Once you have selected your wedding dress, you can start to consider all the bridal accessories that will provide the finishing touches to your overall look. The next important consideration after your dress is your shoes. Ideally, you will have already tried these on with your dress, and if you haven’t done so, you should plan to do so at your first dress fitting.

The shape, height and colour of your shoes will make a difference to the way the dress sits. Consider also that you will be wearing your shoes all day and into the evening so comfort is as important as look. If you are looking for high-heeled shoes, a great addition to you bridal accessories list is a shoe insert. These can provide comfort around the ball of your foot and toe area – as these are the areas where most of your weight will fall if wearing heeled shoes. Bridal underwear is also important, as this will affect the way the dress sits in the same way as your shoes will.

Your next bridal accessory will be a tiara along with any hair clips or jewels. These should match any earrings or necklace that you choose for the big day and should pick up any detail from your dress.

Once your bridal accessories have been selected you should focus your attention to any reception ideas, bridesmaid gifts and groomsmen gifts. Your bridesmaids should be integral to the planning and preparation of your big day and therefore they should be suitably thanked with a special bridesmaid gift. Equally, the groomsmen provide support to their main man and therefore should also be thanked with a special groomsmen gift. There are many options for this – your choice will depend on the age of the bridesmaid or groomsman as well as personal choice.

Of course, you will have professional photographs taken on the day, but there is nothing better than the natural photographs taken at a reception when guests are more relaxed. Providing guests with wedding cameras is a great way of getting a selection of photos that are not so contrived as those taken by the professionals.

So to re-cap… remember to sort your bridal accessories first and foremost, then consider other wedding accessories such as wedding cameras and other reception ideas. Finally, don’t forget to thank your attendants by providing them with carefully chosen bridesmaid gifts and groomsmen gifts.

(c) World of Wedding Favours

This article is brought to you by “World of Wedding Favours” – Offering brides high quality wedding favours and bomboniere at low-cost prices. To view our vast range of wedding favours to suit your special occasion please visit: World-of-Wedding-Favours.com/wedding-cameras.html Wedding Cameras

For many couples, the wedding invitation becomes part of your family album; a piece of history to be shared with loved ones in the years to come. Your wedding day will be as unique as your love, and your wedding invitations should reflect this. The wedding invitations you chose will set the tone for your event.

When selecting invitations, you should take into account your personal style, wedding location, time of day, season, and your cultural and religious beliefs. You should also consider the style or theme of your wedding and your bridal colors. These aspects combined make your invitations personal and special.

Traditional wedding invitations, sometimes called formal wedding invitations, typically are one-sided white or ecru colored card stock, with black print on the front, and carry a very specifically worded invitation. While many couples still opt for these classic invitations, today’s choices are much broader.

Ink colors abound in every shade of the rainbow, and inner envelopes can include matching foil linings. Cover designs include embossed brides and grooms, flowers, birds, churches, wedding bells, entwined rings, and a host of other romantic symbols. You can even have your invitations created with a photograph of you and your husband- to-be, or another image that is special to the two of you. To further personalize your invitations, you can choose from a wide variety of sayings and verses for the cover, or write one yourself.

Traditional paper colors are available alongside more modern options, from light violet to deep red and even black. You will also find that there are many options for the type of paper on which your invitations will be printed. Parchment, translucent paper, vellum, blended fibers, even recycled papers are available through most major companies. Borders and accessories like ribbons are available in just about every color. You can even choose how the edges of your invitation will look – crisp and clean, scalloped, or softly torn.

Thanks to the Internet, busy brides-to-be can also enjoy the convenience of selecting wedding invitations on-line. You can browse through catalogs and compare selections at any time that fits into your schedule. Many invitation companies will happily provide free samples of their products so that you can make a decision in the comfort of your home. So relax, browse through our large selection of wedding invitations, and enjoy this once in a lifetime experience.

Copyright 2006 Viveca Park
All rights reserved

About the author:

Invitations Galore specializes in quality custom invitations and announcements for all social and corporate events. They also carry wedding accessories, bridal favors, and personalized gifts. For more information or to browse their extensive selection of invitations, please visit invitationsgalore.com invitationsgalore.com

You might ask yourself if it’s right as a mother to date, or even if you think it is fine, can you have any good success with it and find a great man?

