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Here's the short lesson on blood stain removal: act fast. Carpets today usually come with stain-resistant treatments, so even blood can be removed if you get it right away. The longer the delay, the more difficult removing any carpet stain becomes, and there are no stain-proof carpets yet. With blood, the process of coagulation makes it especially hard to get the stain out if it is old and dried.

Step-By-Step Blood Stain Removal

1. Rinse and extract the blood stain with cold water. Apply just a little at a time, so you don't spread the stain. Hot water can set the stain, making it permanent, so use only cold water. Add the water, then blot it up with a clean white cloth or white paper towels. You can also suck the solution out with a shop-vac, which means less of a chance of spreading the stain.

2. Remove the remaining stain with a solution of a few drops of Dawn dish washing detergent in a cup of cold water. Work it into the blood stain, but be careful not to spread the stain. Blot the area with a clean white cotton cloth or white paper towels, but don't rub the stain, as this can damage the fibers. Damaged fibers hold stains and get stained in the future more easily.

3. Repeat the process as many times as is necessary, or until there is no more transfer of the stain from the carpet to the cloth or paper towels. Then blot up excess water when you are done.

4. Leave the fan blowing on the area to dry it quickly. Otherwise, set a stack of paper towels (white) on the stained area, or a couple clean white cotton cloths, and put something heavy on them. Leave this to blot up the remaining liquid, replacing the cloth or paper towels as necessary. Fast drying keeps any remaining stain deeper in the carpet from "wicking up" to the surface and becoming visible again.

Some have reported good luck using club soda to remove blood stains, so if the above instructions don't work, you can try that next. It's not easy to predict which stains will come out and which won't until you try. This is because of various types of carpet fibers and other factors. For example, wool and other natural fibers are usually more difficult to remove stains from. As with all stains, use water first before trying other solvents for blood stain removal.

1. "It is the duty of every citizen according to his best capacities to give validity to his convictions in political affairs."
   -- Albert Einstein

2. "Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles."
   -- Ambrose Bierce

3. "Man is by nature a political animal."
   -- Aristotle

4. "I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians."
   -- Charles De Gaulle

5. "The mistake a lot of politicians make is in forgetting they've been appointed and thinking they've been anointed."
   -- Claude D. Pepper

6. "Politics is made up largely of irrelevancies."
   -- Dalton Camp

7. "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy."
   -- Ernest Benn

8. "Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game, and dumb enough to think it's important."
   -- Eugene McCarthy

9. "We would all like to vote for the best man but he is never a candidate."
   -- Frank McKinney Hubbard

10. "When the political columnists say 'Every thinking man' they mean themselves, and when candidates appeal to 'Every intelligent voter' they mean everybody who is going to vote for them."
    -- Franklin P. Adams

11. "Run for office? No. I've slept with too many women, I've done too many drugs, and I've been to too many parties."
    -- George Clooney

12. "My choice early in life was either to be a piano-player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference."
    -- Harry S. Truman

13. "Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory."
    -- John Kenneth Galbraith

14. "The word 'politics' is derived from the word 'poly', meaning 'many', and the word 'ticks', meaning 'blood sucking parasites'."
    -- Larry Hardiman

15. "Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects."
    -- Lester B. Pearson

16. "Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed."
    -- Mao Tse-Tung

17. "Nothing can so alienate a voter from the political system as backing a winning candidate."
    -- Mark B. Cohen

18. "You can lead a man to Congress, but you can't make him think."
    -- Milton Berle

19. "Politics is the art of the possible."
    -- Otto Von Bismarck

20. "In politics, an absurdity is not a handicap."
    -- Napoleon Bonaparte

21. "Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them."
    -- Paul Valery

22. "Politicians are wonderful people as long as they stay away from things they don't understand, such as working for a living."
    -- P. J. ORourke

23. "In politics you must always keep running with the pack. The moment that you falter and they sense that you are injured, the rest will turn on you like wolves."
    -- R. A. Butler

24. "Politics is largely a matter of heart."
    -- R. A. Butler

25. "Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary."
    -- Robert Louis Stevenson

26. "Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book."
    -- Ronald Reagan

27. "Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first."
    -- Ronald Reagan

28. "A politician is a fellow who will lay down your life for his country."
    -- Texas Guinan

29. "The political machine triumphs because it is a united minority acting against a divided majority."
    -- Will Durant

30. "The more you read and observe about this Politics thing, you got to admit that each party is worse than the other. The one that's out always looks the best."
    -- Will Rogers

If you've just bought a house, you may be able to relate to a fascinating essay in Maya Angelou's book, Even the Stars Look Lonesome.

