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Need a floral arrangement? Is it a birthday, baby, or a national holiday? Try any of these three PIttsburgh florists, known for their attention to detail, their high quality, sturdy flowers, and their talente design teams. They will produce something perfectly suited to your next special day. And delivery is no problem.

Crescent Gardens Floral Shoppe
6515 Saltsburg Road
Penn Hills, PA, 15235
Call (412)793-9442 or toll free (800)273-8160

This local florist has been in business for over thirty years now. Clients return for their wide variety of stock, including fresh an sturdy flowers that look beautiful for a long time. Floral arrangements can be constructed for any holiday, birthday, or mourning occasion. In addition to flowers, Crescent Gardens has balloons, gifts, fresh and dried fruit baskets, and a wide variety of potted plants. Prices are fairly reasonable, with plenty in the forty dollar range. Delivery is available regionally, and nationally. The shop asks for at least 24 hours for holiday deliveries. Orders can be placed through an online website, or by calling either of their two phone numbers. Or by visiting their shop, which is open 9-5 Mon-Sat, and closed on Sundays and major holidays.

Frankstown Gardens Flower Shop & Greenhouses.
10158 Frankstown Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15235
Call toll free (800)783-3519 or (412)371-3518

This local florist makes beautiful holiday arrangements, and is perfect to go for that special Valentine’s, Christmas, or birthday bouquet. They also do baby showers, and wedding and funeral services. Arrangements are available for almost any budget, ranging from extremely reasonable, to decadent and unique for special, unforgettable events. Delivery is possible in the local area, and well as nationally and internationally (please call the store directly to place international orders.) The store is extremely busy during the holiday season, and to ensure proper on time holiday delivery, orders should be placed 48 hours in advance. Local and national deliveries may be made online, all deliveries can be placed via telephone, or by visiting the shop in person. The store is closed on Christmas. Store hours are 8-5 Monday through Saturday, and 8-1 on Sundays.

A Flower Garden By Mytylda
3153 Library Road
Pittsburgh, PA, 15236
Call (724)348-0410 or toll free (800)775-2408

This florist has plenty of creative selections to choose from for any budget. There is even a wide inventory of cute arrangements for under thirty dollars, as well as gorgeous long stemmed arrangements in the hundreds of dollars. No matter what you’re looking for, the odds are they’ll have it in their large selection of fresh flowers. They also cater to holidays, birthdays, and romantic occasions. Orders can be placed by using their online website, calling either phone number, or visiting their store in person. Local, national, and international delivery is possible, but no deliveries can be made on Sundays, and will be delivered the following business day. Same day delivery is an option for an incurred charge on orders placed before noon, in the recipients time zone. The shop is open noon-6 pm Mondays though Fridays, and is closed on the weekends. Phone orders can be placed 24 hours/day.

Most people have no idea what water rights are, or if they need to investigate them. I hope you will find this interesting, and informative.

For real estate buyers and sellers, the availability of water on a site can make or break a deal. Due to the increasing scarcity and the resulting increasing value of water, the water markets in most states are rapidly changing and becoming more sophisticated. This is especially true in Texas, and other western states where water is scarce. The publicity of transactions by various municipalities has increased the awareness of the demand for, and the importance of, water rights ownership. As the public becomes aware of the value of their water rights and ways to protect them, conveyances, reservations, and severances of water rights will become increasingly significant in general and more specifically, to the western United States. 

Think someone is trying to rip you off and charge you for water rights? While water rights alone cannot raise the price of real estate, often a seller will list this as a selling point for his or her property. Since many prospective buyers do not do research on water rights and the impact of those rights, this can sometimes cause a buyer to pay more for a piece of real estate. On the other hand, the price to utilize the water to which you own the rights can have an impact on the overall cost of a piece of property. For example, if the cost of water is .5 cents per gallon in one area, but .75 cents per gallon in another, the price of the land will usually be higher in the second area. This is typically true when purchasing a new site-built home, or when having new water lines ran to an existing property with no current water rights. 