OK, let’s discuss these questions one by one…

Question #1: Is this really right for a single mom to date?

The short answer is: Yes, absolutely!

It’s true that you are a mother and have responsibilities for your kids, but you are still a woman with a heart that wants to “love” and “feel loved”.

So why not go for what your heart desires and deserves?

Yes, there are some people who still seem to have problem accepting and respecting single mothers who date. They might tell you it’s selfish or ask “what about your children?”

But being a mother doesn’t have any conflicts with going out there, having fun, and meeting men. Single moms CAN date, kiss, and even have sex.

So don’t pay attention to what other people might think. You know how much you love your kids and what a great mother you are.

Question #2: Is it really possible for you to have success with dating?

Do single mothers have any good chance to succeed in dating, find a great man, and build a great relationship?

Again, the answer is, absolutely yes!

There are just some things that you need to learn first…

First of all, it’s necessary that you find out who you are and what you want from your life. Find your inner goals and dreams and make a plan to go for them.

Then, not only you will become more happy and fulfilled in your life, but you will also attract much better men who have a great personality and know what they want in their life too.

Another important tip to increase your success in the dating scene, is to educate yourself about dating tips.

You can also search for general “dating tips” in Google because when it comes to love and dating, it’s a universal art and the rules are almost the same for all ages and people.

For example, it’s important that you learn how to have a successful first date by asking the right LovePoemsWorld.com/articles/first-date-questions.php” target=”_blank first date questions.

Because your first date can really make or break your relationship, so it’s important that you have a good conversation by asking the right and smart questions.

Also questions will help you learn that person better and decide if he is the kind of person you want.

Wish you much success with your dates!

Ladan Lashkari

About the Author:

Ladan Lashkari is giving away a FREE collection of powerful dating tips and articles that will help you win more dates and become highly successful in your relationships. To grab your copy of these tips, drop by LovePoemsWorld.com LovePoemsWorld.com while they are still available.

In his bestselling book Blink, author Malcolm Gladwell writes about psychologist John Gottman’s research on what attitudes increase the chances that a marriage will end in divorce. Since the 1980’s, Gottman has videotaped more than three thousand married couples in his “love lab” near the University of Washington campus.

The results of each videotape have been analyzed according to a specific complex coding system that categorizes the emotions present in the interaction plus information from electrodes and sensors. Based on his calculations, if he analyzes an hour of a husband and wife talking, Gottman can predict with 95% accuracy whether the couple will still be married fifteen years later.

If Gottman watches a couple for fifteen minutes, he still has a success rate of 90 percent. A colleague of Gottman’s, Sybil Carrere, discovered that if they looked at only three minutes of a couple talking, it was still possible to predict with fairly impressive accuracy which marriages were going to make it and which would end in divorce.

Gottman finds out much of what he needs to know by focusing on what he calls the “Four Horsemen: defensiveness, stonewalling, criticism, and contempt.” Out of those four negatives, Gottman considers contempt the most important emotion of all.

Gladwell writes, “If Gottman observes one of both partners in a marriage showing contempt toward the other, he considers it the most important sign that a marriage is in trouble.” According to Gladwell, Gottman can eavesdrop on a couple in a restaurant and “get a pretty good sense of whether they need to start thinking about hiring lawyers and dividing up custody of the children.”

Why is contempt so damaging in a marriage? How can this one emotion cause so much damage? Contempt is different from criticism because it involves looking down on the other person and feeling superior to him (or her).

If you have contempt for your spouse, you are feeling scorn or disdain toward him. You feel disgust, sickening dislike, deep aversion, repugnance, and repulsion. You feel that he (or she) is beneath you and that he doesn’t deserve respect.

Gottman even found that the presence of contempt in a marriage can predict how many colds a spouse will get because “having someone you love express contempt toward you is so stressful that it begins to affect the functioning of your immune system.” And there isn’t any gender difference when it comes to contempt, according to Gottman’s research findings.

In light of this information, how do you think your interactions with your spouse would be viewed? Are you thinking that you’re off the hook because you haven’t said things like “You’re so stupid” to your partner?

