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Women...

2011-07-23T06:30:24Z

Submitted by: fuckertje_
Posted at: 2011-07-22 00:42:38
See full post and comment: http://9gag.com/gag/174140

Camraderie, Not, Candle Light Dinners, is the Key to an Exciting Married Life

2011-08-04T11:39:06Z

Friends, if you're wondering in your remotest of thoughts, "since when did she become a relationship counselor", please banish that idea about me. (smiles) I can be anything but an expert on relationships. Come on, how can I be one, when I am all the time trying to figure it out myself! Nothing baffles me so much as the nuances of relationships and the human mind that comes into play. Expectations, guilt, possessiveness, detachment, selflessness, selfishness – the hues of relationships are anything but dull.

So, no – I am no relationship expert and neither will I ever try to be one.

What I can talk about with all my verve and vigour – is passion, dreams, goals.

And hey, I am NOT talking about the romantic passion that spreads like wild fire and consumes the mind and heart of the ones involved.

I am referring to the passion for something that you truly, intently love to do. It could be your passion for music, for art, for books, for photography, for health, for dance, for learning, for cooking, for technology. Anything.

And, when the romantic passion between a couple married for years is not all consuming any more, it is the other kind of passion that keeps the relationship blooming and growing and keeps spreading the sweet, invigorating scent of camraderie, chemistry and evolving together.

Mine was a "love-marriage" – as we Indians like to call it!

For my non-Indian friends, you might ask – well, what is "love-marriage"? Is there any other kind of marriage, anyway? Friends, welcome to India! In my country, we still have vast majority of people getting into matrimony 'arranged' by the respective families. But then, that's another topic of discussion.

Being married for 7 years, we have had our share of ups and downs. Thankfully – more ups than downs. And, the downs never really hampered our relationship. On the contrary, every down actually got us to understand each other's perspective and individuality and helped us evolved.

Having said that, this married life has also been about series of never-ending chores, running the house, keeping everyone fed, grocery shopping, filing the taxes and bills and waking up umpteeth time in the night to pacify the wailing baby. In the middle of this grind, can love thrive and the spark in a relationship still be alive? Easier said than done!

Even if you discount the chores and let's say you are able to manage them without being affected, you still run the risk of getting trapped in boredom and treating each other for granted. The bad part is, you may not even notice how your relationship is slipping away into dangerous territory. Worse still, you may notice and choose not to do anything thinking it's a given.

Days and months and years pass. Couples go on to celebrate silver jubilees and golden jubilees. But, do they pause to think if thier bond is shining as much?

The Saturday glossy pages of all leading newspapers are full of tips suggesting how to keep marriage exciting and "hot"! The tips range from romantic "date nights" to secrets of love-making to throwing surprises to being desirable and a whole lot about how to look, how to talk, how to seduce!

Honestly, I have never been much interested in such tips. Not because, I'm not keen on making our relationship exciting. But because, I think, the excitement triggered by these tips is anything but long-lasting and organic. Because, all this, at best, can boost the mood but they cannot stimulate the mind.

Mind boosters not 'mood boosters'

I have figured that, for two people to share an exciting relationship, they must have at least one common passion that stimulates their mind beyond comprehension. And, that common factor better be something else other than their child! It is in sharing of a common interest – a serious interest – that the couple can find a cause to keep the fire burning. They are no longer dependent on mere physical longing and looking desirable.

They share a common interest – so deep, so profound, so urgent that it can provide fuel for long-term sharing, connecting, debates, discussion, deliberation. The passion shared between a couple becomes their mission.

Now, this, by any means does not indicate that differences are bad. Differences stimulate a relationship in their own way. But, how you can connect and celebrate life when you share a joint passion or mission – is something else altogether. And, below you will see how you can develop that, if you don't have one.

To further explain my point, I will give my example. Traveling is a burning passion for me. It has always been. It's for my hubby as well. After Avie and I got married, we would often talk about what are the most important things we, as a couple, would like to do; what we want to make of our lives together and how. We were seeking a purpose of our being together. And, we figured that both of us desire to travel as much as we can. We both shared this common passion besides other individual passions.