When Ms. Angelou moved into a designer house in California, she says, nothing worked. Her pictures didn't look right on the walls. Cakes fell in the oven and curtains fell off the rods.

The house, she concluded, hated her. And it wasn't much consolation to realize the house hated her husband, too.

What I want to know is, how could she tell?

Let's face it, most houses hate their new owners. They have adapted to the rhythm of one family and resent being sold.

Like most cats that you rescue from the pound, your house probably believes, "If I'd waited awhile, a better owner would have come along. So I'm going to make this one's life miserable."

When you move

Those who are trained in modern research methods will be skeptical, but there's plenty of evidence. Everyone knows what happens when you move into a new house.

"You'll see a lot of repair services in the first six months," I was warned. "When a house hasn't changed hands in five years or more, lots of little things will happen when you move in."

Now, you'll notice this doesn't happen when you rent a house or apartment. Some friends of mine rented a house while they saved to buy their own property.

For two years, the refrigerator purred and the air conditioner hummed contentedly. The plumbing flowed silently and the insect life remained hidden. Encouraged ("see, a house isn't so bad after all!") they took the plunge and bought their own home.

I'd like to say they're doing great but in fact they've dropped out of sight. They can't take phone calls any more. "Sorry, we can't tie up this line. We're holding the phone open till we hear from the handyman..." Or the pest control guy, or the electrician. They considered Call Waiting but were afraid to jinx the only object in the house that seemed to be working.

If you seem particularly gullible, (e.g., the house senses that you're new to this game), your appliances may join the fun. I am absolutely positive the once-faithful refrigerator sent out a message: "How about this, guys. Let's really confuse everybody. I'll put out a leak, send the water over to the sink, and they'll think it's a big pipe in the wall. After they've poked a few holes they'll realize it's time to wake up that sleeping repairman!"

And one day my security system kept getting an "Open Door" signal even when the door was firmly locked. The tech found nothing wrong and it never happened again.

My lawn service person knew how to work the system: Let Them Know Who's Boss. After he cut back the hedges and pulled some over-aggressive vines, the bushes stopped sulking and started putting out nice flowers. They knew what would happen if they didn't.

Making Peace with the House

Soon you've emptied your bank account to create a peace offering -- a new floor or a paint job or a screen door."Every so often," I'm told, "you even get thirty days with no service calls. But after six months or so, the house gets bored and it'll start all over again."

One thing is certain. In your house's "Lose the Owner" contest, there's one simple rule. Whoever costs the most, wins.

For serious advice about moving, download Making the Big Move.

The Arizona Inn is just the place that you are looking for if you seeking for neat and well-cared for lawns and trees combined with lush gardens and a serene view. Apart from that, this inn is also filled with fragrances of roses and oranges as well as eye-catching fountains. There is no doubt on the exquisiteness of the Arizona Inn, having won numerous hotel awards in addition to being a host to many of Arizonas best wedding receptions. In fact, its prestige extends to being named one of the top 50 small hotels in the US based on the Zagat survey. In this venue, you can definitely plan for a romantic wedding reception as their reception halls are uniquely designed with French doors, antiques and high-beamed ceilings. This is the reason why your wedding reception at the Arizona Inn will be an event that will never be forgotten.

If you are seeking for a good city venue for a wedding reception in Arizona, then you should consider the Sheraton Crescent Hotel in Phoenix. This hotel offers attractive well-designed interiors with outstanding services as well as 342 rooms and suites available for your wedding guests. Apart from that, the proximity of this venue to the city and the airport makes it convenient for guests from out of town. Furthermore, this venue is also splendid for guests who may want to access shopping locations within the city. For the wedding reception, the Crescent Ballroom in this hotel has a capacity of up to 1000 guests while the Phoenix Garden and Patio is suited for outdoor wedding parties for up to 500 guests.

For couples seeking a location with a splendid backdrop, then the Amara Creekside Resort would be a perfect choice. Surrounded by creations of Mother Nature with stone hills and pines amidst sunny and bright weather, the Amara Creekside Resort is suited for a wedding reception of romance and beauty. Apart from having a comprehensive list of menu items to choose from, the Amara caters to indoor wedding receptions in their Meditation Room, as well as picturesque outdoor weddings in the Oak Creek Courtyard.