Gottman has found that rolling your eyes when your spouse is talking to you is a classic sign that communicates contempt. So is assuming a patronizing, lecturing voice. The actual words used are only part of what is being communicated. The non-verbal component is also communicating loudly.

One of Gottman’s findings is that “for a marriage to survive, the ratio of positive to negative emotion in a given encounter has to be at least five to one.” When he tracks the level of a couple’s positive and negative emotions, he has found that “once they start going down, toward negative emotion, ninety-four percent will continue going down.”

So what can you do if you recognize yourself or your spouse in this article? If you recognize yourself, know that self-awareness of a behavior is the starting place for change. You can’t change what you’re not aware of. So you have taken the first positive step by looking closely at your own behavior and starting to become more aware of the damaging effect it is having on your marital relationship.

Next, you can share this article with your spouse and ask if he or she would be willing to go to marriage counseling so that you can get the help and support you need to make the necessary changes. If your spouse refuses, then start individual counseling for yourself.

If your spouse is the one expressing contempt for you, write a handwritten letter stating how much you value your marriage and want it to be the best possible. Ask him (or her) to please read this article because you don’t want to lose your loving feelings for him or for your marriage to end in divorce.

State that you would like to look at your part in things and how you might need to change and grow, and that you know this would be easier with the help of a marriage counselor. Take responsibility for your part in the relationship and show your willingness to look at your own behavior.

Keep the focus on making positive changes that will help your marriage be more satisfying to both of you. Avoid blame and accusations. It will be easier to address sensitive issues in the counselor’s office where you increase the odds that your spouse will be more receptive to what you have to say.

If contempt is present in your marriage, it’s important to take immediate action to stop the accelerating downhill slide of negative emotions. Without intervention, your marriage may be on a crash course to divorce, and there’s no time to waste.

Nancy J. Wasson, Ph.D., is co-author of Keep Your Marriage: What to Do When Your Spouse Says “I don’t love you anymore!” This is available at KeepYourMarriage.com KeepYourMarriage.com , where you can sign up for a free weekly marriage advice newsletter. Dr. Wasson offers telephone and email coaching to spouses who want to overcome marriage problems and create a rewarding, loving marriage.

One inexpensive wedding favor that you can get for a great price and decorate yourself is
wedding bubbles. At many craft stores or party stores you can get the small little containers of
bubbles for a great deal, and they usually just come in plain white containers. You can decorate these little containers of bubbles yourself using stickers, calligraphy on the sides, or ribbon tied around them. You can also wrap them up in white tulle and then tie it with a ribbon that is one of your wedding colors. It will only take you a minute or two for each one you make and they are budget friendly wedding favors that will look great and excite your wedding guests.

Favors for Children

If you are having children at your wedding you may want to provide something for them as well.
One of the most inexpensive things that you can do is to print out coloring pages that you can
find online. Also, you can find coloring books with perforated pages and give out different pages
to different children. It is most exciting if you can find pictures that are somehow related to your wedding, then provide the children with a couple crayons so they can color the pictures. They will have something to take home and something that will keep them busy while the adults party.

If you enjoy making candles and know how to do so, it can be inexpensive to buy the wax bulk
and make your own votive candles. You can choose wax in the colors of your wedding and make every guest their own votive candle. You can also decorate the candles with pieces of ribbon or tie romantic verses to them to give them a whimsical feel.

Inexpensive Favors

Another great idea for inexpensive wedding favors is to buy a large quantity of small photo
frames and decorate them yourself. On your computer you can print up pictures of you and your groom together and insert them so your guests have a great little favor to remember the day by. It will not take long to decorate the frames and it will not cost too much money. You may even want to engrave or write your names on the frame with a permanent marker as a reminder of your special day. Other ways to save money with photo frames is to use them as place cards. This will keep costs low in two of your wedding categories.

Get the latest in wedding favors know how from the only true source at weddingknack.com weddingknack.com Check out our weddingknack.com/weddingfavors.html wedding favors pages.

Let me tell you about the other 0.01%

I’ve been called many things by parents. Most mothers would call me respectful, kind, honest and perhaps even funny and a good conversationalist. You can now add “looks like a monkey” to the list of fine titles.