Ever since, we have never lost sight of this mission.

Together, we dream, we plan, we travel – far and wide and as often as possible. There are less dull moments. We get worked up when we watch travel programmes on television, when we grab an issue of a travel magazine talking about New Zealand or South Africa.

This one common passion, besides couple of others, have sailed us through chores and jugglery of everyday life. For, in our heart of hearts we know that we are with each other through our shared dreams and visions.

Here are some of my recommendations, from my own experience for what you can do to discover and share that common passion between you and your partner:

1. Be part of a mission – together:

The joy of struggle, survival and success – together – in an endeavour can be the biggest uniting factor. It applies to any kind of collaboration of shared sentiment. Whether it is a team of players who fought together to win a tournament for their country; a group of mountaineers who scaled the highest peaks; a team of doctors who snatched the patient from the grips of death; a team of kiddos who won a dance competition or even a mass of people who survived by helping each other in a catastropphe. When you are together in a mision and you put your blood and sweat into it, you become two bodies and one soul. You get united by a cause so overwhelming, that the passion and spirit flows through your veins. The camaraderie resulting from it is magical - much more magical than the one sparked by candle light dinners!

2. Take up a joint challenge:

Do you remember how in school and collge days we reveled in throwing and accepting challenges? That was the excitement about having friends. Bring back the carefree and fun-laden nature of friendship into your married life too. Encourage and prod each other by throwing a challenge and daring the other one to accept. Keep the other person's adrenalin flowing. Dare him/her to do something he's weak-willed at or lazy to do. Dare him/her to an early-morning rising, to a no-junk diet, to a hiking adventure, to take up a skill, to read five books in a month. This will not just breathe new energy into your relationship, it will also lead to self-development and motivation.

3. Take a hobby class or an activity that you both like:

Go through the possible options and take up a hobby that you both can spend time in – together – and not separately. I mean, each doing his/her own thing is fine but doing at least one activity together – that you both like – can be really enriching and refreshing for you as a couple. Whether you go fo a dance class, for yoga, to the gym, for a swim or cycling, or a nature walk – doing something together that you both love, will rejuvenate your relationship like nothing else can.

4. Be an inspiration to each other:

My hubby is an inspiration for me for the self-discipline he exemplifies. When it comes to early rising, regular jogging/workout, work-life balance – I consider him my hero. And knowing that these are my growth areas (read, weak points), he pushes me, motivates me and sets the bar. And, he considers me his go-to person in the house for all things creative, bold and brazen! When each partner is an inspiration for the other, there is respect, excitement and freshness in the relationship.

What's the common passion between the two of you – you and your partner?

Go ahead and rekindle it, nurture it and nourish it because it holds the promise to an exciting, loving and stimulating bond that cannot be dulled by the rigours of everyday life.

Some more reading on love and relationships:

Dainty Decor Goes Metal

2011-08-17T13:00:00Z

I am a lady who enjoys the color pink and a killer thrash metal bassline. This collection was made for me.

Submitted by: Unknown

Via: www.incrediblethings.com

Superhero aprons to order

2011-08-18T11:54:25Z

Bethany Sew-and-Sew makes delightful superhero aprons to order for men and women. Perfect for livening up your dinner prep with a round of shy Bat-Chef and stern Super-Girl saucier. There's also Mario versions, as well as Sailor Moon, Harry Potter, the Incredibles and so on.

Character Aprons!!! (via Neatorama)

SEO Developments You Need to Know About | WebProNews

2011-07-21T22:08:29Z

d with good reason. It may have a significant impact on how Internet users use other established social sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and even StumbleUpon. However, it is still Google search that drives the majority of web traffic for most site owners, and there is plent

Ditching the Grid: Alternative Layout Strategies and Tips | Design Shack

2011-07-21T21:59:54Z

Reading an article entitled Ditching the Grid: Alternative Layout Strategies and Tips on Design Shack.

Read This. It's Funny: A Reflection on Rock, Paper, Scissors

2011-07-07T18:27:41Z

I bookmarked this weeks ago, and stumbled acrossed it this morning.

