there was even a glimpse of the house in the background.

 

Well here I am with my snow pusher clearing all our trails to all the buildings around the house.  For anyone with back problems get on of these.  It requires no lifting of the snow.  I do about 200 feet of walking paths and clear parking for 2 cars.  It takes about 1 hour if less then 5 inches.  About 2 hours if we get a bigger dump.  I always start the trails extra wide so later when the snow gets real deep I don’t have high narrow sides. 

Well I did finally see the specialist about my back.  I do have a partially slipped disc.  As I haven’t pushed myself doing to much for almost a year now and I haven’t had any problems.  But as I would like to get back into shape again he recommended I do yoga 5 times a week and later start doing exercises on one of those big balls to strengthen my core area.  I am soooo out of shape from being afraid to do anything till I saw the specialist.  At least now I know what exercises I can do to help my back and not hurt it.  I found on You Tube Yoga with Esther Ekhart who has many yoga videos to follow with.  Right now I am doing Beginning Yoga part 1 and part 2 of a 5 part series.   Perfect for a slow start and getting myself limbered back up again.  Finding the time to squeeze that in isn’t always easy.   Of course I will always have to be careful and not over due or lift heavy stuff anymore.  So even though the snow is here my days are filled and now hubby is on the computer more every evening.   We won’t be heading south to the desert at the Salton Sea in California till almost February so I still have lots of winter here to experience ahead of me.

May all your experiences in life be varied and something new to learn and have a

Good Morning…  Good Afternoon…   Good Night…
Whatever it is to you.

Photos and Words
by
Here I Am/Carrie

The Birdhouse Café Series

 

Male Cardinal Enjoying The Berries

 

There aren’t many leaves left on the trees, but there are berries, and birds. That is one thing I like about this time of year. You can see and spot a bird even in the distance. One thing for sure, you can’t miss the beautiful red Cardinals. They are one of my most favorite song birds. I love listening to them whistling. This time of the year has so much beauty to see, and hear. All one has to do is look beyond the bare trees, and see God’s little treasures no matter the Season.

It always takes me awhile to adjust to this time of year. It is like I have to learn to refocus and look beyond the grey skies, and dark clouds that hover above, and the colder weather.

The time really does fly by and even if the weather is cold, and sometimes damp, I am reminded of a few things about this time of year that I love.

I love sitting by my small fireplace curled up with a good book, and a nice hot beverage and  my little dog lying by the fire enjoying the warmth, keeping me company.

I love waking up in the morning feeling all warm and cozy and the feel of  flannelette sheets.

I love the seasonal foods such as homemade soups and stews.

There are others things I like about this time of year also.

So I will try not to dwell on the things I don’t like , and make the best of the things I do love. I do have my moments like everyone else but I am reminded of so many things I am thankful for.

Hope to find you all well. Hope this week is kind to you all.

Love and Care

Dianne :)

 

And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it of your own free will ... Lev 2:29.

Fallen Again

I finally am through my archives from the trips we had this summer and am now entering the fall photos.  I am not much of a people photographer but I have a few here of the time that my dear brother was here from Africa.  We have a very lively church and often have demonstrations that give a visual image of the things we’re talking about.  My brother has been all over the world and intends to break some new ground and so we had some demonstrations that illustrated this…blurry yes but I still like the image here. I can safely say we all miss him dearly.  Visiting him with my family in Ghana was a dream I’ve had for many years and having him come here after that was the icing on the cake.  Now we hold fast to the memories we have and cherish the images in our mind…he is every inch a man of God and truly one of my heroes of faith.  Now we are alone again much like this leafbut thankfully this is just one more season and there’s no distance in the spirit…we are always together inside where it counts.  Fall is a season of stark changes…it is usually pretty short here so I had to capture the incredible blue skies and changing leaves quickly when the opportunity arose.  Sometimes the cold can come on so abruptly that the changing leaves get frost bittenand I feel this is a warning to the unwary.  The times we live in require that we be prepared…not just physically but spiritually.  It doesn’t take much to be upset seeing the things happening during these days but someone that refuses to give up hope not just on a personal level but for the United States and the world at large sticks out of the crowd.  The Bible says watch and pray…I intend to just that so as not to be caught unaware.  Some years the changes are stark and beautiful however that wasn’t so much the case here…lot’s of browns in the mix this time.  I’m so surprised to see things going to the next season so quickly yet a final blossom hung on even this late…if things are getting darker…and I believe they are…I intend to hang on as long as I can by God’s grace and be a symbol of hope.  You can have the strongest support system in the world but if you find yourself separated from it you are cut off indeed.  Faith and relationship with Christ has always been the most important thing in the world to me but now more than ever I realize, it’s not extra credit…it’s the only way to survive.  For now the leaves have fallen again…but soon it will be a whole new season again and there’s always hope in that.

The Chipmunk Gang

I suppose I’m not alone in loving the Apple Dumpling Gang back in the day…remember that Disney gang?  I used to love Tim Conway in that role with Don Knotts.  We had a gang of our own when we were at the cabin and they were a comedy routine let me tell you!  We didn’t see much for big game except for one moose but for what the chipmunks lacked in size the made up for in personality.  These were a very small variety…so small in fact that they liked to get up in the tall grass while they chewed on the seeds and nuts they could find or that we gave them.  I loved looking down from the deck to watch these amusing little fellows move about their day.  Usually I find the smaller variety of chipmunk to be more skittish but these let me get quite close to photograph them.  Good things really do come in small packages!  Notice those little paws!  They could open any seed with those and their tiny little teeth.  Today I spent much of the day at the garage with the car yet again.  I think we may have found the issue.  My dad can get the part via Napa where he works…he loves working part time and getting parts at a huge discount.  This is a small package to solve what I thought was a big problem…so once again the Chipmunk Gang’s motto:  good things comes in small packages is shown to be true!