Granted, this is probably true so it technically wouldn’t be slander – but nuances aside, I still maintain my right to be shocked by my girlfriends mother drawing attention to my Curious George like features! I would have preferred “cute monkey” or even “disease free simian”, but she didn’t even specify the species or status as a vector. She has managed to insult me and leave me, the science geek, wondering exactly which primate I resemble.

I am secretly wishing for chimpanzee, but my girlfriend assures me that my features lend me more towards the baboon side of the genus.

Can I blame her? Sure I can; but I wont. The drama queen in me wants to be mad, but after being dumped by my girlfriend twice, having her sister call me a bitch and my parents yell at me to about everything in general, looking like a monkey is the least of my worries. In fact, it may just bring me luck!

So perhaps my baboon-like tendencies will be responsible for an amazing MCAT score? Perhaps they will prevent me from being dumped once a week? Perhaps they’ll help me choose the right lotto numbers? It honestly doesn’t matter, because I’ve already gotten a good chuckle for the most inventive insult a girlfriends mother ever threw my way.

Respect goes to the mother who can make me laugh while raping me of my pride and dignity at the same time.

Cheers to you Aunty.

lonelycanuck.com lonelycanuck.com

If you guys are right now sitting there mumbling to yourselves wondering what alabaster is (gals all know this stuff) then you might need a brief but simple explanation. Alabaster is, according to the dictionary, “a finely granular variety of gypsum, often white and translucent, used for ornamental objects or work, such as lamp bases, figurines, etc.” Okay, are we clear on that now? Good. So, what exactly do you go out and get that’s made of this stuff?

Well, for starters, if you just want to expend enough energy to read the definition, you can pick up for your wife a nice lamp. No, the whole lamp isn’t made out of alabaster. Just the base. Of course, you have to make sure that the lamp you pick out actually has a base that is made out of alabaster. Just because it is white doesn’t make it so. Ask the salesman.

Probably the most popular alabaster figurines are the mini angels. There are probably more of these floating around than Carter has liver pills. You can find alabaster angels praying, kneeling, flying, with Mary, with a harp, with a clock, with roses and on and on. If there is something you can put with an angel, you can bet that you’ll find it.

If figurines are more your speed, you might want to go to one of those novelty shops that specialize in figurines. Again, not every one is made out of alabaster. You’re going to need to speak to a sales person and find out what’s what. Alabaster has a certain look to it that is unmistakable.

There are other things you can have made out of alabaster besides lamps and figurines. You can pick up some nice alabaster vases in a variety of shapes and sizes. The prices of these vases range from the low 20s to near $100. If you want something really unusual, you can pick up a nice Egyptian alabaster bowl. Some of these actually look like a genie may actually pop out of one. They are quite unique. The prices of these are roughly around $50.

You can also get some very nice alabaster candleholders. Don’t worry, they won’t melt. These candle holders come in all shapes and sizes for both those long skinny candles and those big fat and short candles. The price range of these candleholders is from $30 to $40 depending mostly on the size.

The number of things that are made out of alabaster are virtually unlimited. The great thing about these gifts is that they are relatively inexpensive. So what you will probably want to do is pick up a few different pieces. That way your spouse is sure to know that a lot of care and effort went into selecting her anniversary gift for this very special occasion.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to anniversary-gifts-guides.com/ Anniversary Gifts

The Lesson

“It is impossible to love and to be wise.”
Francis Bacon

“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therein.” BIBLE, Proverbs 15.17

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” BIBLE, John 3:16

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” BIBLE, Mark 12:30

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” BIBLE, Math 22:39

Where did it all get started?

Here’s a little poem I wrote to my wife:

Adam Said

To Pat on Mothers Day

Saturday, May 8, 1999

Adam said, Eve my dear,

You’ve eaten the forbidden fruit.

She looked at him and answered back,

Yes, I’m getting the boot!

He said to her, Eve my dear,

I like your skin and hair,

And I get a little tingle

When with those eyes you stare.

She said to him, I’ll miss you so

When Father kicks me out.

Now don’t you ever think of me;

Never give a pout!

He answered back with some regret,

I’ll dearly miss you too,

If I didn’t have a lot more ribs

I’m sure with you I’d go.

That’s right, she said,

You do have ribs a plenty more to spare,

But won’t you miss this little rib?

Won’t you miss my stare?