With the size of this sea of text, it's a bit tough to read, but give it a shot. It'll make you smile. … read more

Re-purposing: Tshirts into 5-strand-braided-headbands

2011-06-29T23:13:12Z

I was walking through Target a few weeks ago and noticed this little knit fabric headband that was not just braided together…….but woven. I decided they were charging way too much for something that could be made with t-shirt scraps. And that means free.

So there you have it. A nice and easy project to give my bad-hair-day head some love.

(Or you may need one for working out. Or washing your face. Or while putting on your make-up.)

I kinda love it on my little girl . And she does too……because it’s stretchy, soft, and cozy. Win-win.

She always has little hair fly-aways that get into her face…….and this helps with that problem.

It even works great with her hair down…..and keeps that hair tucked behind her ears.

And yep, good for me too.

Thanks little t-shirt scraps.

Want to make your own?

First, find some old t-shirts. Or buy some jersey knit. Either way works.

Then, cut your fabric into long strips. I made my strips about twice as long as the measurement around my (or my daughter’s) head. The thick headband strips are about 2 inches wide and the narrow headband strips are about a 1/3 inch wide. You’ll need 5 long strips for one headband.

Next, stack your 5 strips on top of each other and sew together at one end. (Or hand stitch them or glue them.)

Now, pull on each strip of fabric so that they kind of curl on the edges.

Then lay your strips with the sewn edge up at the top (tape this down if that will help you while braiding) and then split up the strips into 3 on the left side and 2 strips on the right.

Now, to create this 5 strand braid……..you’ll kind of be braiding on the left side and then braiding on the right. And then back and forth until you’re done.

But let me explain a little better.

First, you’ll work on the left side. So grab the strip all the way on the left (#1) and cross if over the strip right next to it on the right(#2). Then grab the strip furthest to the right of this section (#3) and cross it over one strip to the left (#4). Now grab the middle of all 5 strips (#5) and bring it over the the right side (#6) so that you can start braiding on the right side. Now you have your strips separated into 2 strips on the left and 3 strips on the right…….but opposite from the beginning.

Now, you’re going to do the same thing on the right side………just mirrored from what we did the first time. So grab the strip all the way on the right (#1) and cross if over the strip right next to it on the left (#2). Then grab the strip furthest to the left of this section (#3) and cross it over one strip to the right (#4). Now grab the middle of all 5 strips (#5) and bring it over the the left side (#6) so that you can start braiding on the left side again.

**Something to remember: When you’re working on the left side or on the right side……..you’ll always start with the strip on the outside. So if you’re working on the left side……grab the strip all the way on the outside on the left. If you’re working on braiding on the right side…….start with the strip all the way on the outside on the right.

So, start again from the very beginning and work on the left side again (#1-5) and then on the right side again (#6-10).

You’ll need to adjust the tightness as you go and may have to tighten individual strips here or there.

Keep on braiding and braiding……keeping the tension about the same all the way down.

When you get to the end (or as long as you need it)……..sew (or hand-stitch or glue) the ends in place.

Then overlap the ends together and sew (or glue) in place.

**Before attaching, remember that knit will stretch and the woven design allows for stretch. So you want to make this headband smaller than your head so that it hugs your head and stays in place.

To finish it off (and cover up the ends), cut a rectangular piece of fabric that’s wider than the ends that you’ll need to cover. Fold the side edges in…….

And then stitch (or glue) one end on the inside of the headband.

Then wrap this piece of fabric around the headband, tuck the ends up……

And then stitch (or glue) this end down too.

And that’s it.

A nice and stretchy headband for you or a little girl you know.

. . . . . . . . . . .

This post is sponsored by:

Google+ Cheat-Sheets [Infographics]

2011-07-14T17:00:12Z

If you’ve peeked inside the door at Google+ but still don’t know where to sit or what to do with your hands, Simon Laustsen has laid out a couple of super-useful cheat sheets to get you started.

