Headlines in Huntington WV

http://vacations-travel.helium.com/how-to/9859-how-to-see-the-sights-in-huntingt

Headlines don't come easy. The problem is what is worthy to be placed on a blog with a few paragraphs that sing the praises of this or that. For today, I am staying home. I am devoting my blog time to Huntington, WV. This is not the first time I have attempted to show off my home town by writing about it. A blog labeled How to see the sights of Huntington WV proves that.

What concerns Huntingtonians, according to the Herald-Dispatch, Several important things really. The first one is that the citizens are afraid that the Corp of Engineers Building that was slated for a new upgrade -- complete with solar installations etc., will not be forthcoming. Why? A suitable temporary location has not been found.

Other things held dear are the firefighters that are highly respected and one recently was honored for the fine work he has done; Marshall's foot ball games that makes every one proud and has an excellent backing. Today's thought -- headline -- Herd hopes to bounce back with road show; Huntington's delinquent tax list -- no one is proud of that and no names will be mentioned.

And of course there is much more. Much of it about other concerns around the world and how Huntington fits in such as Coal and China. WV is one of the largest coal producing states, and of course China uses more coal than any other country.Of course not all of it is from WV,but some of it probably is.

The Herald-dispatch, like all other newspaper is a little skinny, but it is still here. It is an old newspaper started by the Long family many years ago. Of course it not now owned buy them, but is a paper belonging to the Champion Publishing Co. Inc. And like other newspaper, it is sometimes filled with interesting news, at others, times the reading is so great, but it still soaks up water spills on the kitchen counter, and on the floor, stands in for paper towels when they are non-existence, and still does a pretty good job of lining trash cans. Can the online version of the paper do that?

How to improve your self-esteem

How to improve your self-esteem, demands a knowledge of yourself.You must know your good and your bad habits, understand the way you think, and attempt to right the wrong ways of doing and thinking. This is a big job, and is not something we fully accomplish, but it is a worthy goal.

Self esteem is not thinking how great we are, how would we ever know that, given that we are to know only ourselves, but honoring the Creator's investment in us. We were born with a certain set of blueprints and possibilities and it is our job to use our gifts to further His cause. Armed with that knowledge, we appreciate whatever advancements we make while on this life journey.

We actually don't have to spend a great deal of time worrying over how we feel, what we think, we are simply aware of better times and better efforts on the times when we may need a boost. We just do the best job we know how to do at any undertaking. When we fall short of our expectations, and when we don't measure up to goals others have set for us, we reason with ourselves, that we can't please everyone, and had they been us, they would have done what we have done.

Admittedly, this often is painful, but it is a lesson in itself. It teaches us something, and whenever that happens, it cannot have been all wrong. Why then bother thinking, and writing, about self esteem if it is to be regarded so loosely? Precisely to get a better view of life and its ups and its downs, its failures and it joys, is the answer to that question.

Looking around at the drug culture tells us one thing, the world is a painful place. Far too many reach for a pill to turn off the pain of living in a world where all too often failure meets us at the ending of our day. That is not an answer, it is taking the easy way out. It is settling for the moment and disregarding the future. It is not strength, but weakness that won't let us deal with psychic pain by living, thinking and learning through it.

Those with genuine self esteem, know that in order to enjoy life, there must be a balance. And what is the opposite of joy? It is sadness. Learn how, even in sadness, to keep a good sense of self, and don't blame self uselessly. That, essentially is what self-esteem is. It is knowing that what you do matters to someone, somewhere. Accepting your share of the darkness that must be waded through, just might shed a little light on a dark spot elsewhere.

To read my news story at Helium.Com about How to improve self-esteem,
http://disease.helium.com/how-to/11251-how-to-improve-your-self-esteem

Autumn

Autumn is that time of year when the colors yellow, orange, gold and browns combine to make the world a thing of beauty. After the long days of summer when green, by its abundance, is beginning to bore us.

We search for the first hint of fall, and when that first cool breeze alerts us that the hot days of summertime is over, we rejoice. We begin to look heavenward for the clear blue sky that defines the blissful October days. Not too long into the future, however, we will begin to pine for warm days and the fun of summer. It seems that humans never are satisfied.

That is okay. That is part of our built in natures, the longing for what we don't have. Welcome Autumn!

How to appreciate art. Art makes life interesting. Learning how to appreciate life in general does not happen, it takes commitment and effort. Art is mainly how you observe and interact with life.

You don't even have to know much about painting, sculpture, or other activities to learn how to appreciate nature, the world of beauty around us, or the art of life itself. Even creating the guide, where I selected other writers and other views on art appreciation, took a certain amount of learning. How do you create a page where other views are also shown. How to make the page as attractive as possible, and meaningful, and instructive.

It takes teamwork. After a few weeks of struggle, the ways and means of guiding others in the art of appreciating art, the guide began to take shape. Without the help of others, it would have been nothing.

Although I do know a little some about painting, I have dabbled in the past, I do not consider myself adept at painting pictures. That does not mean I do not appreciate my past efforts, nor does it keep me from seeing art wherever I go. As I said, it makes life more interesting.

Actually, the astonished little face in the picture is nothing more than a ball of yarn the size a cap fits over. It was a happening that was instantly constructed on a whim. I had rolled a ball of yarn from yarn scraps. Then when it was finished, I noticed a face like appearance. The dark blue eyes were made from two spots of yarn peeping out from below the beige yarn. The mouth was nothing more than a few skewered pieces of yarn along where a mouth should be.

Pleased with the look, I made the eyes a little larger with my fingers, and tried to carve out a mouth. Seeing a hat on a window ledge nearby, I placed that on the 'head'. The hat was a donation from my grandson who had recently returned from Washington DC where Pope Benedict XVI had been visiting. The cap designated that meeting with the pope. I took a picture of the work of art, then lost both the hat and the picture for a year or so.

It is important to me, not because of the yarn, nor the accidental art of the construction, but because of the cap and my grandson giving me the cap. He knew how much it would mean to me. Now when I see that picture, I think of my love for my grandson.

When I found it, I fell in love all over again. Oh, of course, I know The Pope deserves better art than that, but I am sure he will understand the thought also has a lot to do with art. He will be visiting England in a few days and I will be watching. This is an important time for us all. I dedicate my How to appreciate art guide to him and to my grandson. I wish them both success in whatever they undertake. (The ball of yarn in no way resembles either of them, despite the quizzical look often seen on both of their faces.) And both of them I love very, very, much.

New type of cookingclass

A new type of cooking class. An update on the Food Revolution as started by Jamie Oliver in April, May of 2010. Well not exactly new, but an update on the Reality Show, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution April, May, of 2010. Huntington, WV. where this British chef brought his ideas and his thoughts on healthier school lunches to the United States. Now, other areas of the United States may also benefit from what he started here.

An article in the Herald Dispatch noted that Huntington, since they are continuing teaching healthier foods may be made the model for others. For sure, since I live in Huntington, I know he made a change in lots of people's lives and in their diets. No longer do any of us eat chips, drink colas, overindulge in fatty foods, and not feel a little guilty. We don't always eat right, but since Jamie was here, we know we should. We thank him and wish him success in all his endeavors.

Downtown, The Huntington Kitchen, run now by Ebenezer, a local organization that looks after the health of those who are unable to afford health care. There are quite successful in this new endeavor and the instructors are excellent and they teach as they were taught by their mentor, Jamie.

Huntington's Kitchen
The place where the cooking classes are being held.