Make sure your water rights are transferred! In most states, water rights are considered normal property rights, and as with all property rights, water rights can be retained after the sale of real estate by reserving those rights in a deed. At this time, all rights remain with the original owner and are then leased to the new purchaser of that land. This is usually known as a ‘capture.’ Once someone has owned the rights, and has put the water to beneficial use, most areas cannot and do not require that person to give up those rights. The original seller will however have to convey the water rights in the same manner as they would a normal property deed. Most states also require a written explanation of with whom the current water rights belong. 

If you are thinking about running a business such as a fishing hole, or private recreational area, consider this; sll water rights should be transferred to the current owner in order to use a private lake, pond, stream, river, or any other body of water for profit or public recreational use. When allowing persons to use said bodies of water, the current owner is leasing, or transferring temporary rights to the user of the water. These rights do not allow the user to transport any portion of the water off of the private property. It does, however, allow the user to use the water for any means that is not derogatory or illegal. Proper deeds and documentation must be filed in order to use a private body of water as a recreational business or profit maker. 

If you are looking into beach front property on a private body of water here are some things to think about. There are quite a few states that have passed laws requiring owners to remove fences and no trespassing signs in public bodies of water. Recently, in Michigan, local courts have passed a law allowing persons to walk along the shoreline of public lakes “if the owners allow it.” Otherwise, the trespassers are forced to wade through the water. The courts can not force a person to stay out of public body of water if they are using it as a means of transportation no matter how close they may come to someone’s property. Docks, ramps, and other privately owned land improvements on public bodies of water do not automatically give water rights in that area. The owner of the improvement is, by law, only borrowing water rights from the state.

Now you are armed, so go forth and buy your waterfront property, just make sure no one is trying to yank your chain!

While the rest of the country is winding down the summer months Phoenix, Arizona is still watching the temperatures climb. The one thing on everyone's mind is, “beat the heat”. Labor Day weekend 2006 has plenty of events to help the kids forget about school starting and reasons for the adults to leave the kids at home.

Street Drags
Firebird International Raceway gives anybody with four wheels the chance to race around Phoenix's famed track. The “Run what ya Brung” legal drag races include music, food, and sometimes the pros come around to show everyone how it is done. At 10 bucks to get in and only $7 more to race; it's already cheaper than the movies.
www.firebirdraceway.com

Museums
Museums are a great place to take the kids and Phoenix museums won't make much of a dent in your pocket.
The Arizona Science Center is currently running an Animal Grossology exhibit. Only hear can you and your little one learn that “some frogs belch their babies into the world”.
www.azscience.org
Other highlights include:

Desert Botanical Gardens - www.dbg.org
Heard Museum - www.heard.org/
Phoenix Art Museum - www.phxart.org

As well as countless smaller museums around the Phoenix valley that are dedicated to noteworthy subjects like firefighters, cowboys, and alternative art.

Arizona Snowbowl
Merely two hours north of Phoenix, at the top of the San Francisco Peaks is the top snow skiing destination in Arizona. When Snowbowl isn't populated by college kids skipping class, it offers chair lift rides up through the mountain forest. After 3 months of cactus and boiling swimming pools, get out of Phoenix and see some trees.

www.arizonasnowbow.com

First Friday
This event is quietly becoming the savior of downtown Phoenix. Organized by Artlink, First Friday is a monthly celebration of all the art and music urban Phoenix has to offer. Every gallery opens its doors and every street corner has a different performer on it. Hardcore punk shares the street with some down and dirty blues.
The event draws a younger crowd. If you are uncomfortable with downtown Phoenix after dark, or want to bring the kids along the Saturday After gives the same opportunity in the afternoon.

http://artlinkphoenix.com/

A Sunday Dose of Metal Mania
For those about to rock, you have two choices to make. Do you really need that second can of Aquanet; and are you down with Metal Skool or Metal Head. Both bands crank out the loud and sleazy sounds of 1980's hair metal.
Save yourself $10 and get in to Metal Head for free. You can buy that eye shadow to match your new spandex.

