The book includes very interesting Maryland history of the Carroll and Caton families. It also includes several references to the Caton House and leaves one wondering about the location of this historic home that is not known locally.
About a year ago, my family gave me the Canon SX260 Digital Camera as a gift. I had actually researched and chosen it first since I’m rather particular about my electronics and I have a much stronger opinion on them than my husband. This was my fourth digital camera if you don’t count cell phone cameras, so I have a lot of experience with digital camera features and this is definitely my favorite camera so far.
I really like that this camera has a good speed for it’s awesomely compact size and its price range. I have three kids and I need a camera fast enough to keep up with them. It also has a good 12.1MP resolution and even better, 20x optical zoom considering it’s size. I love that it has all this and it will fit in my purse!
My camera is the Red which looks to me like a dark pink or raspberry and I really like the fun color. It is also available in black, grey and green.
As for negatives, I fully agree with the reviews that the flash pops up right under my fingers which is annoying. However I like all the other features so much that I’m happy to accept this one fault.
When I started my research before buying this camera, I really wanted a viewfinder instead of using the LCD screen to frame photos. It’s difficult to find a camera with a viewfinder that is also compact, and in the price range that I could accept. I’m very happy with my choice of a compact camera and have given up my desire for a viewfinder.
Finally, I really like to wear my camera on a neckstrap so that my hands are free and my camera is ready for use. But compact cameras don’t seem to come with neckstraps or even the ability to use a neckstrap with them. I would really like to have a place to attach a neckstrap on both sides of cameras instead of just a wrist strap on one side (in case Canon happens to see this review). My solution to this problem was to buy a neckstrap lanyard that attaches to the camera in place of the wrist strap. I can use this as a neckstrap or wrap it around my wrist when I prefer.
I highly recommend this camera for it’s speed, 20x optical zoom, compact size and overall great quality for its price!
My husband and I both have iPhones which we love!
I started with an iPod Touch in July 2010. My husband soon saw how great it was and got one too. Finally, when our cell phones were eligible for upgrades, we got iPhones!
There are a lot of smart phone options available, but between Apple’s iOS and Android operating systems, we strongly prefer Apple’s products since we feel that they are really well made and new features are thoroughly tested before being released.
The main difference between the iPod Touch and iPhone is that the iTouch is not a cell phone. Other than that, iTouch can use WiFi to access the Internet, use iPhone apps, and in most other ways is just like an iPhone. (And there’s a lot the iTouch can do while offline too!)
The other significant difference between the iTouch and iPhone is that the iTouch has a lower resolution camera than the iPhone. The latest version of the iTouch (5th generation) has a 5MP rear camera, while the current iPhone has an 8MP rear camera. (Be aware that the 16GB iTouch does not have a rear camera, only a 1.2MP front camera for FaceTime video chat.)
The iPad creates much less confusion as it is clearly an Apple tablet device and not a cell phone.
What the three devices all have in common is that they all use the Apple iOS software as their operating system (as Microsoft PC’s use a version of the Windows operating system.) Therefore, they can all use most of the same apps from the iTunes Store.
Wikipedia has a lot of useful info on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.
Following are a lot of the features of the iPhone that I have discovered just through using it over the last several years. Most of these features also apply to the iPod Touch and iPad as well since they all use iOS.
“.” Shortcut – double tapping on the space bar adds a “.” (set this option in Settings App, General, Keyboard).
Enable Caps Lock – double tapping on the shift key turns on caps lock (set this option in Settings App, General, Keyboard).
Auto Correct is a feature that attempts to automatically correct or complete your typing. However it can also create some funny or frustrating text when it supplies words that you didn’t intend as evidenced by the many of these available at damnyouautocorrect.com. If you prefer to turn off Auto Correct, go to the Settings App, General, Keyboard.
Shortcuts can be set up to assist you with typing. For example, I have a shortcut that turns “tmrw” into “tomorrow.” These are helpful when typing on the tiny virtual keyboard as opposed to a physical keyboard. Set shortcuts in Settings App, General, Keyboard, Shortcuts.
Turn the device a quarter turn to type in landscape mode in many apps which gives you a wider keyboard.
Shake the device to undo the last typing action.
Tap and hold many keys (vowels, .com, etc.) for extra keyboard options.
