Before purchasing a telescope it is very important to know whatyou want and what. $30 invested in a good book will not only adto your enjoyment of the night sky, but may save you from makinga $300 mistake. The best advise is to visit your local astronomyclub and learn from the experience and mistakes of others whohave gone before. Question the scope owners about theadvantages/disadvantages of each of their scopes. You...

Art Destinations on Long IslandThe arts are alive and well on Long Island. Thereare far too many places to cover in a single article, but thereare some definite places you’ll want to begin your journeythough painting, sculpture and mixed media art. Some of the LongIsland galleries are artist-run, so you’ll not only get a tasteof the arts, but experience work by talented local artists aswell.If you have a fondness...

Just a few years ago it seemed people thought the idea ofpurchasing “clothing” through the internet was absurd. How wouldyou know if it fits? What if it doesn’t fit? What if my creditcard number gets stolen? Those were just a few of the manyquestions I personally had five or so years ago. Hopefully thisarticle will help enlighten some of your inquiries. The internet has significantly changed the art...

Many years ago, when I was living in circumstances not quitelike today, I invented something in the spur of the moment whichis fascinating and has significantly improved my life. It actually started four months earlier, for my birthday infact. I had wanted to buy something very esoteric for me – a personaldevelopment tape set about wealth and success; but it wasmassively expensive and although my husband didn’t...

Give the Gift of ReadingBefore I had children, I assumed that if you read to your kids,they would grow up to be avid readers. How wrong I was! Thereare a number of things you can do to bestow the gift of readingon the children in your life, but you may have to be downrightsneaky about it, sometimes.1. Talk to children. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? I wasstunned to learn, from the teachers at my son’s daycare,...

May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all yearthrough! ~Author UnknownChristmas used to be my favorite holiday as a child. I lovedeverything about it, the decorations, food, carols, family andof course, presents. But as I became an adult, I found myselfdisappointed with the holidays. The true meaning of Christmaswas somehow lost. Somewhere the joyous day that I remembered as a child was tradedfor a big...

More than ever before, people are looking for a special andunique way to express themselves when it comes to gift giving.With the internet putting the world at our fingertips, peopleare finding that they are able to give more personalized giftsthan ever before. Let’s take a look at tow of the most popularpersonalized gift-giving ideas: having a tree planted, andnaming a star.Memorial TreesTo start off, let’s...

At the dinner table, I leaned over and whispered urgently toKate, our host, “Smells like something burning.” A bit startled,she got up and went into the kitchen to check. At her suddendeparture, the conversation around the table fell silent. As we waited, she returned and announced, “Everything seems tobe all right.” Things went back to normal. We were having a goodtime. The food was delicious...

Take it from someone who has professionally cleaned carpet andupholstery in Rochester, New York for many years. I use the DryFoam Extraction Method exclusively. This low moisture soilextraction system is a very effective and economical way toclean carpet or upholstery. “You have a better system” or “mycarpets look like new” is what I’ve gotten use to hearing fromhundreds of satisfied homeowners...

Giving a gift? Try to plan your gift giving in advance. Don’t wait to the verylast minute. Last minute gifts would probably cost you more thanyou might anticipate. Take a calendar and your organizer. Circle every birthday, yourwedding anniversary, christmas and all gift giving dates on thecalendar for the entire year. For starters get a 2006 calendar just for your gifts to simplify your giftgiving. Plan ahead a...