www.martiniranchaz.com
www.arizonabeachclub.com

Twelve-Bar Blues
There is only one place to go for Rhythm and Blues in Phoenix. That one place is celebrating 15 years of being the best little blues dive this Labor Day weekend. Check out the food but stay for the music. Anybody in the Valley R&B scene that matters is a resident at the Rhythm Room.

www.rhythmroom.com

Think you're the Next Carrot Top?
80 dollars will get you four classes on your way to becoming the next stand-up comic with a failed television show. Phoenix has several destinations that all the top comics come to, (Most notably the Tempe Improv) but only one will teach you the fine art of a one-liner or how to deal with a heckler.

www.thecomedyspot.net/classes.htm

This is just a few of the events in Phoenix. The new Cardinals football stadium is a major attraction as well as concerts and shows at venues across the entire Valley.
Phoenix is overloaded with clubs and bars. If that's what you are looking for just throw a rock and you'll probably hit two. If you are looking for a little more though, the magic of Arizona is in the nature. One hour any direction out of town and you could be in the Sonoran Desert, the White Mountains, a Ghost Town, or a lake. It's a great place to just get out and do something.

Cedar Creek State Park, along the Cedar Creek Backway, is obviously popular for camping, swimming, and gathering. However, the adventurous can “get away from it all” by hiking along the seven established trails which wind through the park. Three of the trails offer casual, relaxed paths through shaded, manicured grounds while the other four offer a challenge that not many will accept.

Fisherman's Trail
This 1 ½ mile trail begins at the Park’s Athletic Field and meanders along Cedar Creek to the park boundary.

Mostly level, the trail wanders along sunny banks, then meanders through the tall shaded grasses by the creek.

Many fishermen use this scenic trail for access to their favorite fishing spot.

Walking time: one hour.

RATING: CASUAL STROLL

Park View Trail
This rugged 1 ¾ mile trail begins near the Cedar Creek bridge at the park entrance, then climbs the point and follows the ridge above the road.

The clearly marked path provides a shaded aerobic workout at the beginning, then a casual down hill trek to the ponds.

Rewards include scenic views of the park and surrounding forested areas.

Walking time: 2 ¼ hours.

RATING: AEROBIC WORKOUT

Nightingale Trail
A project of the Nightingale 4-H Club, this ½ mile trail is laid out above the park picnic area.

This trail is a wonderful location for a relaxing afternoon snack and short walk.

Mostly shaded and level, this path is perfect for exercising seniors or for introducing young children to nature.

Walking time: ¾ hour.

RATING: CASUAL STROLL

Grassy Ridge Trail
A favorite 1/4 mile shortcut from the park swimming pool area to the Grass Ridge Picnic Area.

Shaded, and simple, this path provides a wooded connection between private, family picnics and swimming fun.

Also nearby is the playground, and the Country Store.

Walking time: 10 minutes.

RATING: CASUAL STROLL

North Boundary Trail
An extension of Two Run Trail, the one mile North Trail winds over interesting shale barrens to an area of large timber.

Alone, it provides an aerobic workout, but combine it with the Two Run Trail, it becomes a day's adventure!

The up and downhill trek meanders though both sunny and shaded regions.

Walking time: one hour.

RATING: AEROBIC WORKOUT

Stone Trough Trail
Those truly looking for a hiking adventure will enjoy this path which has the additional challenges brought on by the damage created by the 2003 ice storm.

This 2 ¼ mile loop begins at the campground and runs up Long Lick Run then climbs a ridge. There, it passes a stone watering trough, hand-carved from solid rock and believed to be over 100 years old - but only the most dedicated hiker may find it.

Walking Time: two hours.

RATING: EXTREME CHALLENGE

Two Run Trail
The longest of the trails, this 2 ½ mile trail goes up Two Run to its source, then follows a series of abandoned logging roads and animal trails.

Again, only the most adventurous should face this challenge that varies from a wide clear road to narrow uphill climbs. Hikers can continue along Stone Trough Trail to return to the campground.