Screen capture – press and hold the power button (top of the device) and then press home button (bottom center of the device) at the same time. Images go to the Photos app, Camera Roll folder. This is great for saving an image of email and web coupons on the iTouch for use in stores when you don’t have WiFi access. I also find this useful on the iPhone as it’s faster to flip through images of coupons in the photos app then hunting for the right email with the coupon while standing at a store register while the cashier waits.
Select text – touch and hold text to select text, then choose a select option from the menu. You can change the selection using the dots on the selected text.
Position the cursor in text – touch and hold then use the magnifying circle to position the cursor.
Insert image in email – you can insert an image(s) in an email with touch and hold in the email body. In the menu that comes up, tap the arrow on the right. Then select Insert Photo or Video, and choose the image(s) you want from the Camera Roll.
The Notifications screen is accessed by swiping your finger from the top of the screen down.
The Control Center is accessed by swiping your finger from the bottom of the screen up. The Control Center allows you to set many features including music controls, flash light, do not disturb, and calculator.
The Search screen is accessed by swiping your finger from the middle of the screen down (previous versions of the iOS accessed the search screen by swiping from left to right.) The search option allows you to search all of your emails, apps and all other content on the device.
OS X Daily is a blog that you can subscribe to for daily emails with great iOS (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad) and Mac OS X tips.
What is your favorite iPhone tip? Comment below!
Have fun with your Apple mobile device!
My husband was trying to schedule a TV station or other media office tour to satisfy a requirement for the Cub Scout Tiger badge but he couldn’t find anywhere local that could accommodate us. He found an online video of a TV station tour that the Den leader agreed would satisfy this requirement. I am sharing the link here for others who may be trying to find a way to meet this requirement too.
TV Station Tour / Behind the Scenes” by wfmynews2 in North Carolina.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Following are my husband’s comments on the video:
“I just watched this 6 part series (about 3 minutes each, or 20 minutes
total). I found it really interesting, and if the kids are getting
restless you can encourage them with the fact that there are a few
bloopers at the end of the reel. They have a few sections where they explain some techno-babble, but other than that VERY appropriate for this age group [grade 1].”
about geotags, but the instructions for turning off location info on iphones is outdated. The correct method is Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services -> Camera switch to Off.
Happy Easter and Happy Spring!
I started this card with the rabbit ribbon that I’ve had for more years than I want to admit. I combined that with this sweet bunny stamp. Finally I chose colors to coordinate with the ribbon.
Card stock: Stampin’ Up! Creamy Caramel, Pumpkin Pie and Very Vanilla
Rubber stamp: Inkadinkado bunny 97796
Ink: SU Close to Cocoa
Accessories: Spellbinders Nestabilities oval and Lacey ovals dies
I continue to be overwhelmed by the number of mass shootings in the last couple of years as I know most people are. I’ve been thinking a lot about what can be done to prevent these awful acts of violence and desperation in the future.
Not being a mental health professional, the best that I can come up with is to help spread information on mental health awareness and resources. Following is a web page about mental illness warning signs, and a crisis hot line web site. Please review the warning signs of mental illness and share this post with all your friends. Let’s get the word out about mental health awareness!
When I volunteered to lead my oldest daughter’s Junior Girl Scout troop I was not able to find an assistant or co-leader from among the parents in our troop. The previous leader suggested that I consider running the troop as a cooperative troop.
Basically in a cooperative troop, there is one trained leader who oversees troop activities and meetings, and troop parents are asked to each take on a role in the troop, and plan and lead one or more meetings each year depending on the number of families in the troop. Below is the email that I sent out to my troop the spring before I took over as leader and it describes how my cooperative troop was set-up in more detail.
While the other parents in the troop were not comfortable with being an assistant or co-leader, they all readily agreed to take on one of the volunteer responsibilities that are listed below, and helping plan and lead meetings.
The obvious benefit of a cooperative troop is that it spreads the responsibilities for coordinating troop meetings and activities among all the families in the troop. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that after a couple of meetings planned and led by scouts and their parents, the girls were all anxiously awaiting their turn to lead a meeting! My own daughter was quite disappointed to learn that since I had led the first couple meetings to get things going, we weren’t scheduled to lead until later in the school year. Since teaching the girls to lead is one of the important principles of Girl Scouting, their enthusiasm to take a turn leading was very exciting.