She stared at him, he looked away,

Then rubbed his perfect tummy,

You know, he said, I have a pain,

I’m really getting hungry.

She bid him come and sat him down,

And put his lunch before him.

He ate the fruit and felt real good,

“I’m going with you, honey!”

What is love?

For our purposes love is a strong affection for another, or others, based on family ties, personal ties, or the affectionate ties of lovers.

Love may be admiration based on the qualities or common interest of others.

Types of love are: The love of a child by its mother. The love of God as the Benefactor of mankind. The love of a young man and a young women who are engaged to be married to each other.

Love is the basis of survival

Think about it. A child requires extensive care from the day it is born until well into the teenage years. If a mother got tired of caring for the child and had no love for it, the care of the child would be left to others. If others did not surface, the child would parish.

Unfortunately, some children are abandoned everyday. Fortunately, most children are not abandoned.

Back to Korea

My infantry company in Korea during an attack on the Chinese picked up two Soviet trucks manufactured under the World War II Lend Lease Program, two dogs that we had to watch over or they would be eaten by our Korean friends, and two young boys, brothers who had lost their parents.

We loved those Russian trucks. They were much more reliable than ours. They were exactly the same as General Motors trucks made during World War II. So what happened? The army took them away from us because they were not regulation issue. When we came down from the freezing top of Hill 1243, the highest mountain on the line, our US trucks had all been damaged by the freezing weather and Service Company had to take us off the line.

The two dogs disappeared and ended up in a ROK army kettle.

Yes, we lost the two boys too, now dressed in cowboy suits we got them through Sears and Roebuck. The American Red Cross found their grandparents. They took the boys from our dangerous combat area. The love of the American Red Cross workers for the Korean people and the love of the boys’ grandparents gave the youngsters the bond they needed for survival in an awful war.

War is the breeding ground for the alphabet soup of human indignities

I had five Korean soldiers in my infantry platoon. One day, Ree Tay Hee was very sad. He had reason to be sad too. He had lost his father and two brothers to the North Koreans. He assumed they were dead. His thirteen-year-old sister and his mother lived in Seoul, which had been flattened by the North Koreans, the American Army, the Chinese, and then the American Army again. In fact it was my division behind the Marines who did the last flattening when they executed MacArthur’s daring attach from the sea at Inchon.

Ree Tay Hee’s mother and sister were supported by his older brother who worked on the Korean Railroad. He fell under the train and was decapitated. Now mother and daughter were alone with no means of support except, possibly, prostitution.

The story doesn’t end there

When I got home from Korea, I got a letter from a man named Chick. I believe that he was from Tucson Arizona and I would give anything to be able to find that brave man. Chick was a section leader and a forward observer for the 81 millimeter mortars. He replaced me as forward observer when our platoon sergeant was hit and I became Platoon Sergeant at age nineteen.

Chick told me in his letter that Ree Tay Hee had been seriously wounded in the Iron Triangle. The situation couldn’t have gotten worse. I don’t know what happened to that family. I only know that I still have a great love for them and wish I could have been of help over the years. Let’s hope that someone cared and gave them the love and aid they needed.

There is a difference between the Korean People and Americans in regard to that War. When, I got home from Korea, nobody gave a hell of beans. Most people didn’t even seem to know the war was on if you judged by their actions. Nobody but immediate family members and friends cared when American blood was spilled there. Even today, it’s mainly the Korean veterans who care about the sacrifices made there.

But the Korean people have a great love for the men from many lands that saved them from the North Koreans and the Chinese hoards. I’ve been back to Korea twice since the war. The first visit back was a traumatic experience. My talkative companion who was in Vietnam remained quiet while we flew over the mountains on which I had fought. He knew what I was doing. I was remembering every detail of the war as I knew it.

I left the hotel in Seoul and took the shuttle down town. I went in to a shop and told them I had fought there. They showed me a ton of love and wouldn’t let me take the shuttle back to the hotel. The owner got his car and drove me back. The Korean Government continually welcomes veterans back to their country, gives them a banquet and a special medal and helps them tour the old battlefields.

That’s the difference. They care. And care is just another way to spell LOVE.

A poem dedicated to a loving man

I write poetry. You can read my poetry and see my photographs of the Korean War if you go to tjbooks.com. Here is a poem I wrote about an extremely brave machine gun sergeant who had love for his family and his men.