Walking Time: three hours.

RATING: EXTREME CHALLENGE

My 2003 Toyota Matrix XR (with automatic transmission) needed a new set of all-season tires the month before I was to make a 1,100-mile round trip from central Kentucky to central Wisconsin. After doing some research online, I selected a couple of tire products to consider and headed to the local tire store. Firestones were not on my list, but the service representative I talked to, Theron, told me that his experience with recent-vintage Firestone tires had been quite favorable. He suggested I try a set of Firestone Firehawk GTs for my Matrix because another customer had tried putting Firehawks on a Matrix and really liked them.

Firehawks are not usually recommended as replacement tires for a Matrix. TireRack.com (http://www.tirerack.com/) describes the Firehawk GT as “Firestone's high performance all-season tire developed for sporty performance sedans and coupes.” Now, I love my Matrix, but I wouldn't describe it as either high-performance or “sporty.” A Matrix looks a little like a humpback whale on wheels. But I soon learned that Theron knew what he was talking about; the Firehawk tire performs well on my Matrix.

On the trip to Wisconsin, I kept a log of my gas mileage. My Matrix had previously averaged about 36 mpg on long trips that involved mostly interstate or four-lane highway driving. On the Kentucky-to-Wisconsin trip with the new Firehawk tires, the fuel economy of my five-year-old Matrix was almost exactly 37 mpg! I was pleased, of course.

On dry roads, the handling and grip of the Firehawks is terrific. Their traction remains secure in heavy rain. The Toyota Matrix does not have a reputation for being a quiet car, but the noise level with these tires seems slightly less than with the other two sets of tires that have been on the car. The ride is comfortable.

Firehawk GTs come with a 50,000 mile limited treadwear warranty. The Firehawk GT's Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG) traction rating is A, its temperature rating is A, and its treadwear rating is 460, according to a chart on the Tire Rack web site. On a National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) web site (http://www.safercar.gov/), the ratings when I checked there were lower than those listed by Tire Rack; in response to an email query about the discrepancy , however, I was told the most recent data for the Firehawk GT indicates that its UTQG rating should indeed be “A, A, 460.” The ratings on the government website are updated continuously as data is made available by the tire manufacturers, a NHTSA engineer explained to me by email, and the “A, A, 460″ rating should be included in the next website update.

After putting about 5,000 miles on the tires, I remain pleased with my purchase. I have not had the opportunity to try these tires in snow yet, but other reviews of the Firehawk GT indicate that the tire is suitable for use in light snow although it will be overmatched in heavy snow. Winters in my area of the country are usually not severe although we may have heavy snows for a couple of weeks in January. I expect the Firehawks to be adequate for driving near my home at least 50 weeks of the year. For an “all-season” radial tire, that sounds good to me.

Both the Matrix and Pontiac Vibe wagons are built on a Toyota Corolla platform because the cars were developed as part of a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors. For this reason, the Firehawk GT tires will probably work as well on the Vibe as on the Matrix.

My cost in June of 2008 for four Firestone Firehawk GT tires (Size: P205/55HR16) plus labor, sales tax, old tire disposal fee and road hazard warranty, came to $530.74.

Resources:

http://www.bridgestone-firestone.com/

http://www.nhtsa.dothttp.gov/

http://www.safercar.gov/portal/site/safercar/menuitem

http://www.tirerack.com/

Lavender has become one of my all time favorite scents, and until a few years ago I didn't know what real lavender smelled like. I used to buy “lavender” scented bath and body products, but when I invested in a bottle of good quality lavender essential oil, I was shocked by the difference!

Not only do I love lavender, but I choose personal care products that don't contain a lot of chemicals. One of the brands that meet this criteria is EO.

EO French Lavender Shower Gel

This product comes in an 8 ounce plastic bottle, with a cobalt blue color and a black lid. The shower gel itself is clear. The lavender plants are grown on small family farms, and I consider their essential oils to be of very high quality. From personal experience, I can say that this is a more concentrated form of shower gel than the typical store brand.