I have found that Google Docs (http://drive.google.com) is a great tool for coordinating troop sign-ups, activity RSVPs, etc. I’d recommend creating one Google spreadsheet with a tab/page for each of the following – troop meeting volunteer sign-up, Troop volunteer positions (see list below), Field trip/activity RSVP with a column for each activity and girls’ names along the left column, meeting activity suggestions (badges, service projects, etc.), and other pages as needed. I recommend making the doc share settings so that anyone with the link can edit it. Then don’t put any last names or contact info in the doc. This way troop members can access it from whichever email they prefer, and they won’t be required to have a Google account to view and edit the doc.
A cooperative troop is the way to go!
Feel free to use the message below and edit it for your own use as needed.
Dear Troop Members –
As you all know, we’ve been looking for a leader for the girls’ Junior troop next year.
Girl Scouting was a very special experience for me as a girl and is now very important to my daughter, so I have volunteered to lead our troop. Since I was unable to find a co-leader to share the responsibility of leadership, I have offered to accept the position of leading the troop next year under the condition that it be a co-operative troop. In addition to assisting me with the coordination and planning required for meetings and outings, a co-operative troop gives the girls greater opportunity to take on responsibility for planning and running their meetings, with adult supervision and assistance, of course.
In a co-operative troop each family would provide a volunteer at two meetings a year and bring snack. In addition, that parent volunteer would assist their daughter in planning and running those two meetings. The meetings might involve working on a patch in which the girl or troop had indicated interest, planning and teaching the troop a program for Thinking Day, or another project in which the girls had expressed interest.
As the leader, I would attend the two training sessions, complete paperwork, plan the meeting and activity schedule, attend monthly service unit meetings, and coordinate other needs of the troop. In addition, we are required to have a trained leader at every meeting, so I will attend the meetings, even though the parent volunteer and one of the girls would run many of the meetings.
Please review the list of meeting dates for next year (on Google Docs) and sign up for 2 meetings to help your daughter plan and run the meetings, and bring snack.
I will also be looking for volunteers for the positions listed at the end of this message (Google Doc signup), so please review them and let me know with which you would be able to assist. In particular, we need several First Aiders, and a cookie parent; and ideally we should have at least one trained Assistant Leader. It is my hope that each family will volunteer for at least one of the troop positions below.
I am excited about the many opportunities that the girls have ahead of them this year!
Volunteers Needed
*** Assistant Leader(s) – Attend leadership training classes and attend a couple of meetings or events a year. Ideally we should have at least one trained assistant leader in case I can’t attend a meeting or event, so we wouldn’t have to cancel; background check required
*** FIRST AIDERS – We need at least 2 or 3 people to be first aiders available to go on field trips. Training is good for 2 years at which time training needs to be repeated for certification. If you plan to attend several field trips throughout the year anyway, then the only additional time requirement would be to take the First Aid Training class.
***Cookie Parent – coordinates troop cookie orders, attends cookie sale training, coordinates troop cookie booth sales; background check required
***Treasurer – manages troop finances and prepares the year end report; background check required
*Thinking Day Coordinators – One or two parents to help the girls plan their activities for Thinking Day. Would be running two meetings in January or February before Thinking Day.
*Purchasing Agent – Go to the Girl Scout Store at Camp Ilchester to buy patches, vests, and other GS materials. You will save receipts and then get reimbursed from our troop account. Probably only 2-4 times a year, and even one trip would be helpful.
*E-mail Reminders/Volunteer Coordinator – Send the email reminder each month to the troop about items to bring and parent volunteer scheduled. Make sure that each meeting has a volunteer scheduled to plan and run the meeting and bring snack.
*Roster Maintenance (maybe combine with above position) – Maintain troop roster as needed and send out to troop. (May be helpful to group girls by neighborhood for easier carpool planning.)
*Attend a Service Unit Meeting – I will need someone to attend a meeting for me on occasion. <meeting time and location>
*Field Trip/Outings Coordinator – Plan field trips — make phone calls, plan/coordinate field trip, coordinate RSVPs and carpools.