Machine Gun Sergeant

Saturday, April 2, 1999

Below the Wachon Reservoir,

We walked along the river,

And then across the fields.

Dieter said, “This is where

The air force caught the Chinese

With there carts and horses.”

“That’s the hill

Where the machine-gun sergeant

Climbed to help his men.

He was supposed to

Go home that day,

Not a war to win.

“The sergeant said,

‘I know I don’t have to fight,

I can stay back here and watch,

But my men are scared,

And their sergeant is new,

I’ll lead them one more time.’”

Dieter lowered his head

And then he said,

“The fire was very heavy.

They took the hill

That bloody day,

But the sergeant never made it.”

We found a house

Still intact.

We were very much surprised.

An octagon with a center patio,

Where a family

Once cooked their meals.

This must have been

A happy place

Before the armies came.

Little children

At mother’s knee,

An abundant life they had.

Dieter said,

“He has two kids.”

I said,

“I thought him dead.”

I looked at Probe,

His familiar name,

I said,

“Please tell me more.”

I saw a tear run down his cheek,

It wasn’t there before.

The sky was clear,

A glorious day,

And we walked the fields some more.

We found a can from Russia,

And Kowalski read the label.

“I know the town

Where this was made,

I know who made this ammo.”

I looked at Probe,

He looked at me,

And this is what he said,

“The machine-gun sergeant

Was hit in the groin,

He said, ‘I’d be better dead.’”

No workers toiled

In the beautiful fields,

The war had done its dirt.

I wondered where the families were,

Were they dead

Or hurt?

Tomorrow,

We go back on the line,

To Heartbreak Ridge they say.

I looked at Probe

And this I said,

“At least we’ve got today.”

The sergeant

Didn’t have to fight.

He’d done his job well,

But he climbed the hill,

And got maimed for life.

How could he think so ill?

When it’s time to go home,

It’s time to go,

To play with fate is bad.

“He’s the bravest man I know,”

Said Probe,

“He did it to be right.”

I said, “What about his

Wife and kids?

What about their plight?”

“He had no choice,”

Said Probe,

“He had to fight.”

We walked along

The dusty road

That led us back to camp.

I thought,

“How brave he was!”

I think of him a lot.

Here’s another little poem about that war.

967
Saturday, April 3, 1999

Now, that’s a lot of lemons

If your making lemonade,

But if your counting ants,

It would hardly make a parade.

How about watermelons?

It would make quite a pile.

You could go from May through February

If you ate three each day.

How many American men died

In the 17th Infantry

Regimental Combat Team

In Korea?

The many Korean boys that served with us and died were not counted. I don’t have the count on the Nigerians either.

You can’t believe the love that Korean veterans have for each other. Going through life’s trials with another human being brings with it a tremendous love for that person. Probe Dieter and I can read each other’s minds even though he is in New York State and I’m in Idaho. I went home to Utah one time and I said to myself, Probe Dieter has been here. When I got back to Iowa, where I was teaching engineering at Iowa State University, I picked up the telephone and said, “Hey, Probe! Have you been looking for me?”

“Yes,” he said. “I was in Utah and I couldn’t find you.”

On several occasions, I’ve picked up the telephone knowing it was Probe on the other line.

What is the most traumatic loss in a person’s life?

You probably know that it is when a person loses his or her spouse. The relationship grows from the initial infatuation, to the love of courtship and marriage, and the increased love that bonds them together from living through life’s trials and joys.

Each child that comes into a home, brings with it an enduring, eternal love. A touch of pain enters when the child leaves the nest, but more love comes as grandchildren are born. It’s a process that never ceases until war or devastation from nature destroys the family. We see that everyday now, don’t we. Some family links die off because no children were born for various reasons. Fortunately for mankind, the process goes on.

“No greater love has any man than to lay down his life for a friend.”

Here is another story of love from my Korean experience.

The love here was for a stepbrother. We had been in a firing mission. We fired white phosphorous recoilless rifle shells into Chinese positions and then fired the 81 millimeter mortars shells upon the scattering Chinese. A major from division had come up on the line and ordered the fire mission. It was not a pleasant experience to see the young Chinese soldiers toss bodies like cordwood out of the positions they were digging.