Natural ingredients are very important to me, and this French Lavender Shower Gel gets high marks with their quality ingredients: Coconut cleansing complex, sodium myristoyl sarcosinate (made from coconut oil), sodium cocamphoacetate (made from coconut oil), guar (plant resin), wheat amino acids, lavender essential oil, tocopherol (Vitamin E), ascorbyl palmitate (Vitamin C), sodium hydroxymethylglycinate (Amino Acids). Methyl and propylparabens are added as a preservative, but in minute amounts, in this case less than 1%.

Using chemical preservatives is a trade off. Some products I've used that are 100% natural have been very unsatisfactory, because they turn rancid and go bad before I have even finished using them! I think the small amount of chemical preservatives that EO uses is healthy for product integrity.

Usage

I love products such as this, because it's versatile! I can use it in the shower, and it produces a nice soft and gentle lather. Considering it is more natural, I was concerned about the amount of suds it would provide, but this one performs nicely.

There is a nice soft lavender scent, but it's not overpowering. The suds rinse off easily and cleanly, leaving the body and mind feeling refreshed and relaxed. Another way to use this shower gel is to pour a cap full under running water when I want to take a bath. It doesn't make as many bubbles as the typical bubble bath, but it still softens and scents the water, and makes for a nice relaxing bath. I like to take a bath with the French Lavender Shower Gel just before going to bed.

I consider this a very pure and natural shower gel, and love that it does not contain any artificial colors or fragrances! In the past, lavender scented products often had a purple or violet color to them, but this is not natural, and is simply added for eye appeal. I feel these dyes are, for the most part, unnecessary. (Some companies do find all natural ways to dye their products).

EO French Lavender Shower Gel is soothing, moisturizing, and cleans very well without stripping the body of it's natural oils. The gentle scent lingers slightly, without being overbearing. It's a great product, and if you like the smell of real lavender, I think you will enjoy this one! The 8 ounce bottle retails for around $7 and is found in natural food shops, and in many online stores as well. I feel it is a good value for the quality you get!

About The Company

EO is a family owned and operated business, which was founded in 1995. EO stands for “Essential Oils”. They produce products in their 22,000 square foot organically certified facility. EO does not test on animals.

A self-publisher can do her own copywriting to advertise her work.

I used the following “copy” flyer to promote my “Novel in A Nutshell” entitled FANS: “Former high school and college basketball star Rod Lawson, crippled in a nightmarish accident, reunites with his young son and himself while searching for a killer. Read all about it in FANS, a BAAT Publishing Novel in A Nutshell by the creator of this new genre form. Get your copy today! Novels in A Nutshell are handcrafted items available only through mailorder.”

At the bottom of the copy flyer, I included ordering and mailing information, along with blank lines for the purchaser to fill in, and a tear off receipt.

Self-publishing and mailorder marketing are a natural pair.

Using direct mailorder marketing to spread the word about a new self-published book is a percentage game, but the big advantage in self-publishing is the writer-publisher controls her own interests. It's her work marketed by her using a direct mailing approach, such as a copy flyer describing the book. She creates the flyer, too. After all, she knows more about her book than anyone else.

A piggyback method may also be used. The self-publisher's flyer can be mailed with a business's, or individual's printed advertisement whenever a compatible topic and a willing product manager can be found. For instance, the writer-publisher could piggyback her book on tennis flyer with a flyer by a sports outlet that sells tennis equipment. Simply match the topics, or products to piggyback.

Book signings at the local library are also a free advertisement and promotional tool that serve a dual purpose for the self-publisher. The writer-publisher sells her work and keeps in touch with community members important to her enterprise.

News releases are very useful as a self-publisher's tool. These releases are simply an overview of the author's single, or multiple works composed as a local news item. An example follows:
“Napoleon, OH — An exciting new genre form is now available from BAAT Publishing, a local enterprise. Quick-read, handcrafted pages are used to compose Novels in A Nutshell, such as SOMETHING WICKED, which relates the story of Airy Breezewell. The protagonist is a mindboggling study in reviewing her past from her sheltered room in a nursing home. Is there murder in her days of old?