Related posts:

It’s a Series of Tubes [Interactive Map]

2011-07-15T21:00:01Z

If you’re curious about things like where your Internet service comes from or what a giant system of cables that spans the globe looks like, it’s your lucky day. Compiled by Greg Mahlknecht using resources he found on the internet, this map shows the major pipes flowing to and from all major countries by way of seabed.

The map isn’t complete, however; Mahlknecht is asking for the rest of us Internet Citizens to unite and improve the accuracy of this underwater map. Check it out and give the guy a hand.

[TechCentral via Gizmodo]

Related posts:

Micah-Mertes-US-Netflix-local-faves.jpg

2011-07-18T13:28:56Z

Shared by Jannypie
Graphic map of the local Netflix favorites across the US

Damn Nature You Gowjus: Sand Zoomed 250x

2011-07-14T17:30:29Z

These are grains of sand magnified 250x. I have no clue if representative of typical grains of sand like you'd find stuck to a dog turd at the beach, or if they had to pick through a bunch on a magic beach to find some really good ones. In reality, most sand probably looks pretty unspectacular under a microscope (and even more so though a telescope). Also unspectacular under a microscope?: ~~your~~ MY penis. See what I did there? I took one for the team. It's called sportsmanship or something. I dunno, I never played sports in school. I did play 'Magic: The Gathering' during lunch though. Hit the jump for a couple more shots of the hidden beauty. Tiny Grains of sand magnified to 250 times real size [lostateminor] via Grains of sand magnified to 250 times real size [notcot] Thanks to C. Novak, who agrees almost everything looks prettier under a microscope. I dunno, you ever seen pubic lice under there before? I had to shave my eyebrows off.

I Think Crabbe Changed The Most

2011-07-18T02:38:31Z

Yeah, I know he wasn’t really Crabbe, but it was a little disconcerting.

Source: Religion is BS

Science Vs Delirium on the Behance Network

2011-07-15T00:30:26Z

Science Vs Delerium is a series of illustrations celebrating some of the greatest scientists in history. The series was created to re-popularise these iconic figures.

Light Painting with a Roomba

2011-07-06T16:50:00Z

Long exposure light painting photography will never cease to be amazing. From Picasso's early experiments with a flashlight to current artists making hand drawn animations with LEDs, combining actual spaces with impossible images is simply captivating.

And it doesn't just have to be hand drawn, either. There's an entire Flickr group dedicated to creating light paintings with Roomba vacuum cleaners. … read more

Shel Silverstein Embroideries

2011-06-24T17:00:03Z

Shel Silverstein’s stories and songs were a big part of my life when I was growing up. He seemed like a fun, cool uncle that never got tired of spinning yarns and cracking jokes, and he was always as close as my nearest bookshelf.

I got that warm, fuzzy childhood feeling all over again when I spied LilyVanilli72‘s spot-on embroideries depicting Mr. Silverstein’s wonderfully weird illustrations.

I love how this traditional blackwork method of embroidery lends itself perfectly to Shel’s art style. Lily’s meticulous stitches don’t hurt the sketch-like effect either!

So far she’s done “Razor-Tailed Wren,” “Who Ordered the Broiled Face?” and “Running Giraffe.” I’m hoping she’ll stitch some more, like the classic “Boa Constrictor” (a personal favorite of mine).

Rage Guy Cross Stitch

2011-07-04T07:00:46Z

Do you love all things internet meme? Then surely you’ve heard of Rage Guy, or Fuu Guy.

Do you also love cross stitch? Well then, have I found a deal for you! Lexysaurus Rex has this and many other hilarious patterns in her Etsy shop.

Buy this pattern

Visit Lexysaurus on Etsy

Moar internet memes on Geekcrafts

th_cb778b96f50788625684c6a6b82f0e94_20110621reallifebrain.gif

2011-07-06T11:47:40Z

Shared by Jannypie
Let me sleep, brain.

How NOT To Get Revenge On Your Ex | Cracked.com

2011-06-29T00:53:10Z

Shared by Jannypie
Now that was funny

The Horror...The...uh...horror..?

2011-06-13T21:58:27Z