Finally, the major told us what a fine job of killing our fellow men we had done, and left.

Six or seven of us stood talking after the slaughter. A corporal from Oklahoma told us that he had orders to go home but that he was not leaving until his stepbrother got his orders to go home too. His stepbrother was in the same company, Company B, 17th Infantry Regimental Combat Team.

If the brother had been a full brother, he would not have been allowed in the same infantry company. We told the Corporal to go home. We were getting the heaviest concentration of enemy artillery fire during the history of the Korean War (according to “Stars and Stripes.”). We told him he could be killed and that it was better to let his stepbrother catch up with him.

The Corporal said, “If I was going to be killed, I would have been killed by now. I’m staying!”

Now, infantry men have their degree of superstition. We told him to take back what he said. We told him anybody could be killed at any time. We also told him that it was not only bad luck to say that you wouldn’t be killed but that it was even worse luck not to go home when ordered.

The Corporal had a great love for his stepbrother. He would not leave him. About two hours later, I was told that he was killed.
I don’t remember the Corporal as being arrogant or stupid. I remember him as having a tremendous love for his brother. I remember that he had the courage to continually face enemy fire until his brother could leave. He paid with his life. “No Greater Love.”

For The Little Children

Once upon a time there was a young prince who lived in a great stone castle on a big green mountain. He was old enough to start looking for a bride, but he knew he would not be able to do that. He knew that his parents, the King and Queen, would choose his bride for him. He thought, They will find me a bride in a foreign land and she won’t even speak my language!

The prince was very sad.

One day, the Queen said to the King, “I’m concerned about the prince. He was always so happy. There was always a smile on his face. Now, I often see tears in his eyes.”

The King said, “I felt the same way when I was his age. But what can we do? It has always been the rule that the King and Queen select the bride, not the prince. Surely we have more wisdom in such things than he does.”

“Yes, My King, but I’m afraid the prince will run away rather than have us select his bride for him. What can we do?”

The king thought and thought. The next day he came to the Queen and said, “Let’s have a grand ball and carnival. It will last a week. We will invite all the young princes and princesses with their parents as chaperones. We will see which princess he likes. If she is suitable, we will make the arrangements for the wedding. Now, the young prince must not think that he is selecting his own bride. We must stick to the traditions of our fathers.”

The Queen said, “That is a marvelous idea. I’ll see that the staff prepares for the celebration.”

The great carnival started on Monday and the ball was to be held Saturday night. The prince spent time with each of the princesses, but after, Wednesday, he only was seen with one, Princess Nijinska. When she was young she was not pretty like the other princesses. She was known as the ugly duckling of princesses. But she always had a smile on her face, was very smart, and she liked the same things the prince liked.

When the King heard that the prince was spending his time with Princess Nijinska, he said to the Queen, “Surely, the prince does not want her for his bride. Do you remember what she looks like? She was such an ugly child. What if he is just being polite to her. He never has been rude, and he might just be helping her to have a good time while she is here.”

The Queen smiled at the King. “You have misjudged our son. Remember when he was young. He loved toads more than frogs, and snakes better than bunnies. Looks are not the main thing with our son. He has to evaluate everything for it’s true worth. Why, you taught him that looks can be deceiving.”

The King sat on his throne and said, “Our son is also very clever. Maybe he is up to something.”

The Queen laughed. “Like what? Well, maybe we will have to wait for the ball. Let us decide now. Whomever he dances with the last dance, shall be his bride.”

The king thought that was a good idea.

At the Saturday night ball, the prince danced with each princess once, but not twice. He danced every other dance including the last dance with Princess Nijinska.

The king said, “She is like a beautiful swan on the lake. She moves with such elegance. In fact, she looks different tonight.”

The Queen laughed. “You remember the princess as a child. She is woman now. She has changed.”

The King laughed, “You could have told me that!”

The Queen smiled, “What kind of a surprise would that have been”?

“Right you are, My Dear Queen,” said the King. “You have always filled my life with surprises. But that is only one reason that I love you. I even loved you before the last dance of the ball before my parents chose you for my bride. You see, I knew what you were up to, My Queen.”