“Novels in A Nutshell are adventures, mysteries, and fantasies told in a condensed story format. The volumes are potential novel length stories, sometimes with crafted illustrations, produced completely by hand, with stencil and geographic designs, and imagination, and include a handsome story bookmark.”

The release can include further information about the author, her credentials, her work, and background history so news editors may know where the self-published work is coming from and who its readership is likely to be, from the editor's perspective. Releases can be sent to any newspaper, but it makes sense to give the local ones a priority mailing.

There are numerous options open to the self-publisher when it comes to getting the word out about her unique work. Ideas are everywhere. For sharing and utilizing ideas, the writer-publisher must never limit her horizons.

/End/

Sources: BAAT Publishing, PO Bx 893, 1212 E.Riverview Ave., Napoleon, OH, 43545. Send to this address for discount coupons and ordering blanks.

James had been feeling a bit tired and winded whenever he would exert himself. He just thought it was his age catching up to him; after all, he was seven (7) months away from his 63rd birthday. But to his daughter, Roslyn, aging was not a good enough reason to lose over 50% of his strength. She pushed for him to go to the doctor. The doctor ran a battery of tests ranging from blood tests to urine and bowel samples. Finally, there was the scary call that came from the doctor telling James to get to the hospital emergency room a.s.a.p because they had found blood in his stool (bowels), indicating that he was bleeding internally, and his blood level was at a dangerously low level of 4.5 g/dL. In fact, the doctors at the hospital wondered why he hadn't passed out by now. After a few tests it was revealed that the source of bleeding was from a lesion on his esophagus that turned out to be cancerous. This quickly became a life or death situation. The doctors told James he had approximately 3-6 weeks left to live if action wasn't taken at that moment. They needed to stop the bleeding and get rid of the cancer, but with such a low blood level his body was too weak to withstand any surgery or treatment. The obvious solution was a blood transfusion, but to James, a devout Jehovah's Witness of 52 years, this was not an option. The doctors warned that going other routes would be risky. But James, his family and friends were not concerned. They had made it their business to research alternative medicinal solutions. The first thing that came to mind was Procrit. Procrit is a drug that mimics erythropoieten, which is a hormone produced by the kidneys that stimulates cells in the bone marrow to produce new red blood cells. This process does take a longer amount of time than a blood transfusion would, but for James, the benefits far outweighed the risks. With such a weakened system, the virtually non-existent side effects of Procrit makes this medication a top choice for sufferers of certain cancers and HIV and AIDS related diseases. It is administered via a hypodermic needle, similar to those used to give insulin to diabetics, and may cause fever and slight pain at the sight of the shot. But this is minor. The only potentially serious side effect is for dialysis patients. They may experience seizures, but this usually happens within the first 90 days of use. When compared to a blood transfusion, Procrit does take longer to get desired results. However, along with less side effects, the fiscal cost could be significantly less. While Procrit costs around $1800-$6000 per shot (compared to the cost of nearly $600 per unit of blood), because Procrit can be administered on either an out-patient or auto-patient (self administered) basis you don't incur the hospital fees for rooming and nursing and professional fees. Not to mention that when it comes to blood transfusion, while the unit itself may be pretty reasonably priced, each hospital may tack on fees for various tests associated with a transfusion as well as handling costs. And because Procrit poses less of a threat of causing side effects, money can be saved in treating ill effects. But money and side effects aside, does it really work? James, mentioned earlier, started receiving 3 shots of Procrit a week immediately. Within 4 weeks, his blood count had risen to 14, giving him time to gain strength, and his body the ability to undergo the surgery he needed. After the surgery, his blood count dropped to 9 and he received 1 shot of Procrit a week for 6 weeks until his blood count reached 12.5. Today, he is making an excellent recovery from his brush with death. Why was this drug, Procrit, so important for me to research? Because James is my father. And in the end, Procrit saved his life.