Fall is Here and Winter is Coming

Living in Illinois, winter is never something to forget about. However, in the summer it is nice not to have to think about below freezing days and struggling with snow. It's coming though. There's no way around it. The temperatures are dropping daily, and the days are getting shorter. Winter is just around the corner. Makes me shiver a bit just to think about it, but for those of us in the frozen northern states, there are delightful ways to get around the discomforts of cold weather like battery powered gloves. It may sound like a sinister idea, but those things heat up to a toasty, but comfortable level and keep fingers nice and cozy even in the nastiest of cold weather. Anyone who has lived in a bitter cold area knows that when fingers or toes are cold, the rest of the body is quick to follow.

Power of the Positive

I am really working on my positive thinking lately. I have always believed in the power of positive thinking and it has worked well for me for most of my life. There are times, when for some reason or another, I kind of let it slip, and let me tell you, it is VERY evident when that happens. It's sort of been like that all this year up until a few weeks ago when I realized it was me and my thinking that was getting in the way. Back on track now, and things are beginning to turn around. Do you believe in the "Law of Attraction" or what used to be called the 'Power of Positive Thinking?'

Getting Help in a Way You Understand

If you know someone who is an immigrant and does not speak English, make sure you find a lawyer who can provide proper services with things like work visas, assylum, deportation defense and family law in a language they understand. Legal defense isn't helpful if the person in need can't understand what is happening. For Spanish speaking individuals find abogados de inmigracion. While Spanish speaking individuals are amongst those who need help most often with American immigration issues, there are also Polish and other nationalities who need help with immigration law in their native language.

New Aquarium

Well, after about 2 months, my new aquarium is finally cycled. I did it with a full load of fish too, something they say is impossible. The readings are now 0,0,5 as of this morning, and they have been that for the past six days. So it's doing really well. It was a little touch and go for a few days last week when the nitrIte level was off the charts, and for weeks and weeks before that, of course, the ammonia was beyond any readable level. Now, though, it's perfect, with only a little of the safe nitrAte (third reading) showing. I'm really happy. I suppose I could have made it easier on myself and the fish had I waited and done a fishless cycle, or cycled with just a couple of fish, but really, from what I've read, 8 weeks isn't out of line in those cases either, and the fish themselves have always acted happy and well, and have even grown a lot over the past 2 months.