Arizona is indeed a place that is full of beautiful and romantic wedding reception sites complete with full services on wedding planning. Beautiful locations require advanced bookings as they will always be in great demand. Therefore, it is essential to start your explorations now, in order to get the best wedding reception location to create the wedding of your dreams!

"At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year." -Thomas Tusser

OK. Thanksgiving was wonderful, visiting with family and sharingfun stories and adventures; laughing around the dining roomtable, enjoying favorite stuffing and pies; watching parades andfootball games; and counting your many blessings.

It is now time to turn our attention to the many preparations for Christmas. Coming from a Christian perspective, I can speak for the anticipation which we all feel to celebrate the birth of the Christ-child. It brings us wonder each and every year, and the time and energy we put into its celebration never wanes. As I watch my Jewish friends prepare for Hanukkah, I sense, too, the joy with which they prepare celebrations with loved ones.

The gift of sacrificial love is the true essence of Christmas.

Teaching your children to give generously and to give cheerfullymodels the life of Christ. Our God, who created each one of uswith more love than we can imagine, desires this same outpouringof love to others, and it is at Christmas that we likewise shareour love through gift-giving and through acts of generosity andhospitality. We are buoyed by the "Christmas spirit" because itis through giving--rather than receiving--that we receive themost joy. Pausing to think about others, about their needs anddesires, and extending yourselves to their benefit, brings deepinner satisfaction not found any other way.

Have you made your list of those people with whom you want toshare the Christmas spirit?

Consider giving small, inexpensive gifts to a large list, rather than more extravagant gifts to a very few loved ones.

When Ithink of the model of giving I want to pattern for my own family, I cannot exclude from the list those folks who cross my path on a daily basis--in one way or another--who may or may not have yet reached into close friendship with me. And so I am always thoughtful for small yet kind ways in which I might extend generosity.

Extend your circle of concern.

Think not only of what members of your own family would appreciate at Christmas. Think of cousins and aunts and uncles, and of closest friends. And don't stop there. Extend your circle. Think of your mail carrier, pet groomer, your pediatrician's office staff, the folks at your gym, your neighbors, friends of your children, office workers at youor your spouse's place of work, your manicurist, thelandscaper....think through the flow of your typical week andthose people who enter your life on a regular basis. If they areserving you in some capacity, isn't it kind to remember them now?

Many people refrain from practicing generosity to those outsidetheir small circle of concern because of the lack of money withwhich to do so. But inexpensive gifts can be handmade for pennies if we will only stretch our imaginations and put our hands--and those of our children--to good use.

Look to nature and to materials right outside your front door

Free for the asking and the picking: a fresh bouquet of greens--evergreens, magnolia leaves, and berries, tied with a gorgeoussilk ribbon--would be cherished by any receiver.

Tiny bird nest ornaments fashioned from Spanish moss, filled with speckled beans and a silk butterfly, and with a wooden clothespin glued from underneath, make delightful gifts for children and adults alike. My own tree is filled with them.

Collect pinecones and make an arrangement with them. Yourthoughtfulness will be appreciated and it will have cost nothingmore than a walk in the woods.

Homemade candies or cookies wrapped in inexpensive cellophanebags look elegant tied with ribbon and make perfect gifts forvirtually anyone on your list.

Miniature baskets filled with one tiny, simple gift, are perfect for your children's friends.

Remember: children love exaggeration; anything diminutive (or enormous!) appeals to their sense of wonder.

Homemade "snow globes" make our list every single year

Simply use a baby food or other small jar and fill it with water and a small bit of glycerin (found at your local drug store) and white glitter; add a few plastic toys--Legos, Barbie doll shoes, jacks and balls, plastic bugs--and then squeeze a think line of silicone sealant around the lid before screwing it on to prevent leakage.

Homemade glycerin soaps filled with tiny plastic toys areadorable

They'll delight your children as well, for they'll have created happy memories making them with you for all of their friends.

Consider making homemade wrapping paper or handmade gift tags.

I buy inexpensive tags at office supply stores by the hundreds.They cost about a penny apiece. I also use twine instead ofexpensive ribbon. One bolt lasts several years and costs a couple of dollars.

And mail those out-of-state gifts early to avoid long lines atthe post office as well as the extra expense of priority mail.

Model a generous life...at Christmas and throughout the year.Give faithfully and give cheerfully. You will be blessedbeyond measure.