*Camp Certified Parents – One or more parents (ideally 2 or more) to become camp certified so that the troop can camp independently in the future.
* Historian(scrapbook)/Photograp
Thank you!!
This past winter my daughter and I published our new picture book, “The Winter That Almost Wasn’t” as a Kindle ebook! It’s currently $.99 on Amazon. As the weather warms up, a winter story may be the perfect way to cool off!
Making snowmen, sledding, snow angels, and so much more!
Sally, Mia and Ben can’t wait for snow, so they’ll try all the ways they can think of to make it snow.
“Sleep on a spoon
and we’ll have snow soon!”
How many snow making ideas do you know?
I wrote the story a couple of years ago at the end of a disappointing Maryland winter. My kids had wished for a good snow all through the winter. Just like the three kids in the story, they kept trying all the different ways they know to make it snow.
After hearing the story, my then 12 year old daughter offered to illustrate it for me, and we enjoyed working on this project together.
We hope you’ll read The Winter That Almost Wasn’t Kindle ebook and leave a review! Thank you!
If you don’t have a Kindle, you can get a free ebook reader for PCs and most mobile devices on Amazon.
I bought a Samsung 11″ Chromebook laptop in February and I love it! I was researching laptops and considered several different types.
Windows 8 is getting bad reviews, and I’m so tired of the unstable, high maintenance Windows operating systems. In addition, to get a Windows laptop with decent processing speed, it was going to cost easily over $500.
If money were no object, I’d get a Mac laptop. No question. But while I think very highly of Apple’s excellent quality products (love my iphone!), they are priced outrageously high!
A friend’s daughter has a Chromebook and really likes it. I started doing research and decided that it was worth trying. The Chromebook runs the Chrome operating system (OS) (as opposed to Windows or Mac OSX) which is a browser based OS. While some have claimed that without WiFi, it’s as good as a brick, there are also apps, such as Gmail Offline, that allow you to continue to work with your email and Google docs without an Internet connection.
For my purposes, I wanted a device with a physical keyboard and a decent size screen for typing long emails, viewing web pages not intended for mobile devices’ tiny screens, doing word processing, working with spreadsheets, doing WordPress web design, and image editing. I had already been using Gmail as my email interface and was using Google Drive for docs and spreadsheets anyway. With the current trend in cloud computing (storing your data on the Internet so that it’s accessible from whichever device you happen to have at the moment), there are a lot of applications available via the web, including several image editing applications (such as Pixlr) which I will share in a future post.
I chose the Samsung 11″ Chromebook because it has very good reviews on Amazon, and I like the feel of the keyboard and track pad. I like the 11″ screen size which is small enough to be very portable and lightweight, but feels to me like plenty of screen space. I read reviews for different Chromebooks which discussed the feel of the keyboard and trackpad, so I went to a couple stores before buying so that I could try them out. The Samsung keyboard has a satisfying clicky feel as opposed to the different feel of some other brands. Seeing them in person also gave me a chance to see their actual size and compare their weight.
The Samsung 11″ Chromebook is about $250 on Amazon. It has a 16 GB hard drive and two USB ports. If you need more storage space than the hard drive (keep in mind that Google Drive gives you 15 GB of cloud storage), you can get a SanDisk 32GB USB Flash Drive for under $20. This Chromebook also comes with an offer for a free 100 GB Google Drive storage for two years.
Set-up was as easy as the reviews say. I just plugged it in, turned it on, and signed into my Google account. I spent a little time becoming familiar with the Chrome browser and settings since I had only recently started using it.
If you’re considering a Chromebook, I’d highly recommend installing the free Chrome browser on your current device. Since the OS is based on the Chrome browser, that is the essence of the Chromebook experience. Now I love that I can use the Chrome browser on my laptop, iPhone, and desktop PC (on rare occasions); and I always have access to all my bookmarks!
While I am very happy with the Chromebook, there are a couple of limitations to the that I’ve found –
We’re now considering getting another Chromebook for the kids when it’s time to replace their PC. Most of what they do is Google Drive for school, email, and web games anyway.
Following are some videos and web pages that I found helpful in researching my decision to buy a Chromebook.
Chrome OS Guided Tour video – great intro to the Chrome OS
PCWorld – Chromebook power tips: How to work smarter online and offline