Copyright©John Taylor Jones, Ph.D. 2001-2005

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com)is a retired R&D engineer and VP of a Fortune 500 company. He is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering), poetry, etc. Former editor of international trade magazine.

More info: tjbooks.com tjbooks.com

Business web site: bookfindhelp.com bookfindhelp.com (wealth-success books)

Having addressed the first 8 categories already, we conclude with…

9) Partner ‘Pre-Approved’ Cheaters (Daniskli Aldatmalari): Involves cheating in a mutually acceptable fashion — with the full or likely knowledge of your partner. For example, the short-lived affair between Director Kudret Sabanci and Actress Sanem Çelik (who were both working on the TV Series ‘Aliye’) didn’t bother Kudret Bey’s wife, actress Esra Akkaya (who said she had been well aware of the attraction between the co-workers), until after the Turkish paparazzi caught the lovers in a restaurant parking lot, locked in loving embrace — and published candid-camera ‘action’ photos in the Turkish press. Only at that point did Esra Hanim rush back from the movie set (in Germany where she was working) to get a quickie divorce, and then rush back again.

10) Romantic Cheaters (Duygusal Aldatmalari): The most dangerous kind of cheating for unfaithful lovers involves sex, of course, but also passion — and love, or at least affection. It can easily result in the breakup of the relationship with one’s current partner. According to the Lying Eyes website, women are especially unforgiving of unfaithful partners who ‘fall in love’ in the process of cheating. Producer Erol Köse’s affair with Pop Singer Gülsen was of this type. But when he unexpectedly confessed his love for the sexy singer on national TV, Gülsen was appalled, the illicit relationship soured — and it was only by the skin of his teeth that Erol Bey was permitted to limp back home to his thick-skinned wife, Ajlan Hanim, dragging his tail and his wounded pride behind him.

Afterword

Besides the above-mentioned Unfaithful Turkish Lovers ‘Definitions’ and the Turkish Rules of Cheating Etiquette, the Lying Eyes Club offers the following additional naughty tidbits for your edification (in Turkish, of course) — at its website.

The 5 most popular excuses for cheating in Turkey

1) Looking for excitement, 31%

2) Looking for variety, 23%

3) Not getting what one wants/needs from one’s partner, 19%

4) Lack of interest in one’s current situation, 19%

5) Feeling unloved/unappreciated, 8%

Memorable cheating experiences

1) Cheating with someone who is being cheated on

2) Scoring with someone you meet in a sports salon, a mall, or on the open road

3) Having an affair with the most attractive person at ‘the office’

[Click following to access a fully illustrated HTML version of

If the wedding dress is an off the shoulder design then consider letting the tresses flow but if the gowns collar is high necked like Victorian times then consider styling the hair up.

The shape of your face is another major factor taken into consideration when picking a hairstyle. If your present style is a look alike of Joan of arc do not despair the longer look can be achieved with hair extensions. Having the perfect hairstyle is very important and why not, as this is a very essential part of the brides whole entity that will add the finishing touches in making her feel just they way she should on a day as special as this.

Sort out an early appointment to talk to with a hairdresser. Find a stylist that holds a good reputation among your friends and family. Make sure after the consultation you are comfortable with your choice of clipper, go through every fine detail of the hairstyle that you would like. He/she can or may give their professional advice on your chosen style but if you are not happy with what they propose then stand your ground.

At the end of the day this is your wedding so the choice is yours. Elegant hairstyles that are quite stunning are the French twist or braids creatively enhanced by woven pearls.
To help emanate romance let the hair down. Short hair can be highlighted by adding decorative little menageries (rosebuds feathers hair jewels) Extensions can help fulfil your dream of having the perfect hairstyle.

Magazine browsing is a must for ideas if you are undecided on the hairstyle that will compliment your wedding dress or face features. Make arrangements with the hairdresser to have a practice run it may cost but it will be worthwhile to claim the style you crave. Another good idea is to bring along your headpiece e.g. tiara, cap for the hairdresser to fit at the same time.

Make sure the hairstyle is compatible with all dance moves especially the ones after a few glasses of bubbly if not then a guaranteed medusa look

A fabulous site for all wedding essentials is your-wedding-planning-help.com your-wedding-planning-help.com Future baby planning needs cool-baby.info cool-baby.info